74664 Corporal Sidney Herbert Blackmore - Royal Engineers

[Mangoman]

I have just come across this postcard of the grave of my grandfather's uncle who died at Lemnos Military Hospital and was later interred at Portianos Military Hospital. My question is, bearing in mind the standard wooden battlefield crosses, who would have gone to the extent of making this more elaborate cross for his grave? Would it have been family or soldiers of his Company? 

 

[Harken]

My grandfather had this same postcard amongst his possessions. My grandfather George Hewitt served in the same Mudros Signal Section. I haven't been able to find George's war record as I believe it was destroyed. Have you any more information on Sidney Blackmore's service record? I've also some photos of others in the section including Sidney.

[Matlock1418]

On 14/04/2021 at 11:40, Mangoman said:

I have just come across this postcard of the grave of my grandfather's uncle who died at Lemnos Military Hospital and was later interred at Portianos Military Hospital.

On 10/02/2023 at 14:50, Harken said:

My grandfather had this same postcard amongst his possessions.

Does the back(s) of the card(s) have any further information as to when the photo was taken?

Dated printer's mark(s) or inscription(s)?

M

[Matlock1418]

On 14/04/2021 at 11:40, Mangoman said:

I have just come across this postcard of the grave of my grandfather's uncle who died at Lemnos Military Hospital and was later interred at Portianos Military Hospital. My question is, bearing in mind the standard wooden battlefield crosses, who would have gone to the extent of making this more elaborate cross for his grave? Would it have been family or soldiers of his Company? 

For what it is worth my initial thought would be that the cross was done by his comrades.  He now has a typical low flat stone plaque type of CWGC commemoration.

Looking at his CWGC shows he was aged 49 so I would expect given his age and rank that this is very likely the reason for an original more elaborate gravemarker cross - seems quite plausible that he would have likely been seen as a father-figure by them and so similarly respected in death [not least since from his widow's pension card at WFA/Fold3 we can also see he had a son serving Gnr. F. [Fred E] BLACKMORE, 1584, 61st Divisional Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery]

M

Edited 12 February , 2023 by Matlock1418

[Harken]

The postcard has some notes handwritten by my grandad.

'June 18th 1916, 

Portianos - M.W ,

Lemnos'

He has another postcard which is a photo of Corporal Blackmore. On the back it has notes,

'74664, Cpl Blackmore M.S.S. Died of malaria Mudros Greece,

 

[Matlock1418]

1 minute ago, Harken said:

The postcard has some notes handwritten by my grandad.

'June 18th 1916, 

Portianos - M.W ,

Lemnos'

He has another postcard which is a photo of Corporal Blackmore. On the back it has notes,

'74664, Cpl Blackmore M.S.S. Died of malaria Mudros Greece,

Thanks - those just confirm his date of death, place of burial and cause [cause on pension card Cerebro-spinal malaria contracted on A/S] but unfortunately not when the grave photo was taken.

Any printer's mark [often in very small type, sometimes with a date] to try to tie down when the grave photo was taken?

M

[Harken]

No unfortunately there’s no printers mark, just Postcard, This space for communication etc. Corporal Blakemore appears on other group photos as well as my grandad George Hewitt- 4th Army HQ Signal Coy. 1st Relief. Dated August 1915 I imagine taken in England from the date. No detail on the reverse of those cards either.

[Matlock1418]

16 minutes ago, Harken said:

No unfortunately there’s no printers mark, just Postcard,

Should have asked earlier - Any postmark?  At the moment I'm rather presuming it's not been sent.

Would be good to hear back from the OP @Mangoman to find out what, if anything, is on the back of their postcard.

I still have my earlier/first feeling about who prepared his grave and cross, as in the OP photo = His comrades [Most families of that rank and date just hadn't the resources, financial and influential, to organise their own grave memorials overseas - and it has subsequently been replaced by a standard I/CWGC marker stone] - it's still my present opinion, for what it is worth.

M

[Harken]

The postcards were never posted. The ones I have were kept in an album. It seems significant that my grandad kept them . I can only assume that Corporal Blakemore and his death mattered to him.