Assevillers New British Cemetery

[laughton]

Report Submitted to David Avery 15 May 2017

 

Dear Dave:

 

We are pleased to submit our final report of the case of 2nd Lieutenant Alick Aylmore Assevillers New British Cemetery Plot 9 Row D Grave 6.

The report has been uploaded to the web site and now appears as entry 6 in the list of submitted reports for non-Canadians:

 

http://laughton.ca/publications/unknown-project/commonwealth-unknowns/

 

The direct link to the report is here:

 

http://laughton.ca/reports/2nd%20Lieutenant%20Alick%20Aylmore%20Assevillers%20New%20British%20Cemetery%20Plot%209%20Row%20D%20Grave%206.pdf

 

Please also note that in Section 6(b) of the report we have highlighted information on four (4) other 2nd Lieutenants (Smith, Clarke, Jamieson and Coldicott). The information on the CWGC web site for Coldicott is correct, however the information for Smith, Clarke and Jamieson needs to be updated. It is our contention that they should state the following:

 

• SMITH, REGINALD FREDERICK
  London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles) 15th Bn.
  attached 2/2nd (City of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers)
   
• CLARKE, RUSSELL FRANK
  London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles) 15th Bn.
  attached 2/6th (City of London Rifles) Battalion (Rifles)
   
• JAMIESON, COLIN MILLER
  London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles) 15th Bn.
  attached 2/6th (City of London Rifles) Battalion (Rifles)

Also noted is the question as to why their names are on the Arras Memorial rather than the Thiepval Memorial, as they died in the Somme Sector prior to 20 March 1918.

 

My thanks to Alan Gregson who was instrumental in the work to retrieve the necessary war diaries to confirm the whereabouts of all the missing 2nd Lieutenants, which also resulted in the corrections noted above. My ongoing thanks to Tim McTague who provides the most valuable service as our “Editor in Chief”. Tim is well versed in matters pertaining to the Great War, plus he has a handle on grammar and spelling that I sadly lack!

 

Best Regards from Canada,

Richard

 

[Robin Garrett]

I come to this thread very late; all I want to say is that Maurice Garrett was my great uncle. It would be great to find his grave.

[JOVE23]

I am curious, before we get too far in the weeds with Lt. Garrett, what was the resolution of the case for Lt. Aylmore?

[laughton]

Report submitted to CWGC and now we wait and wait and wait ..... years probably.

 

http://laughton.ca/publications/unknown-project/commonwealth-unknowns/

 

2nd Lieutenant Alick Aylmore Assevillers New British Cemetery Plot 9 Row D Grave 6 (20 April 2017 – CWGC Case No. 380)

[laughton]

This post has been moved to go with 2/Lt Garrett here:

 

Edited 14 July , 2018 by laughton
typo

[laughton]

This post has been moved to go with 2/Lt Garrett here:

 

Edited 14 July , 2018 by laughton

[laughton]

On 10/07/2018 at 12:02, JOVE23 said:

I am curious, before we get too far in the weeds with Lt. Garrett, what was the resolution of the case for Lt. Aylmore?

 

Thanks to assistance from Admin Spof, the posts related to 2/Lt Maurice Garrett have now been moved to a separate topic here:

 

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/262651-2nd-lt-maurice-humphris-garrett-15th-bn-london-regiment-prince-of-wales-own-civil-service-rifles/

[thetrenchrat22]

Visited the Unknown Second Lieutenant of the Civil Service Rifles, today at Assevillers British Cemetery, France

 

plot 9, Row d, Grave 6

 

second Lieutenant Alick Aylmore 

Edited 15 August , 2018 by thetrenchrat22

[Robin Garrett]

Hi Trenchrat

 

Could you let me know the grave reference please

 

Robin

[laughton]

I assume this refers to 2nd Lt. Aylmore's grave, the subject to the report noted above:

 

2nd Lieutenant Alick Aylmore Assevillers New British Cemetery Plot 9 Row D Grave 6 (20 April 2017 – CWGC Case No. 380)

 

Quote

The findings are based on the following:

 

1. The Grave Registration Report Form (GRRF) lists an Unknown British Officer, 2/Lt. of the “Civil Service Rfls”, buried in Plot 9 Row D Grave 6 (Attachment #1). We know that the “Civil Service Rfls” (Rifles) were the 1/15th (County of London) Battalion (Prince of Wales’s Own Civil Service Rifles). The cemetery holds a number of other men of the same battalion. The names and dates of the known men provide strong evidence that all these men were the result of action in the area in March 1918 during the German Advance known as “Operation Michael”.

