Help Finding Some "Missing" Men

[Leofwine]

I've been researching the names of the soldiers commemorated on the Brompton (Kent) War Memorial, and have found information on 45 of the 50 First World War names, but the last 5 are eluding me. 

Kent Fallen has no information on them (http://www.kentfalle...TS/BROMPTON.pdf) and I can't locate them in the censuses or military records.  Anyone able to find anything about them?

Driver T. Butler, Royal Horse Artillery.
Private A.W. Doyle, Royal Army Service Corps
Private A. H. Goodchild, Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Private R. Scott, Durham Light Infantry
Private W.H. Stace, Worcestershire Regiment

I might have found Goodchild's service number (S/4804) from the medal rolls, but can find no further information.

Thanks for any help you may be able to give with these men.

[lizdb]

Cwgc.org has an R W Scott from Durham light infantry

[cath151]

Surrey recruitment register
A Goodchild 12318
Army Ordnance Corps
Derby scheme men 16 th  Aug to 8 th Dec 1916
Age 32 yrs 9mo

Prewar record for a
William Henry Stace
Old Brompton, Chatham
Army Service corps ( seems to have been in army less than a year in 1902)
Joined Woolwich 1902
Mother Elizabeth Stace, 19,Manor Street, Old Brompton
Brothers Thomas, John, Oliver.

This tallies with 1891 census with parents Edwin and Elizabeth at correct address.

Not sure if either is your man but something to think about.
I don t understand why they are not on CWGC site.

Cathy

[Annette7]

An Alfred H. Goodchild bc.1879 died Sept.qtr.1919 Medway.

Did he die back in England of wounds suffered in WW1?

Annette

[IMBER]

National Archives has an index reference for William Henry Stace born 23 October 1882, Old Brompton. Need to pay to download. Appears to be in Royal Navy. Also a reference to someone of same name in Air Ministry records commencing 1918 (RAF established that year).

Worcestershire Regiment Roll of Honour has no Stace.

This may be of interest:

http://infromthecold.org/

Imber

[Leofwine]

Thanks for the various replies, some food for thought there. I've ordered the death cert for Goodchild so maybe that will throw some light on that one.

If anyone has any additional clues I'd love to know.

I'm also surprised that on one memorial there are 5 names that don't seem to have a CWGC entry, in other people's experience, is that usual?

Also, in researching the memorial I found 4 more local men who died serving in the war who are not commemorated on the memorial. Is this an unusually high number on a memorial of 50 names?

[IMBER]

I'm afraid it all sounds quite normal where local memorials are concerned. Anything is possible. A few weeks ago I helped someone undertaking similar research into a war memorial and found several for her, one getting married in 1930!! Often they are on CWGC but not in the form you expect. Some used an alias. Many are missed off CWGC because they died of their wounds having been invalided out but then overlooked. The link I gave you to In From The Cold covers this.

Imber

[Annette7]

I feel sure that the William Henry Stace already mentioned is indeed the man you seek.   I cannot explain why there seems to be no mention of him after 1902 either in war records or UK Deaths Index. 

His parents were Edwin Stace (b.Woolwich ca.1847 who was an army man himself for a while) and Elizabeth Gregory married Dec.qtr.1879 Medway.  Their children were:

Edwin Richard b.1880 (served Royal Fusiliers WW1)
Elizabeth Emma b.Sept.qtr.1882 Cork, Ireland
William Henry b.Dec.qtr.1884 Kinsale, Ireland (shown on 1891 census as Queenstown)
then twins
Thomas James b.1887 Plumstead (served in either RAMC or Army Ordnance Corps WW1)
John Alfred b.1887 Plumstead (served 28th London Regiment WW1)
Mary Ann (Annie) b.1889 Plumstead
Oliver George b.1893 Burham, Kent
Daisy Rosa b.1895 Brompton, Kent

Is Oliver George on the Brompton Memorial?   He served in the Royal West Surrey Regiment and died 7/11/1914 Leper, Belgium (so soon after the war started).   He should definitely be on it.

When William Henry briefly served in army 1902 (having already briefly served in Royal Navy) he gave his n.o.k. as his mother and brothers, not his father Edwin who was still alive and kicking (died 1918).   Wonder if he and his father were estranged somehow and perhaps he'd changed his name when he registered again in WW1 hence our being unable to find him.   Can find no trace of this individual emigrating nor a death in UK Death Index.

Someone has a public tree on Ancestry and wonder if it could be worth your while contacting the submitter of this to see if they have any further details of William Henry - there could be some kind of story here.   The tree does show the death of Oliver George in 1914.

I have also looked at the list of 306 men executed for cowardice in WW1 who received a pardon in 2006 (I think, fairly recently anyway).   He doesn't show there nor on the list of over 1000 'missed' individuals on the website mentioned by IMBER.

Annette

[Leofwine]

IMBER - I've reported W. H. Stace to the In From The Cold project, and will send the others if I find out enough about them.

Annete7 - Oliver George Stace is on the memorial and was fairly easy to find out about, which is why I'm surprised his brother is proving so elusive. Perhaps, as suggested, he served under an alias.