Schofield’s Wound Stripe
“Blake heaves him to his feet - his uniform is identical to Blake’s, same rank, the only difference is the brass wound stripe on Schofield’s left sleeve.“
“A wound stripe is a distinction of dress bestowed on soldiers wounded in combat. It was typically worn on military uniform jackets.”
“The award of a stripe to soldiers who had been wounded during the war was authorized by Army Order 249 of 6 July 1916. This order allowed those who had appeared in a War Office casualty list to sew a two-inch stripe of gold Russia braid onto the left sleeve of their service jacket.”
“Officers and men reported ‘wounded – gas,’ or ‘Wounded – shock, shell,’ are entitled to the [WOUND STRIPE].“
BLAKE: Was it like this before Thiepval?
The name does something to Schofield. Fear clings to him. He pushes it away.
SCHOFIELD: I don’t remember.
BLAKE: You don’t remember the Somme?
SCHOFIELD: Not really.
“In August 1916, coincidentally a month after the massacres on the battlefields of the Somme, the British Army began issuing wound stripes to Allied Soldiers and Officers who had been wounded in combat or campaigns since 4th August 1914″
