oconnor Posted 10 December , 2007 Share Posted 10 December , 2007 hi, i'm a new member, so hi to everyone. ok, i'm trying to find a way of getting a photo of the above mentioned soldiers final resting place. he was the father of a very dear friend marjorie day, who is now 94, and knew very little of her father, and her mother died in childbirth. my research so far has placed him in ST VENANT COMMUNAL CEMETARY, NORD PAS DE CALAIS, PLOT IV. A. 17. is there anyone who possibly has photo's from this cemetary, which may by chance include his headstone, or, indeed, anyone who may be able to take a photo for us? marjorie and her husband Alan, a sicily and africa WW2 veteran, also 94 , are coming to us for xmas dinner and to be able to show this to them would hopefully be a huge piece of this jigsaw filled in. ANY HELP WOULD BE HUGELY APPRECIATED. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eviltaxman Posted 10 December , 2007 Share Posted 10 December , 2007 Welcome to humble second home from home!! Sorry can't help with a photo of the headstone (but I suspect someone here might), but you could visit the area where he lived - there's a good chance he's listed on a town/village/church memorial. Sometimes officers can even have their details on a stain glass window, assuming the church is a village or small town. Les. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoons Posted 10 December , 2007 Share Posted 10 December , 2007 Sorry I cannot help with the gravestone photo. Here are his details from CWGC. Name: ROOKE Initials: S A H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Second Lieutenant Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment Unit Text: 2nd/7th Bn. Date of Death: 20/09/1918 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. A. 17. Cemetery: ST. VENANT COMMUNAL CEMETERY If you could let us know his place of birth and where he was living when he enlisted, perhaps someone could help with the war memorial entry (if any). I could not identify him from the 1901 census, was he from Bridgewater Somerset or Thornton Yorkshire perhaps? \Spoons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oconnor Posted 10 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 10 December , 2007 Sorry I cannot help with the gravestone photo. Here are his details from CWGC. Name: ROOKE Initials: S A H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Second Lieutenant Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment Unit Text: 2nd/7th Bn. Date of Death: 20/09/1918 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. A. 17. Cemetery: ST. VENANT COMMUNAL CEMETERY If you could let us know his place of birth and where he was living when he enlisted, perhaps someone could help with the war memorial entry (if any). I could not identify him from the 1901 census, was he from Bridgewater Somerset or Thornton Yorkshire perhaps? \Spoons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eviltaxman Posted 10 December , 2007 Share Posted 10 December , 2007 As Spoons mentioned above, there are several possibilities, but the 2 strongest (because of the age potential) are; Sidney Rooke, father/mother - Josiah & Emma. Born abt 1890 at Bridgewater, Somerset Sidney Rooke, mother - Christina. Born abt 1894 Thornton, Yorkshire If your friend knows the grandparents name(s) that'll help confirm the above. Les Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 11 December , 2007 Share Posted 11 December , 2007 His name does not appear on the Bridgwater War Memorial. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oconnor Posted 18 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 18 December , 2007 sorry to not have replied sooner, but thanks to all so far for your input. will get marjories memory banks ticking over xmas dinner!!!!!! merry xmas to all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 18 December , 2007 Share Posted 18 December , 2007 From free BMD: Sidney's birth? Births Sep 1888 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROOKE Sidney Austin H Birmingham 6d 109 Sidney's marriage? Marriages Sept 1913 --------------------------------------------------- Barton Louie E Rooke Birmingham 6d 580 (presume should be Louise?) Rooke Sidney H A Barton Birmingham 6d 580 Marjorie's birth: Births Mar 1914 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROOKE Marjorie H B Barton Birmingham 6d 597 1891 census: ROOK, Sydney A H - 3yrs Male Bromsgrove Possibly him on 1901 census: Sydney Rooke 12 b=Warwick Bham, residence=Staffordshire Handsworth, occupation=Scholar His medal index card shows: Medal card of Rooke, Sidney Austin Harold Corps Regiment No Rank Royal Warwickshire Regiment 1597 Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment Second Lieutenant web link: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=6 To download it costs Pnds 3.50 From the above it seems he was promoted from the ranks, entering the theatre of war as a private. His records should be at Kew - maybe worth asking a pal to do a lookup for you (see relvant topic thread board). Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 19 December , 2007 Share Posted 19 December , 2007 Further to my above postings: You can see CWGC photo of the cemetery, and also the plan on the CWGC site and page for St Venant: http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_detail...9401&mode=1 I cannot work out the approx position of 2 Lt Rooke's grave from this pic, but at least it is nearby. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 19 December , 2007 Share Posted 19 December , 2007 Frustratingly I cannot get the CWGC picture to upload onto the site, but the nearest grave in view is in row 1 B. Lt Rooke's grave is in row A, which would be the row to the right in this view (graves backing onto the cemetery wall) and there is a good chance that Lt Rooke's grave is amongst the row A in view. Have a look at the CWGC link as per my previous post. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oconnor Posted 19 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 19 December , 2007 thanks ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 20 December , 2007 Share Posted 20 December , 2007 Here is the cemetery view. I had another look, and if I am correct, Lt Rooke's grave will be in the area I marked in red. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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