Serbian War Graves in the U.K.?

[James Blonde]

Thought this might be of some interest:-

Serbian War Graves in the U.K.

Walker Parish Church , in a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne,

North East England,

Private

Marko Drljacha

Serbian Army

6th July 1918

Private

Nikola Romanitch

Serbian Army

8th July 1918

Private

Rade Fishekov

Serbian Army

11th October 1918

Link to image

https://dl.dropboxus...7/3ww1serbs.jpg

I did a forum search but nothing showed up, so hopefully not a repost.

Any additional info welcome

Connaught Stranger.

[david murdoch]

This Serbian war grave just came up today on a WW1 Facebook page. When I went looking it Google links to this thread.

On Ancestry Marko Drljacha is listed as born about 1882, died age 36. Nikola Romanich born about 1875, died age 43, but Rade Fishekov only links to the find a grave index. The two registered death certificates can be sent for which should give place and cause of death. For Marko there is a link to a passenger list (all in German) of a man the same name /age travelling from Hamburg to USA via UK  in 1907 - giving nationality as Bosnian and noting him being married and occupation translating as labourer - maybe him, but then do not know how common his name is in Serbia!

Walkergate Hospital (closed in 2013) is a likely place. It built 2 pavilions on the east side of the Hospital at Benfield Road during WW1 to accommodate wounded soldiers The Serbian Army served with Allies in Salonika so these soldiers may have been evacuated  along with Allied casualties.

They are actually  mentioned in the GWGC entry for Walker Churchyard cemetery.

"Walker (Christ Church) Churchyard contains 21 First World War burials and 25 from the Second World War. The cemetery also contains three Serbian graves of 1918". So possibly the stone was put there at the same time as the WW1 CWGC stones - the style fits.

 

[Guest]

  An interesting post. These 3 men, of the Serbian Army per their headstone, all appear to have died within the "official" limits of the Great War.  They appear not to be listed individually on CWGC online- which surely, must be a cause for a correction. After all, Serbia was our ally.

[apwright]

48 minutes ago, david murdoch said:

... but Rade Fishekov only links to the find a grave index. ...

 

Fishekov is listed in the GRO deaths index as FUSHAKOO, Rada, aged 26. (Tynemouth, 1st Qtr 1919, 10b 558)

 

Adrian

[RaySearching]

Marko Drljacha   appears to have been born in London

 

Marko Drljacha Indic
Mother's Maiden Surname:	Icic
Date of Registration:	Jan-Feb-Mar 1982
Registration district:	Hammersmith
Inferred County:	Greater London, Middlesex

 

which matches his age from the death records  

 

regards Ray

 

[alf mcm]

  An interesting post. These 3 men, of the Serbian Army per their headstone, all appear to have died within the "official" limits of the Great War.  They appear not to be listed individually on CWGC online- which surely, must be a cause for a correction. After all, Serbia was our ally.

 

They are probably not mentioned individually on CWGC because Serbia was not part of the Commonwealth.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

 

They are probably not mentioned individually on CWGC because Serbia was not part of the Commonwealth.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

 

      Alf- I don't think that can be it-   There are 295 soliders of the Belgian Army of the Great War buried and/or commemorated in the UK.  There is one soldier of the Italian Army, 9 Russian soldiers, 6 Portugues and  1 man of the Brazilian Navy.

   Not Commonwealth, I suspect!!

[david murdoch]

38 minutes ago, apwright said:

 

Fishekov is listed in the GRO deaths index as FUSHAKOO, Rada, aged 26. (Tynemouth, 1st Qtr 1919, 10b 558)

 

Adrian

Thanks for picking that up!

13 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

 

They are probably not mentioned individually on CWGC because Serbia was not part of the Commonwealth.

 

Regards,

 

Alf McM

I figured the same reason. Would be interesting to see the dimensions of the stone - if it is in fact a CWG stone - ie same dimensions/material, and if so probably a blank CWGC stone that was engraved for them. I just checked the headstone report for the cemetery - in effect this is the contract and instructions to the contractor engrave the stones, but the Serbian's one is not on the list.

[david murdoch]

 

      Alf- I don't think that can be it-   There are 295 soliders of the Belgian Army of the Great War buried and/or commemorated in the UK.  There is one soldier of the Italian Army, 9 Russian soldiers, 6 Portugues and  1 man of the Brazilian Navy.

   Not Commonwealth, I suspect!!

I see what you mean! There is a check box on the CWGC search page for non commonwealth - if you search just by that and UK gives 2945 listings - that including  those you mention and also many Germans, but if you search adding the Serbian surname nothing comes up. If can see photo of some of these other non commonwealth stones and check the style of them compared to this stone. As mentioned above it may be similar in size to the UK soldiers headstones. For sure they are noted on CWWG in the cemetery report as being there but not been individually listed by name - so not appearing on the CWGC database.

I've seen similar thing in Scotland for WW2 - Polish, Czech and Dutch pilots killed in training with the RAF ( but not British or Commonwealth). Photo outwith WW1 - but posted for relevance. Would be worth contacting CWGC regarding the Serbs.

[NigelS]

In Plot 13  of Brookwood Military Cemetery there is a headstone shared by

Serjeant Beckanovitch, 1st Div Serbian Vol.  (volunteers ?)  d. 9th October 1918

&

Private EG Allen (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/398304/ALLEN, E G)
Rank: Private
Service No: 9521
Date of Death:10/10/1918
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: XIII. B. 13A.
Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of the late John and Marion Allen.

