File:Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment).jpg

English: James GRIBBIN. Private 16994, 3rd Royal Scots. (Lothian Regiment)

Born 1868 Kilsyth, Stirlingshire to John and Mary F Gribben, nee Ferron. 1871 with his parents and siblings at Croy, Cumbernauld, Dumbartonshire. 1881 (Gribbon) with his parents and siblings at Harpers Brae, Lasswade, Midlothian. 1891 (Gribbin) with his mother and siblings at 88 Auchinstarry Row Cumbernauld, Dumbartonshire, occupation, ironstone miner. Died as the result of an accident at Weymouth Dorset 13 March 1915 aged 37 Death age recorded with the Birth. Marriage. Death. (BMD) Notes from his army record. He enlisted 7 January 1915 aged 37 years and 6 months, joined at Regimental Depot Glencorse Barracks 9 January 1915. He had previously served with the Lothian Volunteers. His residence was given as 88 Auchinstarry Row his mother was his next of kin. 12 January 1915 he was posted to the 3rd Battalion and he died from wounds received in a motor accident. The following were granted a joint war gratuity 8 November 1915, Brother, Edward, Sisters Alice and Mary. The 31 December 1919 a revised joint war gratuity was granted to his sisters, Alice McKay, Mary Ann McLaren and brother Edward. At rest in Kilsyth Cemetery, Stirlingshire.

The following extract is from Th British Journal of Nursing dated 27 March 1915. http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUME054-1915/page261-volume54-27thmarch1915.pdf

A “ DREADFUL TRAGEDY OF ERRORS.” APPALLING IGNORANCE OF NURSE AND QRDERLY. TERRIBLE SUFFERING AND LONELY DEATH OF A SOLDIER.

At the request of trained nurses in the locality, who are justly indignant at the circumstances related, we publish in full a report from The Western Gazette concerning the inquest on James Gribbin, a private in the 3rd Batt. Royal Scots Regiment at Weymouth. Deep indignation is felt by trained nurses that a soldier suffering, according to the medical evidence, from mortal injuries, should have been sent away from the. Sidney Hall Military Hospital, to which he had been taken, and without medical advice, on the assumption that he was drunk, sent back to camp, and left to die alone, lying on the ground, just covered with a ‘blanket, in the Guard Room. The Coroner for South Dorset (Mr. G. P. Symes), held an inquest, at the Guildhall, Weymouth, on Monday afternoon, concerning the death of a private of the Royal Scots Regiment, stationed at the Military Camp at Chickerell, who died on the morning of Saturday, the 13th from injuries received on the previous night through being run over by a motor-car driven by Wm Powell, a driver in the employ of Mr. E. W. Fuffett. The deceased, who was a single man, was thirty-seven years of age and a native of Midlothian. Mr. W. T. Wilkinson represented Mr. Puffett and Sister Cuthbert, of the Sidney Hall Military Hospital and the police in attendance were Superintendent Sprackling, P.S. Osment, and P.C. Harvey. The Coroner said he wished in the first place to compliment P.C. Harvey, of the County Constabulary for the very able manner in which had prepared the evidence for presentation to the jury. Superintendent Sprackling thanked the Coroner for his compliment to the officer, and said he would be pleased to forward an intimation of it to the proper quarter

