8th Lincs question

[Guest C729LEE]

Forum

I need a bit of info., I have let my Nephew borrow the SDGW CD and cannot access it until the weekend.

How many men were KIA on the 01/07/16 from the 8th Lincs Bn?

If any at all.

I have bought a Trio and Plaque to a chap who was KIA according to CWGC & SDGW on 03/07/16, however the "In Memoriam" card states 01/07/16.

I have found that the info is sometimes wrong on the two sources, incomplete, or simple typographical errors occur with spelling or serial numbers.

One to the same unit that I have was listed on CWGC as 3rd Bn. Linc.R(not 8th). KIA 03/07/16 but in fact DOW 05/07/16.

I expect there are lots of stories like this, and that the SDGW got its info from the CWGC. Is this so?

[John_Hartley]

Six:-

R Dent, W Hutt, C Marsh, F Roberts, A Weatherall & W Williams

3/7/16 shows 40 casualties

[Guest C729LEE]

John

Thank you for that quick reply, this forum never ceases to amaze me.

So the chap in question could have been missing, presumed KIA on the 1st.

The "In Memoriam" card maybe right?

Things like this do my crust in!!!!!!

The card looks and feels old, has a matching envelope. Am I missing something here?

i.e. A bit of shickanery - if thats how you spell it!!!

Lee

[yellow]

Battle of the Somme 8th Battalion attacked as Fricourt

Officers killed 4, 1 missing, 7 wounded.

Other Ranks Killed 30, missing 12, 97 wounded.

Total: 251

Information from the short Battalion history. Figures taken from war diary from 1st to the 4th July 1916.

Steve.

[John_Hartley]

The card looks and feels old, has a matching envelope. Am I missing something here?

i.e. A bit of shickanery - if thats how you spell it!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No. I reckon you've got the genuine article.

Steve's post suggests that daily record keeping may not have been perfect. Therefore, very possible that he's been officially recorded as a 3/7 when there was other info sent to the family at the time that confirmed 1/7. Or, the "In Memorium" card is wrong. SDGW got its info from regimental records and it's not unusual for dates to differ from CWGC (the latter usually being more likely to be accurate - but not always!)

One of my researchees was KIA with a Manchester Bn. About 20 of them were all recorded as KIA on the same day. It was only when I looked up the War Diary, that I realised the men had actually been killed on various days of the tour of duty. No possibility of working out who was killed on which day.

Might be worth doing some research to see if his service papers still exist. What about his Medal Index Card. What about soem researhc to see if his local newspaper had an obituary?

John

[Guest C729LEE]

Yellow/John H.

Thanks for the details, Yellow. I was hoping for an answer like this. Confusion on the battlefield, lost tracks etc., that makes me feel a bit better about handing my hard earned over, before doing my research to the full. I'll think on this next time.

Luckily, the soldier is local to me and the family is known to my Mother who knew the son of the casualty. In fact, a relation lives next door, though they know no details of the chaps service. The local library is an excellent start point for me with the local papers of the day well documented.

Another soldier from the same unit, as I said before, was listed as KIA on 03/07/16

but DOW 05/07/16. I suppose in a way, I answered my own question, but confidence with my decision to buy led my to question.

Once again, chaps, thank you.

Lee in Lincs