Willywombat Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 Firstly apologies for the rather poor reproduction of the index card image - my computer skills evidently need work! The card is for Lt John Vick Thomas of 474 Field Company RE (attached to 48th Division for most of the war). The card states that he died at sea but I can't decipher the word that describes what he died of! Any ideas? I have managed to discover that he died on HMT Royal George en route to India, but what he was going to do there I don't know. Again, anyone any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 It looks like 'Died of Sick (at Sea)'. Presumably an abbreviation of 'sickness'. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willywombat Posted 13 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2006 It looks like 'Died of Sick (at Sea)'. Presumably an abbreviation of 'sickness'. Mick Thanks Mick. That's all I could think of. It seemed a bit strange to say "died of sick", but it's an obvious abbreviation on a card system that was never meant to be a public document. I still don't know what he was doing going to India at that time, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 Difficult to think what else it could be, but the S in SICK isn`t like the S in SEA? Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 Willy The London Gazette 11th December 1917 page 12903 shows "Lt JV Thomas is seconded for service with the Indian Army (Reserve of Officers) in the rank of Lt on probation 26 November 1917. The Army List for November 1918, shows him as a Lt RE with a seniority date of I.6.17 and annotated as serving with the Indian Army. There is also a file for a LT JV Thomas at the National Archive in WO 339/23560 Terry Reeves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willywombat Posted 13 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2006 Terry, Wow! Thanks so much for that. I'm restarting a project I commenced some ten years ago, before the advent of online research, and have a lot of catching-up to do! I'm starting easy and systematically going through the medal index cards for my "subjects" before branching out. Your help is very much appreciated and you've given me a pointer for where to go next. Thanks. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kath Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 I'm sure the first letter is Q Kath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willywombat Posted 13 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 13 July , 2006 Hmmm, you could well be right... What ailments begin with Q? I can't think of any. Died of quack? Perhaps the ship's doctor was a charlatan! I've ordered up his service record so perhaps they'll be something in there. Bob. PS - I'm quite new of here but, boy, is this forum a mine of information! I've been researching WW1 (on and off) for many years but took a break a while back whilst working abroad. If only this forum had been around when I started! Thanks to all of you who have helped me so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 Could the first letter be a fancy "T"( can't say what the illness might be, but I agree it doesn't look like the other "S") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 13 July , 2006 Share Posted 13 July , 2006 I agree that the first letter isn't the same as the S in 'Sea', at the top, at least - it is the same at the bottom. Also there's a very clear dot over the 'i' in 'Died', but none apparent in this word. I've stared at it from every angle, and even fancied for a moment that it might say 'Dived off Deck (at Sea)', but can't think of anything other than 'Sick'. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Well, following your 'Dived off Deck' suggestion, there's always 'Dived Off Quay'. But it really does look like a -ck at the end of the word, and there's no double-f for 'off'... Also, the guess-what-it-is letter, could also be a Z in copperplate joined-up writing - but I can't think of any illnesses that start with a Z! Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willywombat Posted 14 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Having the "original" copy in front of me, I can say for sure that it does say "Died of ...... (at sea)". If the service record I've ordered gives us any clues I'll post the answer and put everyone (especially me) out of their misery! Now that Spike has suggested that the first letter is "T" I did think perhaps "Died of Tub." (as in tubercolosis), with what we are all assuming to be a "k" at the end being a "b" followed by a full stop to show its an abbreviation?? Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 But when did Tuberculosis start being called that rather than 'consumption'? Also, I think the abbreviation of Tuberculosis is T.B. (Or at least it is in New Zealand) I wonder what the writer of that snippet would think if he knew people were pondering his words 90-odd years later? Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Clay Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 I wonder what the writer of that snippet would think if he knew people were pondering his words 90-odd years later? Probably "why don't they get a life" or the equivalent of the time OR - "I knew that the increased leisure brought about by the adoption of the labour-saving 'benefits' of rapidly developing 20th century technology would lead to no good!" Looks like a 'Q' to me too, But what the word can be ... Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Abbreviated form for: 'Died in Officers' sick quarters - at sea' Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 CWGC records don't help. They simply state 'Died at sea en route India TO UK' Note the direction of travel compared to that in the first post. His death certificate may solve it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Could TICK be the source of an infection in India? Phil B TICKS - Rickettsia Boutonneuse Fever; produces a mild to moderate fever, rash, and a lesion (or eschar) at the bite site. Is potentially fatal but treatable with antibiotics. Disease peaks through the warmer months. Present in Southern Europe, Africa and India. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willywombat Posted 14 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2006 They simply state 'Died at sea en route India TO UK' Thanks Terry - that makes MUCH more sense! He's listed on my old school war memorial and it was a vague reference in school records which suggested he was going TO India when he died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 If you want to get his death certificate, it has Reference Number O.16.199 (having this reduces the cost when ordering online!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willywombat Posted 14 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2006 If you want to get his death certificate, it has Reference Number O.16.199 (having this reduces the cost when ordering online!). Terry, Thanks! As I said earlier in this thread, although I've been researching a long time, the availability of online records is a new thing I'm just catching up with. Is this a reference in the National Archives? Bob. PS - I just received the service record for JV Thomas from the NA and it was another chap of almost identical name, unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Bob Death Certificate Refence Numbers are available from a number of sources and they reduce the cost when ordering a DC online. These sources also confirm that a death actually took place! The number for British Army/RAF men who died overseas and Royal Navy who died in UK or overseas are available from either (1) a set of disks sold by S&N Geneology Supplies - about £25 or (2) online from 1837online.com - but you have to buy 'units' to view pages. Both sources provide scanned pages of the actual GRO Register Indices giving name, regiment/ship, service number, year of death and reference number. Ref numbers for Army/RAF men who died in the UK can be sourced from http://content.ancestry.co.uk/Browse/list....=8966&path= free of charge but you do not get the military details - simply a name, quarter of the year, registration district and ref number.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 TICKS - Rickettsia Boutonneuse Fever; produces a mild to moderate fever, rash, and a lesion (or eschar) at the bite site. Is potentially fatal but treatable with antibiotics. Disease peaks through the warmer months. Present in Southern Europe, Africa and India. Cheers Phil - if anyone asks me what the unpleasant execrescence on my jaw is, where some vicious bug bit me while I was gardening on Wednesday, I'll just say 'An eschar, of course'. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willywombat Posted 14 July , 2006 Author Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Terry, This is great advice and thanks. I'm not a lazy type who asks on the forum for things that are already explained fully elsewhere online, but my simple little post about difficult-to-read handwriting has mushroomed somewhat and your help in what is for me "new territory" is appreciated. The support I have received on here has really spurred me on to complete the project I started a decade or so ago, so thanks to everyone for their help. Once I find out what the poor chap did die of I'll post it here. Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 Cheers Phil - if anyone asks me what the unpleasant execrescence on my jaw is, where some vicious bug bit me while I was gardening on Wednesday, I'll just say 'An eschar, of course'. Mick It`s not so unlikely. Rupert Brooke allegedly died of an insect bite! Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 14 July , 2006 Share Posted 14 July , 2006 It`s not so unlikely. Rupert Brooke allegedly died of an insect bite! Phil B I think I feel a sonnet coming on ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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