Historical Musings: The Psychological Effects of War- A Case Study from Moss Side Military Hospital, Maghull

Andrew Goodwin, was a stretcher bearer in the 9^th Battalion of the King’s Liverpool Regiment, and was admitted to Moss Side Hospital, Maghull some time in January 1918 following a shrapnel wound to his head. Moss Side pioneered treatment for soldiers with shell shock during the First World War & treated over 3,600 patients between opening in December 1914 and 1919. Moss Side became renowned in the developing field of psychological medicine, with clinical staff at the time were described as “the brilliant band of workers who made Maghull the centre for the study of abnormal psychology”.

Andrew was born on 5^th November 1890 in Liverpool, to John and Martha Goodwin (nee Sarratt). His occupation on enlisting in December 1916 is given as French Polisher and he was living at Hill Street in Liverpool. He was stationed at home for a year and served in France and Belgium for nearly a year.

I was able to find out lot of information from the case notes that were kept about him at the hospital. He is described as being 5’11” and had grey eyes and black hair. It was noted from remarks about him from his time at the Front that he was a “well behaved and willing worker.” His injury was caused by shrapnel to the head and caused a depressed fracture which was treated by the insertion of a surgical plate to the wound. However, his duties as a stretcher bearer must have subjected him to horrific situations and experiences that could surely have affected him mentally. His son certainly thought that the many times he had to go out into No Man’s Land to collect the dead, dying and severely injured must have affected him deeply.

Battle of Pilckem Ridge Passchendaele

1 August 1917.Image: IWM (Q 5935)

It is clear that as well as the obvious physical injury, his experiences at the front (he was injured at Passchendaele, a name that became synonymous with the horror of the Great War due to the large scale loss of life and injuries) also caused severe mental trauma. His son, Ken, was interviewed about his father’s experiences at Maghull for a book (The Psychological Impact of War; Channel 4 Books 1998: Wendy Holden). Ken gives an insight into the terrible consequences for his father following his experiences at the Front. Private Goodwin was so traumatised that he said he would never go back and would rather be shot than have to face the horrors again. Understandably perhaps, he also had problems adapting to his time at Moss Side – he apparently said “If you had all your marbles when you went in, you wouldn’t when you came out”.

Silver War Badge

Private Goodwin was never to return to the Front. He was discharged from the army as medically unfit for war duty and received the Silver War Badge in July 1918. – awarded to those who had been injured in the service of their country and to show that he had indeed “done his duty” and was not a “skrimshanker and malingerer”…..He also received a gold stripe that could be sown onto his jacket which confirmed that he had been listed as wounded, together with a blue chevron, that demonstrated more than 2 years’ service in which he showed good conduct and had no disciplinary actions against him.

After the war Private Goodwin married Marjorie Moon in 1922. He continued in his pre-War trade as a French Polisher, as seen by his entry, with Marjorie, on the 1939 Register established on the declaration of the 2^nd WW. He continued to live in Liverpool until his death in 1976, 5 years before the death of his wife.

I was very glad to find that Andrew Goodwin was able to continue his profession, marry and have a family after the War. Sadly, his son says that he spent the rest of his life struggling to come to terms with his experience. I hope though that he did find some peace after the terrible cost to his physical and mental health caused by the War and perhaps ultimately helped by his experiences at Moss Side.

Sources

Subscription sites

Find My Past 1939 Register

Ancestry Births, deaths and Marriage Records

Silver Badge Records

Census returns

Baptismal records (Liverpool, CoE register 1813-1906)

Treatment card: Private papers Dr Rowlands

Book: (The Psychological Impact of War; Channel 4 Books 1998: Wendy Holden).

Websites: http://www.researchingww1.co.uk/ww1-wound-stripes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Conduct_stripe

http://www.researchingww1.co.uk/silver-war-badge