mystery?

[gjil]

I have a relative who died in 1917 and on Ancestry it gives his regiment and also says,

theatre of war  Austria

on the common wealth war grave site it gives the same regiment as on Ancestry but says he is remembered at Gaza War Cemetery.

Is there someone who could please explain this to me as I'm a bit confused as to why we have 2 different places, Austria and Gaza. Thanks


gjil

[neil1821]

It sounds like a typical Ancestry cock-up.
The other well-known one for WW1 deaths is theatre-of-war: Aldershot
Go figure! 

Ignore the Austria thing, it's complete garbage.
CWGC will be correct.

[forester]

If you want the details from the proper SDGW entry, then just post his name, service number and regiment/corps and one of us will post it.

The born/enlisted/residence bit is also scrambled up, just to make life more confusing.

Phil

[gjil]

Thanks Neil and Phil.

John Alfred Fricker
London regiment Finsbury Rifles 11th Bn
sevice no 451302


gjil

[neil1821]

His date of death as given on CWGC corresponds to the 2nd battle of Gaza.
1/11th London Btn (Finsbury Rifles) were part of the 54th Division.
See here and folow the 54th Division link at the bottom:
http://www.1914-1918.net/london.htm

So it does all seem to fit. 

[forester]

John Alfred Fricker

Born: not given
Enlisted: London
Resident: London E.C.

Died of Wounds 19th April 1917
Theatre: E.E.F (Egyptian Expeditionary Force)

Phil

[gjil]

Thanks again Neil and Phil.

He died young, aged 20, as he was born in 1897 in Shoreditch



gjil

[forester]

Just in case....

Although there doesn't appear to be a surviving service for John Alfred Fricker, there is one for a plain John Fricker of 13 Howards Place, Clerkenwell. His father was Alfred Fricker and he married a Liilian Morris in 1917. Born about 1894?

Phil

[MindenBoy]

Good morning. Having just joined this site i thought i would search the subject of the Finsbury Rifles. I am currently researching this unique unit which sadly has no known museum or archive collection as such.
I note that Rifleman Fricker was killed on the 19th April 1917. This was the 2nd Battle of Gaza, a battle in which the 1st/11th (county of London) Battalion The London Regiment (Finsbury Rifles) (Territorial Force) suffered its heaviest loss - 115 all ranks killed. On the 19th April 2017 i organised a commemorative church service at St Marks Church, Clerkenwell, to remember these men and if you put in finsbury rifles at gaza on the search field of the general internet you can read about it. I would be extremely grateful to hear from you or anyone else with a connection to this brave men of a regiment which rarely gets a mention in the history books.