10th October 1916, 106 years ago “The Princess Louise Scottish Hospital for Maimed and Limbless Sailors and Soldiers”, opened its doors to its very first patients.  

Totalling 14 in all, with Corporal J Ritson (29), 1/5th Royal Scots Fusiliers, the first name in the huge admissions book, a tome that would last into the 1930s.  Just over a month after he entered, what we now know as Erskine, James Ritson was back with his family and getting on with the rest of his life.

As many other young men in 1914, at the outbreak of war, Jimmy, as he was known, volunteered for his local territorial regiment, the Royal Scots Fusiliers. Jimmy and his battalion left Liverpool for Gallipoli in May 1915 landing on June 7 in the very thick of the action.

On July 13 an officer of the 7th Highland Light Infantry fell in front of the trenches, “Corporal Ritson rushed out and picked him up and carried him back over three of the trenches which they had taken from the enemy and brought him into safety”. This gallantry would earn him the Distinguished Conduct Medal, second in importance only to the Victoria Cross.

“A great number of my comrades fell at Gallipoli and will never return, so that it may be said that I have been fortunate in emerging from such an ordeal with only the loss of my left hand.” Corporal James Ritson on receiving the Distinguished Conduct Medal with Bar, 1 September 1916

On December 19 he was mentioned in dispatches for leading a bombing party that took a communications trench without the loss of a single man. Ten days later he was in action again, taking 20 prisoners and leading an attack on an enemy trench. This action would earn Jimmy Ritson a second DCM, in the form of a Bar.

However, the following day a Turkish mine exploded in Ritson’s bombing pit. Ritson was buried alive for some time. It was reported: “Corporal Ritson was buried in the debris and had to be dug out, he had twenty-two wounds in his body. One of these proved to be so serious that he had to have his left hand amputated.” It is hard to believe that any human being could survive such injuries.

Jimmy himself spoke little afterwards of how he survived what must have been months of torment, except to recall that immediately after the amputation, his stump was cauterized by being plunged into a bucket of hot tar.

After the war he was awarded the beautiful gold and blue Troon Medal and Freedom of the Burgh in recognition of his gallantry.

Jimmy pictured during his time in Erskine back right.

Today on the anniversary of Jimmy Ritson becoming Erskine’s very first patient Erskine is proud to remember such an extraordinarily courageous man. Erskine is also proud to remember the remarkable and innovative care he received that allowed him to live and full life after the horrors of war.

To find out more about Erskine’s work please visit our website at www.erskine.org.uk, follow on twitter @ErskineCharity via Facebook www.facebook.com/ErskineVeteransCharity or listen to Erskine Veterans Radio at Erskine.org.uk/radio.

To donate directly to Erskine, please visit Erskine.org.uk/donate