Terry or John

[Guest KevinEndon]

One for Terry or John here. What happens next. Volunteer Joe Bloggs finds a possible non comm (lets say A.BEE, died 1st July 1916 and served with the Ulster Division) and fires it off to you both, what are the next stages all the way to him being recognised, down to his name to be added to the addenda panel on Thiepval.

Kevin

[Terry Denham]

Kevin

Briefly....

1) The name submitted is cross-checked several times. About 60-70% of names submitted by volunteers are found in CWGC for various reasons - spelling variations, double-barreled names, listed in other unit, alias names etc, etc.

2) Once confirmed as believed missing from CWGC, death certificate is ordered.

3) Upon receipt, the checking process is repeated

4) If all still points to a non-com, I produce a submission to CWGC/MoD

(Lots of record keeping does on around this which is what takes the time! Full records of submissions, DC purchases etc have to be maintained).

5) CWGC checks evidence supplied with each submission for likely qualification and for already being included before sending on to MoD (or other dominion authority)

6) MoD department for each service does their own checking/evaluation according to their own separate systems

7) CWGC informed by MoD of the result in due course

8) TD informed of the result by CWGC

9) CWGC decides on which memorial name to be inscribed or, if grave known, the CWGC area office physically inspects the grave

10) Once memorial/grave confirmed, name added to Debt of Honour. TD informs volunteers of new acceptance.

11) CWGC orders headstone/inscription after all legal issues resolved.

12) Headstone erected/inscription on memorial made in due course and maintained 'in perpetuity'.

It is a lot of work but well worthwhile. That is actually a simplified summary of the process. This is done for every submission (and I made 22 submissions today alone).

And, I have forgotten in the above that JH has to record the return of the batch of names from the volunteer and issue the next batch!

[chrisharley9]

Terry

nice to see the actual process

Chris

[Bardess]

It seems to be a slow and tedious effort/process to get non-comms recognised [and hugely satisfying I imagine] but after 90 odd years I can't help but think of the families involved who undertook 'the journey' only to find their loved ones not commemorated. Would they have had the opportunity to plead their case to, perhaps, their local MP/Govt official?

Don't get me wrong ... bringing them IFTC now is marvellous , but I tend to think of the immediate family left behind and wanting their son/husband/father's name proudly and properly placed on specific memorial.

Drat, I'm rambling now - lost for words

Diane

[John_Hartley]

Diane

There must be many reasons why in-service men slipped through the net of commemorating them at the time and continued to have slipped through the net until we find them.

Bear in mind that we are talking about a tiny proportion of the total - perhaps only a couple of thousand. They may have been men who had no close family, or whose family never knew he wasnt commemorated, or if they did, had no knowledge about how to present their case. We shall never know.

John

(PS: Yes - I have the easy part of the Project, once a man's name is submitted. )

[Guest KevinEndon]

thanks Terry for the detailed reply, and many thanks for the behind the scenes work you do to get these men recognition,

Kevin