 

2. The Concentration of Graves (Exhumations and Reburials) Burial Return (COGBR) shows that the remains of the Unknown 2nd Lieutenant were found in amongst a number of other men of the unit, plus others killed in the same location in March 1918 (Attachment #2). The trench map coordinates for the remains were given as 57c.V.6.b.3.6. That location tells us the remains were found north of Fins, France.

 

3. The CWGC Headstone Register initially recorded “A 2nd Lieutenant of the Great War P.W.O. Civil Service Rifles” (Attachment #3). This was later changed to “A Soldier, Unknown 2nd Lieutenant, P.W.O Civil Service Rifles”. There was no change in the status of the Officer as an unknown.

 

[laughton]

Good news to share with all and most certainly @thetrenchrat22 

 

From: Mel Donnelly
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2019 6:45 AM
To: Richard Laughton
Subject: CWGC review of ID Case 380 Second Lieutenant Aylmore

 

Dear Richard,

 

We have now completed our review of your submission for the identification of the grave of Second Lieutenant Aylmore (ID Case 380). We support your conclusions and have progressed the case to the Service Authorities for further investigation and adjudication.

 

As always I’d like to thank you for your patience and continued research into the identities of those recorded as unknown casualties.

 

With kind regards

 

Mel

Commemorations Policy Manager

[Becstar]

Fantastic! No doubt after the time you’ve put into the case, incredibly rewarding.  

 

2nd Lieutenant Aylmore closer to being officially ‘known’, what a beautiful moment that’ll be for his family.

 

Lest we Forget.

[Guest]

A recent communication from the UK Joint Casualty and Compassion Centre informs me that a relative of 2 Lt. Aylmore has been found and he has been made aware of the matters surrounding the death of his Great Uncle. Good news.

[dickaren]

1 hour ago, Tim McTague said:

A recent communication from the UK Joint Casualty and Compassion Centre informs me that a relative of 2 Lt. Aylmore has been found and he has been made aware of the matters surrounding the death of his Great Uncle. Good news.

Thanks for the update Tim

[chaz]

a posthumous win for Richard and others involved

[thetrenchrat22]

As a researcher on this case, we were actually advised by the JCCC in November 2020 that they had agreed with findings of Richard, Tim and I, that the grave in Assevillers Military cemetery was that of 2nd/Lt Aylmore
 

however they asked us not to publish the results, to members of this forum and other interested parties until the next of kin had been found and were made aware of the situation.  
 

Today, we had been made aware that the JCCC has now been in contact with a Great Nephew 

 

Alan
 

 

[jaykayu]

Announced today by the  MOD;  A rededication service for Second Lieutenant Alick Aylmore of 15th London Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own) Civil Service Rifles. is arranged for 10am, 18 April 2023 at Assevillers New British Cemetery, France. 

Congrats to all involved - Including the late Richard Laughton

[thetrenchrat22]

7 hours ago, jaykayu said:

Announced today by the  MOD;  A rededication service for Second Lieutenant Alick Aylmore of 15th London Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own) Civil Service Rifles. is arranged for 10am, 18 April 2023 at Assevillers New British Cemetery, France. 

Congrats to all involved - Including the late Richard Laughton

Jaykayu

thank you very much for letting me know of the rededication service to take place.  
 

ive not received any official notification from the JCCC advising of the service taking place on the 18th April 2023. 
 

which will 6 years and 10 days since Richard put his post on Assevillers New British Cemetery and I came up with the name of Alick Aylmore 

[jaykayu]

12 hours ago, thetrenchrat22 said:

Jaykayu

thank you very much for letting me know of the rededication service to take place.  
 

ive not received any official notification from the JCCC advising of the service taking place on the 18th April 2023. 
 

which will 6 years and 10 days since Richard put his post on Assevillers New British Cemetery and I came up with the name of Alick Aylmore 

You're welcome.  I hope you get notified soon - as your posts in this thread indicate you have received updates from the authorities on the progress of this case in the past so they definitely have your details.  

I have looked through the dates of the various stages of this case posted here, and calculate that it will be 5 years 11 months from when the case was first sent to CWGC to the rededication service taking place on 18th April this year.  Far too long!

J

 

[Cheshire22]

I see from Facebook, that the war detectives have issued details and photographs of today’s ceremony. 
 

but no mention of Richard’s and Alan’s names who worked on the case with the final help from Tim who reviewed the final document before submission.  
 

it does seem strange, that Alan’s name was in the press releases for the case of James Mclean in November 2017 but not for this case.  
 

jamie