Corporal Frank Purvey

[basiloxford]

Hello Terry,

I have a non commemorated soldier, and don't know how to go about having him added to the GWGC.

I started a thread a few weeks ago concerning Frank Purvey, who doesn't appear on either the GWGC or SDGW databases, yet a local news paper reported him being killed in action in late 1914.

It turned out that he hadn't been killed, but in-fact he had been wounded near Ypres, and taken prisoner by the German forces, and subsequently released in a prisoner exchange, when on his return he was found to be suffering from tuberculosis, and discharged as unfit for duty.

His name was Frank Purvey, born in early 1888, in Oxford, and he enlisted in the 1st Grenadier Guards (service no 12622) on the 1st of March 1906.

He was transfered to the army reserve on the 1st of March 1913, and mobilized on the 5th of August 1914.

He was sent to France with the 1st Grenadier Guards on the 6th of October 1914, and was actually wounded on the 29th of October 1914. His service record states he was killed near Ypres on the 7th of November, but this is crossed out, and replaced with Exchanged Prisoner List 28744.

He was suffering from a gunshot wound to his left shoulder, and according to his medical record, Phitisis began towards the end of November.

Frank was exchanged on the 1st of July 1915, and examined at the King George Hospital, London on the 6th July 1915, with the resulting recommendation that as a result of a Gunshot Wound to his left shoulder, and Tuberculosis of his Lung, which developed as a secondary result of his injury, that he be discharged as medically unfit. His final discharge came on the 30th of July 1915, when he returned to Oxford. There is much more medical detail on his service records.

Frank died nearly a year later, and i now have a copy of his death certificate, which states the cause of death as Pulmonary Tuberculosis, and Cardiac Failure. He died at the City Hospital, (which was an Isolation Hospital) Abingdon Road, Oxford, on the 21st of May 1916, and his funeral took place at Holy Trinity Church, St Ebbes, Oxford, on the 25th of May 1916.

I have a copy of his Service Records including medical reports, which can be found on Ancestry among the pension records, as well as his Death Certificate.

I can also obtain a copy of the Parish Records for Holy Trinity if needed, the one thing i can't prove is where he's buried.

Holy Trinity Church was demolished in 1957, and had no Graveyard, so most of the burials from that Church was in a local Cemetery called St Mary's, Osney.

Unfortunately, St Mary's has been closed for many years, and the burial records either lost or destroyed, and with most of the headstone and memorials either removed or vandalised, it's impossible to prove exactly who is buried at the cemetery.

I've searched for a burial at three other Cemeteries on the outskirts of Oxford, without success, so i would say it's 99% certain he's at Osney, but just can't prove it. There are currently over 20 first world war burials and commemorations at Osney, and I would like to be-able to add Frank to the list.

Franks name does appear on the War Memorial which hang in Holy Trinity Church until it was demolished, but it is now hidden in a box, which is in the basement of a nearby church.

Do you think we have a good case for a non Commemoration?

Barry.

[Terry Denham]

Barry

It sounds a good case.

I have sent you a PM.

[staffsreg]

Well done Barry-some good detective work!

...Nearly there, Frank lad...

Ivan.