William Patrick McGuinness Corporal 9554

[staffsreg]

Dear Pals,

Glancing at Preston Catholic College memorial web page and coming from Frenchwood, Preston.

I found William Patrick McGuinness who is still unconfirmed as a casualty and has therefore no memorial.

A corporal, serving with 3rd Bttn, Royal Fusiliers, fought in Salonika, Bulgaria and Balkans.

How come he is still unconfirmed, his parents waited for his return but to no avail?

CWGC do not recognize his death.

This surely is a rarity? (question for Terry Denham?)

Intrigued,

Ivan.

[Gordon Caldecott]

Maybe he died at sea, thus would have no grave for the CWGC to be aware of?

I remember seeing a group of medals for sale, to a guy who had died at home from wounds, and was buried in the local grave yard, during the Second World War his CWGC grave was destroyed during an air raid, along with several other people. their graves where lost, so a plaque was placed on the wall from them. As the CWGC no longer had a a grave to tend they took him off the register.

To that end have you tried SDGW?

What does his MIC say, do his papers still exist. Anything in the local press? The Museum might be able to help?

Hope some of this is of help and or interest.

Gordon.

[John_Hartley]

Maybe he died at sea, thus would have no grave for the CWGC to be aware of?

If so, Gordon, he should be on a memorial to the missing - his name still commemorated by the Commission.

John

[John_Hartley]

Ivan

Bit of a puzzle here. Certainly can't find anyone of the name and regiment on the overseas deaths register (or SDGW). Nor, for that matter, can I see anyone obvious amongst the Medal Index Cards.

Maybe the webpage has some duff information?

John

[Terry Denham]

As the CWGC no longer had a a grave to tend they took him off the register.

Gordon

That cannot happen. If the grave became unmaintainable then he would have been commemorated elsewhere. CWGC has a threefold responsibility - (1) To maintain qualifying war graves, (2) to commemorate all qualifying casualties somewhere (preferably on their grave but elsewhere if not) and (3) to maintain a roll of all qualifying casualties.

Ivan

You first have to find out if he qualified for commemoration. There could be circumstances when he didn't. Pehaps he was not dead etc.

[PaulC78]

I recently found this man in the WFA pension records and was also stumped by him. There is a card and a ledger and also an entry on Soldiers' Effects, all of which indicate that Cpl William McGuinness 9554 served with the 3rd Bn. Royal Fusiliers and was missing/killed on 4 November 1917. The Preston Roll of Honour further indicates that he died in Bulgaria, but I can find no medal card or rolls or an entry in the overseas death index.

 

There is a tree on Ancestry with some photos and other bits and bobs, but otherwise it only referred to the above discussion on this forum.

 

 

 

[PaulC78]

Added to CWGC today: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/75470562/william-patrick-mcguinness/