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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Captain George Adams MacFarland


George Millar

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Hello all

I’m doing some research on the above person, Capt George Adams MacFarland of the RAMC and I am hoping that some of the forum members might be able to help me.  I have done quite a bit on his family tree and I am now concentrating on his War Service.

 

George Adams was born in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland on the 23 Sep 1872 to parents George MacFarland (Presbyterain minister) and Mary Mitchell.  After his medical studies at Queens University, Belfast and then in Edinburgh, he went on to act as an assistant surgeon to Rupert Edward Rix at Chatteris, North Witchford.  On the outbreak of War he was the resident surgeon at the County of London War Hospital before he was commissioned in the RAMC and sent to France on the 19th Jan 1916.  He is listed as serving in N° 22 Stationary Hospital but being wounded at N° 47 CCS following an air raid on the 20 Aug 1917.  He was sent back to the UK and admitted to the Endsleigh Palace Hospital in London but unfortunately died on the 17 Oct 1917 from septic pneumonia.

 

I have tried to find the reference number in the National Archives for his Service Records so that I can get a copy of them but haven’t had any luck.  I’ve tried using MacFarland, McFarland and Mcfarlane but still without any success.  I also haven’t been able to find a record for him in the “Army Registers of Soldiers Effects”.  I was wondering if any of the forum members could enlighten me or would know the reference number for his service records?  Perhaps they are held elsewhere?

 

George Adams is buried in the East Finchley Cemetery and I have a photo of his headstone kindly supplied by Clive Gilbert of the “epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk” website but I am wondering why it isn’t a “standard” CWGC headstone?  Would this have been something to do with a family request?

 

Regards

 

George

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George

 

The only records I can find are the ones you have obviously already seen.

 

Re the headstone, the CWGC grave registration report shows in the Type of Memorial and Type of Grave columns "PP" and "Pr" respectively. According to the CWGC abbreviation glossary here this means Private Permanent Memorial and Private Grave, so I think you are correct in thinking that the type of grave  "was something to do with a family request".

 

David

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Thanks Jonbem and David for replying.

 

Jonbem, I'll look at the Army Lists and see if there is any information on him in them, thanks again

 

David, I did download the CWGC documents but failed to notice the PP and Pr in the documents. It was probably his two sisters who had organised for his headstone as his father had died in 1909 and his mother in 1913.  Once again many thanks

 

George

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George,

 

This might help you:  http://www.ramc-ww1.com/profile.php?cPath=625_277_717&profile_id=8435&osCsid=f6511224ae47afc2a734d7c4b79ed66f

 

 The person noted as the recipient of his medals on his medal index card is his sister Miss FM MacFarland, 290Holland Park Gardens , London.

 

His name on the Ancestry medal index cards was spelt as Mc, so I have added a correction.

 

TR

 

Edited by Terry_Reeves
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Hello Terry,

 

Yes I had seen the information that you highlighted, what got me was that there was a normal CWGC headstone but on looking at it, I think a stock photo has been used.  It was his sister Frances Margaret who received his medals and probably who organised for his headstone.  It's still a mystery to me why his service records are not in he National Archives?

Thanks Terry

George

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Hello HarryBrook

 

I had a copy of the 10 December 1915 London Gazette but not the 10 December 1916 where he was made temp Captain.  Many thanks for that.

 

George

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