Grandfather William George MacLEAN (centre back row) in WW1 hospital c1916/17

Details from his service record

8 May 1915 enlisted at St. Pancras into the Gloucestershire regiment.
11 May 1915 joined his regiment in Bristol (regimental HQ ?)
23 Sep 1915 posted to the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
17 Feb 1916. returned to UK
25 Feb 1916 admitted to Army Hospital suffering from “Trench Feet”
4 Jun 1816 posted to France
12 Feb 1917 returned from France
8 May 1917 – 15 May 1917 granted leave.
1 Aug 1917 discharged (unfit for service).
4 Aug 1917 awarded Silver War Badge (indicates wounded/ injured in action)

Total Active Service (Mediterranean) 148 days
Total Active Service (France) 222 days

N.B. the 7th Battalion Gloucester Regiment, part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, served in Gallipoli from July 1915 to January 1916. This may well be where he served (his medal card merely says ‘Balkans’). They appear to have been amongst the last to be evacuated, as casualties are listed on 8th Jan 1916, with the evacuation complete by the 9th.

There is no obvious reason for him being returned from France in January 1917, but his daughter Joan believed he had been gassed, and that would explain why he was eventually discharged.

Also note that he obviously managed to get home to London when granted leave in May 1917, son Sterndale Jack was born in Feb 1918.