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Remembered Today:

The Mysterious Disappearance of Corporal James Vickery DCM


David Waterman

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Dear members, I need your help.
 

In the pursuance of my MLitt in War Studies at the University of Glasgow, and specifically now in the dissertation phase, I’ve been researching the case of S/8244 Cpl James Alfred Vickery DCM of the 4 Bn Seaforth Highlanders. He is shown as having been killed on 13 September 1917 by the CWGC and is recorded on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

 

His case was researched and appears in the book ‘The Boys from Blackhorse Road’ where his death is regarded as a mystery as the battalion were out of the line and he was reported as missing on 13th September, later reported as killed in action.

 

On the 12 September 1917 the war diary records the battalion moving between camps but nothing reportable, no enemy action occurring. It seems that this might be the event that brought about Vickery’s going missing. Lt/Col Haldane’s memoir records slightly more detail around that date including a three mile march over duckboards to reach the battalion destination. I have considered personal theories that might have brought about Vickery’s disappearance: the monsoon of August making the mud even more deplorable and consuming the man, for instance.

 

I have searched the British Newspaper Archive for reports of Vickery’s disappearance but drawn a blank. I am, however a recent subscriber to the archive and possibly not using the most productive methods of tactical questioning. If anyone is more adept at interrogating the archive any advice would be greatly appreciated. 
 

My questions are, has anyone come across this case at all? What, if any, investigation might have been done into Cpl Vickery’s disappearance? 
 

Thank you in advance.

Edited by David Waterman
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...... the MIC records "pres. dead" which sadly does little else but confirm the fact that, at the time, the circumstances around his death were a mystery.  Being out of the line simply meant the unit was not holding the line and the movement of stores and equipment forward was carried out by units out of the line which makes your duckboard theory very plausible. "Both his medals and mouth organ are displayed in The Highlanders’ Museum in Inverness" ........ have you tried them?

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I've researched a couple of instances in which men were killed or wounded when their battalion was out of the line. Men could be attached to Trench Mortar Batteries or the like, or be bringing up ammunition or similar from the rear. My own grandfather (who coincidentally was with 4th Seaforth) was wounded (gassed) while the battalion was out of the line. Apparently he was with a group of men bringing up rations or ammo when they were caught by a gas shell. 

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4 hours ago, David Waterman said:

S/8244

You mean 8224 ?

 

Doesn't help you but I thought it worth showing his DCM citation earned with the 7th Bn, courtesy FindmyPast:

1010423102_GWFVickeryJASeaforthDCMCitation.JPG.e902a2edb06b7de5137f01d864eb3491.JPG

 

There ought to be comment on his death in 1917 out there somewhere.

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1 hour ago, TullochArd said:

...... the MIC records "pres. dead" which sadly does little else but confirm the fact that, at the time, the circumstances around his death were a mystery.  Being out of the line simply meant the unit was not holding the line and the movement of stores and equipment forward was carried out by units out of the line which makes your duckboard theory very plausible. "Both his medals and mouth organ are displayed in The Highlanders’ Museum in Inverness" ........ have you tried them?


I had booked to go to the Highlanders’ Museum before the lockdown but alas that plan was scuppered. I tried to communicate by email since to no avail. Unlike the Gordon Highlanders’ Museum in Aberdeen who have been fantastic in email assistance, despite the lockdown. I believe the Highlanders’ Museum will be open soon so I will try then. Thank you for your thoughts.

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1 hour ago, headgardener said:

I've researched a couple of instances in which men were killed or wounded when their battalion was out of the line. Men could be attached to Trench Mortar Batteries or the like, or be bringing up ammunition or similar from the rear. My own grandfather (who coincidentally was with 4th Seaforth) was wounded (gassed) while the battalion was out of the line. Apparently he was with a group of men bringing up rations or ammo when they were caught by a gas shell. 


I wonder if men are detached from their battalion to labour for another unit, would that be reported in their battalion war diary? I think I’ve seen entries to that effect in other diaries.

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2 minutes ago, David Waterman said:


I wonder if men are detached from their battalion to labour for another unit, would that be reported in their battalion war diary? I think I’ve seen entries to that effect in other diaries.

Not always, it's relatively common to find no record of any men being sent out yet you find some have been killed/wounded whilst clearly off on duties.


Craig

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36 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

You mean 8224 ?

 

Doesn't help you but I thought it worth showing his DCM citation earned with the 7th Bn, courtesy FindmyPast:

1010423102_GWFVickeryJASeaforthDCMCitation.JPG.e902a2edb06b7de5137f01d864eb3491.JPG

 

There ought to be comment on his death in 1917 out there somewhere.


