IPT Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 A quick glance at the BMD records during the war period shows the following names (mostly middle names). The numbers are approximate, of course. Between 1914 and 1918, 725 people were named "Mons", 311 "Ypres" (including a "Kitchener Ypres"). 2277 with the name "Verdun", 27 with the name "Flanders", 181 with the name "Loos", and 133 with the name "Arras". 95 were named "Somme", including a "Guillemont Somme" and 20 "Messines". There were also 2321 with the name "Kitchener", 789 with the name "Haig", including 131 Douglas Haigs, 782 named "French", including 167 called John French. Arthur E Yeomans, Notts & Derby, called his son Sherwood. Some were clearly named in a spirit of patriotism, such as Joffre French Kitchener Morris, born in 1915 and Kitchener Haig Smith, born in 1916. Some Victorys were born on 11/11/1918 and then a few hundred called "Armistice", but there were over 400 called "Peace". Sadly, in many cases, the reason for the name is obvious. An example was Hazel Irene Guillemont Craddock, born 4th November 1916. Her father, 17057 Alfred William Craddock, 7th Northants had been killed three months earlier on 17th August 1916. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khaki Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 I had an uncle "Verdun" he always was known as Vernon, I understand that he did not enjoy the association with a battle. khaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Owl Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 Hi IPT, Helen Allen Longueval Carswell was born on 26th September,1916, the only daughter of Captain John Dingwall Carswell, 8th Bn Royal Highlanders(Black Watch) who had been killed in acion at Longueval on 14th July,1916, some 10 weeks or so prior to her birth. Poignant or what!! Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill24chev Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 I recently read "Dunkirk", there are many references to evocative place names made famous or infamous in WW1. What stood out for me however was one of the contributors of their experiences who was named Mons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjustice Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 Fascinating. If I were to have another daughter now, I would definitely name her 'Amiens'. Cheers, Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 A few more - Name: Marjorie Le Cateau Tutt Birth Date: 13 Oct 1918 Name: Mary Landrecies Thompson Birth Date: 9 Mar 1915 Name: David Landrecies Forsythe Birth Date: 8 Sep 1917 Many with the name Aisne or Marne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 La Bassee and Messines were popular too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 This chap from WW2 burried at Bayeaux War Cemetery. DOBINSON, DOUGLAS HAIG http://www.cwgc.org/...N, DOUGLAS HAIG Died 1944 aged 25, so was born in 1919. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger H Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 Not a name of a child but my G/F called one house of his "Gavrelle" Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Watt Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 There seem to be a fair few in Scotland too...over 30 children born 1915-1922 were called 'Loos', including Loos Cameron McGregor, born 1916 in Edinburgh; Arras Loos Simpson, born in 1917 in Barry, Angus; and Verdun Loos McLellan born 1916 in Campbelltown, Argyll. There are many more from every battle of the war but several stand out for me: Annie Festubert Grant born 1916 in Glenurquhart, Inverness-shire and John Festubert Reid born 1916 in Lochaber - this seldom remembered battle of May 1915 was the scene of an heroic attack by the 4th Cameron Highlanders, the TF battalion of Inverness-shire and Nairnshire. All the best Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 The father of a school friend had the middle name Smith-Dorrien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John(txic) Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 One of the men on Quarry Bank's 1939-45 Memorial has the glorious name J. Loos Festubert Guest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin spof Posted 30 October , 2012 Admin Share Posted 30 October , 2012 Louvain was registered as a first name nearly 200 times in the first twelve months of the war - mostly in the first six months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T8HANTS Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 My late father-in-law's middle name was "Peace", as he was born on 11 11 18. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 La Bassee and Messines were popular too. Shirley la Bassee ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Watt Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 And Janet Gallipoli Stewart was born in 1915 in Paisley - the only Gallipoli in Scotland. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magnumbellum Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 Not all war-related names are immediately obvious. George Victor, born in 1914, was named in honour of the King, who was prophesied to be the victor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJW Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 It's not confined to children born during WW1. A friend of mine gave his daughter the middle name "Marne." She was born about 15 years ago! I asked them at the time why they decided to lumber their daughter with the name of a WW1 battle. They hadn't looked at it that way. I think my friend's grandfather's first name was Marne which is why they chose it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 30 October , 2012 Author Share Posted 30 October , 2012 There's a Mons Marne Aisne Paradine born 11th August 1915, and a Mons Marne Ypres Day born 19th June 1915. And here's George Frederick Joffre Hartree, born 13/11/1914 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archangel9 Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 Shirley la Bassee ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 I have researched in depth a man called Michael Keogh, who was the Sgt Major of Casements Irish Brigade in WW1. His 3 sons were called (and you have to be a student of Irish as well as British history perhaps to understand this Roger Casement Keogh Joseph Plunket Keogh Kevin Barry Keogh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 Shirley la Bassee ? Coat. Door. Now. Incidentally, six of the most formative months of my youthful development were spent (in 1976) working (if that's the word - shall we say "employed") by Cambridgeshire County Council's Superannuation department, transferring ledger records to one of those new-fangled computer things (they'll never catch on - I mean, who has half an acre to build a special hut to keep it in?). Some of the names were amazing; apart from those mentioned, there were loads of "Pretoria", "Kitchener", "French" and even a "Vereeniging" from an earlier war. Younger members of the scheme were called Winston, Montgomery or Churchill. My brother (born 1941, don't tell him I told you) had a mate at school whose initials were, apparently, R A F, and finally I remember working with a bloke in about 1973 whose granddad was called Bobs. Not Bob - Bobs. Until I told him they never knew the significance. Were Mrs B to have another daughter, once I'd recovered from the shock (and lodged a sizeable claim with the NHS ...), I think Mata Hari is a cracking name. I have researched in depth a man called Michael Keogh, who was the Sgt Major of Casements Irish Brigade in WW1. His 3 sons were called (and you have to be a student of Irish as well as British history perhaps to understand this Roger Casement Keogh Joseph Plunket Keogh Kevin Barry Keogh I hope olf Gerald Smyth doesn't read this ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandie Hayes Posted 30 October , 2012 Share Posted 30 October , 2012 I was at university with a Canadian student, his father was named Beaumont Hamel Haines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 31 October , 2012 Admin Share Posted 31 October , 2012 Sure there has been a threa or 2 about this before, can't find them though but always worth a revamp. My youngest son has the forenames Jack Johnson......... Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 31 October , 2012 Share Posted 31 October , 2012 Heavyweight, is he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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