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Remembered Today:

IFCP Part Two - The Canadians


chrisharley9

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Brookwood Military Cemetery 1914 – 1918 Memorial

 

Pte #150166, Samuel ‘Sam’ McNeice Canadian Infantry

 

We have also been trying to track down the final resting place of Sam McNeice for at least the last four years. In that time, we have been in touch with both the local authority, the regional newspaper, local family history groups and a member of the McNeice family. But, no success! It seems impossible that a man who came from a large family, had a wife and three daughters could disappear from sight so completely when he died at his home town of Ballymena in County Antrim.

 

Recently, our website has recently published a blog about Pte McNeice and supported it with a posting on Twitter.

https://www.canadianukgravesww1.co.uk/blog/

Can you recirculate a link to our blog through your social media contacts? There must be somebody somewhere who knows where Pte McNeice is buried. It is now a case of casting the net as far and wide as possible.

 

Many thanks.

 

The Far From Home project

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United Kingdom Book of Remembrance

 

Donoghue, Arthur James

#642, Sapper, Canadian Engineers

 

We are pleased to advise you that all the relevant documentation has now been submitted to the CWGC at Maidenhead which confirms Sapper Arthur James Donoghue was buried:

Date: 08 March 1921 at: Melcombe Regis Cemetery, Weymouth, Dorset                  Grave reference # A1205, Consecrated Ground

Hopefully, as the cemetery records indicate Sapper Donoghue is buried in an unmarked grave, the CWGC will be able to provide him with one of their headstones in due course.

 

Many thanks to Richard Laughton for the information which his project had already posted as part of their research. It gave us a flying start!

 

Adrian

The Far From Home project

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  • 1 month later...

United Kingdom Book of Remembrance

 

Donoghue, Arthur James

#642, Sapper, Canadian Engineers

 

Please find below part of an email recently received from the CWGC at Maidenhead:

 

Thank you for your email providing information on the burial location of Sapper Arthur James Donoghue, 642, Canadian Engineers. I can confirm that this has been logged onto our internal tracking system as Grave Found case number 1055.

 

We will …….. need to arrange a visit to Melcombe Regis Cemetery to ensure that Sapper Donoghue is adequately and appropriately commemorated.

 

Thank you, once again, for providing documentation in relation to the possible grave location of Sapper Donoghue.

 

CWGC

 

Adrian

The Far From Home project

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  • 2 weeks later...

Re Thomas Owen Davies bad news I am afraid as CWGC have transferred his name to the Brookwood 1914-18 Memorial. This means that the evidence as to his place of burial has not been accepted.

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Also Daniel MacDonald RCNVR transferred from UK BOR to Brookwood 1914-18 Memorial  

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Hi Chris

Thomas Owen Davies

It is really disappointing to read the latest news. Do you have any feedback about what evidence was submitted and more importantly  what is still needed to commemorate him at Penegoes? 

Adrian

The Far From Home Project

 

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Hello Adrian,

 

the only acceptable evidence that CWGC will accept is usually the burial register. Do you know if this exists?

 

Cheers

 

Chris 

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Hi Chris

We made first contact with the Clerk to Cadfarch Community Council way back in January 2017. At that time, we were promised a copy of the Burial Register as well as a plan of the churchyard. Since then, we have been advised that the registers are currently “missing” and the churchyard plan has never materialised. We continue to chase but have not really made much progress over the last 18 months. The church is now closed for worship.

We have a transcription of his headstone both in the original Welsh with a translation into English (posted here on 22 June this year). L/Cpl Davies was apparently buried in the same grave with his father (died 1920) and mother (died 1940). In addition, we have both the Birth (at Penegoes) and Death (at nearby Machynlleth) certificates for L/Cpl Davies.

Our base is at Canterbury in Kent and many miles distant from Penegoes. So, it is hard to make progress.

Any ideas?

 

Adrian

The Far From Home project

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I am up in Cambridgeshire so same problem with getting to Wales. At present CWGC will only accept the burial register or similar as proof of burial. Will have a look again later as I may just have something.

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No sorry I thought I had his veterans death card, but was mistaken.

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Brookwood 1914 – 1918 Memorial Wall

(recently transferred from: UK Book of Remembrance)

 

Good news! The burial place of Canadian casualty listed below has now been identified.