I have a cutting from a newspaper of the day showing an artwork of Vickery and his CQMS on the parapet playing their mouth organs. It’s suggested that the Company Piper had become a casualty so Vickery and Beech led the men over the top with their mouth organs. Thank you, Charlie (You’ve the regimental number too, thank you.).

Edited by David Waterman
Corrected bracketed sentence.
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His mother claimed a dependants pension. On the card it's shown 13/9/1917 missing and later over stamped "Dead" but does not give a date of notification. He should be on a casualty list as missing some time after this date. 

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I take it the Battalion and Brigade War Diaries have been thoroughly checked, (appendices) to confirm that the 4th Battalion did actually have a casualty at this point? It's not unknown for records either at the Army end or the CWGC end to show the wrong unit.

 

What would raise a red flag for me was that he had been in the 7th Battalion in 1916 and by September 1917 is with the 4th. Although mixing 7 and 4's is easier on a modern keypad, even in an older age of handwritten records, "7"s, "9"s and "4"s can be difficult to distinguish.

 

The second concern would be the route from the 7th Battalion to the 4th if he did change units. Men didn't routinely transfer, so most likely he was wounded \ accidentally injured \ had health issues \ fell sick and was medically evacuated back to the coast and even the UK while with the 7th. If he stayed in France, on recovery he would have gone to a convalescent camp and then an infantry base depot. In the UK on recovery he would have gone to a convalescent camp, then his regimental depot, then a UK only battalion and then an infantry base depot.

 

All paths lead to the infantry base depot on the coast of France, and it would seem after the spring of 1916. a man turning up at one of those, no matter where his draft was intended for, could be posted anywhere he was needed. Of course he could still have ended up with a battalion of his original regiment - but many didn't. And if he then died on his way up to his new Battalion or shortly after arriving, his Army record might not have caught up. If this was happening shortly before his death, with Passchendaele in full throttle, there would have been plenty of units in the field screaming out for replacement drafts. His records would still most likely have been with the Depot that covered the Seaforths - has his entry in the Army Register of Soldiers Effects been checked to confirm this. The poor record keeping of the British Army would be a dissertation all by itself:)

 

Cheers,

Peter

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Just a thought;

Have you attempted a comparative study of how many men "mysteriously or not so mysteriously disappeared" under similar circumstances, as there seems to be much anecdotal evidence of men slipping off duckboards never to be seen again.  If such an incident wasn't witnessed then it will be impossible to explain what happened.

Not very helpful, but I thought I'd pitch in my two penn'orth.

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12 minutes ago, Interested said:

Just a thought;

Have you attempted a comparative study of how many men "mysteriously or not so mysteriously disappeared" under similar circumstances, as there seems to be much anecdotal evidence of men slipping off duckboards never to be seen again.  If such an incident wasn't witnessed then it will be impossible to explain what happened.

Not very helpful, but I thought I'd pitch in my two penn'orth.

https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/on-this-day/13-september-1917-lance-corporal-james-vickery-dcm/ one has to presume he most likely died the day he disappeared. 

mouth organ.jpg

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41 minutes ago, PRC said:

It's not unknown for records either at the Army end or the CWGC end to show the wrong unit.

Soldiers Effects are pretty good and they say 1/4th Bn.

 

 

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57 minutes ago, david murdoch said:

He should be on a casualty list as missing some time after this date. 

He is in the list of missing published in the Scotsman 29/10/17.  From Walthamstow.

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1 hour ago, david murdoch said:

His mother claimed a dependants pension. On the card it's shown 13/9/1917 missing and later over stamped "Dead" but does not give a date of notification. He should be on a casualty list as missing some time after this date. 

The pension itself had to wait at least 26 weeks past the point he was declared missing (to allow for a man turning up alive).

 

He has a pension ledger (which doesn't show the date) and a pension index card which does.  The details of his death were passed through from the Paymaster on 12 April 1918. The pension itself was awarded 2 May 1918 and paid from 14 May 1918.

 

10 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

Soldiers Effects are pretty good and they say 1/4th Bn.

As do the pension records.

Craig

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He also appears in the Scotsman 21/8/16 as wounded (long list of Seaforths). Actual wounding thus probably c 20/7/1916.  This, if serious enough, could have led to his trf to Base or even UK and thus when recovered being posted to another Bn.

Edited by charlie962
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43 minutes ago, Interested said:

Just a thought;

Have you attempted a comparative study of how many men "mysteriously or not so mysteriously disappeared" under similar circumstances, as there seems to be much anecdotal evidence of men slipping off duckboards never to be seen again.  If such an incident wasn't witnessed then it will be impossible to explain what happened.

Not very helpful, but I thought I'd pitch in my two penn'orth.


Hi,

 

In Young’s ‘Scottish Voices of the Great War’ there is an example of a soldier falling into the mud and being left by his comrades hoping someone else might perform the rescue.

