Guest Firestone Posted 28 April , 2008 Share Posted 28 April , 2008 I'm researching a Belgian soldier who died in 1914. From the database at www.inflandersfields.be, I know that his rank was "Soldaat 2 kl mil 1913 klaroen" and his regiment was "1 Karabiniers 3/2". I am completely new to this subject, and language, and I wonder if anyone can kindly explain what this means ... Secondly, is it possible to obtain copies of a Belgian soldier's service records? If anyone can point me to other useful resources or possible sources of information, I'd also be very grateful. With many thanks, Harry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 28 April , 2008 Share Posted 28 April , 2008 Is it Joseph Benoodt who you are researching by any chance? Born 13/11/1893 (class of 1913) in Kortrijk. he was a Private (Soldaat) in the 1e Karabiniers (medium cavalry - similar to the dragoons) and had the Army number 131/ He died (of wounds) on 7/12/1914 and is buried at Stouchan(????) Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Dunlop Posted 29 April , 2008 Share Posted 29 April , 2008 Harry, I have the regimental history for the Karabiniers. Will do a lookup for you when I get back from this trip, in about 2 weeks. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
healdav Posted 29 April , 2008 Share Posted 29 April , 2008 Ask this guy: Patrick Dewolf on ABL1914@pandora.be What he doesn't know about Belgian casualties and the Belgian army didn't happen. He can take some time to reply, so be patient. There is also a website about the Belgian army pre and during WW1 , but sorry, I don't have the URL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Firestone Posted 29 April , 2008 Share Posted 29 April , 2008 Thank you all for your help. Dave - yes, it most certainly is JB, and thank you for these details. Robert - thank you, that will be excellent. Healdav - I'm emailing Patrick Dewolf today ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 29 April , 2008 Share Posted 29 April , 2008 Firestone, Joseph Alberic Benoodt + 7 Dec 1914 Original place of burial : Southampton (GB), Grave 186 / E 115, 11 Dec 1914. (No mention of where he was reburied later. Back to his town (Kortrijk / Courtrai) requested by next of kin ?) Aurel (P.S. Dave, I am a little puzzled by what you seemed to find, "Stouchan" (?). Where did you find that ? It seems to have some of the letters in "Southampton".) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 I know, this is 4 years after the topic was started by Firestone, and maybe he doesn't visit the forum anymore ? But I have just been informed that Joseph Benoodt was born in Kortrijk (Courtrai) on 13 Nov. 1893. "Stoucham" (original place of burial) remains a problem. And I don't know (yet) where he was reburied later. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 25 May , 2012 Share Posted 25 May , 2012 ... "Stoucham" (original place of burial) remains a problem... I beleive that there is a place called South Stoucham in Hampshire. Might that be the place? Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 Trajan, Thanks. In Hampshire ? No idea ... I have googled with "Stouchan" and "Stoucham" and "South Stoucham", but no result ... Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 Aurel, Joseph's death is registered in South Stoneham, so it may have got lost in the translation: Deaths December Quarter 1914 Joseph A BENOODT Age 21 South Stoneham Registration District; Volume 2c; Page 162 Don't quote me on it, but I have a feeling that (amongst others) Netley Military Hospital is within this Reg. District. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 There are two Belgian graves at Southampton (South Stoneham) Cemetery. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trajan Posted 26 May , 2012 Share Posted 26 May , 2012 I did a Google, and if I understand http://www.freebmd.org.uk/district-map-dir.1201635624/S.html correctly then South Stoucham would be indeed be the same as South Stoneham. Trajan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 27 May , 2012 Share Posted 27 May , 2012 Having looked at the grave reference I am pretty sure that he was originally buried in Southampton Old Cemetery. In fact if you go to post #10 on this thread, I can prove it Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 27 May , 2012 Share Posted 27 May , 2012 Stoneham misread or misspelled as Stoucham ? This makes sense. But as I cannot find the names of the two Belgians .... :-( Phil, maybe I missed something, but what is the reason that you think he was buried in Southampton Old Cemetery ? Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 27 May , 2012 Share Posted 27 May , 2012 Aurel, Forget South Stoneham Cemetery. That was a red herring. By the way, one of the Belgians there is Guillame Honore LORET. I haven't been able to find the name of the second. I first thought it was Southampton Old Cemetery because the grave number you gave above (186 E 155) fits with their layout. Then I found the other thread I linked to and if you look at the close-up of the memorial in post 10, J BENOODT is the top name in the right hand column. Phil Edit: the other Belgian in South Stoneham is Jean Emile Florent LOOS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 28 May , 2012 Share Posted 28 May , 2012 Phil, At last I understand ! But blame it on me. Or on the hot Flemish weather (in which my brain doesn't work properly). Right now it is still "early" in the morning, yet I am not sure I ... :-( So if I understand correctly the man was (re)buried in Southampton Old Cemetery. But he isn't there anymore ? The old plaque shows 23 names, but that was before some graves were removed later, one of them being Benoodt. Correct ? (I see only 5 Belgian graves, but of course there may be more, not shown in the photo.) Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 28 May , 2012 Share Posted 28 May , 2012 Aurel, My brain has been cooked by the sun as well, but here goes: Benoolt would have been originally buried at Southampton Old Cemetery and I have taken the grave reference from your earlier post #6. Where did you get that from? There were originally 27 (or possibly 28) Belgian war graves in the cemetery. The memorial only covers up to the end of 1917. On this link, there are another three from 1918 and there was apparently a further one in 1919. On the memorial there are six names that don't appear on the list on the link and I believe that they are the six that were repatriated back to Belgium in 1923. Benoolt is probably one of them. The five grave markers, which were erected in the early 1920's contain a total of 16 names. I have managed to make out the names on four of them, but apart from Remy, I can't work out the one furthest away, although I can see four names on it. The monument is also erected over another communal grave. The only definitive proof is going to be if Southampton City Council / Cemeteries Office have issued an exhumation order. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 29 May , 2012 Share Posted 29 May , 2012 Phil, You wrote : "Benoolt would have been originally buried at Southampton Old Cemetery and I have taken the grave reference from your earlier post #6. Where did you get that from?" I'm afraid I am not sure I remember where I took it from. It was so long (= 4 years) ago ... But I can see no other source than the Dodenlijst on the In Flanders Fields website. However, I've just been there, and - was it a result of the renewing of the website ? - I see that for Joseph Alberic Benoodt there no longer is a mention of Southampton and where the grave was. Instead I see something that certainly was not there when I checked 4 years ago : Herdenking Halluin Gemeentelijke Begraafplaats 1923/04 Herdenking = Commemoration, Remembrance (grave ?) Halluin =is in the north of France, just across the border, opposite Menen (Menin) Gemeentelijke begraafplaats = Communal cemetery 1923/04 = does that mean that he remains were moved to Halluin in April 1923 ? No, I'm afraid I won't contact Southampton City Council / Cemeteries ... I only became a little interested in the Topic seeing that it was about a Belgian soldier, and as far as I guess topic starter Firestone left the building 4 years ago and did not return. Maybe not easy to contact him after all these years ? Maybe it would be easier for me when in Menin to cross the border and see if he is in the Communal Cemetery of Halewijn (Halluin) Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 29 May , 2012 Share Posted 29 May , 2012 Aurel, I don't know how I got roped into this thread myself. The Halluin connection looks promising. If you do get over there to look, please let me know, via this thread, how you get on. Southampton Council, like most over here, charge for searching their registers, so I've reached a dead end for now. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 30 May , 2012 Share Posted 30 May , 2012 Phil, OK. But I cannot guarantee that I will be in or near Halluin in the near future. Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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