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Remembered Today:

Killed In Action 30-5-18


SOMMESOLDIER

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Andy

Thanks. Didn't realise it was a modern publication, I had worked out that Portland Street, Moses Gate was in Bolton Lancs and assumed that it was a local publication of the time - Never assume anything!

Cheers

Tony

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SOMMESOLDIER said:
Mary Mclachlan Blaikley KIA 30-5-18

 

October 16, 2016: Liz WInton (nee Blaikley) e-mailed me today and let me know that the links were out of date. True, we changed the MHS web site a few years ago. Go to this page for the correct links to the report:

 

Cenotaph Errors - Milton Ontario CANADA

 

On this photograph all of Smillie, Paterson and Dixon are errors:

cropped-Victoria_Park_Cenotaph_ww2.jpg

 

This is the original post from 2008:

 

I had never noticed this post - that is my "mystery nurse"! AKA "Mary Paterson" the one in Canada that never existed! Jim has been helping me solve that problem. Hard to get a name removed from a memorial!!

Mary, Mary - What is your name?

There is a detailed report on this nurse that I had to submit to have her name removed from the local cenotaph. You can find the short (no attachments) WORD version and the long (all supporting documents) on the MHS web site here:

Mary Paterson / Mary Blaikley Removal Report

I am open to any comments or additional facts .... help is always needed!

Richard of Canada

Edited by laughton
UPDATED LINKS October 18, 2016
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Richard, The Milton Historical Society website states at the bottom "The wounded lady who died later ("Watson") also had the first name initial "M", so that is also a possibility, but no luck with that search as of this date". I hope that I didn't give this information as the lady in question was Jeanie H.L. Watson - not an M in sight. There was a Mary Watson who was a casualty but not the one you are looking for.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Richard,

I don't know if you're still researching this, but Mary Blaikley was my father's cousin. I knew she was the illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Blaikley, but I have been unable to find any further details re Elizabeth. I see from your research, you think she may have married and moved to Canada. Do you have any additional info on Mr Paterson? It does look as though Mrs Paterson/ Elizabeth Blaikley are one and the same, especially given the letter written to them by May Harris of Gartcosh.

I would be very grateful for any help you could give me.

Liz Winton (nee Blaikley)

I had never noticed this post - that is my "mystery nurse"! AKA "Mary Paterson" the one in Canada that never existed! Jim has been helping me solve that problem. Hard to get a name removed from a memorial!!

Mary, Mary - What is your name?

There is a detailed report on this nurse that I had to submit to have her name removed from the local cenotaph. You can find the short (no attachments) WORD version and the long (all supporting documents) on the MHS web site here:

Mary Paterson / Mary Blaikley Removal Report

I am open to any comments or additional facts .... help is always needed!

Richard of Canada

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I see from your research, you think she may have married and moved to Canada. Do you have any additional info on Mr Paterson? Liz Winton (nee Blaikley)

Liz:

All that I have on Mystery Mary is what is in the report that I prepared and as posted. It appears that you have read that document, but if you were not able to download it please let me know.

Please note that as Jim has posted, the web page for Mary has not been changed or updated, as others are reviewing that page to decide if she is to be removed from the cenotaph, so I do not want to change the page until they are finished the review. Please refer to the REPORT as the most up-to-date information, not the web page.

I have no evidence to show that the mother Elizabeth came to Canada with John Paterson, it is only supposition. You can see John's Attestation Papers and what he claims, which is nothing more that his next of kin as "Mrs. John Patterson / Paterson" (others probably filled in the papers thus the spelling differences). The supposition comes from the fact that the letter was sent to Mrs. Paterson in Canada and if she was not the mother of Mary Blaikley, then why would they send the letter? As the report documents, the rest of the facts appear to fall into place quite nicely.

