garfyboy Posted 6 March , 2020 Share Posted 6 March , 2020 Hi folks I am trying to get this surname from the back of a Australian Great War card in which the sender mentions Gallipoli and his wounds and his comrade jack ??????? Is writing for him, looks like GRAGERMAN...... GROYERMAN but you can find no such surname in the Aussie archives or ancestry, any help would be appreciated, it would be nice to identify. andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle George Posted 6 March , 2020 Share Posted 6 March , 2020 Looks like Grogerman to me. https://www.nameslook.com/grogerman/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 6 March , 2020 Share Posted 6 March , 2020 2 hours ago, Uncle George said: Looks like Grogerman to me. https://www.nameslook.com/grogerman/ Grogerman looks good to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rksimpson Posted 6 March , 2020 Share Posted 6 March , 2020 Hi I think the second one is a y - Groyerman. Not on AWM though. Searching Ancestry, it is throwing names back like Growerman, Groyrman, Greyerman? regards Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfyboy Posted 7 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2020 Thank for the input folks but not of the above names are recognised on ancestry or the Aussie archives, frustrating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 7 March , 2020 Share Posted 7 March , 2020 Can you show the whole postcard to give us some other clues as to letter formation? The 'g' in God and surname appear identical at least George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfyboy Posted 7 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2020 1 hour ago, George Rayner said: Can you show the whole postcard to give us some other clues as to letter formation? The 'g' in God and surname appear identical at least George Good idea, here you go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfyboy Posted 7 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2020 I’m wondering if the letter of the surname could possibly be a middle initial and the surname possibly begins with a R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 7 March , 2020 Share Posted 7 March , 2020 (edited) OK. So it's not Joe the soldier himself writing, but Jack. Is that because the soldier is wounded - or illiterate? Jack's writing is pretty basic, with lots of words spelled incorrectly. Is 'Grogerman' actually a surname then? Maybe a nickname, or a place of origin even. And is that spelled incorrectly too? Edited 7 March , 2020 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteStarLine Posted 7 March , 2020 Share Posted 7 March , 2020 I've been putting these variants into the AIF Project surname search without anything coming up and I was starting to wonder if it was a nickname. Nice postcard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfyboy Posted 7 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2020 12 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: OK. So it's not Joe the soldier himself writing, but Jack. Is that because the soldier is wounded - or illiterate? Jack's writing is pretty basic, with lots of words spelled incorrectly. Is 'Grogerman' actually a surname then? Maybe a nickname, or a place of origin even. And is that spelled incorrectly too? Yes that is correct, my guess is that Jack is writing because of Joes wounds, and "Grogerman" could well be a nickname, in which case Jack will never be identified but I have to give it a try 10 minutes ago, WhiteStarLine said: I've been putting these variants into the AIF Project surname search without anything coming up and I was starting to wonder if it was a nickname. Nice postcard! Thanks, that's a shame, but thanks for trying, it could well be a nickname Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 7 March , 2020 Share Posted 7 March , 2020 'Grog' . Strine for Alcoholic Beverage. 'Grogman' - One who indulges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfyboy Posted 7 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2020 12 minutes ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: 'Grog' . Strine for Alcoholic Beverage. 'Grogman' - One who indulges? Could well be, I like your way of thinking 30 minutes ago, WhiteStarLine said: I've been putting these variants into the AIF Project surname search without anything coming up and I was starting to wonder if it was a nickname. Nice postcard! Does this project have a photo database that is easily accessible ? I know it may take time but I could look for 'Joe' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfyboy Posted 7 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 7 March , 2020 One last gasp try, the card is from MURWILLUMBAH which is in New South Wales, so can I presume that 'JOE' is from this town, is it possible to narrow it down with this info? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 7 March , 2020 Share Posted 7 March , 2020 (edited) 17 minutes ago, garfyboy said: One last gasp try, the card is from MURWILLUMBAH which is in New South Wales, so can I presume that 'JOE' is from this town, is it possible to narrow it down with this info? You can search ANZACs by place of birth here: https://discoveringanzacs.naa.gov.au/browse/places No obvious suspect though. Edited 7 March , 2020 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 7 March , 2020 Admin Share Posted 7 March , 2020 Well, he could have been convalescing there but it is a clue. A search of newspapers for Murwillumbah, Joe, wounded, Gallipoli and Alice brings back 41 results....https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/result?q=murwillumbah+AND+Joe+AND+wounded+AND+Gallipoli+AND+Alice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 7 March , 2020 Admin Share Posted 7 March , 2020 Another long shot is this article which has a number of Josephs mentioned, but very few Jacks and only two references to Murwillumbah https://trove.nla.gov.au/list?id=136892 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 7 March , 2020 Admin Share Posted 7 March , 2020 FMP have just two soldiers listed on the Australian Embarkation Roll with the first name Joseph (or Joe) from Murwillumbah. There are a further 7 with that name as a christian (but not first) name. FMP link Of the two one is a Doctor born 1870 (so possibly not him, his wife's initial is M). The other is Joseph Bernard Quinn a 30 year old single Labourer whose NoK is listed as his Mother Mrs Maria Quinn. Private Quinn is recorded as returning to Australia on 15th February 1918 link which may indicate a return due to wounds?. He was not however living in that place himself before the war as the electoral roll appears to place him in Nanango in Queensland (if it is the same man). It appears his death is recorded in 1958 and his mother's name on that record is Maria. Cannot find a marriage for him, or any direct connection to an Alice so at this time this would be pure speculation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 7 March , 2020 Share Posted 7 March , 2020 37 minutes ago, DavidOwen said: a number of Josephs mentioned, but very few Jacks Jack could be listed as John, of which I guess there will be lots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin DavidOwen Posted 7 March , 2020 Admin Share Posted 7 March , 2020 It is unlikely to be the Joseph Bernard Quinn in my above post as he was wounded (twice) in France so no Turks involved his service record Sorry to have caused any premature excitement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garfyboy Posted 8 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 8 March , 2020 Many thanks David and dbs for your input, this may be a tough one to crack but I will keep trying, sometimes I find it’s better to go away and come back to it, so I will have a deeper look in the week when I get a bit of time, I will of course post any findings thanks again Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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