FOLLOWING on from the events to mark Armed Forces Day, this story highlights how heartbreaking the effects of war and conflict can be, with thanks to Roger Pyke of Launceston Then! for supplying this account of Douglas Cavey’s time with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War.

Douglas Cavey was born in 1890 at Race Hill, Launceston, to William and Emma Cavey. In 1912 he married Gertrude Rice, taking up residence at 5, Race Hill Terrace, Launceston. He was working for Doctors Thompson, Gibson and Budd as a dispenser prior to enlisting in the Royal Army Medical Corps in August 1914 at Devonport.

In a letter written to his wife Gertrude, Douglas explains how he started out with the First Field Ambulance, moving on to No 9 General Hospital, which was taken over by No 2. He wrote: “My adventures have been many. I have been to the front, done a lot of marching, and was still on the go when I was sent off with a lot of wounded and sick, and in the end got lost; hence my many change of address. It is quite on the cards that I shall be reported as missing. If so, you will know that I am safe and sound so far.

“All will end well for England, and the Allies will be victorious.”

Douglas died of his wounds at the age of just 28, after being struck by shrapnel from a nearby shell while clearing battlefield casualties with the 9th Field Ambulance. He died just a day after writing his last letter to his wife and child on August 30, 1917. He was interred at Canada Farm Cemetery, Belgium.

In a letter to Gertrude, one of Douglas’ good friends on the front, A J Boyd, wrote of Douglas’ last day.

He wrote: “At the moment of the catastrophe, Dug was inside with two other R amb men and a badly wounded patient (on a stretcher). A large shell penetrated the roof and exploded inside the shelter.

“The other three occupants were killed outright but Dug, although very badly wounded and quite unconscious, was alive. The shelling continued for some time. Dug was immediately attended to and taken on a stretcher to the main road and put into a motor ambulance and taken out of the danger zone to the big hospital. He passed away soon after reaching there.”

Found amongst his possessions was a small bottle of French perfume, meant as a present for Gertrude on his return to Launceston, which he was never able to personally hand over to her.

In 1937, Gertrude paid a visit to her husband’s grave, and in later years Douglas also received a visit from the relatives he was never able to meet, Richard and Jeany Cavey.