There may be more to this than what I have found so if you can add information, even if it is your opinion as a relative, then that could be very important. I do believe that Mary Blaikley and Mary Paterson are one-in-the-same person and that Mary Blaikley is properly commemorated at her memorial. I also am convinced that is no such person as "Mary Paterson" and the facts are clear that there are no military records or death reports of any such person, so therefore she can not be on a memorial. If the "keepers of records" are wrong and she (Mary) did exist, she certainly was never in Canada, so she can not be on a Canadian memorial.

It is GREAT that a relative has seen and responded to this topic. I hope you can add more to this puzzle. All of us only want to find the real answer, none of us care what that answer is, as long as it is correct and substantiated.

Can you help?

Cheers from Canada,

Richard

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It is GREAT that a relative has seen and responded to this topic. I hope you can add more to this puzzle. All of us only want to find the real answer, none of us care what that answer is, as long as it is correct and substantiated.

Can you help?

Cheers from Canada,

Richard

Hello Richard,

I don't know that I can be of much help - all I know is that my Dad always said he had a cousin Mary Blaikley and an uncle, William Blaikley who were killed in France in WW2. He also told me that she was the only woman from their village to be named on the War Memorial. These are all facts. However, as you may have seen from earlier postings, he embellished the story somewhat by telling me that Mary had won a medal. As I discovered from this forum, she certainly did not do that!

Mary's next of kin is given as James Blaikley but on the CWGC certificate, Mary is listed as the niece of Robert Blaikley - my grandfather - because James was already deceased by the time Mary was killed.

I still have contacts in Gartcosh, so I will ask and see if any light can be shed by the people there. Obviously, as time goes on, there are fewer and fewer to ask - I just wish I'd paid more attention to my Dad now.

Regards, Liz

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However, as you may have seen from earlier postings, he embellished the story somewhat by telling me that Mary had won a medal. As I discovered from this forum, she certainly did not do that!

I still have contacts in Gartcosh, so I will ask and see if any light can be shed by the people there. Obviously, as time goes on, there are fewer and fewer to ask - I just wish I'd paid more attention to my Dad now.

Regards, Liz

Liz, Even if she did not "win" a medal she certainly earnt some?. It may not have been a gallantry medal but she has a Medal Information Card at the National Archives and whilst I am too tight to download and see the information she will likely have had a British War Medal and a Victory Medal. This may still be in the family, somewhere.

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This is so odd, I noticed these graves when I was at Abbeville last week and took a photo of one of the graves with the intention of doing some research on the circumstances behind it.

Will post the photo over the weekend

Liam

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Liz, Even if she did not "win" a medal she certainly earnt some?. It may not have been a gallantry medal but she has a Medal Information Card at the National Archives and whilst I am too tight to download and see the information she will likely have had a British War Medal and a Victory Medal. This may still be in the family, somewhere.

Jim,

I now have a copy of the Medal Card and you're spot on - she had both medals you mention. Unfortunately, I think they have been lost over time. Or perhaps sent to her mother in Canada, if that story turns out to be accurate.

Liz

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Jim,

I now have a copy of the Medal Card and you're spot on - she had both medals you mention. Unfortunately, I think they have been lost over time. Or perhaps sent to her mother in Canada, if that story turns out to be accurate.

Liz

I have just had a thought. The MIC download from the NA just gives the front of the card. Sometimes information is written on the back and it is just possible that an address may be there as to where the medals were sent bearing in mind that she had died. I know that the coloured versions of the cards do show the reverse but I have forgotten which organisation holds them for access.

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I have just had a thought. The MIC download from the NA just gives the front of the card. Sometimes information is written on the back and it is just possible that an address may be there as to where the medals were sent bearing in mind that she had died. I know that the coloured versions of the cards do show the reverse but I have forgotten which organisation holds them for access.

Western Front Association I believe

Tony

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Ancestry have nearly completed digitising the MIC's given a home by the Western Front Association, front and back, but I do not believe that they have the cards of members of the QMAAC. I think they were retained by TNA, MOD or somebody else, sorry but I cannot remember who.

Aled

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Now you have my interest ... is it possible that the back of her card mentions Elizabeth Blaikley (Paterson) in Canada?

Does anyone have access to the back of the card?