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 As I live in Walthamstow, I have come across this man before- albeit in the book you mention by the late Malcolm Doolin on "Boys of Blackhorse Road". There is another local researcher who has done a very good database for Walthamstow casualties, which might,possibly, add a few details from our local papers. He is a WFA member but I am not sure he zaps GWF-I will dig out his contact details and send them up by PM.

   I presume that Vickery was one of a large number of men who were 1914 volunteers and asked if they would join Highland regiments to bring them up to numbers- when the Highlanders moved down to Bedford, this was quite a common practice- It was always a surprise tome as to why local men with no Scottish connections were killed serving with Highland regimens- explained by Patrick Watt in his excellent history ofthe Cameron Highlanders.

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30 minutes ago, ss002d6252 said:

The pension itself had to wait at least 26 weeks past the point he was declared missing (to allow for a man turning up alive).

 

He has a pension ledger (which doesn't show the date) and a pension index card which does.  The details of his death were passed through from the Paymaster on 12 April 1918. The pension itself was awarded 2 May 1918 and paid from 14 May 1918.

 

As do the pension records.

Craig


Hi Craig,

 

Given the 26 weeks time lapse passed, we are to assume that Vickery remained as unaccounted for and no confirmation of death was ever established? 
 

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 As I live in Walthamstow, I have come across this man before- albeit in the book you mention by the late Malcolm Doolin on "Boys of Blackhorse Road". There is another local researcher who has done a very good database for Walthamstow casualties, which might,possibly, add a few details from our local papers. He is a WFA member but I am not sure he zaps GWF-I will dig out his contact details and send them up by PM.

   I presume that Vickery was one of a large number of men who were 1914 volunteers and asked if they would join Highland regiments to bring them up to numbers- when the Highlanders moved down to Bedford, this was quite a common practice- It was always a surprise tome as to why local men with no Scottish connections were killed serving with Highland regimens- explained by Patrick Watt in his excellent history ofthe Cameron Highlanders.


Thank you in advance of PM. 
 

Vickery enlisted at Stratford and went to 7th Bn Seaforths in Aldershot as part of 9th Division.

 

Interestingly Malcolm Doolin’s book has Vickery serving with 7th, then 4th, then 7th again when he disappeared. The 7th were also out of the line in September 1917 but I’m pretty sure Vickery joined the 7th, was injured in 1916, then went to the 4th. 

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4 minutes ago, David Waterman said:

Malcolm Doolin’s book has Vickery serving with 7th, then 4th, then 7th again when he disappeared

The BWMVM Roll just says 7th then 4th.

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1 hour ago, PRC said:

I take it the Battalion and Brigade War Diaries have been thoroughly checked, (appendices) to confirm that the 4th Battalion did actually have a casualty at this point? It's not unknown for records either at the Army end or the CWGC end to show the wrong unit.

 

 

The WD for 154 Infantry Brigade has a Summary of Casualties from 12 to 15/09/1917 and records 4 Seaforths 1 OR Missing 13/09/1917. No other casualties for the Bn that day. (Ancestry p 349/563). The 51 Div HQ General Staff WD Daily Intelligence Summary records that at 9 pm (13/09/1917) 257 drums of gas were successfully discharged on the Left Bn front towards Pheasant Farm and New House.

Brian

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There is no index card in the International Committee of the Red Cross prisoner of war database indicating any enquiries to the Germans regarding the missing Corp. Vickery.

 

(The D.C.M. was for Loos, 27 September 1915) 

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1 hour ago, David Waterman said:


Hi Craig,

 

Given the 26 weeks time lapse passed, we are to assume that Vickery remained as unaccounted for and no confirmation of death was ever established? 
 

Yes. As he wasn't identified in that period, and in the absence of anything else to the contrary, he was simply presumed dead.


Craig

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47 minutes ago, brianmorris547 said:

The WD for 154 Infantry Brigade has a Summary of Casualties from 12 to 15/09/1917 and records 4 Seaforths 1 OR Missing 13/09/1917. No other casualties for the Bn that day. (Ancestry p 349/563).

 

2 hours ago, charlie962 said:

Soldiers Effects are pretty good and they say 1/4th Bn.

 

 

1 hour ago, ss002d6252 said:

As do the pension records.

 

Thank you all for checking - I thought it was an option that needed to be explored as it might have made the disappearance a little bit less of a mystery!

 

One general observation, not applicable in this case it seems, is that if a soldiers army records were not updated with a new unit, and the same army records are then the source for both Soldiers Effects and Service Medal Rolls and MiCs, as well providing initial information for handling a pension claim as well, then they wouldn't be independant confirmations of the unit information but potentially the same error repeated in multiple places. The only thing it might show up is at least the error didn't occur at the CWGC end.

 

Cheers,

Peter

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