Trying to trace an unknown soldier

[las camelias]

Hello to All,
I researched the names of the casualties of WW1 on the Semley (Wiltshire) war memorial some 2 years ago and still have one name that I am completely stumped with.  The parish council and local RBL are putting together, ready for Armistice Day, a commemoration brochure in which they will detail the village as it was 100 years ago and include the research on those who didn't return.  I would dearly love to be able to identify this one last name before the brochure is produced.  Is it possible that anyone out there might be willing to spend some time looking at what I have so far and seeing if they can help?  Thank you
LC

[warresearcher2]

I have been researching war memorials for over 20 years - it can be difficult and frustrating, to say the least. Let me have all the details that you have and I will try to help.
Regards Rod Gibson

[aghadowey]

Wiltshire is a bit out of my area of expertise but I have researched the names on quite a few war memorials.

Normally there were always a few names that were quite difficult to trace. Either not a local surname or the person turned out to have been born and lived elsewhere which was puzzling. Gradually, through reading each issue of the local papers from 1914-1921, I was able to discover the 'connection' to that particular memorial such as- had relatives in the area and spent time before the war with the relatives so that when the memorial committee asked for names to be put forward the relatives gave in that name, worked for a short while in the area, or even had a parent from the area.

[las camelias]

Thank you for your offer Rod.  I have been researching names on war memorials for some considerable time and so am pretty much aware of the twists and turns that this can take!

The name on the memorial is R Gale - nothing more, no regiment, no Christian name.

This from the 1911 census for Semley:
Semley Kirton Farm                     
Doggrell William       Head m 45 Farmer born Motcombe Dorset      
Gale Evelyn H               Step Dau s 25 Schoolmistress born Whimple Devon   
Doggrell Ada Selina       Dau s 20 born Marnhull Dorset         
Doggrell William       Son 13 born Warnford Hants
Doggrell Dorothy R       Dau 10 born Warnford Hants

Wm Doggrell's wife, Emily, is away visiting at this time, but I found that she was previously married:  1880 Henry Colvin Gale to Emily Oborne Mar Q Shaftesbury Dorset 5A 349
(Henry died in 1890 15th April Whimple Devon - exact date from a newspaper article)
I had hoped to find that Emily and Henry had a son, and hence R Gale, but I have found no record.  Nor can I find a record for Henry having, say, a brother with the initial R.

There are half a dozen or so R Gale's on the CWGC website but none with any 'additional information' that gives me a lead of any sort.

This is the only lead I have to anyone named Gale in the village, but nothing so far.

LC

[las camelias]

Just as a by-the-by following your posting aghadowey, thank you. 

During my research of some 200 or more names on memorials in the parishes for which I am OPC (and a few more parishes besides!), which has been strictly genealogy based (ie who their parents were, if married their wife's name, and children, who their brothers and sisters were), I've found the "criteria" for a name being included on a memorial seems to have been (in the main):

The casualty had been born in the parish
One or other of the casualties' parents were born in the parish, even if he himself wasn’t
The casualty lived in the parish for a length of time (as little as 3/4 months in some cases)

This may be of some help to others.

LC

[mmm45]

This was the closest i could come up with on timescales Reginald Bernard Gale a discharged RMLI lad
Probably a little too far away but with the strangest links I've seen when researching War Memorials anything is possible heres his details anyway.

b.St. Martins, Salisbury 12/3/1892 ; Next-of-Kin: Father, Charles, 51 The Friary, Salisbury ; Next-of-Kin & Discharge address: Mother, Fanny, 5 Cecil Terrace, Bemerton, Salisbury, Wilts. ; GRO = September Quarter 1921, age 26, Salisbury, Vol.5a, p.158.

Ady

[las camelias]

Thanks Ady. 

I had noted this one myself, but not finding any connection to Semley, I dismissed it ..... for now!
LC

[california dreamin]

Hi
Have you tried the Absent Voters List?  You do need an address to search these lists.  However, since you appear to be looking at one particular village it may not be out of the question just to search the AVL for the village and see what turns up.  These lists as you probably know will record name, address and (fingers crossed) the military number of any absent soliders.

[las camelias]

I've not used AVL's so far, not needed to!  Are they on line anywhere, or only at county archives etc?
LC