Self Inflicted Wound (death)

[RaySearching]

4 hours ago, laughton said:

Then beside each of the listed medals it has the same mark, the X with the four dots, as shown in the war diary. Was that symbol a known, or perhaps secretive notation, to record that a death was self inflicted? Has anyone seen such a mark elsewhere in the SIW investigations?

 

The  X with 4 dots in just an Asterisk

Indicating on Medal Index Cards which Rank and unit are to be impressed on the edge of the medals

 

Also used to indicate a footnote  in a document

Nothing  To do with any secret  notion

 

4 hours ago, laughton said:

The other man (Private Byrne) was the man who died of the SELF INFLICTED WOUNDS, as so recorded on this MIC (see here). It appears to say "D of MJS (S.I.)". Interestingly, it has the same "X with four dots" on the record.

 

If you have another look at Pte 4927 William Bryne's  MIC 

 

I read it as Died of I.N.J.S (S.I) 26/4/15     (died of injuries (self inflicted) 26/4/15 

 

Ray

[Ron Clifton]

The normal use of the X with four dots on the medal index cards is to indicate which rank is to be engraved on the medals. This is normally the highest rank to be achieved in an operational theatre before 11 Nov 1918.

 

I have never seen the symbol in a war diary, nor in any other parts of a soldier's record. Other Pals may know more.

 

Ron

[RaySearching]

10 minutes ago, Ron Clifton said:

I have never seen the symbol in a war diary, nor in any other parts of a soldier's record. Other Pals may know more.

 

Here is the doc in question from the war diary

looks like the symbol is being used also as an asterisk

 

Ray

 

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

43 minutes ago, RaySearching said:

looks like the symbol is being used also as an asterisk

Yes it does in this context.

It just happens to be the same symbol as that used on MICs.

 

I recently searched high and low  within printers' typefaces and fonts for obscure printing symbols, but I couldn't establish that this one has a specific name.

[laughton]

Thanks I did not know that symbol as an asterisk - Canadian you know.

 

I thought it either meant something or it was highly coincidental that it also appeared on the war diary page. Coincidence it was? Or not?

 

I did not post the images as I was of the understanding that was a GWF no-no? I read them on Ance$try so maybe it is okay if they come from the UKNA?

[johntanner]

In the war diary it is simply being used to indicate the footnote of the SIW. No secret notation.

[kenf48]

4 hours ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said:

Yes it does in this context.

It just happens to be the same symbol as that used on MICs.

 

I recently searched high and low  within printers' typefaces and fonts for obscure printing symbols, but I couldn't establish that this one has a specific name.

 

In printer’s terms the asterisk is a star.  In grammar it is a punctuation mark, but in manuscript you have to improvise and go back to the origin as described on this Wikipedia page https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterisk where the symbol is named as an ‘asteriskos’.

 

The Wikipedia page while describing the origins and usage does not show it as a punctuation mark used to reference a footnote, or mark an omission which is the general definition.

 

It was in common usage in manuscript documents or written work, no doubt the more familiar * was easier to put in a typeface/writer.

 

Most writers of war diaries would be familiar with the symbol from the public school classical education. It was used freely and frequently in essays at my grammar school in the early sixties, usually in my case in red ink when they were returned.

 

Ken

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 31 December , 2018 by kenf48

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Thank you ken,

 

I think we're talking at cross purposes here, I think we're all aware of what an asterisk is, what it looks like and what it's for.

The symbol whose name I was searching for, was the one posted by Laughton above:

 

 

I've searched high and low for it, and been unable to find it, however, I now have to thank you for linking to the Asterisk wiki page, because lo and behold, further down the page is the symbol itself:

 

And it is called (rather boringly , in English at least, a "Reference Mark":

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_mark

 

But it does have interesting Asian names- komejirushi (Japanese), chamgopyo or danggujangpyo (Korean).

And interestingly it has a Unicode keystroke - U+203B "REFERENCE MARK".

(Can't do it on my tablet, but I think that on a PC, that would be  [Alt] + 203B.     Maybe).

Or possibly     "&x203B " without the inverted commas .

More details here:

https://www.compart.com/en/unicode/U+203B

Edited 31 December , 2018 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr

[Becstar]

I stumbled across the symbol (on a page from one of the many CEFSG Binder Files).  I can’t remember which Cemetery file I was looking at, I just thought to take a screenshot. 😀