Peterhastie Posted 21 January , 2009 Share Posted 21 January , 2009 Can anyone help with what this chap was doing on or around the time of his death. I think the Corps did POW camps, guarding important places UK and possibly went to Northern Ireland In Memory of Private W H TATE 25691, 158th Protection Coy., Royal Defence Corps who died on 07 October 1916 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 21 January , 2009 Share Posted 21 January , 2009 Hello Peter You are broadly right. The RDC was formed from home-service battalions of infantry regiments. You probably know that he is buried in Darlington West Cemetery. This would point to his being posted to the Tees Coastal Defences, and he probably fdied from natural causes. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterhastie Posted 21 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 21 January , 2009 Hello Ron Coastal defences sounds OK, but he was only about 33yrs old and a bit to young to die of natural causes, but not impossible. I cant find reference to his death on the BMD Register Why would he be in the Defense Corps and not the regular army and serve abroad. I cant find a service record or medal card, destroyed in the blitz, or just didnt get one ? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 21 January , 2009 Share Posted 21 January , 2009 Hello Peter He may have been killed in an accident, or possibly an air-raid. It was not unusual for men to die naturally at 33 - there were TB, smallpox and other illnesses which do not kill today, but often did then. Poor health might also have accounted for his being awarded a low medical classification and hence he could not serve in an overseas theatre of operations. That being so, he would not qualify for the usual medals, so there would be no MIC. A lower medical category might also mean that, for example, he simply had poor eyesight or was partly deaf. Which BMD index did you search? I am no expert in that field but if the Army registered his death, it might be done on a central basis (as it was for Army deaths overseas) rather than through the local registry. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 22 January , 2009 Share Posted 22 January , 2009 Er, Peter, where did the 33 years old come from? Is this your own personal information? No age is given on CWGC. I can find no matching death in the civilian death index (GRO death index) nor is there one in the Army deaths (GRO Army war deaths 1914-1921). Hmm! Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterhastie Posted 22 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 22 January , 2009 Im assuming he's one of my wifes ancestors b1883 West Hartlepool. As there's no register entry for his death, either GRO or Army, showing his age at death, Im a bit stuck. How did you look at the Army deaths ? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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