Aurel Sercu Posted 10 October , 2019 Share Posted 10 October , 2019 (edited) I am doing some research on a man in Talana Farm Cemetery, Boezinge, near Ypres, Norman Crowther, 1/4 Duke of Wellington's Regt.. In 2016 I happened to see in the Visitors Book that a couple from Banbury, Oxfordshire, had been in the cemetery. They wrote : "Norman Crowther, we remember you".. For a week I have been trying to reach these two people trying to find an e-mail address. I found even two addresses on the internet, but my e-mails were bounced back. "Recipient invalid". (The addresses indeed were more than 6 years old.) Is there anyone from Banbury who thinks that he or she maybe can find these people and their e-mail address ? I know, a needle in a haystack. (Banbury is pop. approx. 50,000 ?) They are Mr and Mrs Moore, Banbury, Oxfordshire. (I have their first names too, butmaybe understandably I will not mention them here. I can in a PM,if you contact me. (And the first name of Mr Moore is rather uncommon, so, this may be helpful.I also have a photo of the couple (from the internet ...) Should anyone find or know these people, I will understand that you cannot give their address simply just like that ... (Privacy.) But maybe they can be informed that I only want to get in contact with them because I am interested in Pte Norman Crowther, just like they themselves appeared to be too (in 2016). And if the e-mail address can be provided, of course, in a PM or e-mail to me, not here in this Topic. Aurel Edited 10 October , 2019 by Aurel Sercu Adding a question mark in the Topic title Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 10 October , 2019 Admin Share Posted 10 October , 2019 If you google The Phone Book U.K, you can search via name and town. Not saying they will be listed ( a lot of people are ex directory) but it's worth a try! Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertBr Posted 10 October , 2019 Share Posted 10 October , 2019 The local paper is 'The Banbury Guardian'. You may be able to post a Personal Ad' or they may even be interested in running an item on your search. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 10 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 10 October , 2019 Michelle, As I wrote in the PM of a minute ago : no result in the telephone directory ... :-( Robert, Yes, in the end I will certainly consider that. Of course I am realistic, it is possible that in the end, when I finally contact Mr and Mrs Moore, that they will reply : "Sorry, not related to and not particularly interested in Norman Crowther. We happened to be walking in the cemetery, and I was struck by that boy "Norman Crowther, Age 16". So I thought it would be a good idea to remember him in the Visitors Book...". But even that would be a sort of 'happy ending' for me. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 13 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 13 October , 2019 This only to say that my search had an ending. Not a "happy" one though. I was advised (off Forum, in a PM) by a GWF member to try to find Mr and Mrs Moore on Facebook. So a message was left there a couple of days ago, and indeed today I was contacted by Mrs Moore. In her reply to my reply, it appeared that Mr and Mrs Moore are not related to "my" young soldier Norman Crowther (Age 16). As I mentioned in my previous posting, indeed they happened to be walking in Talana Farm Cemetery and they were "shocked" to see that Age 16, and mentioned Norman Crowther in the Visitors Book when they left. Am I disappointed? Not really, for I had prepared myself, after having a very similar experience a little more than a year ago ... But again: thank you Michelle and Bob, and Mike, who supported me in my quest. I appreciate. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Thomson Posted 13 October , 2019 Share Posted 13 October , 2019 It is heartwarming that a couple, 100 years later, took the time to honour the memory of a young man they did not know. I often wonder if the men who died in this terrible conflict know that over a century later, people from all over the world would be visiting their graves and the places in which they died with a sense of reverence and remembrance. One hopes that they do know, and that they can sense our gratitude and respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 14 October , 2019 Author Share Posted 14 October , 2019 Michael, Heartwarming indeed. Good question ... But I have another question, when standing near a headstone, at random, and wonder : What if nobody ever stood here before me - relative or 'stranger' - giving this man some thoughts for a few seconds or more ... Not a pleasant thought ... And: did any relative ever stood near Norman Crowther's headstone in the past century?... Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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