Recognition of the 'Misssing'

[crickhollow]

I noted that one casualty that I was tracing is commemorated in Golders Green Cemetery but so far as I can tell (and according to CWGC records) he is not recorded on any other Memorial to the Missing.

What was the process whereby a presumed 'Missing' casualty was recorded? Is this done via Regimental records?  How were these names obtained to add to say, the Thiepval Memorial?

How many 'Missing' are without any physical record on a memorial in the old battlefields?

Comments welcome

 

 

 

[jay dubaya]

But he’s not missing and you’ve posted an image of his headstone schedule albeit it may appear he has a private memorial. His Soldiers Effects Register entry states  he died in Reading on that date.

[PaulC78]

Harold Cohen is buried at Golders Green Jewish Cemetery as you've stated above, so he isn't "missing" and nor would he have any other official commemoration. Memorials to the missing, such as Thiepval, are only for casualties with no known grave.

[helpjpl]

This may be of interest:

https://www.jewsfww.uk/harold-cohen-2918.php

JP

[crickhollow]

The CGWC Certificate states he is 'commemorated' at Golders Green Cemetery not buried which mislead me but I suppose this is because he was cremated?

Thanks 'helpjpl' for the excellent contribution which clarifies the background to this casualty.

My interest was sparked by this entry in a book about the Old Boys of Reading School ('Old School Ties'). It states 'Killed in Action' and I was curious to read that the cemetery was recorded as Golders Green which suggested his body was transferred from the battlefields.  We now know he died in Reading and so probably buried/cremated at Golders Green Cemetery.

 

 

Edited 23 August , 2021 by crickhollow

[AOK4]

7 minutes ago, crickhollow said:

The CGWC Certificate states he is 'commemorated' at Golders Green Cemetery not buried.  Since I can find no other record of his burial (maybe he is just one of the 'Known Only to God'?) I read this to mean that his body was not found.  My query is to understand how the 'Missing' were recorded as such.

 

I think they use 'commemorated' as a neutral word. "commemorated" can mean anything from buried over "believed to be buried" (and its close denominations) to "ashes scattered" (Indians) and just commemorated in case of a missing soldier. In your case it is definitely to be understood as "buried".

[ss002d6252]

11 minutes ago, crickhollow said:

The CGWC Certificate states he is 'commemorated' at Golders Green Cemetery not buried.  Since I can find no other record of his burial (maybe he is just one of the 'Known Only to God'?) I read this to mean that his body was not found.  My query is to understand how the 'Missing' were recorded as such.

He died in Reading - it's highly unlikely his body went missing when there's an actual family grave stone for him,

As above the CWGC use commemorated as a catch-all.

Craig

[PaulC78]

"Remembered with Honour", "Commemorated in Perpetuity by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission"... this is just boilerplate text which I believe you will find on all of the certificates.

[crickhollow]

Thanks for the contributions!  You learn something all the time...

Tyne Cot, Thiepval and other sites record the names of the 'Missing' of nearby battlefields - does anyone know what percentage this might be of the total for WW1?  I imagine that there are a great many names that are simply unrecorded anywhere?

[keithmroberts]

50 minutes ago, crickhollow said:

I imagine that there are a great many names that are simply unrecorded anywhere?

I can only comment re British and Empire casualties. The IWGC and later the CWGC have a clear brief. I would be fairly confident that most casualties  are indeed commemorated, with some clear exceptions - firstly a considerable number of men who were discharged from service during the war on account of health or injury, and whose death as a result of those causes was later overlooked; the In From The Cold project is seeking to remedy their omission, and has made a tremendous impact,  and secondly the many casualties, especially in Africa who were not in regular British units  ( https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/news/cwgc-a-promise-renewed-update-july-2021/ ).

Those who died in battle, are the least likely to have been overlooked.

 

Keith

[Michelle Young]

Unless he was repatriated, I doubt whether he was killed in action. I have seen killed in action in a register for a man who definitely died of wounds though, that's what the family wrote on the final verification form. 

[ss002d6252]

Here's Harold's death certificate entry.

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

Craig

[PRC]

According to the Long, Long Trail, the 8th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment didn't land in France until the 8th August 1915. https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-infantry-regiments-of-1914-1918/princess-charlotte-of-waless-royal-berkshire-regiment/

Also struggling to spot a MiC for him.

So unless he was attached to another unit, I suspect the killed in action is a red herring.

Cheers,
Peter

[crickhollow]

Thanks. You are right, Harold Cohen never went overseas as he died in Reading Hospital on 18 July 1915 before the Regiment went to France.

The KIA notification in the book I mentioned is incorrect (which is what prompted my query!)

Rgds

Edited 23 August , 2021 by crickhollow

[helpjpl]

6 hours ago, helpjpl said:

This may be of interest:

https://www.jewsfww.uk/harold-cohen-2918.php

 

For those unable to open the above link.

Harold Cohen died at the Reading War Hospital on 18 July 1915 and was buried at Golders Green Jewish Cemetery on the 20th:

A medical revealed a slight hernia from an appendix scar, but he was deemed fit provided he had support from a belt. Five months later, he fell ill during training, and died from a septic hernia:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3510008/Heroes-gates-hell-s-haunting-picture-proud-British-regiment-pose-sunshine-1915-Weeks-later-one-three-named-dead-colonel-s-great-grandson-pieced-inspiring-stories.html

 

2. MIC:

 

Edit

3.  to be temporary Second Lieutenant:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29133/page/3727/data.pdf

JP

 

Edited 23 August , 2021 by helpjpl
to be temporary Second Lieutenant

[Jim Strawbridge]

"The CGWC Certificate states he is 'commemorated' at Golders Green Cemetery not buried which mislead me but I suppose this is because he was cremated?

Thanks 'helpjpl' for the excellent contribution which clarifies the background to this casualty.

My interest was sparked by this entry in a book about the Old Boys of Reading School ('Old School Ties'). It states 'Killed in Action' and I was curious to read that the cemetery was recorded as Golders Green which suggested his body was transferred from the battlefields.  We now know he died in Reading and so probably buried/cremated at Golders Green Cemetery."

                                                                                                      ++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The newspaper report shows interment in a grave so not cremated.