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  • 2 weeks later...
It is GREAT that a relative has seen and responded to this topic. I hope you can add more to this puzzle. All of us only want to find the real answer, none of us care what that answer is, as long as it is correct and substantiated.

Can you help?

Cheers from Canada,

Richard

Hello Richard,

I still have contacts in Gartcosh, so I will ask and see if any light can be shed by the people there. Obviously, as time goes on, there are fewer and fewer to ask - I just wish I'd paid more attention to my Dad now.

Regards, Liz

This could be one more piece in the jigsaw - I now have a Marriage Certificate for Elizabeth Blaikley and John Paterson. Surname is given as Blackly, but parents names and residence all fit, so I think we can safely assume it is correct. I'm never successful at uploading attachments to my replies - I'll try PM.

Regards, Liz

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I was just logging in to send you my address:

for the Great War Projects it is:

cefmatrix"at"gmail.com

That was great news!! It is nice to solve one more phase of the puzzle.

Here is the image of the cenotaph with "Paterson, M" listed on the bottom left side.

So now I need to find out if Mary was born before or after the wedding? Was John the father?

post-42-1219281573.jpg

This could be one more piece in the jigsaw - I now have a Marriage Certificate for Elizabeth Blaikley and John Paterson. Surname is given as Blackly, but parents names and residence all fit, so I think we can safely assume it is correct. I'm never successful at uploading attachments to my replies - I'll try PM.

Regards, Liz

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  • 5 months later...

The following women are recorded in the Scottish Service Returns:-

Blaikley, Mary McClachlan KIA

Campbell, Beatrix KIA

Connor, Catherine KIA

Grant, Jeannie McConal KIA

Watson, Jeanie DOW

The fact that 5 women out of 9 killed were Scottish implies to me that a large number of those wounded may have been Scottish. I am particularly interested in those women from West Lothian who served in the WAAC/QMAAC. Does anyone have a list of those women who were wounded?

Regards,

Alf McM

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  • 1 year later...

Apologies for adding to this long-in-the-tooth topic but my tuppence-worth is that, with 9 deaths, 30 May 1918 could be thought of as the worst day in QMAAC history.

From Commonwealth War Graves Commission data (give-or-take a few uncertainties) the next-worse days were 29 Oct 1918 and 3 Nov 1918, each with 4 deaths.

The earliest casualty was on 15 Nov 1916, followed by 11 Mar 1917. There followed a gap until Nov 1917, after which every month except Aug 1919 had casualties through to Oct 1919.

There was a further gap until the final two casualties in Jan 1920 and Jul 1920.

Deaths by year were: 1916 (1); 1917 (4); 1918 (106); 1919 (55); 1920 (2).

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<!--quoteo(post=979021:date=Aug 8 2008, 02:56 PM:name=manologirl)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (manologirl @ Aug 8 2008, 02:56 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=979021"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Jim,

I now have a copy of the Medal Card and you're spot on - she had both medals you mention. Unfortunately, I think they have been lost over time. Or perhaps sent to her mother in Canada, if that story turns out to be accurate.

Liz<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I have just had a thought. The MIC download from the NA just gives the front of the card. Sometimes information is written on the back and it is just possible that an address may be there as to where the medals were sent bearing in mind that she had died. I know that the coloured versions of the cards do show the reverse but I have forgotten which organisation holds them for access.

Mary Ingham rescued them from the dumper truck (well, nearly) and persuaded IWM to take them.

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  • 4 years later...
  • 3 years later...
On 01/08/2005 at 18:03, SOMMESOLDIER said:

Hi There, :)

While doing some research, I came across these 9 women and would love to know their story.

Mary Mclachlan Blaikley KIA 30-5-18

Beatrice Campbell KIA 30-5-18

Margaret Selina Caswell KIA 30-5-18

Catherine Connor KIA 30-5-18

Jennie Mckerral Grant KIA 30-5-18

Annie Eliizabeth Moores KIA 30-5-18

Ethel Frances Mary Parker KIA 30-5-18

Alice Thomasson KIA 30-5-18

Jennie Watson DOW 30-5-18

They are buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension.

