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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Royal Sussex Memorial in Chichester Cathedral


zoe4

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Please could someone have a look for me at the list in St George Chapel for the 2nd battalion of the Royal Sussex and let me know if a soldier is named on it.

The man was born Edward John SKINNER, but he fought under the alias George BIGLAND. He died 19th September 1915 (probably not killed in action).

Is he named on the Roll of Honour under any of these 2 names, or under both ? That is all I need to know.

I do not need a photo.

Many thanks.

Zoe

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I will try to remember to look next time I'm there, which may be a while. Remind me if you hear nothing!

sJ

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The names are on hinged boards, not a paper list, by the way. One board has my maiden name on one side, with my husband's name backing on to it...

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Hello Zoe

I will have a look on Tuesday for you. I am not that far away from Chichester.

Mandy

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For what it's worth, he was the only casualty in the Battalion that day.

Probably the War Diary may mention this, as with just one there may be a record of what the incident was.

Soldiers Effects records his mother as Alice Skinner, but Ancestry doesn't have an Alice Skinner with a son named Edward John - at least not that I could find!

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Thank you all.

I am not familiar with the forum although I used it before with great results. I did not know under what section to put my query and I also put it the "soldiers" main section (top of the list on the home page for the forum). I have just put the details I know in that section, because I read it first.

Please look at that page for more details (title "2nd bn Royal Sussex regiment").

To summarize, nothing specific in the diary (see p.195 on Ancestry). He probably died accidentally. That day they were "training, bombing, football"... A bombing accident probably.

And for the attention of KevinBattle, there is an Alice Skinner with a son Ted but he is not indexed by Ancestry. The reason : his name was crossed out by the enumerator because he was not then living with his mother (he was in Walworth). Try Alice Skinner in Welling and look at the image of the original. Never rely on an index, especially by Ancestry.

Edward Skinner is commemorated on the East Wickham original war memorial (1920s) and he is mentioned as "Killed in action" in a local newspaper in December 1915. Perhaps that is what was said to the mother. Telling her he died while maybe throwing bombs and grenades would have been very harsh...

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Ah! Thanks, I just don't have enough time to dig as deep in every case here that I participate in, nor is it the only thing I do!

You should get the info as to whether he is on the panels shortly.

What was the reason for him serving under a completely different Name? OK, seen your answer on the other thread

Are you in contact with the CWGC to have that inserted so anyone else researching Edward John Skinner or George Bigland can find the cross reference?

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Thanks Mandy. This is very helpful. Thanks for the picture as well, a bonus.

I have just noticed that your great-uncle is buried in St Sever cemetery in Rouen. We were there a week ago, on the 7th July. I imagine you have a picture of his grave, but if not, we stop over in Rouen each time we move from France to England and reverse, several times a year. It is a very beautiful cemetery.

As for telling the CWGC, I had not thought of it. Thank you, Kevin. I will do it as soon as I have a bit of free time.

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