John Albert Cottingham

[tim4sharon]

Hi, i know that my grandfathers brother died in the 1st ww i have various details about it. One though says that on 3rd May 1917 near Monchy Arras front, he was taken to the dressing station by stretcher bearers of the Northumberland Fusiliers, nothing further known?

Why nothing further known?  there was a body? what happened to him after being taken to the dressing station?   do i just leave it as he wasnt found or could i find where this report came from, or would it be a waste of time?

regards Tim

[amondg]

Faversham News dated 11 May 1918

Mrs. Cottingham of Wilgate Green, Throwley received last Friday a card form her son Rifleman Arthur Cottingham, London Irish Rifles, informing her that he was wounded and a prisoner of War in Germany. He had been reported missing since the latter part of March. The news that he was alive came as a great relief to Mrs. Cottingham who has already lost one son at the Front It was just a year ago that this other son Pvt. John Cottingham was reported missing and nothing have been since heard of him. The War Office have now concluded (as mentioned in our last issue) that he was killed.

Ref: FindMyPast

[amondg]

On 18 August 1916 he was sentenced to death for falling asleep on sentry duty. it was commuted to 5 years penal servitude.

Ref Service record on ancestry. 18 pages.

He was injured on 3May 1917, there is a possibility he absconded as he was facing 5 years in prison.
In which case he would have changed his name.
It was not the safest place to be so he could have later died without identification.

ADDED
There is a letter in the file that the family wished to dispose of the memorial plaque etc.

[tim4sharon]

Hi, thanks for the info, i have information somewhere that says yes he fell asleep but the charges were dropped because of the atrocities of war.

This piece is new to me though

ADDED
There is a letter in the file that the family wished to dispose of the memorial plaque etc.

Thanks  Tim

[tim4sharon]

Hi, even though there was a letter about the scroll and plaque, a relative has the plaque and i have the scroll,

best wishes Tim

[LizzieL]

Hi, even though there was a letter about the scroll and plaque, a relative has the plaque and i have the scroll,

best wishes Tim

The letter mentioning disposal of plaque and scroll was from the officer in charge of records to Mrs J Cottingham (mother?).
It doesn't say the family wish to dispose of the items. I think it means the army still has them and is asking for details of the family and relationships ( the form to be filled in is one page earlier in the record). This is so the army can send them them to the correct family member - closest relative

[hanes teulu]

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/search-results/?Surname=cottingham&Forename=JOHN+ALBERT&Initials=&ServiceNum=8491&Regiment=&CountryCommemoratedIn=null&Cemetery=&Unit=&Rank=&SecondaryRegiment=&SecondaryUnit=&AgeOfDeath=0&DateDeathFromDay=1&DateDeathFromMonth=January&DateDeathFromYear=&DateDeathToDay=1&DateDeathToMonth=January&DateDeathToYear=&DateOfDeath=&Honours=null&AdditionalInfo=&Tab=&Page=1

[LizzieL]

excerpt from record attached. Doesn't look as if he really did die on 3 May. A pity that the memo referred to on the second line doesn't seem to have survived

[LizzieL]

Faversham News dated 11 May 1918

Mrs. Cottingham of Wilgate Green, Throwley received last Friday a card form her son Rifleman Arthur Cottingham, London Irish Rifles, informing her that he was wounded and a prisoner of War in Germany. He had been reported missing since the latter part of March. The news that he was alive came as a great relief to Mrs. Cottingham who has already lost one son at the Front It was just a year ago that this other son Pvt. John Cottingham was reported missing and nothing have been since heard of him. The War Office have now concluded (as mentioned in our last issue) that he was killed.

Ref: FindMyPast

The Faversham News of a week earlier (4th May 1918) has an account of the memorial service held for John (approx anniversary of when he went missing) and a brief account of the battle. Nothing mentioned about him being found wounded and taken to a dressing station. Just one of many missing and later presumed dead.