Gay Flier

[MonicaL]

In either case it would appear that the records are not in Scotland but if they survived may be in the Archives at Kew.

From the National Archives, there are only 3 refs to Merryflats Military Hospital that I can see. The source for these seems to be 'Medical Sheets 1914-15'

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_ep=merryflats%20war%20hospital&_dss=range&_sd=1916&_ed=1917&_ro=any&_p=1900&_st=adv

References to the Red Cross hospital are also few:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_dss=range&_sd=1916&_ed=1917&_ro=any&_p=1900&_q=Scottish+AND+National+AND+red+AND+cross+AND+War+AND+Hospital+AND+Bellahouston+

The main holdings at TNA, as described by the Southern General Hospital Archivist, are these https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10949

Not clear whether the individual records linked above are all there is for these hospitals (and period 1914-15) or what else they may hold for these hospitals.

Monica

PS: Happy to follow up further in person at TNA if we can confirm that they hold some relevant records for the hospitals and dates we need.

[Cramond Brig]

I find it strange that there is no record on CWGC of a Canadian being buried in Glasgow at that time, especially as he was allegedly buried with full military honours

CWGC records are not perfect, particularly when people died from causes unrelated to combat. Even now, casualties from WW1 are being added to the database.

[loobylooayr]

Hi again,

Been following the thread with interest. Searched on British Newspaper Archive for some mention of the funeral given to Gay Flier, but no joy.
Can I ask, how many sources do you have for the death and burial taking place?

Looby

[Cramond Brig]

Hi again,

Been following the thread with interest. Searched on British Newspaper Archive for some mention of the funeral given to Gay Flier, but no joy.
Can I ask, how many sources do you have for the death and burial taking place?

Looby

From the book,  TEA AT MISS CRANSTON’S, which recounts the memories of Glaswegians growing up in the city in the first half of the 20th Century.

Chapter 15 – Their Weans Would Never Be. P127

Another fleeting recollection of 1915 was the swift passage through wartime Glasgow in a bleak week of smirring drizzle and gloom, of an exotic party of Canadian Indian troops commanded by Chief Clear Sky.  They were on their way to the war and sampled Glasgow hospitality enjoying a first, and no doubt last, taste of black pudding.

But they left one young Indian behind.  His name was Gay Flier.  He was very very ill with flu and died in Govan Military Hospital.  My grandpa had been seeing to Chief Clear Sky’s men when they were in Glasgow and so’s not to let the boy get buried in an unmarked grave he claimed the body and saw to it that there was a right funeral in Glasgow with magistrates there, a gun carriage and a party to fire a salute at the grave.  It wasnae among his own open-air folk, but it was better than being not heeded at all.

[IMBER]

A copy of Walter Freer's book My Life and Memories is available on Ebay just now being sold to raise funds for the Red Cross at £40 - more attractive than the £127 on Amazon! They are open to offers so it might be that a bid of around £30 might secure it given it's unlikely to sell quickly.

Imber

[Cramond Brig]

A copy of Walter Freer's book My Life and Memories is available on Ebay just now being sold to raise funds for the Red Cross at £40 - more attractive than the £127 on Amazon! They are open to offers so it might be that a bid of around £30 might secure it given it's unlikely to sell quickly.

Imber

Well spotted. I've made an offer.

[MonicaL]

We have had a bit of a discussion previously here as to whether deaths at the military hospitals would show on the statutory records or service returns only.

The snip below is from a 19yr old Welsh soldier's death reg at Merryflats military hospital. It shows on the statutory records in Govan...that is not to say that they may all show this way. Just adds to the problem of finding him so far:

[Rosinish]

My understanding is/was...

If anyone Military/Seaman/Airman...

KIA (while on duty) as opposed to dying in a Hospital or abode would be listed as one of the many choices of 'Service Returns'...whereas dying in a Hosp/abode they technically weren't KIA i.e. recorded as a 'Statutory' although as they were recognised as 'Service' then the info. would be passed on to whichever authority, Military/Sea/Air i.e. records with whichever should still have been noted with their 'Service' as it's only a difference of how they died i.e. not 'killed'?

Annie

[RJ_Paton]

My understanding is/was...

If anyone Military/Seaman/Airman...

KIA (while on duty) as opposed to dying in a Hospital or abode would be listed as one of the many choices of 'Service Returns'...whereas dying in a Hosp/abode they technically weren't KIA i.e. recorded as a 'Statutory' although as they were recognised as 'Service' then the info. would be passed on to whichever authority, Military/Sea/Air i.e. records with whichever should still have been noted with their 'Service' as it's only a difference of how they died i.e. not 'killed'?

Annie

In theory this should give us two bites at the cherry but the difficulty here is that :-

a) we don't know Gay Flier's name -- is Gay Flier his real tribal name or was he known by an anglicised version (I suspect that the authorities would have used the latter for record purposes)

b) we don't know when the young man died - The contingent of troops he was with arrived in Glasgow on Wednesday 6th December 1916 and left for Edinburgh on Saturday 9th (reported in both the Glasgow Herald and Scotsman Newspapers of that date).

c) there also appears to be some confusion over where he died - The NHS Archivist says that Merryflats was turned down by the military for use as a war hospital but other records appear to contradict that. The Red Cross Hospital at Bellahouston is another candidate but while it is in Govan Parish I very much doubt if anyone local to Glasgow would refer to it as the "Govan Hospital"

Must admit I have enjoyed reading the Glasgow Herald for the period although I have only managed 2 weeks worth so far with no mention of the death or funeral.