 MacDonald, Daniel

Birth registered as: MacDonald, Donald

#VR/5433, Leading Seaman, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve

Served on: HMCS Niobe

Date of Death: 29 October 1919 at Knightswood Hospital, Glasgow, Renfrewshire

Death registered as: McDonald, Daniel

Place of Burial: Luskentyre Cemetery, South Harris, Western Isles, Scotland

 

We are currently progressing the necessary documentation for the CWGC.

 

Adrian & Diana

The Far From Home project

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Brookwood 1914 – 1918 Memorial Wall

(recently transferred from: UK Book of Remembrance)

 

Good news! Another Far From Home case has been solved. The burial place of the Canadian casualty listed below has now been identified.

 

Hobbs, Henry Thomas

 LAC ref: 4398-22

#504493, Sapper, Canadian Engineers

Date & Place of Birth: 29 April 1882 @ Battersea, London, Middlesex

Date of Death: Monday 08 August 1921 @ 32 Lots Road, Chelsea, London, Middlesex

Cause of Death: Aortic valvular disease of heart (4 years)

Age at Death: 39

Date of Burial: 11 August 1921

Place of Burial: North Sheen Cemetery (aka Fulham New Cemetery)

Address: Lower Richmond Road, Richmond, Surrey

Plot Reference: BC 397

 

The necessary documentation for the CWGC is already in the mail from the cemetery.

 

Adrian & Diana

The Far From Home project

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Re Davies I have found his veteran's death card which confirms place of burial - if you can get a grave photo then you may be able to make a case.

 

Re Hobbs please could you tell me where the records are held as I may be able to solve a few other cases.

 

Cheers

 

Chris   

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The records for the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham are held at North Sheen cemetery (contact: Shirley O'Mahoney, 0208 878 1934, there is an email link on the Borough website). I also have email addresses for City of Westminster, Royal Chelsea & Kensington and Brent Councils which we also contacted in the search for Sapper Hobbs. You are welcome to them if you would like them.

 

Re: Davies Still plugging away for a photograph. Persistence will pay off!

 

Adrian

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Brookwood 1914 – 1918 Memorial Wall

(as at: 14 September 2018)

 

A quick update on the 8 Canadians currently listed on the Memorial.

 

#1. Barry, Charles Lucien Maurice

buried at: Notre Dame de Belmont Cemetery, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Confirmation: awaited

Photograph of Headstone & Death Certificate: submitted to CWGC

 

#2. Davies, Thomas Owen

buried at: St Cadfarch, Penegoes, Montgomeryshire, Wales

Documentation: awaited

Photograph of Headstone: URGENTLY needed to confirm place of burial

 

#3. Heney, Robert LAC ref: 4266-45

#440834, Dvr, Canadian Infantry

Date & Place of Birth: 01 May 1876 at Ennclong, (Annalong?), County Down, Ireland

Discharged: 17 May 1919 @ Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Intended Place of Residence: 172 Elm Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Date of Death: Friday 03 December 1920

Place of Death: research on-going

Place of Burial: research on-going

Wife: Mrs Eliza Jane Heney (married: 16 August 1896),

Bally Martin, Kilkeel, County Down, Ireland

 

Far From Home has not found a record of Dvr Heney’s death in England & Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland as well as applying numerous alternative spellings for his surname. There is only one card in his service record at Ottawa which notes “Died Eng”. Given his intended residence at discharge from the army, it seems far more likely he died in Canada but no record has been found in Ontario or elsewhere to date.

Although GRONI has no record of his death, there is also the possibility he returned home to his wife at County Down.

 

#4. Hobbs, Henry Thomas

buried at: North Sheen Cemetery (aka Fulham New Cemetery)

Documentation: awaited

 

#5. MacDonald, Daniel

buried at: Luskentyre Cemetery, South Harris, Western Isles, Scotland

Documentation: awaited

 

#6. McNeice, Samuel

buried at: in or near Ballymena, County Down, Ireland

 

#7. Smith, John

buried at: research ongoing. Several indications likely to be a ‘Served as’ alias.

 

#8. Taylor, George

buried at: St John the Divine, Horninglow, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire

Confirmation: awaited

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Thanks Chis. Much appreciated. I wrote to four print newspapers, one on-line newspaper and BBC Radio Wales asking for help with photographs. Surely, somebody somewhere ....

The card plus photo really ought to seal the deal.

 

Adran

 

The Far From Home project

Chris! Apologies.

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Brookwood 1914 – 1918 Memorial

 

We have had a long-held theory the soldier noted below served under an alias.

