Gay Flier

[Cramond Brig]

Based on that extract , I would say the death is after 1916     
I think the grandchild's memory in the Miss Cranston book has been misremembered and tied in mistakenly with the "Indians" first visit to Glasgow.
You need to expand your search, unfortunately, up to the date the troops returned to Canada.

Looby

I agree. There is no record of a soldier with that name. I'm afraid Mr Freer may have got the name wrong.

Alistair

[RJ_Paton]

These men, such splendid specimens in physique, suffered greatly in the theatre of war. I was appointed Vice-Consul for their province, so that when any of them came back on furlough they came to Glasgow.

This sentence would also indicate that the young mans death was later than the original visit but in placing the incident before the troops who later came from America - this would appear to put the timescale into 1917/18. Unfortunately though there is no one listed by that name or anything similar on Scotlands People (either the regular lists or the Service Returns). This of course brings us back to the name question - was he bured under his tribal name or was an anglicised version used ?

I wonder who holds the Canadian Troop Records ?

[sancti]

Why would the body of a soldier who died in a military hospital be 'unclaimed'?

Walter Freer received his award from Chief Clear Sky February 1918 according to a report in the Daily Record dated 20 February 1918.

If he 'claimed' the body as a vice-consul then the death must have been after this date.

[loobylooayr]

Why would the body of a soldier who died in a military hospital be 'unclaimed'?

Yes, that is a bit of a puzzle.  There are other Canadian soldiers dying in Glasgow - I've been looking on CWGC website at several who are buried in Western Necropolis  - why would this soldier "Gayflier" not be given a similar military burial?

Looby

 

[RJ_Paton]

Why would the body of a soldier who died in a military hospital be 'unclaimed'?

It woud appear that before the formation of the CWGC (May 1917) that matters were basically left up to the families of the deceased to make arrangements.

Walter Freer received his award from Chief Clear Sky February 1918 according to a report in the Daily Record dated 20 February 1918.
If he 'claimed' the body as a vice-consul then the death must have been after this date.

I wonder if the "Vice Consul" position was before this - The dates are problematic and unfortunately Mr Freer does not appear to go into greater detail regarding his intent at the time. Was he referring to the possibility of an unmarked grave for "Gayflier" - which would put it before the establishment of the CWGC or was he referring to the funeral service itself i.e. he wanted to make sure the young man had a decent send off.

[Lodger]

I don't think the CWGC buried the dead on UK soil free of charge, either before or after 1917. The families had to pay something towards the ground and the CWGC then erected the headstone. If this wasn't the case, can anyone tell me why there are at least 6 or 8 WWI servicemen buried in common graves in the Western Necropolis of Glasgow?

[Forfarian]

I wonder who holds the Canadian Troop Records ?

There are images of Canadian soldiers' papers on the Library Canada web site.

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/personnel-records.aspx

[Cramond Brig]

I wonder who holds the Canadian Troop Records ?

There are images of Canadian soldiers' papers on the Library Canada web site.

http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/personnel-records.aspx

This puts our British records to shame - and it's free. I have tried many variations of Gayflier but so far, no luck.

[MonicaL]

I think I may have found him....let me get the sources together...

Monica