Cheers

Tim.

Hi Tim, 

Attaque aérienne de la nuit du 29 au 30 mai 1918

 

La ville d’Abbeville est un des centres hospitaliers les plus importants du nord de la France durant le conflit de 1914 à 1918. Saigneville et Boismont abritent un des plus importants dépôts de munitions où transitent chaque mois 60 000 Tonnes de munitions diverses.

La ville abrite des éléments du commandement unique Allié et les attaques sont fréquentes.

Outre l’hôpital de l’avenue du Rivage et l’Hôtel Dieu rue Dumont, plusieurs hôpitaux sont répartis dans le centre ville ; Un hôpital Temporaire et un hôpital Complémentaire, deux autres hôpitaux militaires, des casernements et des bâtiments ont été réquisitionnés et transformés en hôpitaux ou installations sanitaires.

En périphérie, un hôpital étranger est situé route de Doullens sur l’actuel emplacement du CMLS, deux autres et un hôpital vétérinaire sont construits à la sortie du quartier de Menchecourt vers Laviers. Un hôpital vétérinaire, le plus important du Nord d ela France, est situé quartier de Mautort vers Cambron. D’autres hôpitaux sont installés à Saint Riquier, au Crotoy.

Depuis le mois de mars, les attaques s’intensifient, le front a reculé, on parle même de rapatrier des hôpitaux en Angleterre.

Durant la nuit du 29 au 30 mai 1918, vers deux heures du matin, Abbeville subit une attaque aérienne allemande. Le ciel est clair et la lune brille dans le ciel.

Dans le quartier de Mautort, un camion est touché et prend feu.

La lueur de ce camion en flammes permet aux avions ennemis de larguer trois bombes sur le vaste camp militaire de l’hôpital, situé en sortie de ville, au sud de la route qui part vers Cambron.

Deux bombes détruisent des baraquements de bois et une troisième explose dans un abri de tranchée où se sont abrité des volontaires féminines du « Queen Mary Army Auxiliary Corp ».

Huit d’entre elles sont tuées sur le coup, une neuvième décède suite de ses blessures, au cours de la nuit, après son transfert à l’hôpital. Sept autres sont blessées, dont six très gravement.

Au même moment, la ville de Doullens a subi le même sort. Un hôpital Militaire Canadien proche de la citadelle a été bombardé par des avions allemands, deux médecins et trois infirmières ont été tués, ainsi que des patients.

Pourtant, les bâtiments sont identifiables depuis le ciel par les immenses Croix Rouges peintes sur les toits, et il ne fait aucun doute que les attaques allemandes ont été faites délibérément contre des installations sanitaires.

 

Obsèques des Volontaires Féminines

 

Les obsèques ont lieu le 31 mai, à 14h30, au cimetière de la Chapelle.

Toute la ville d’Abbeville est en émoi, du personnel de tous les hôpitaux de la ville s’est joint à la procession.

Le cortège traverse la ville pour rejoindre le cimetière, plusieurs centaines de personnes participent aux funérailles. De très nombreuses volontaires féminines suivent chacun des cercueils qui sont portés par des chariots tirés par des chevaux.

 BLAIKLEY Mary, CAMPBELL Beatrice, CASWELL Margaret, CONNOR Catherine, GRANT Jeanie, MOORES Annie, PARKER Ethel, THOMASSON Alice, WATSON Jeannie, sont inhumées ensemble et côte à côte au cimetière Notre Dame de la Chapelle.

Leurs amies ont confectionné des bouquets de jonquilles cueillies dans les bois.

Des épingles à cheveux servent à tenir les bouquets qui sont fixés sur les cercueils avant leur descente en terre Picarde, près du lieu où elles sont décédées.

A la fin du jour, la ville essuie un nouveau bombardement qui ne fera pas de victimes, mais de nombreux dégâts. La statue de l’Amiral Courbet est endommagée. Les villes d’Etaples et de Boulogne sont bombardées, ce même jour.

