Bathgate War Memorial - Missing Names

[Roxy]

It seems that a local historian has discovered that the War Memorial in Bathgate, West Lothian, is missing the names of over 100 men from the area who died. He is attempting to resolve the issue.

Aargh - I can't post a link from my iPad!!

It's on www.deadlinenews.co.uk search for 'Bathgate' and the story comes up.

Roxy

[Old Owl]

Roxy,

Wow! that's quite some number. The newspaper report actually quotes up to 150 possible names to be added.

Myself and a friend are attempting to add circa 12 names to our local memorial prior to the centenary--at least 10 times that number is indeed an incredible number to add to any memorial, I wonder how many are on the existing memorial at Bathgate? There are only 40 names on our memorial, so when the additions are made this will still represent a 20% plus increase.

I am sure that there are many more names that should be added to memorials all over the country--I hope that other like minded people manage to do the same before or at the centenary in August, 2014.

Robert

[Phil Wood]

After reading about the Bathgate memorial I have done a little work to identify names omitted from the Newbury war memorial. It is similar in scale to the Bathgate memorial (339 WW1 names). With little effort I have identified 91 candidates for addition to the memorial.

Most of these came from a search through the CWGC database looking for those with a Newbury address in the 'additional information'. This search turned up about half the names on the memorial, plus 79 who aren't on the memorial. Extrapolating this there could be another 80 or so who, like the other half of those on the memorial, have blank 'additional information' fields.

This leads to a remarkably similar proportion of missing names to the Bathgate experience.

[GraemeClarke]

Hi

Ive so far identified 373 men who do not appear on the Walsall RoH who have a link with the town, most of them not even tentative is they were born, raised and enlisted in Walsall.

(about 2,000+ on the roll).

Ive also identified, through inquest papers, 73 men who died after the war, as late as 1968, who the Coroner decided died as a result of their war service.

Oh, and 7 civilians (Zeppelin attack and so forth).

(Keeps me off the streets !!!!!)

I still dont know what to do with all this information !!

Regards,

Graeme

[Stephen Nulty]

Just keep at it Graeme

[GraemeClarke]

Steve,

I need that website, I fear,

Regards,

Graeme

[KevinBattle]

Graeme: Have you tried contacting a local branch of the Royal British Legion?

They may well be interested in an update of the Walsall RoH in time for the Centenary, and possibly help get it published in a Presentation format for Walsall Council etc..

Certainly find some way of getting your additional information "out there".

I'm currently reviewing the Roll of Honour for Rye British Legion branch and the internet makes tracing those with address links to a place much easier.

Not only CWGC but searching through SDGW has pulled up a lot more Names, plus additional details that were not previously available without a tremendous amount of effort.

It's currently over 190 pages for WW1 and WW2 and in addition to the "new" Names, I'm adding whatever substantiating info from Census, BMD, Probate and other records.

So far I've only got as far as "F" for the expanded information, so possibly will hit 250 pages by the time all the WW1 alphabet is done!

This will then be presented to Rye Corporation in time (!) for this years Remembrance Service.

As you say, keeps us off the streets and out of more mischief!

[GraemeClarke]

Kevin,

I wanted to GIVE it to Walsall Council to do 'something' with. This is from the Zulu wars to the present date.

I saw our local M.P. who was 'over the moon' with with it and put me in touch with the council who don't seem very interested at the moment. Its all a question of money, evidently.

I had hoped they would put it on the web and then it could be expanded by families adding photos etc.

Ive just spent 6 months updating all my work putting in siblings and parents who also served so may approach the Council again to see if they've had a change of heart.

The Legion may be another way forward, I'll look into that, cheers.

Regards,

Graeme

[KevinBattle]

I'm surprised your MP hasn't checked if there could be financial support from the WW1 Centenary projects and Heritage Lottery Funds.

Something like that with a neat package would possibly inspire many families to check into their own family records, photos and history to discover links with their ancestors.

I do despair at the times I hear that projects which seem to have merit (but associated with that nasty word War - or even worse Victory) are passed by in favour of politically correct ones that have no more merit but allow "Boxes to be Ticked" to show the Council is "on message" or some such drivel.

I hope that with the support of the MP, RBL and even perhaps schools who could adopt "Names" as part of their WW1 Centenary Project that something worthwhile comes of all your efforts.