Liz in Eastbourne Posted 9 November , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2014 Just to keep everyone posted, Michael has kindly (after we sorted out email problems) sent me a scan of the Indian memorial to Captain Ovans. Chris Harley is checking cemeteries in Winchester for his grave, so that the CWGC can be informed that there has been an error in his commemoration. Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew B. Posted 21 November , 2014 Share Posted 21 November , 2014 May I suggest you check the Indian Army List for 1914 (it was a quarterly publication) as it may indicate if he had been sent back to the UK on a medical certificate before the war. It so happens another IA officer I have researched died during the war died in those circumstances - sent home due to illness before the war and died home during the war. He was a non-commemoration for many years until this was addressed a few years back. Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 21 November , 2014 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2014 Thanks, Matthew. Would this make a difference to his commemoration by the CWGC? This is going to change when the CWGC receive the evidence of Capt. Ovans' death at home in that he is no longer one of the missing as implied by his commemoration on the Neuve-Chapelle memorial, but I assumed he would still be commemorated. His half-pay was only announced in the Gazette just after his death (as posted earlier), which I thought meant he had not long left active service. Chris tells me he has found the grave and is awaiting documentation. I confess I am unlikely to check the Indian Army list at present because I am very busy with other work, but if anyone else has it to hand... Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew B. Posted 27 November , 2014 Share Posted 27 November , 2014 Liz, I think it will help with proving the non-commemoration. If he can be shown as an active officer, all be it probably away from his regiment on an m.c. (medical certificate - that the term they used in the Indian Army list with officers on sick leave) and not an ex-officer it helps cement his claim to CWGC commemoration. I am away from my books so I cannot help with the research. Good luck! Just my thoughts. Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 28 November , 2014 Author Share Posted 28 November , 2014 Thanks, Matthew If you look at the earlier part of the thread, though, you'll see he's not uncommemorated, he's wrongly commemorated. It doesn't seem to be in dispute that he was on active service, but on sick leave, hence the Gazette entry mentioned previously, I hope Chris will be able to advise when he has the documentation re the grave in Winchester, as he has so much experience with the CWGC, non-comms, wrong-comms etc. Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 28 November , 2014 Share Posted 28 November , 2014 Afternoon All Just awaiting the burial register page to arrive. I have been informed that he is buried at Winchester West Hill Cemetery. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 1 December , 2014 Share Posted 1 December , 2014 Burial register has arrived & I will get this passed on to CWGC. No grave ref on the record, but have had this problem before with Winchester as this was a church run cemetery at the time in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 2 December , 2014 Author Share Posted 2 December , 2014 Thanks, Chris. Will they need other evidence to prove he was nevertheless on active service in France when he was taken ill and returned home? Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 5 December , 2014 Share Posted 5 December , 2014 Liz no need for additonal evidence. CWGC have already accepted him as a casualty of the Great War so this will just be a simple case of moving his place of commemoration. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 6 December , 2014 Author Share Posted 6 December , 2014 Thanks, Chris. That's what I would have expected - just wanted to check, in view of Matthew's comments. It'll be good to have the error corrected. Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JaneMorrison Posted 18 January , 2015 Share Posted 18 January , 2015 Jane I am interested in this topic as Edward Ovans was my paternal grandfather. He married Marjorie Harington from Eastbourne and had one son, my father, Michael Edward Hornby Ovans. He died aged 32 in this country from diabetes but unfortunately I don't know where he was buried. Marjorie Harington remarried Alan Redfern., my step-grandfather, a veteran of the Boer war, and they produced 2 more sons. Unfortunately both died young, Tim flying in the second World War and Barry from epilepsy. Marjorie Harington died aged 36 and therefore my brother Patrick Michael Hornby Ovans and myself, Elizabeth Marjorie Jane Morrison(nee Ovans) and our children are the only direct descendants of Edward. We have been doing some family research which was complicated by the fact that everybody died so young but i'm afraid Colonel Ovans and the Rajah of Satara is a lifetime project for someone as the relevant documents are extremely wordy. He did however commit suicide in London and his was probably related to the case. I will see if I can find out more about the burial place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 18 January , 2015 Author Share Posted 18 January , 2015 Jane, I will send you a pm. If you read further back in this thread you will see that another relative has contributed and Chris (chrisharley9) has found that Capt. Ovans is buried in Winchester West Hill Cemetery. It's just the grave reference that hasn't been given but we do at least have the evidence to show that he wasn't among the missing of Neuve-Chapelle. Alas the fascinating Satara saga is not for this forum! Best wishes Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew B. Posted 30 March , 2015 Share Posted 30 March , 2015 Liz, I think it will help with proving the non-commemoration. If he can be shown as an active officer, all be it probably away from his regiment on an m.c. (medical certificate - that the term they used in the Indian Army list with officers on sick leave) and not an ex-officer it helps cement his claim to CWGC commemoration. I am away from my books so I cannot help with the research. Good luck! Just my thoughts. Matthew Liz, I just wanted to say that due to acquiring a copy of the January 1915 Indian Army List I have been able to prove my theory. Under his entry in the list of officers of the 125th Napier's Rifles it says the following: Lv., ex I., m.c., to 7 Apl 15. This translates to him being on Leave, outside of India on a medical certificate to 7th April 1915. I am wiling to bet the earlier 1914 IAL's will say the same thing, thus proving he was away from his regiment and India from before outbreak of war. Just thought I would post. Regards, Matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 2 April , 2015 Author Share Posted 2 April , 2015 Thanks, Matthew. That's interesting to know. As Chris says (#59) CWGC have already accepted Capt. Ovans as a casualty of the war and it is just a question of moving the place where he is commemorated, in their records. Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 5 April , 2015 Share Posted 5 April , 2015 As I sit watching the sunrise over the Med from the terrace overlooking Mojacar Playa, it's good that this topic has had so many contributions and has seen a lot of information being passed between family and other Pals. Keep up the good work, back in the UK after the election! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisharley9 Posted 24 February , 2016 Share Posted 24 February , 2016 OVANS, EDWARD HORNBY Rank:CaptainDate of Death:23/03/1915Regiment/Service:125th Napier's RiflesGrave Reference:Square 37. Grave 2665.Cemetery:WINCHESTER (WEST HILL) OLD CEMETERY Commemoration finally moved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz in Eastbourne Posted 25 February , 2016 Author Share Posted 25 February , 2016 Thank you very much, Chris, for getting this sorted out. Liz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woman Posted 7 November , 2016 Share Posted 7 November , 2016 Very interested in Jane's comment about Colonel Ovans who committed suicide? He is my husband's great-great grandfather and this is new information for us. Anyone know anything about this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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