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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

WFA Pension Cards - Missing and POw


David Tattersfield

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1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

I'd expect it was a red card or a card with a red strip along the top?

Yes... https://www.fold3.com/image/668238843?terms=1019,joseph,31451,bayford

I've observed many cards with the red strip but have not had time to try to find a pattern. Have you worked a pattern out here Craig? 

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32 minutes ago, David Tattersfield said:

Yes... https://www.fold3.com/image/668238843?terms=1019,joseph,31451,bayford

I've observed many cards with the red strip but have not had time to try to find a pattern. Have you worked a pattern out here Craig? 

They are all men who were initially missing, presumed dead as are the 'red cards' (I find it easier to call them this for now). Some of the cards have notes that the men were later found to be POW's *.

There is an additional aspect that some of the 'red cards' are actually printed on what is more a 'pink card' - the 'pink cards' (as usually marked by a 'W5' or similar in the right corner). Some of the 'red cards' are also printed on & use these pink cards. I'm building up a spreadsheet of the Case No etc so that should tell us if there's actually a different run of cards or it was just some procedural issue or different version of the card.

 

Examples
image.png

https://www.fold3.com/image/668784277

 

image.png

https://www.fold3.com/image/668784291

 

image.pnghttps://www.fold3.com/image/668784303

 

I believe that C2 was the army or war office casualty branch so presumably details were checked with them as to whether or not a man had turned up alive or had been declared dead.

 

Another interesting point is that many of the cards have 2 date of death notifications recorded - I suspect that the first one is for the soldier and the second one is for the wife.

 

Craig

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38 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

They are all men who were initially missing, presumed dead as are the 'red cards' (I find it easier to call them this for now). Some of the cards have notes that the men were later found to be POW's *.

https://www.fold3.com/image/668455006 >>>

123Capture.JPG

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1 minute ago, David Tattersfield said:

Thanks - the earliest number I had was #65 for a man killed 1/11/1914 - #29 is for 17/11/1914 so still fits nicely. I think the slight differences in date of death/card number are simply down to how and when the initial missing notification was received.

 

Craig

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8 minutes ago, David Tattersfield said:

This breaks the rule...>>>

 

https://www.fold3.com/image/1/669547542

I think it's just that someone took the 'red card' to mean missing without feeling the need to write on the additional note.


The back of the card notes that C2 branch were involved.

 

As card no 642 it fits nicely in to my spreadsheet.
 

Craig

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13 minutes ago, David Tattersfield said:

But good example here, and one that tells us 'man alive' (claim for pension possibly refused when turns up as a PoW?) !

 

https://www.fold3.com/image/1/669547715

A very nice one that tells us how they knew he was alive

https://www.fold3.com/image/1/669547730

 

It would seem that these cards were created off the back of 'missing' lists and then updated as needed.

 

Craig

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There are others with different coloured 'bands' on the top. These colours may be very dark blue (or black) (I'm slightly colour blind hence the vagueness on the colour). These may be worth looking at too.

 

At least another 'unresolved question' has been nailed here (or at least it looks pretty well nailed to me !)

 

Thanks Craig for looking into this 

 

David

 

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2 minutes ago, David Tattersfield said:

These colours may be very dark blue (or black) (I'm slightly colour blind hence the vagueness on the colour). These may be worth looking at too.

Can you post a link to one and I'll note it to take a look at it.


Craig

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1 minute ago, David Tattersfield said:

Here's one with a blue band across the top

https://www.fold3.com/image/1/668350267

Dark blue or black - I can't tell ! - It's easy to miss those bands as they look just like a background from the scanning

 

His number, #10, does fit very nicely in to spreadsheet so he's part of the same range - but why the different coloured band... (i note he was an alias).

 

Craig

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Alias may be a coincidence. I've seen a few of these but not noticed them being colour coded (but stand to be corrected). 

 

Yes, the dark band is tricky as it can be mistaken for the background when the card was scanned, especially of the top of the card was damaged.

 

There are definitely other examples of blue/black tops. I'll see if I can pull some of these out and post links (later)

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2 hours ago, David Tattersfield said:

@ss002d6252 may be interested in this card. https://www.fold3.com/image/1/668142402 in that being red it suggests "missing" but the date of death (1924) in my mind precludes this chap from being "missing". 


I think the issue may be that some of the 'red cards' have faded to a pink colour, which explains why some of them appear red and some pink - see the front and back of this card - https://www.fold3.com/image/1/668143242 

 

The card in your link is a MPW2 for a widow (this card was printed in 8/1923, by the printers mark) - here's another one https://www.fold3.com/image/1/668142458

( and a pink dependants card https://www.fold3.com/image/1/668142462 )

 

The 'real' 'Red cards' all seem to either have the stripe or have a 'case' box in the top right either with or without a 'W5' mark.

 

Craig

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