Donald Richard Gamble, Private 15/355, 1st Leeds Pals
The first ‘G’ surname to volunteer was Donald R Gamble, but while his name is on the roll and his medal records have survived, the only other evidence for him is an entry on a hospital register, when he was wounded. His army records otherwise have not survived. Even his second name is not recorded. However, his is not a common name, and I could find only one Donald R Gamble on the census records, or in the births, marriages and deaths. So although I cannot be certain, what follows seems likely to be the right man. If I am wrong, wholly or just in part, I hope someone will contact us with further information.
Donald Richard Gamble was born on 31st May 1889, in Leicester, the second son of John George Gamble of Ullesthorpe, who had married Hannah Elizabeth Calder in Watford in December 1882, she being a Londoner. Donald was baptised on 25th July of that year, and John’s occupation was given as solicitor, though on subsequent censuses he was shown as a clerk. The Gambles had three children, another having died. The eldest was George Henry Calder Gamble, and then a daughter, Kathleen Grace, the same age as Donald. I assume they were twins.
Despite Hannah having been born in Marylebone, London, the family was essentially from Leicester, and at the 1911 Census they were still living there, at 8 Saxe Coburg Street. John was given as warehouse clerk, and the two boys as warehousemen, George in hosiery and Donald in engineering. But in 1914, when war broke out and Donald volunteered, he at least was living in Leeds, at 11 North West Road, Woodhouse, the address he gave when he applied to join the Pals on 4th September. He had his medical seven days later, and was posted to C Company, No.12 Platoon, where he became platoon bomber. What brought him to Leeds is not known, but it appears his family was still in Leicester.
With the rest of the Pals Donald would have gone to Colsterdale for his initial training, followed by Ripon and Fovant, before sailing for Egypt in December of 1915, where he landed on 22nd December. The Pals stayed there, guarding the Suez Canal, until the beginning of March 1916, when they sailed for France to start training for the Big Push, the Battle of the Somme. This started on 1st July 1916, and by 10th July Donald was in hospital with gun shot wounds to his left thigh and right foot, but at least he had survived the battle. These were sufficiently serious for him to be put on the hospital ship HS Salta, but whether this took him back to England or somewhere else is not known. When he had sufficiently recovered he did not return to the Pals. Casualties had been so catastrophic that the idea of Pals battalions was abandoned, and returning soldiers sent to wherever reinforcements were needed most. Donald found himself in the East Yorkshire Regiment, with a new army number, 29952, and here he spent the rest of the war.
Meanwhile, on 9th February 1918, Donald had married Ethel May Garner in Leicester. She was given as spinster, but he as soldier, and his address was still 8 Saxe Coburg Street. He was discharged from the army, presumably after the end of the war, and put into Reserve Z, but unusually no date for this is recorded. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. After these events the story becomes a little confused. On the 1920 Electoral Register Donald is shown living with his parents in Saxe Coburg Street. By 1925 he had moved to Leeds, (again?), and was living at 55 East Park Street, Leeds, but on his own. The following year he had been joined by Ethel, and two years later they were still together at 7 Winfield Grove. Finally they appeared on the 1939 Register, living at 6 Lomond Place, Leeds. Donald was now a boot factory stock clerk, and Ethel, as was usual for the time, was shown as doing unpaid domestic work.
Donald probably died in Leeds in 1963, aged 74, and Ethel five years later, aged 79.
If you can add anything to this, or correct any errors, pleas contact us.
Sources:
Ancestry – medal records
Find My Past – medical records, census details, baptism and marriage records
Free BMD – marriage and death dates
Researcher: Peter Taylor
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