 

André (Le Souvenir Français, Abbeville, Somme)

 

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  • 4 years later...

Mary McLachlan Blaikley – Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

Mary, born on the 24th of December 1897 in Cadder, Lanarkshire, daughter of John Laird Paterson and Elizabeth Blaikley, and niece of Sarah, William, Margaret, Roberta, Alexander, and Agnes. On the night of the 1901 Scottish Census, she was visiting her grandfather, James Blackly, who resided at 10 Brown’s Land, Cadder, Lanarkshire.

Mary Blaikley was serving with the Queen Mary's Army Auxiliary Corps of the British Expeditionary Force. Although a civilian unit, the women were at the front undertaking tasks that would free the men to move to the front lines.  A letter from her superior reports that Mary was killed by an aerial torpedo dropped from an enemy plane at 2 o'clock in the morning of May 30th, 1918. She and her comrades were in an underground shelter. The bombs were dropped on Camp 1 and eight were killed immediately, one later and seven others were slightly wounded.

Mary is buried in Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, United Kingdom, Grave IV.C.4. and commemorated on Gartcosh War Memorial.

Edited by Swally
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12 hours ago, Swally said:

Mary McLachlan Blaikley – Queen Mary’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

Mary, born on the 24th of December 1897 in Cadder, Lanarkshire, daughter of John Laird Paterson and Elizabeth Blaikley, and sister of Sarah, William, Margaret, Roberta, Alexander, and Agnes.

 

Your records and mine seem to differ with regards to Mary's siblings. I have her full siblings as Elizabeth (b. 1875), unknown to me (b. 1881, went on to be an iron worker), John (b. 1886), Sarah (b. 1888), William (b. 1890) and Robert (b. 1893). Then there were her half siblings Mern Paterson (b. & d. 1901), William Paterson (b. 1903), Hugh Paterson (b. & d. 1903), James Paterson (b. b. & d. 1904), Janet Paterson (known as Nettie, b. 1907), Elizabeth Paterson (known as Bessy, b. b. 1911), Margaret Paterson (known as Pearl, b. 1913), Roberta Paterson (b. 1915) and Alexander (b. 1918).

Happy to be proved wrong.

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4 hours ago, Jim Strawbridge said:

Your records and mine seem to differ with regards to Mary's siblings. I have her full siblings as Elizabeth (b. 1875), unknown to me (b. 1881, went on to be an iron worker), John (b. 1886), Sarah (b. 1888), William (b. 1890) and Robert (b. 1893). Then there were her half siblings Mern Paterson (b. & d. 1901), William Paterson (b. 1903), Hugh Paterson (b. & d. 1903), James Paterson (b. b. & d. 1904), Janet Paterson (known as Nettie, b. 1907), Elizabeth Paterson (known as Bessy, b. b. 1911), Margaret Paterson (known as Pearl, b. 1913), Roberta Paterson (b. 1915) and Alexander (b. 1918).

Happy to be proved wrong.

Jim, you are correct. I should have put NIECE, as she was staying with her grandparents on the night of the Census. 

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Jim, on the 1901 Scottish Census she was visiting her grandparents, along with her mother and possibly her step sister Sarah, who was aged 1. 

Name: Mary Blaikley
Age: 4
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1897
Relationship: Granddaur (Granddaughter)
Gender: Female
Where born: Cadder, Lanarkshire
Registration Number: 626A/2
Registration district: Cadder Eastern District
Civil parish: Cadder Eastern District
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 10 Brown Land
ED: 3
Household schedule number: 188
Line: 21
Roll: CSSCT1901_251
Household Members Age Relationship
James Blackley 56 Head
Blackley 20 Son
John Blackley 15 Son
Sarah Blackley 13 Daur (Daughter)
William Blackley 11 Son
Robert Blackley 8 Son
Elisebeth Paterson 26 Visitor
Sarah Paterson 1 Visitor
Mary Blaikley 4 Granddaur (Granddaughter)

 

 

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