2nd Bn Royal Sussex Regiment

[zoe4]

In case someone still follow this topic, I would like to know if a man from the 2nd Royal Sussex is named on the memorial in St George Chapel.

Unfortunately the excellent picture found above stops at BEATON and I am looking for a man called George BIGLAND (an alias) or Edward John SKINNER (his real name).

I do not need a photo, only to know if he is named or not.

He "died" 19th September 1915.

With many thanks

[KevinBattle]

zoe4: Mandy is the lady who took the photos in Chichester Cathedral, and I'm sure she will be able to assist.

She regularly responds to any Sussex Reg't topic so she'll probably spot this, but it is often better to start a new thread rather than tack on to something else.

In this instance, however, I think it'll be spotted and I'll just give Mandy a "heads up" on your message.

For reference, the CWGC don't appear to know this was an Alias, he is recorded as G(eorge) Bigland

BIGLAND, G. Rank: Private. Service No: 6445. Date of Death: 19/09/1915.

Regiment/Service: Royal Sussex Regiment 2nd Bn.

Grave Reference: VIII. F. 22. Cemetery: TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE.

It's probable that he therefore appears under that name rather than Skinner.

Do you know the background for the alias?

His Medal Index Card is for George Bigland, Private L/6445 (pre war Regular soldier) entered France 12 September 1914 (so lasted just over 12 months) and thus qualified as an "Old Contemptible" for the 1914 Star as well as British War and Victory medals (under the Bigland name) No address on reverse.

The only George Bigland that seems to come up is a 2nd Lt George Braddyll Bigland born 1892 in USA but killed June 1915, the son of an MP, so obviously not your man....

There is one MIC for an Edward Skinner G/730 who didn't arrive in France until May 1915 and was busted down from Corporal to Private and discharged in 1917.

Your use of inverted commas suggests that he didn't actually "die" on 19 September 1915, so please tell us more!

[ss002d6252]

The army knew his real name as the Soldiers Effects records show him as George Bigland alias Edward John Skinner.

Craig

[mandy hall]

Hello Zoe

I have also replied on your other thread. I will have a look on Tuesday for you.

Thanks for the PM Kevin.

Mandy

[zoe4]

Thank you all for your help. I am impressed by the speed of your answers.

I have no idea why Edward Skinner took an alias to enlist. Perhaps he had problem with the law?

And I put "died" between quotes because it does not say what he died of. Probably an accident, not disease.

From the diary of the 2nd battalion, available on Ancestry, it shows that, at that time (mid-September 1915) they were in billets in Ecquedecques, North of France. "Time spent in Battalion and Company, training, bombing, football, etc.". (see the diary on Ancestry p. 195.) My husband who helped me with the search - I am more experienced on the genealogy side (I am French) and he is knowledgeable on the British military stuff (he is English) - thinks he died from an accident while "bombing"..

Like said above, I discovered his alias via the new database on Ancestry about soldiers' effects, which seems to be the most complete list for the men, better than any other database.

He is not a relative but one of the 2 men whose biography is still blank on the website dedicated to the men who were from Welling and East Wickham in Kent. See the website www.ewt.org.uk , for which many volunteers did research.

I found that Edward John Skinner was born in Hoxton, London, in December 1884. After 1904, his parents moved to Welling where his father died in 1907 (buried in Bexleyheath). His mother Alice was in Welling in 1911 and she put her son "Ted Skinner" on the census form. But he was not living with his mother and the enumerator crossed the name out. When a name is crossed out, Ancestry does not index it. I only found him because I looked at every image of the Welling census without using the index. That gave an age and a place of birth, but without the database on the soldiers' effects, he certainly would not have been found.

I wonder how many men are in that case... There must be other examples.

Thank you, Mandy. I did not know under what section to put my query. I'll see your message on Wednesday as I am not close to a computer every day.

[mandy hall]

Hi Zoe

I was in West Sussex Records Office (WSRO) this week, looking at some 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex records for another member, so I also took the opportunity to look up George Bigland.

WSRO ref RSR2/65.

Records regimental number, rank, name, date of embarkation, and date killed, wounded, declared missing, captured by the enemy, transferred, returned to England, demobilised, etc. Arranged alphabetically by name.

George Bigland's entry records Asphyxia as the cause of his death. No other information is given about his death.

Thanks for your offer on the other thread about my great uncle. I do have photographs having visited a couple of times. If you are visiting St Sever, please do stop by his grave.

Mandy

[mandy hall]

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=229675&hl=

The other thread on George Bigland, for those interested.

Mandy