William Theodore Nurse – A black soldier goes to war
By John Bailey
William Nurse was born in 1894 and was of West Indian origin. He worked as a printer in Stepney until 1917 when he was
called up to join the army. He had ‘Attested’ to join the army in December 1915 and had been placed in the ‘Derby
Scheme’. He was instructed to ‘bring your Armlet and white card with you’ when reporting for his call up. His medical
classification was B1 so was directed to the Army Service Corps rather than the infantry. After basic training he was taught
to drive, passing his ‘Learners Test’ on the 15th June at Isleworth. He was soon sent to France, setting off on the 14th July
1917. The journey took three days. He crossed the channel on this occasion on the Southampton to Rouen route on board
the SS Archimedes. He was in trouble immediately as he was 7 hours late reporting and got 5 days ‘Confined to Barracks’
as a result.
Thereafter he was constantly on the move between units. His service record shows him driving for various MT depots,
Vehicle parks, MT companies and repair shops. Photos he brought back from France show a wide variety of vehicles and
he listed in his papers as having driven lorries by Karrier, Straker-Squire, Maudsley, Peerless, Commer, Halford, Ford,
Dennis and Bedford. He also recorded driving cars made by Daimler, Austin, Ford, Sunbeam, Siddley-Deasy and Napier.
His driving took him all over France and Belgium from the front line areas down to the Marseilles in the south of France. In
1919 he was a part of the army of occupation in Germany and was based in Cologne but drove all over the country. His
photos show other black and Asian soldier’s in the ASC with him.
William certainly passed through Folkestone at least once. He saved a leave ticket from ‘France to Victoria Station’ in
August 1918 when he was granted two weeks home leave.
The demobilisation process started in July 1919. His final unit being ‘Rhine Army Troops’. On the 23rd July his clothing and
equipment was classified as being in ‘clean and serviceable condition’. A medical examination certified that he was ‘free
from vermin, Scabies or V.D’. His medical category had gone up from B1 to A.
In September 1920 he obtained his civilian driving license, but he abandoned his career as a printer and became a
professional musician working under the name ‘Pete Nurse’. He was a drummer and guitarist in various dance bands. A
profession that carried on through WW2 and afterwards, mostly in central and west London.
One man’s part in the First World War. Do not think that serving in the Army Service Corps was easy. Just look at the
number of ASC gravestones in the cemeteries of France and Belgium.
Nurse is behind the wheel and on the right front of the main photo
Returning to the Front
The journey from France to Folkestone at the beginning of a few days of precious leave would have been a happy, even
boisterous, affair. The men, full of hope and expectation at the prospect of meeting their loved ones, and a few days away
from the unremitting nightmare of the frontline, would have been desperate to disembark at Folkestone Harbour. The
return journey was undertaken in an altogether different mood. Some, though surprisingly few, decided not to return and
deserted.
Artist, Richard Jack, captures the mood at Victoria Station as men
wait for the train to Folkestone en route to the Trenches
Gold Dust! This leave and travel ticket promised
10 weeks away from the Front Lines.
More information about William Theodore Nurse
MIC
Service Record
© Michael George 2014 © John Bailey 2014