RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Durham => England => Durham Lookup Requests => Topic started by: cravend on Wednesday 04 November 20 11:57 GMT (UK)
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Hi
Does annyone have a membership to the subject project? I'm trying to find some information on the death, in 1943, of a member of the 70th (Young Soldiers) Battalion Durham Light Infantry. Thank you. Pete
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If you mean this site
https://www.wartimememoriesproject.com
Then it appears to be free no membership required, though like any of these sites they welcome donations towards their running costs.
If you give us a name and some details we can have a look to see if anything turns up.
Boo
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Boo,
As I read it most of the information is in their library. To access the library you need to be a subscriber which cost £25 "special offer". As this is likely to be a one off search I think it's a bit steep. Anyway the details that I am after concern Private John David Moore 4469039 70th Battalion (young soldiers)
Durham Light Infantry. He died 19 June 1943 in Darlington. I am trying to find the circumstances of his death. The CWGC (via Ancestry)just gives the barest details and I have been unable to find any info with a general trawl on the internet. Durham Archive just gives a brief description of the duties that they performed.
Pete
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Boo,
As I read it most of the information is in their library. To access the library you need to be a subscriber which cost £25 "special offer". As this is likely to be a one off search I think it's a bit steep. Anyway the details that I am after concern Private John David Moore 4469039 70th Battalion (young soldiers)
Durham Light Infantry. He died 19 June 1943 in Darlington. I am trying to find the circumstances of his death. The CWGC (via Ancestry)just gives the barest details and I have been unable to find any info with a general trawl on the internet. Durham Archive just gives a brief description of the duties that they performed.
Pete
Oh I see - sorry I didn't go that far into the site :)
According to his burial record, he died in the Borough Hospital
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-L3V4-P9Q4-V?cat=996888
As such, its possible/likely his death cert (.pdf version available from the GRO) may give you a cause of death?
Boo
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Boo,
Thank you. That's my next port of call i reckon
Pete
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fingers crossed it tells you what you wanted to know - at least at £7 its cheaper than taking a chance on the site's library having any info.
Boo
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Just as an aside, I did try the newspapers but the Northern Echo (most likely for the Darlington area) for that time frame is not yet online.
The Darlington Libraries do have a full run of the Northern Echo so, if at any stage we get back to some sort of normality, either a visit to look at the microfilms or a request in RootsChat for a look up may produce something of interest.
Boo
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The casualty list simply states `Died` which indicates natural causes ? 70th Btn were not a frontline unit but were used to train young men 17+ for the frontline units. If he had been killed in Action /wounds/Accident then the casualty lists would state this . Died at Home usually natural causes/illness. The website you mention is a general one and will not hold any specific info on your man the only people who retain his service record are the MoD at the age of 19 there will be little recorded on them but the address you need is
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records
Hopefully the death cert will give you the answers it will be a little more detailed having died at home than say a KiA soldier whose cause of death is simply referred to as `on war service`
Best
Jim
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Boo and Verries, Thank you for you input it is appreciated.
Pete
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Do you know where your young soldier lived? Actually in Darlington or one of the surrounding villages?
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Sue, Darlington
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Presumably you've seen his headstone on findagrave here? https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/59698760/john-david-moore
I can't read the inscription, but would he have had a DLI headstone if he'd never actually been frontline? I don't know enough about who got CWGC headstones.
There's quite a few different areas of Darlington eg Haughton le Skerne, Harrowgate Hill etc.
I've checked the Darlington District memorial names here http://www.newmp.org.uk/search_results.php and I can't find him, but places like Haughton le Skerne etc have their own memorials. Try the District Notes http://www.newmp.org.uk/article.php?categoryid=100&articleid=102
I don't find it a very easy site to find things in, but there's a wealth of info there.
Also, the NEWMP has a section about the 70th brigade here.Not sure if you've seen it. http://70brigade.newmp.org.uk/wiki/Main_Page
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Sue, Yes seen the headstone. I assumed that as he died "in service" he got the CWGC headstone. The National Archives entry just showed "died". I understand that young solders aided the Civil Defence so could have been an accident. Thanks for the link, I will go check that out. Pete
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An explanation of the eligibility rules for a CWGC gravestone is here:
http://www.infromthecold.org/war_grave_criteria.asp
Boo
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Boo and Jim,
Thanks for your help. Sorted now, he died of Meningitis.
Pete
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So sad, but am pleased you now have an answer.
Boo
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Sorry I wasn't of any help.
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Boo, Thank you for getting involved. I did action one of your links. Its all knowledge
Pete
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psst that wasn't me :-)
Boo