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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Scandal of forgotten heroes


tjpatti

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Hi Teresa

Ill give Mel glowing when I get hold of him. Re James Charmont I have passed his details over to John Morecombe our Naval non comm specialist to see what he can make of the case.

Sorry but I cant answer the question about the rigorous criteria; Mel can answer a bit more about that.

The new case is Alfred Cartwright of the Grenadier Guards

All The Best

Chris

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Hi Teresa

Ill give Mel glowing when I get hold of him. Re James Charmont I have passed his details over to John Morecombe our Naval non comm specialist to see what he can make of the case.

Sorry but I cant answer the question about the rigorous criteria; Mel can answer a bit more about that.

The new case is Alfred Cartwright of the Grenadier Guards

All The Best

Chris

Hi Chris,

It would be very interesting (to me, at least) if the Forum members who are involved with the IFTC project would reveal themselves and their 'specialities' i.e. I know there's you and you find graves, I know there's Mel, I think there's John Hartley(?) and someone called Terry(?).

I'm just being nosey, really, but you guys really need to stand up and take a bow.

Regards

Teresa

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Teresa

IFTC Project - If you have a look at the site that says a lot about what we are

My personal speciallities are find the graves of the missing on the Brookwood 1914-18 UK Memorial & Tower Hill Memorial. Im also researching the death notice from the Times archives for those who do not appear on the CWGC Debt of Honour & I also am checking my local war memorials to names that do not appear on the CWGC.

If you have a look through John Hartley & Terry Denham posts you will see what they have been up too

Chris

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were the criteria for commemoration always as rigorous as they are nowadays?

Indeed so, Teresa.

Post discharge, it has always been a matter of the link between reason for discharge and cause of death. In the immediate post war period, many families will have been in contact with the authorities because the man was receiving pension. It is only the passage of time that makes it harder.

As for In From the Cold, we have around 40 volunteers worldwide, many of whom are not members of this forum (although this is where we started). With the exception of Chris (our gravefinder general) and Terry Denham (the guvnor - he makes the assessment of the case and submits it to CWGC), our time is spent cross-checking the General Register Office list of overseas deaths against the Commission's records. It's tedious. Extremely tedious - and tiring on the eyes (at least I find it tiring). Volunteers get a batch of ten pages of the list at a time (approx 1000 names) and do the cross-checking as and when they are able - some folk complete a batch in days, others in weeks (all are equally valued, of course).

So far, we've cross checked Airmen Died in the Great War, Officers Died, the home deaths of Soldiers Died and have worked our way through nearly 3500 pages of the GRO list for soldiers and are currently undertaking the checks on letter S. Once that's finished, we move on the the officers list(a double check) and then the naval deaths. Perhaps getting on for a couple of years work. We are only dealing with "in service" deaths in the main project and the costs of obtaining the necessary overseas death certificates are refunded by the Veterans Agency.

Folk can find out more about the Project by following the link in my signature.

John

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I have also got a number of Rolls Of Honour that will have to be gone through to check for missing casualties but this will done when the GRO indexes have been finished. Thank the Lord for semi retirement.

Chris

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Teresa

IFTC Project - If you have a look at the site that says a lot about what we are

My personal speciallities are find the graves of the missing on the Brookwood 1914-18 UK Memorial & Tower Hill Memorial. Im also researching the death notice from the Times archives for those who do not appear on the CWGC Debt of Honour & I also am checking my local war memorials to names that do not appear on the CWGC.

If you have a look through John Hartley & Terry Denham posts you will see what they have been up too

Chris

Good call, Chris - I've had a look at the IFTC website and recognised a few names.

BTW, are you still interested in non-comms who died in Ireland (thread posted in 2008)? I have a possible whom I have referred to Terry Denham for consideration and to check he isn't already 'in the system'.

Regards

Teresa

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Teresa

always interested in the Ireland lads

Chris

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Guest suemck146

I am absolutely astounded to find this forum and the related info on the Cane Hill forgotten soldiers! My grandfather was one of the 26 named in the Croydon Guardian: Alexander John Mckenzie. Obviousy I never met him (he died 1918, I was born 1961) but I know bit about him. His death was a great shameful secret in my father's family. Ironically his younger brother Albert was awarded the VC at the battle of Zeebrugge. Alexander's family were in dire straits after his death, he left a wife and seven children. Anything I can do to help or any information I can access. let me know

Sue Mckenzie

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Hello Sue

Welcome to the Board.

We didn't pick up on your gandfather's date of death because he is in the free BMD index as MacKenzie rather than McKenzie.

If you have any details of his military service and his Death Certificate then please let us know. Everone involved would obviously like as many of these unfortunate men to be officially commemorated as possible.

Mel

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  • 3 weeks later...

Like you say Mel a good story

Chris

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Hi Chris and Mel,

The same story appears in this week's Croydon Guardian. Glad to see you two are receiving the credit you deserve.

Regards

Teresa

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  • 1 month later...

A chap I've been researching seems to be possibly in the same boat. I got his DC a few days ago and foudn that he died of GPI in the City of London Lunatic Asylum, Dartford on 25 January 1919. Just posted a request for help on his service in general over in the Soldiers subforum, and what I've found out about him so far can be seen in full here.

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David

does the dc mention anything about the duration of the GPI

Chris

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No, though there's a comment jsut below the cause that I can't quite make out. I'll try and put an image up later. The hospital records are in the London Metropolitan Archives, and I'm up in the City on a course in a couple of weeks, so I should at elast be able to find out the admission date.

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Got a name please David & I will see what I can rustle up

Chris

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Oops, sorry I'd forgotten I hadn't mentioned it here - Sedley James Collins, late private MGC 102516.

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David

I have just reviewed his pension record; cause of discharge is GSW rt thigh no mention of GPI so unfortunately you dont have much of a case

Chris

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Is that on Ancestry then? I didn't manage to track it down when I looked. Oh yes, I see ne's there as Sidley James Collins. Don't know how I missed that first time around. (Won't be able to look at for while-without paying-unfortunately).

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David

pm me your e mail & I will send you the images

Chris

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For completeness, here's the section of the DC I was struggling with:

4215044689_463fe3b437.jpg

can't make out the word before "prior to admission"

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Could the word be operation? Perhaps the reason for no PM. My great uncle died in Maidstone asylum in 1919 of TB but a PM was performed. In the case of Sedley Collins the cause of death would not have been in doubt or there would have been a PM.

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hi DAVID DAVID GOURLEY HERE ftom THE FRIENDS OF THE SOMME MID ANTRIM on jan 2nd 2010 we are off to DUBLIN foe the blessing of a new memorial head stone to JOSEPH EWARD WOODALL VC last year we done the same for MICHAEL FRANCES O DONNEL MC 3 times we raised the money very easiley from various army associations pehaps you would think of a memorial to these brave men somewere near to their resting places i would be privilaged to assist money wise and our members would find it an honour to attend the unvieling keep in touch

DAVID GOURLEY

EVENTS OFFICER

FRIENDS OF THE SOMME

MID ANTRIM

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David

I think this may have to be given some consideration as some of the lads wont be commemorated by the CWGC

Chris

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