bruce Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Pals.....I have run aground! I am trying to find any ifo on the above-named officer. I know he was the Captain of the SS Crusader when it ran aground off South Africa in 1910, but know little more. I know he was a WW1 casualty, but can't find him in CWGC or Officers Died, and have run out of ideas. Any assistance to my befuddled brain would be much appreciated. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Hi Bruce, This seems to be him Charles Richardson Hird, Master Age 41 Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 I can't find him on CWGC either, despite trying all feasible spelling variants... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Jane, He his death was through illness (Bright's Desease), not war related, so he doesn't qualify for commemoration. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix C Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Is 11.11.1918 the cutoff date for Great War casualties or are those who died later as in minesweeping included? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 CWGC qualifying dates of 04.08.1914 to 31.08.1921 inclusive Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Jane, He his death was through illness (Bright's Desease), not war related, so he doesn't qualify for commemoration. Terry Thanks Terry. (Oddly enough I have a WW2 casualty died of leukaemia but still commemorated). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 8 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 8 September , 2014 So he died in South Africa in 1917 of Bright's disease. that is more than I knew. happy for any other info.... thanks for the help so far Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 (edited) Bruce, The other two columns as follows: British [Nationality or Birthplace]. Ulverston [Last Place of Abode]. Terry Edit to add: The steamer Moorlands was sunk June 1918, 10 Casualties. U-boat LINK Edited 8 September , 2014 by Terence Munson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 I've been trying to post a link to Bright's Disease, but it doesn't paste correctly - sorry! sJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 8 September , 2014 Share Posted 8 September , 2014 Jane - Strange stuff - it worked fine on my email notification! Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 9 September , 2014 Share Posted 9 September , 2014 That's weird - it didn't when I came back to the link on here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 9 September , 2014 Share Posted 9 September , 2014 Jane, Here's a screen clip: Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 9 September , 2014 Share Posted 9 September , 2014 Thanks Terry. (Oddly enough I have a WW2 casualty died of leukaemia but still commemorated). But which service? Merchant Marine deaths had to be specifically related to war causes to qualify for commemoration in the First World War, but someone serving with the Royal Navy would be commemorated if died of disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 9 September , 2014 Share Posted 9 September , 2014 Ah, right. RNVR. Thanks David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 9 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 September , 2014 Iam afraid that I know nothing about his birth, parentage, qualifications, or even where he is now buried. any and all help gratefully received. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 9 September , 2014 Share Posted 9 September , 2014 FreeBMD.org.uk has one Charles Richardson Hird registered b. Barrow, March quarter 1877, and one married Ulverston Sept quarter 1902, could be the same man. Later: I think the Ulverston link is conclusive: in which case he married Dora Annie Threlfall, whom the 1911 census shows as Dora Annie Hird, born 1878, living in Ulverston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 9 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 September , 2014 Thanks for all the help so far. So he was born in Barrow, married in Ulverston. As Merchant Navy captain,he lost his card for six months in 1910 when his ship ran onto Bird Island in Algoa Bay. Subsequently, he died of Brights Disease in Natal in 1917. As a result, he is not on the CWGC database. Any further info gratefully received. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 9 September , 2014 Share Posted 9 September , 2014 I would have thought there are some obvious courses of action to find out more. His death was overseas Natal, Durban. It would have been reported to the British Consulate and they would have produced a death certificate. It is probable that his employers (Mitre Shipping Co., Ltd. (Houlder, Middleton & Co., Ltd.), Whitby (London)), would have arranged to have his body repatriated back to the UK, possibly in one of their vessels. Newspapers would be a likely source to find where the funeral and burial took place - probably Ulverston or possibly Barrow. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 9 September , 2014 Share Posted 9 September , 2014 Cumbria Libraries Newspaper Collections hold their local papers on microfilm: http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/libraries/localstudies/newspaper.asp. There's a link to a "Historical Research Application Form" which you can send off on the lower right-hand side of the page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 10 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2014 Great stuff! Thanks to both of you. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wightspirit Posted 10 September , 2014 Share Posted 10 September , 2014 Bruce You might have this already but if not here's the Report of Inquiry regarding the Crusader: www.plimsoll.org/images/81090_tcm4-325705.pdf Dave W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted 10 September , 2014 Author Share Posted 10 September , 2014 Thanks, Dave. he seems to have had problems with South Africa.....losing his masters ticket for six months after running his ship aground, and then dying there. Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 7 September , 2019 Share Posted 7 September , 2019 Captain Charles Richardson Hird died of renal failure on 2nd December 1917 and is buried in Stellawood cemetery in Durban, South Africa. The Royal British Legion standard bearer for South Africa laid a cross for him in December 2018. The grave is not marked but there is a memorial to the Merchant Navy. See ulverstonfallen.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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