RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: yellowfurbaby on Friday 30 March 07 16:24 BST (UK)
-
Hi all, I am a newbie here. I have been researching my family tree and have been fasinated to learn that I have a great great uncle who was killed in WW1. I have been on CWGC and found this link.
http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=802881
So now I know a little more about him. How do I find out more. Is it possible to get access to medical records or other information? I am sure there must be more info than where the poor chap is buried : (
Thanks all for your help
-
afternoon furbaby ( ::) the name makes me smile)
well, you have actually got a quite a lot of information off the CWGC site already, compared to a usual entry, it's positively overflowing!
i can add a bit more for you, he was born and enlisted in Bolton, he was killed in action at the battle of the somme, he doesn't have a known grave, his body was either never recovered or was discovered with no ID or the site of his grave was lost as fighting continued over it.
he belonged to a territorial battalion, so he may well have been a part time soldier prior to the war.
60% of WW1 soldiers records were destroyed in the blitz in the second world war, the remainder are kept at the national archives in Kew
-
Thanks for much for your reply.
Oh so he has no grave? How did you find that out and how did you know about him dying in the battle of the Somme? What am I missing from the CWGC link I posted that you have spotted. I am new to this you see and it is amazing.
-
Did you have the 1901 census info on the McGreavy family?
living at Reservoir St
hoping its the same family.
Father John aged 36 born Wigan A Labourer Boilermaker
Mother Annetta 30 born in Bolton
Mary 10
Edward 9
John 7
George 3
Sister difficult to read name 1
regards
tisgrannie
-
there's no real secret, the theipval memorial is a memorial to the missing on the somme battlefield, it bears the names of the 72,000 men (of the UK and SA) who have no known grave. the battle of the somme which started on the 1st July 1916 and went on until november, just by looking at the date of his death tells you he was killed there
On the 9th Aug 1916, the 1/5th LNLs as part of the 55th Division were attacking Guillemont, starting at 4.20am, they were stopped by the wire and heavy maching gun fire, and suffered severe casualties
-
tisgrannie can post you a great picture of the Theipval monument ;)
-
I can try harribob.
-
You are all so helpful on here :)
tisgrannie yes i have got access to the census and so yes I have found that info you posted. The name you cannot read of the sister is Cecilia and that is the line I have from. Cecilias brother John was killed in WW1 and I am her Great Granddaughter. She only died in 1999 just a months short of her 100th birthday. She was an amazing lady!!
-
terrific! What an age. I hope you got lots of info from you grt gran. I am at the stage where I wish I had asked so much.
kind regards
tisgrannie
-
No I am sad to report I did not :( How daft does that seem now? Her daughter is still alive in her mid eighties and she is the one I have been getting most of the history from. Her Brother is my Grandfather and although totally with it still with his marbles he does not seem to know anything about his background. I was shcoked to hear he did not even know his Mothers maiden name ???
-
Following on from my original question does anyone think I have any hope of finding out anything more about poor John from the Somme or is that all I am likely to get now as far as research is concerned.
-
I would think you have quite a lot there. You are lucky!
I wouldn't think that there is anything else you would find out!
Sorry,
tisgrannie
-
I expect you are right. It just seems so little for a young man who died especially when you think there must have been so much paperwork at the time. GRRRR I shall keep digging however you never know.
-
I am so delighted about this new bit of news.
As you will gather from reading this thread I have been trying to find out about John McGreavy. I thought I had discovered now about as much as there was to discover but I sent off weeks ago a email to the Bolton evening news and they said they would look into it. I did not hear anything back so I thought oh well thats that.
But I have just had an email back from them apologising for the delay and informing me they have found some details about him with a photo!!! in one of the old papers from 1917. I am to send £2.50 and they will send me a copy.
How fantastic is that? I really really wanted to see a copy so that is amazing.
-
You lucky so and so. Please post when you get it. It would be great to share that with you.
Well so much for giving up. I shall follow your leasd and keep on digging.
All the very best to you
tisgrannie
-
Thank you. You were most helpful when I put out my search :)
I will scan it in so you can see. I am delighted because for some reason this chaps story has really got to me and I can't wait to see a photo.
-
Hi to all. Here is the link. Hope it works I have spent ages trying to get it on the internet so you can see LOL
Let me know what you think.
Isn't he a handsome chap? I am thrilled I have found his picture.
http://www.myspace.com/johnmcgreavy
-
Tickled pink for you,and think that you must be blessed by the God,s!
My G'Dad has disappeared entirely,didn't get home,not on the C.W.G.C site,look,s very fishy to me!
Goggy. ;) ;D
-
Hey well done a photo as well. You are very lucky buy a lottery ticket. Happy hunting
tisgrannie
-
Hi I just sent a pm to goggy to see if they have checked the armed forces section to help look. Or name variants etc. As you can see by furbaby don't give up!!
try again if you have tried before.
regards
tisgrannie