Terry Denham Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 I know this is a WW2 headstone but it is a good example of what can be missed. I have looked at this headstone many times in Lewes Cemetery, Sussex but only just seen the mistake. It is on a newish laser cut headstone. I have reported it for correction. Can you spot it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadawwi Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Spelling error - should be ordnance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museumtom Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 An illiterate blindman could see it. Well spotted Terry. I wont say what it is....... Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 I agree with Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AthollHighlander Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 "O" dear ! You would think that sort of error would be spotted straight away.. particularly if visited by family, but maybe thats never been the case. Has there been other examples or is this an isolated case ? Atholl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 31 October , 2004 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Was that too easy? Try this one (No, the first was not an isolated case) Villers-Bretonneaux Military Cemetery (also reported for correction) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyjames Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Looks like the final "e" in formerley. Jimmy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Samson Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Spot on, Jimmy. A symptom of our additive culture...too many 'E's. Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyford Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Usualley, I think you can never have too many 'E's'. They have also been quite generous with their 'O's' Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_Hartley Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Terry You're going to have to do better than this , mate. My 1960s education means I can spell properly. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 31 October , 2004 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2004 My 1960s education means I can spell properly. We obviously need older stonemasons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eviltaxman Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Wos wrong wiv everywun... they don't talk like wot I does! Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 31 October , 2004 Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Terry..............A query on Lieutenant Foord's headstone.................Manitoba Regiment formerly Royal Flying Corps................Why then the RAF/RFC emblem rather than the Maple leaf? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 31 October , 2004 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2004 Well done Will. I knew someone would pick that up. It is all a bit unusual. His CWGC record states 'Manitoba Regt seconded to Royal Air Force'. It is normal to have the RAF badge when an army man is attached or seconded to the RFC/RAF. But why does it say 'formerly RFC'. This suggests that the man had left the RFC and gone back to the Canadian Army whereas it appears he remained with the RFC through its transition to the RAF. I would have expected it to read RAF and Manitoba Regt - or RAF formerly Manitoba Regt. He was shot down in a Bristol F.2B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 1 November , 2004 Share Posted 1 November , 2004 Well done Will. I knew someone would pick that up. It is all a bit unusual. His CWGC record states 'Manitoba Regt seconded to Royal Air Force'. It is normal to have the RAF badge when an army man is attached or seconded to the RFC/RAF. But why does it say 'formerly RFC'. This suggests that the man had left the RFC and gone back to the Canadian Army whereas it appears he remained with the RFC through its transition to the RAF. I would have expected it to read RAF and Manitoba Regt - or RAF formerly Manitoba Regt. He was shot down in a Bristol F.2B Terry..............do you know whether the correction is merely going to be on the word 'formerly' or is the phrasing going to be changed to something more appropriate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 1 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 1 November , 2004 The correction is only of the word 'formerley' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will O'Brien Posted 1 November , 2004 Share Posted 1 November , 2004 The correction is only of the word 'formerley' How strange..............You'd have thought that since the trouble was being taken to amend the wording, it would be changed to something which reflected Lt Foord's correct association with the RAF/RFC.....................or is there something I'm missing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Compo Posted 2 November , 2004 Share Posted 2 November , 2004 I wonder if there is a stone mason (That is stone not stoned) that can tell us how these headstones were (In 1914-18) and are now carved. The picture comes to mind of a man with a hammer and chisel and a lot of patience but this process must have been automated by now. If it comes down to someone typing at a keyboard I am not saying a word, considering the number of mistakes I know I am capable of committing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 2 November , 2004 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2004 Compo All headstones were hand carved from their introduction 1920 onwards. A device was invented after a short while to draw badge patterns on several stones at once to speed up operations but each was still an individual work of art. Headstones are now largely made in CWGC's French workshop by purely mechanical means (computer controlled) with the designs and text being laser cut. Therefore typing errors in the input data will generate errors if not spotted. There are several threads on this subject and a search should provide more info and some pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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