Esskay Posted 30 August , 2008 Share Posted 30 August , 2008 Have responded to Martin (Memorial Man) about this man in his thread on Epsom College ROH here - http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...howtopic=104830 Draper is listed as a casualty (KIA Bedfordshire Regiment 1917) but this may be an error as he cannot be located in SDGW or CWGC. Though he was commissioned into the 10th Bn in 1915 (per LG) he appears to have married in 1918 (in the registration district that includes Rickmansworth) and this MIC is on Ancestry Does its blankness actually tell us anything? Cheers Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 30 August , 2008 Share Posted 30 August , 2008 Temp. Lieut. Thomas Makin Draper (notice spelling of middle name) is listed in the Epsom College Register 1855-1954 as serving with the Bedfordshire Regiment and being killed in action in 1917. He is listed in the April 1917 Army List as serving with the Machine Gun Corps. Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esskay Posted 2 September , 2008 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2008 Thanks Dick - as I mentioned - despite his being included in the Epsom College Register/ROH there seems to be a strong likelihood that he did not in fact die - the MGC info is a little to add to him Thanks again Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantowi Posted 23 September , 2008 Share Posted 23 September , 2008 Not listed in the GRO Army lists either - checked up to 1925 Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 23 September , 2008 Share Posted 23 September , 2008 Folks might like to have a look at the following marriage announcement: http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/vie...20-%200695.html In short, Lieutenant Thomas Makin Draper, RAF, married Lilian Mary Webster on 11th June 1918 at St. Thomas' Church, Rickmansworth on 11th June 1918. They appear to have had at least two children, twin daughters Lilian S. and Susan, in 1926. (From http://www.freebmd.org.uk/) So it would appear that this man did not die in the war, and certainly not in 1917. Which raises the question as to how the College could make such a mistake. Do we have a case of mistaken identity? If it wasn't Thomas Makin Draper, who did die in 1917? Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 23 September , 2008 Share Posted 23 September , 2008 For what it's worth, The London Gazette of 17th August 1915 shows Thomas Makin Draper to be a Temporary Second Lieutenant as from 12th August 1915. However, this was with the 10th Battalion Bedforshire Regiment, which, according to The Long, Long Trail, never left for overseas. Is the medal card blank because Thomas never left the UK? Surely, if either the VM or BWM, or both, had been awarded, there would be a medal roll notation on the card? As per the example for officers on TLLT. Another thought that crosses my mind is that there could be confusion between Thomas Makin Draper Snr and Thomas Makin Draper Jnr. Could Thomas Snr (born 1862) been with the Bedfordshires etc. in his capacity as a surgeon (which was his profession) and Thomas Junr with the RAF? Doesn't explain the "KIA" story of course. Thomas Snr. was still listed in the telephone book as a surgeon in 1926. Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mts Posted 23 September , 2008 Share Posted 23 September , 2008 It looks like the couple had children Births Dec 1926 Draper Lilian S Webster Watford 3a 1226a Draper Susan Webster Watford 3a 1226 Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esskay Posted 24 September , 2008 Author Share Posted 24 September , 2008 Thanks for the renewed interest in this thread Noel and Mel - the question posted here was specifically to ask why a man would have a medal card that was to all intents blank - the one question that doesn't seem to have been answered! He certainly got around if all the references to him are to be believed - 10 Bn Bedfordshire Regiment (LG) MGC (per Dick's post in this thread) RASC (from the MIC) and now RAF from Flight magazine! Now found some transfers in LG LG 8/8/16 Bedfordshire R to MGC (temp 2nd Lt) eff 11/4/16 LG 3/7/17 MGC - ceases to belong to the Corps on being transferred to RFC (temp Lt) eff 30/4/17 LG 25/6/18 RFC - appt Flying Officer (temp Lt) General List - eff 24/3/18 LG 29/7/19 RAF to RASC Lt to be Temp Lt - eff 13/6/19 Then WW2 RASC - Lt (131164) - eff 1/6/40 RASC - Relinquished comm on grounds of ill health - eff 19/1/41 In the original thread - post 8 of - http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...howtopic=104830 - it was the marriage in 1918 - that initially gave rise to the question as to whether he had been incorrectly included in the Epsom College Roll of Honour. We ended up leaving it with Memorial Man's (Martin) final comment - "I have found many irregularities in the Register and this may another one" It certainly looks as if he was not a WW1 casualty Thanks again for your interest Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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