Walter George Buckley (Royal Marine Light Infantry)

[Seadog]

I have received this from the CWGC about the impending rededication of the above, our French and Belgian friends will understand this whilst I trust the CWGC will place the details on their web site in English, albeit with little time to go.

 

Bonjour,

J’ai le plaisir de vous informer de la tenue le 3 août 2016 d’une cérémonie organisée par le Ministère Britannique de la Défense au cours de laquelle la stèle du soldat Buckley sera rebaptisée au cimetière de la Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), Tournai Communal Allied Cemetery à 11h00. D’abord inhumé comme soldat inconnu, Walter George Buckley (Royal Marine Light Infantry) a pu être identifié par le Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) du Ministère Britannique de la Défense

 La stèle nouvellement gravée par les soins de la CWGC et comportant les détails du soldat identifié sera inaugurée en présence de 13 membres de la famille du Private Buckley (dont 3 neveux et nièces). Je me tiens à votre disposition pour tout renseignement complémentaire. N’hésitez pas à revenir vers moi si vous souhaitiez évoquer cet événement en amont du 3 août.

 

I assume of course that this man is a WW1 casualty. (He is)

Norman

 

 

[MelPack]

Norman

Here is the amended CWGC entry - previously commemorated on the Vis-en-Artois Memorial. It looks as if the poor sod was just one day short of the armistice.

 

BUCKLEY, WALTER GEORGE

Rank:

Private

Service No:

PLY/18155

Date of Death:

10/11/1918

Age:

18

Regiment/Service:

Royal Marine Light Infantry

 

Anson Bn. R.N. Div.

Grave Reference:

I. G. 12

Cemetery:

TOURNAI COMMUNAL CEMETERY ALLIED EXTENSION

 

Additional Information:

Son of George Henry and Mary Buckley.

 

 

 

 

 

[MelPack]

Ah - it is a re-dedication service:

 

Rededication Service in Belgium

08 July 2016

The Rededication Service for Private Walter George Buckley of the Royal Marine Light Infantry will be held at 1100 hours on 3 August 2016 at Tournai Communal Allied Cemetery Belgium. He was killed in 1918 and originally buried as an unknown seaman but has recently been identified. The service is being organised by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) and will be attended by 15 members of his family including two nephews and one niece.

http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2016/7/rededication-service-in-belgium.aspx

 

[Seadog]

Thanks for the update Mel, a very emotional service I would guess what with 15 members of his family there, another "In from the cold"

 

Norman

[MelPack]

Interesting that a written question was asked in Parliament about the re-dedication:

http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2014-07-28/HL1550

 

 

 

[Seadog]

Love to read that Mel but link not working for me

 

Cheers

Norman

[MelPack]

Some photos and videos of the re-dedication service on this link here:

 

http://www.dhnet.be/regions/tournai-ath-mouscron/tournai-la-tombe-du-soldat-buckley-identifiee-98-ans-plus-tard-photos-videos-57a1ea5835704fe6c1cf095f

and here

http://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20160802_00860217/le-soldat-inconnu-est-connu

[museumtom]

First name(s)	Walter George
Last name	Buckley
Birth year	1896
Birth day	28
Birth month	Jun
Birth town	Stonehouse.
Birth county	Devon
Death year	1918
Death date	10/11/1918
Service number	Ply/18155.
Rating	Pte.
Service	R.M.L.I.
Ship/unit	1st Royal Marines Battalion Royal Naval Division
Cause of death	Killed or died as a direct result of enemy action.
Cemetery	No information received as to location of grave
Location of grave	Not recorded
Relatives notified	Mother. Mary. 7, Duncan Street. Devonport.
Category	Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory	First World War
Collections from	Great Britain

Killed in action
Service branch	Royal Marine Light Infantry
Service history	Enlisted 31/5/15 age 18 ; Draft for BEF 23/7/18, joined Base Depot Calais 24/7/18, to Anson Bn. 1/9/18-10/11/18 DD.
Awards	-
Commemoration	Vis-en-Artois Memorial (MR 16)
Notes	CWGC = 1st RM Bn. ; Anson Bn. War Diary (Summary of Ops. 10-11/11/18) states six Other Ranks KIA 10/11/18 (CWGC lists only five) ; AFB103 & IWM Roll of Honour = Anson Bn ; Buried in the Grave of the "unknown" Anson Bn. KIA 10/11/18 in Tournai Communal Cemetery Allied Extension, adjacent to the grave of R/1707 AB R.J. Horry RNVR, Anson Bn. KIA 10/11/18, Plot I, Row G, grave 11 (likely originally buried in Spiennes Churchyard with AB Horry & exhumed/reburied at Tournai post-war). ; A Baker ; Next-of-Kin: Mother, Mary Buckley, 7 Duncan St., Devonport.

 

 

[horatio2]

This repeats the error that he was in 1/RMLI. He was in Anson Battalion and it took nine years to get the MOD to accept this fact. The case with full evidence was put forward in 2007.

[MelPack]

On 03/08/2016 at 19:41, horatio2 said:

This repeats the error that he was in 1/RMLI. He was in Anson Battalion and it took nine years to get the MOD to accept this fact. The case with full evidence was put forward in 2007.

horatio

Can you elaborate on the backstory to the case? I am just interested in the enormous efforts of others that go on behind the scene.