Epsom War Memorial

[Guest]

Why would a Scottish Solider be buried at Epsom, Surrey? John Stewart Stewart (yes 2 Stewarts) died 16/01/1918 Service number 660915 and is on the wall Screen Wall. K. 649 at Epsom Cemetery . Why would he not be buried on the continent of Europe?

 

thanks

 

FCL

[Steven Broomfield]

All sorts of reasons: I see he was in the Royal Artillery, so may have died of wounds at a local hospital, died of disease at a local hospital, been kicked by a horse or run over by a bus. If he died in the UK he would be buried in the UK. I am afraid I don't know what rules/guidelines governed repatriation to his home town though, I have to say.

[ss002d6252]

He died whilst being treated at the Horton War Hospital in Epsom.

 

Craig

Edited 30 July , 2018 by ss002d6252

[kenf48]

This may be of interest if you have not seen it,

 

http://www.epsomandewellhistoryexplorer.org.uk/WarMemCWGC.html

 

Ken

[Guest]

3 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

He died whilst being treated at the Horton War Hospital in Epsom.

 

Craig

 

   Quite so-    By chance, one of my local casualties  was Epsom by background- William Vincent, who is on that website. His father was the Superintendent of the Asylum that became the Horton War Hospital-so there is a bit about it  on Google. The father was given a formal army rank and effectively continued as the hospital administrator for the war years.

    As well as finding out  WHICH hospital, another little wrinkle is to find out WHAT that war hospital actually did. Most long-term patients went to specialist war hospitals rather than general "casualty clearing" hospitals.  Thus, another local casualty for me  is buried not far from Epsom- that end of Surrey- with no known family connection. But he died after long-term treatment in a local war hospital (which took some tracking)  which specialised in head wounds. 

     I offer this as a little research tip as what the hospital treated can be the only way short of the service file of knowing what type of wounds a casualty actually had.