 

Which has an interesting - possibly unique (?) - combination of  regimental insignia

 

(Photo linked from Brookwood Military Cemetery – A Tour of the Commonwealth Section)

 

With the revised CWGC  'non Commonwealth' search function, if the grave at Walker churchyard is in the CWGC's care ( ?, as  the one at Brookwood above must be ?), it ought to appear in the CWGC records - however Serbia doesn't appear in the country pull down list (an oversight, possibly?) so there's no way to find them other than trying with 'All' - which doesn't. With the revised 'non Commonwealth' search function it should be possible to find both allied (non Commonwealth) & non-allied  war graves which are in CWGC care, but I doubt this type of search, as can sometimes be the case with the more usual 'UK & Commonwealth' type, is totally flawless or, for  that matter, that the records are necessarily complete/included in the searchable database.

 

Edit: important to stress that  details of Serbian war graves (and those of other non Commonwealth countries) in the UK are only likely to appear in the CWGC rolls if they are in the CWGC's care, which would mean either a reciprocal  or financial arrangement with those countries' authorities are in place.

 

NigelS

Edited 28 July , 2017 by NigelS

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, NigelS said:

In Plot 13  of Brookwood Military Cemetery there is a headstone shared by

Serjeant Beckanovitch, 1st Div Serbian Vol.  (volunteers ?)  d. 9th October 1918

&

Private EG Allen (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/398304/ALLEN, E G)
Rank: Private
Service No: 9521
Date of Death:10/10/1918
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: XIII. B. 13A.
Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of the late John and Marion Allen.

 

Which has an interesting - possibly unique (?) - combination of  regimental insignia

 

(Photo linked from Brookwood Military Cemetery – A Tour of the Commonwealth Section)

 

With the revised CWGC  'non Commonwealth' search function, if the grave at Walker churchyard is in the CWGC's care ( ?, as  the one at Brookwood above must be ?), it ought to appear in the CWGC records - however Serbia doesn't appear in the country pull down list (an oversight, possibly?) so there's no way to find them other than trying with 'All' - which doesn't. With the revised 'non Commonwealth' search function it should be possible to find both allied (non Commonwealth) & non-allied  war graves which are in CWGC care, but I doubt this type of search, as can sometimes be the case with the more usual 'UK & Commonwealth' type, is totally flawless or, for  that matter, that the records are necessarily complete/included in the searchable database.

 

Edit: important to stress that  details of Serbian war graves (and those of other non Commonwealth countries) in the UK are only likely to appear in the CWGC rolls if they are in the CWGC's care, which would mean either a reciprocal  or financial arrangement with those countries' authorities are in place.

 

NigelS

 

    I tried it with "Serbian Army" in Regiment on the CWGC search function.   Although the financial  considerations for CWGC seem well documented, it does seem a pity that the graves of those soldiers of an ally are not ALL included, regardless of reciprocal arrangements and costings. 

[david murdoch]

11 minutes ago, NigelS said:

In Plot 13  of Brookwood Military Cemetery there is a headstone shared by

Serjeant Beckanovitch, 1st Div Serbian Vol.  (volunteers ?)  d. 9th October 1918

&

Private EG Allen (http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/398304/ALLEN, E G)
Rank: Private
Service No: 9521
Date of Death:10/10/1918
Age: 27
Regiment/Service: The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment 2nd Bn.
Grave Reference: XIII. B. 13A.
Cemetery: BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of the late John and Marion Allen.

 

Which has an interesting - possibly unique (?) - combination of  regimental insignia

 

(Photo linked from Brookwood Military Cemetery – A Tour of the Commonwealth Section)

 

With the revised CWGC  'non Commonwealth' search function, if the grave at Walker churchyard is in the CWGC's care ( ?, as  the one at Brookwood above must be), it ought to appear in the CWGC records - however Serbia doesn't appear in the country pull down list (an oversight, possibly?) so there's no way to find them other than trying with 'All' - which doesn't. With the revised 'non Commonwealth' search function it should be possible to find both allied (non Commonwealth) & non-allied  war graves which are in CWGC care, but I doubt this type of search, as can sometimes be the case with the more usual 'UK & Commonwealth' type, is totally flawless or, for  that matter, that the records are necessarily complete/included in the searchable database.

NigelS

That's interesting and unusual - thanks for sharing this. I don't see Beckanovitch coming up on CWGC either. Though by sharing a headstone he is on one  that most certainly is under CWGC care. In the headstone schedule he's just hand written in underneath Pte. Allen. Going back to the three in Newcastle the grave does not show up on the cemetery list - only it is mentioned in the Cemetery details that three Serbian burials are there, and not mentioned in the headstone schedule.

[NigelS]

 

    I tried it with "Serbian Army" in Regiment on the CWGC search function.   Although the financial  considerations for CWGC seem well documented, it does seem a pity that the graves of those soldiers of an ally are not ALL included, regardless of reciprocal arrangements and costings. 

It might well be that they are, just that they are not, possibly erroneously, included in the CWGC's database - or at least the public  searchable part of it.  The same applies with non WWI & WWII war graves - ie 'notched' or civilian ones -  which are in CWGC cemeteries & under its  care: the CWGC must hold records on these, but they're not accessible to the public.

 

NigelS