Error on hometown's war memorial?

[brandon_at_war]

Apologies if I make a rookie mistake but I am unfamiliar with the criteria of naming men on war memorials.

Anyway, in October 1920 my hometown of Brandon, in Suffolk unveiled its War Memorial those men from the town who had been killed int he war. For over 90 years the memorial has sat in the town's cemetery without much fuss and I have now noticed what I believe to be a mistake, but surely the people 90-odd years ago would not have made this error?

The memorial lists an Albert J Whafe, of the Tank Corps.

However all my research points to a John Albert Wharf, of the Tank Corps, who was killed on 29th August 1918. Local newspaper reports from that year also name him as such and list his next of kin (parents, Elijah and Elizabeth) and also his age (19). So finding him in the 1911 Census return was quite easy.

So it seems the memorial is wrong? Even looking at John's headstone in Windmill Cemtery, France it seems to be at odds with his name in Brandon.

As I said I am relatively new to researching the 'Great War' and if this is prevalent on war memorials then I apologise for raising it. But I wonder how the town could have got it wrong with the memory of his death still so fresh and his next of kin still alive at the time, and seemingly why no one has made a fuss about it?

[Guest]

Mistakes were made, there is a soldier on my own local memorial who's regiment is wrong. It happened, probably quite common. It probably was very difficult at this time to get the correct information. There are men who survived who are named on memorials.

Mike

[John(txic)]

Welcome to the wacky world of war memorial research!

Mis-spellings are not uncommon; there's many a slip between paper and carving on stone/casting in bronze - and once it's done, it's done...

And there are no criteria: every little organisation did its own thing. And reconcile yourself to never being able to identify all the men named, unless you are extremely fortunate and the committee papers of the organisation who erected the memorial still exist.

You'll enjoy it, I assure you - and there are many people on here who will help you.

[GraemeClarke]

Morning

I've worked on Walsall and district RoH for 20 years.

You will find numerous errors both on the rolls and census returns. Johns become Jacks, middle names become first names, even nicknames are used in both.

Ive even found several cases, as others have, of the man being on the RoH and returning home !!!!

As John above says, "Welcome to the wacky world" !!!!!

Regards,

Graeme

PS Ive still got NUMEROUS names I cannot ID.

[auchonvillerssomme]

To play with your mind even further.

[John(txic)]

Especially as Lakenheath has moved counties!

[CGM]

Albert or Alfred?

The birth of a John Alfred WHARF was registered in the Mildenhall Registration District in the ist quarter of 1899.

I cannot find any record of John Albert WHARF or an Albert WHAFE.

CGM

[auchonvillerssomme]

Here he is in overseas deaths.

[CGM]

His Medal Index Card has WHARFE John A, which probably explains the Soldiers Died spelling in #5.

Edit - and the overseas death spelling above.

However, the CWGC have a corrected spelling, although there does not seem to have been any family input to this:

WHARF, J A

Rank: Private

Service No: 96841

Date of Death: 29/08/1918

Regiment/Service: Tank Corps. 11th Bn.

Grave Reference: II. C. 3.

Cemetery: WINDMILL BRITISH CEMETERY, MONCHY-LE-PREUX

Additional Information:

[brandon_at_war]

Strewth! Thank you everyone. However even with your best intentions I am more confused than I was this morning.

Yes I understand that spellings might differ, and once set in stone it was nigh on impossible to change. His family must have been mortified! Regarding the Query over his middle name, yes I think it is Alfred and not Albert. The town's war memorial states Albert, so I presumed the initial of his middle name related to this, however I have just gone through my research and found this report printed in a local newspaper at the time of his death ...

"BRANDON LAD MAKES GREAT SACRIFICE – Mr Elijah N Wharf, of Town Street, Brandon, has been officially informed that Private John Alfred Wharf, his eldest son, was killed in action on August 29th. John was in the Tank Corps and had been in France about a year and was 19 last birthday. He was expected home shortly."

How could a committee/someone get the name so wrong on the monument? Surely the local dignitaries would have been too embarrassed to unveil it in 1920.

Anyway, despite my frustrations please accept my thanks again for your responses. Much appreciated.