386202 Acting Sergeant HERBERT GIBSON, MM

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386202 Acting Sergeant HERBERT GIBSON, MM, 1st Northumbrian Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps.

Sergeant Herbert Gibson cartoon Sergeant Gibson sketchbook cover

Herbert Gibson was born in September 1889.

Gibson joined the army on the 4th September 1914. He was a Private in the 1st Northumbrian Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. and was promoted to Corporal on the 19th September 1916. He was awarded his Military Medal on the 7th October 1916. This was Gazetted in February 1917 (Ref. XXVII, Page 18, London Gazette). Gibson was promoted to Acting Sergeant in 1918 and he was demobbed on the 16th February 1919.

We have a collection of postcards that “Bert” sent to his girl friend, Cissi Bell who lived at 5 Curtis Road, Fenham, Newcastle on Tyne. They were drawn mainly on plain postcards - British, French and German. The drawings gave an often humourous picture to those at home of life in the trenches which, perhaps, if put into words would not always have passed the censor. Herbert and Cissi never married, but Herbert survived the war. A sad end to the story, but a fortunate man to come out of the war alive.

Here are some details about his unit which were taken from the Unit’s diaries - WO95/2824 . More to follow when we have done some more research at The National Archives.

The 1st Northumbrian Field Ambulance left Newcastle at 12.35 a.m. on the 17th April 1915 and arrived at Winnezeele on the 21st April where they were billeted by sections on three farms.
They arrived in Ypres on the 22nd April. Subsequently, they served all around the Salient in such places as Vlamertinghe, Poperinghe, Steenvoorde, Fletre, Bailleul and
Wippenhoek.

On the 12th August, they were visited by General Sir Herbert Plumer (Commander of the 2nd Army). A later order issued from General Headquarters mentions that the 1st Northumbrian Field Ambulance was the best Field Ambulance in the 2nd Army (see No. 4503).

In August 1916, the Unit moved to the Somme and was stationed around Bazentin le Petit.

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