 Smith, John

 #1084382, Private, 8th Bn Canadian Infantry

Date of Death: 23 September 1920

Place of Death: 214a Cambridge Road, Bethnal Green, London (The Bethnal Green Hospital)

Date of Burial: Research ongoing

Place of Burial: Research ongoing

 Our researches have now indicated he was most likely born as Charles Frederick Brown.

 We have a blog post outlining our research and appealing for help to find his place of burial.

 

https://www.canadianukgravesww1.co.uk/blog

 

Adrian & Diana

 The Far From Home project

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Brookwood 1914 – 1918 Memorial

 

Davies, Thomas Owen

buried at: St Cadfarch, Penegoes, Montgomeryshire, Wales

 

At last! We have been sent 3 photographs of the headstone for Thomas Owen Davies (with the names of his father above and his mother below the inscription for TOD) and have forwarded them to CWGC at Maidenhead. The headstone is somewhat covered in moss (?) but all three inscriptions can be seen to match up with the transcriptions (in both Welsh and English) already circulated.

 

CWGC also has a copy of the ‘Veterans Death Card’ which clearly states TOD was buried at St Cadfarch.

 

Taken together, fingers crossed!

 

Every effort is being made to locate the Burial Registers for final proof.

 

Adrian & Diana

The Far from Home project

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Nice one. I had an e mail yesterday to say his commemoration has been moved back to UK BOR. Also moved was Hobbs & MacDonald.

 

Cheers Chris

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On ‎23‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 14:29, adrian45 said:

Brookwood 1914 – 1918 Memorial

 

We have had a long-held theory the soldier noted below served under an alias.

 Smith, John

 #1084382, Private, 8th Bn Canadian Infantry

Date of Death: 23 September 1920

Place of Death: 214a Cambridge Road, Bethnal Green, London (The Bethnal Green Hospital)

Date of Burial: Research ongoing

Place of Burial: Research ongoing

 Our researches have now indicated he was most likely born as Charles Frederick Brown.

 We have a blog post outlining our research and appealing for help to find his place of burial.

 

https://www.canadianukgravesww1.co.uk/blog

 

Adrian & Diana

 The Far From Home project

So far on this one I have checked Sibton Suffolk, but under the name Smith as I was not aware of the possible alias at the time. A check on DOL produces nothing for Smith or Brown.

 

Cheers

 

Chris  

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We await a reply to our enquiries from two London Boroughs (Hackney and Haringey). The London Borough of Waltham Forest has replied he is not in either Chingford Mount or Walthamstow. The replies from Newham are also negative so far but incomplete.

 

He is not at City of London & Tower Hamlets cemetery. Microfilm personally checked by us at London Metropolitan archives.

 

There is no record at the GRO of a John Smith 'Death' in Bethnal Green for the last two quarters of 1920.

 

Our Suffolk researcher is on the case.

 

Adrian & Diana

The Far From Home Project

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Any Tower Hamlets searches in future let me know as these are on ancestry

 

Cheers Chris

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Manchester Southern Cemetery

 

We are hoping somebody may be willing to supply us with a photograph of the private headstone for:

 

#3787, Sgt Stanley Barke

Royal Canadian Dragoons

 

Died: 4th February 1920

 

Plot: # D.CE.2359

 

Stanley was buried with 2 other members of the Barke family (in 1899 and 1921) and 2 members of the Lee family (in 1933 and 1974).

 

Your assistance will be very much appreciated.

 

Adrian & Diana

The Far from Home project

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  • 1 month later...

We have recently completed a nine day Road Trip covering just over 1,000 miles to the Midlands and north of England, the Isle of Man and Wales in our search for 13 Canadian casualties who were on our Outstanding Visits List. The final resting place for ten of the casualties was ‘Unknown’ when we embarked on our project in Autumn 2007. Six names were recorded on the Brookwood 1914-1918 Memorial Wall (Bwd), three in the Canadian Book of Remembrance (CBR) and one in the UK Book of Remembrance (UKBR).

 

More information for all of these four casualties can be found elsewhere in the pages of this Forum. Hopefully, our blog will be appreciated by the researchers who actually found each of these men but may not yet have visited their final resting places.

https://www.canadianukgravesww1.co.uk/blog/

Shem England, at: St Peter ad Vincula Church, Ratley, Warwickshire

George Taylor, at: St John the Divine Church, Horninglow, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire

Alfred Johnson, at: Eccleshall Road Cemetery, Stafford, Staffordshire

John Henry Mayers, at: St Peter Church, Prestbury, Cheshire

We will share further bogs from our website when published over the next few days.

 

Adrian & Diana

The Far from Home project

Edited by adrian45
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