Skoyen89 Posted 12 June , 2016 Share Posted 12 June , 2016 I am researching James (Jas) Lindars who was killed on 4th July 1916 in the Mesopotamia Campaign and served with the 1st Bn Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. He and his brother Jesse are commemorated on the Tetsworth War Memorial. On his medal card, for the BWM and Victory pair, it says 'OFHS' in pencil against each of the individuals in the column to note Campaigns etc. Does anyone know what this means? Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Twynam Posted 5 July , 2016 Share Posted 5 July , 2016 I'm not trying to be funny, but do you think someone from the Oxford Family History Society (OFHS) has been looking at the card ? (other than that I can't help) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skoyen89 Posted 13 July , 2016 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2016 Hi Andy I hope it wasn't them...you would think they would know better!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
June Underwood Posted 13 July , 2016 Share Posted 13 July , 2016 On looking at some of the other entries - could it be OFAS? But I still don't know what this means June Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clk Posted 13 July , 2016 Share Posted 13 July , 2016 Hi June, I seem to recall it being suggested that they don't really mean anything, and that they are the initials of a clerk who checked the roll - perhaps indicating that entry was correct, or had been transposed to a medal index card? Regards Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skoyen89 Posted 9 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 9 August , 2016 Thanks for the thoughts on this. A bit of a mystery! He was in the 1st Bn Ox and Bucks Light Infantry and died on 4th July 1916 and had a named grave in Basra cemetery. Most of the 1st Bn Ox and Bucks Light Infantry had been captured after the fall of Kut in April that year so that suggests he was not with the main part of the Battalion and could have been with the rear echelon or had been ill or wounded and so not with the main unit prior to his death. That said nothing in the (scant) records such as Soldiers Died and the Register of Effects suggests either 'Died of Wounds' or he died from disease. Does this hypothesis make sense? Any thoughts for other sources that could help clarify? Regards Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 9 August , 2016 Share Posted 9 August , 2016 Tony, After the surrender of Kut in April some of the sick men among the besieged were returned in exchange for Turkish prisoners and sent downriver to Basra where there was something (not much) better in the way of medical facilities. It's possible that his death from illness or disease (would "starvation" come under the disease heading?) just slipped the record, things being so chaotic in Mesopotamia at that period. sJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 9 August , 2016 Admin Share Posted 9 August , 2016 SDGW shows 'Died' which means sickness or accident, I.e. any cause other than killed in action or died of wounds. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skoyen89 Posted 15 August , 2016 Author Share Posted 15 August , 2016 Thanks for these thoughts Ken and SJ. Is there anywhere at Kew where these prisoner exchanges are documented? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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