CONFLICT of EVIDENCE. In opening the case to the jury, the Coroner said it was a very important one, and one which, unfortunately, would involve a considerable conflict of evidence. The deceased appeared to have been knocked down by a motor-car, at about nine o’clock at night, near the Weymouth Cemetery. The driver was cautioned in the usual way by the police, and he said that at the time his car came upon the deceased he was lying in the road. Then some soldiers of the Northants Regiment, who were returning to Weymouth, said they passed the deceased just before the accident occurred, and that he was then walking in the ordinary way. The man was taken from under the motor-car and conveyed in it to the Sidney Hall Military Hospital, but, unfortunately, they had another matter to consider as to what happened there. The doctors would tell the jury that one result of the car striking the man was that the pelvis was broken, and that very serious injuries were caused. There were injuries to the head, but they were not in any way the cause of death. At the Sidney Hall the deceased was helped out of the car, and as to what subsequently took place there appeared to be a good deal of recrimination amongst the witnesses on the question of sobriety, and it appeared to have been assumed, without much question, that the deceased was intoxicated. The deceased was taken in and seen by the nurse in charge and one of the orderlies but the fact remained that they appeared to have taken upon themselves to say that he was drunk, and that the only injury he was suffering from consisted of wounds in the head. No doctor was sent for, but after the wound in the man’s forehead had been bandaged a fresh he was sent back to the Chickerell Camp. And here another conflict of evidence occurred, for the nurse said that she gave instructions for him to be taken to the hospital at the Red Barracks. But at the camp the dreadful tragedy of errors did not cease, and again conflict of evidence occurred. The injured man was taken to the guard tent, and the Sergeant of the Guard stated that he was not informed that he had been run over by a motor-car, the consequence being that he was simply treated as an intoxicated man who had been picked up in the road with a cut in his head. Some of the witnesses would say that the deceased walked into the guard tent, but the doctors would say that with the pelvis bone broken’ that was practically impossible, so he evidently must have been helped to a very considerable extent. Anyway, he was put in the guard tent with a blanket round him, and in a short time he died. It would be for the jury to say what was the cause of death, and whether any blame was to be attached to anyone. Wm. Powell, the driver of the motor-car, who, after being cautioned by the Coroner, elected to give evidence, stated that at nine o’clock on Friday night he was returning from the Chickerell Camp with a motor-car. The car was empty, and as he came round the corner by the Weymouth Cemetery, he saw a man lying straight across the road.’ He applied his brakes and pulled up, but by that time the front part of the car had passed over the man. He was not travelling fast at the time, and he thought he stopped in about half the length of the car. He saw some soldiers in the road, and shouted to them for assistance. They came, and with the aid of a lamp they saw the deceased on his back under the cap When they got the deceased out he was unconscious for a short time, but he recovered and said “ I’m all right.” Someone fetched water, and the deceased’s face was bathed, after which he was put in the car and run down to the Sidney Hall, Witness had only two very poor side lights, as he had been told that night to put out head lights. It was a very dark night. Witness went into the Sidney Hall and saw a nurse attending to the deceased. With the assistance of a man each side of him the deceased walked into the hall. After a time, he was conducted to the car again and was taken to the camp at Chickerell, where he was put in the guard tent, he walking to the tent with the assistance of two men. Witness had heard more than one of the men who first came to help say “ It was not your fault, he was lying in the road.” The car was not going beyond six miles an hour, and it was quite impossible to avoid the accident. At the request of Superintendent Sprackling witness produced his licence, which showed that he had been licensed to drive a motor-car from 1st September, 1913, to August 31st, 1914. You are aware, said Mr. Sprackling, that you have not had a licence to drive a motor-car since the 31st August last ? Witness: I quite forgot it until last night. Superintendent Sprackling: Here is the renewal form which has not been taken up. The Coroner: So you have been driving a motor-car since the 31st August without a licence? Witness: Off and on, sir. The Coroner: Of course that does not really concern us, but it shows that you have not been asked for your licence by the police, and that consequently your record has been very clear. DIED ALONE IN GUARD TENT.

Dr. Neale Lochrane, surgeon at the Royal Scots camp, stated that on Saturday morning, at five o’clock, he was called to a man who was reported as having died in the guard tent. He examined the body, but could form no opinion as to the cause of death. He was present when the post-mortem was being conducted by Dr. Heath, and he agreed with his evidence. When a case was sent from the Sidney Hall to the camp it was generally assumed that it had been seen by a surgeon, and the orderly would not need to send for him unless a special message had been sent, Dr. Manning observed that the pelvis bone was the strongest bone in the human body, and lie did not think that the wheel of the car could have caused the extensive injury inflicted on the deceased. Private Sharman stated that he assisted to Convey the deceased to the Sidney Hall. He heard the sergeant ask the deceased for his name and number, but he did not reply.