rhimsl Posted 26 January , 2004 Share Posted 26 January , 2004 Here is one I can't figure out and hope someone can help me with. Pte. William Dews 2nd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. Died, France & Flanders March 24, 1915. He is burried at Brompton Cemetery, London. I have photos of his headstone. Is it possible that he was wounded and sent back to London where he died and is burried? I know he most likely was not KIA or DOW because he would not have been sent back to London. Any thougts would be appreciated. Is it also possible that he was wounded at Neuve Chapelle? Thanks, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmsk212 Posted 26 January , 2004 Share Posted 26 January , 2004 Robert On SDGW he is shown as Died which usually means just that and he was not KIA or DOW. Hope that helps a bit. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhimsl Posted 26 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2004 Steve, Thanks. But do you think he died in France and was then brought back to be burried in London or that he returned to London (wounded or for some other reason) and then died? Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 26 January , 2004 Share Posted 26 January , 2004 But do you think he died in France and was then brought back to be burried in London or that he returned to London (wounded or for some other reason) and then died? Robert. I've started to re-read the SDGW place of death as actually meaning "place of cause of death", regardless of where he died (I've come across many similar cases). For example a soldier who was wounded in France, brought home, and died at home is just as likely to have "F&F" as his place of death as he is to have "Home". Chances are, in your case, that he contracted his "cause of death", be it wounds (but he'd be more likely to be listed DOW if this was the case), disease or whatever in France, came back to London where he succumbed to it. There is a possibility that he died "because of wounds" rather than "of wounds", meaning, if he died of some infection or whatever of his wounds, but not of his wounds directly, then in all possibility, he would be listed as "Died". I don't think he would have died in France and was brought back though. Another alternative is an incorrect listing on SDGW (one of many). All speculation though. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhimsl Posted 26 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2004 Dave, Thanks so much for the info. It is greatly appreciated. One last question; Would being gassed be considered a situation where he "died because of wounds, but not of his wounds"? I'm not sure this would be the case due to the fact that I don't believe gas was used at Neuve Chapelle.? Cheers, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 26 January , 2004 Share Posted 26 January , 2004 Pte Dews was not one of the few repatriated soldiers pre-mid 1915 and therefore his demise must have due to wounds or illness contracted overseas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InkyBill Posted 27 January , 2004 Share Posted 27 January , 2004 On another note Brompton Cemetery is very intresting, within it is a plot consisting entirely of Guards men. I think i'm also correct in saying that many Chelsea Pensioners who died after a certain date - late 1890's - are buried there. The most intresting CWGC burial has to be Lt Col Edwin Sandy's DSO of the 2nd Middlesex who never came to terms with the losses his battalion suffered on 1st July 1916, although he commited suicide in London his death was recorded on ODGW as died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 27 January , 2004 Share Posted 27 January , 2004 Another interesting point about Brompton Cemetery is that it does actually contain the grave of a man who was repatriated after death on the Western Front. Flt Sub-Lt Reginald Alexander John WARNEFORD VC 1 Sqdn RNAS Died 17.06.15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 27 January , 2004 Share Posted 27 January , 2004 One last question; Would being gassed be considered a situation where he "died because of wounds, but not of his wounds"? Tough one that! The answer is yes and no! If a soldier died as a direct result of the gas poisoning, then yes, I suppose he could be classified as having DOW. However, if he died of a complication resulting from, but not directly related to the gas poisoning (eg. if he was expected to recover, but contracted for example pneumonia and died as a result of his body being in a weakened state), then he would be listed as "died". Many exceptions will be found, this is just a theory. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 27 January , 2004 Share Posted 27 January , 2004 CWGC separate gas deaths from other DoW casualties by using the phrase 'Died of wounds (gas)' in their database and the old registers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhimsl Posted 28 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 28 January , 2004 Dave & Terry, Thanks again for the information, I really appreciate it! Cheers, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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