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Author Topic: Communication of Death?  (Read 228 times)
Gerard A. Murphy
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Posts: 497


My Son Aaron


Communication of Death?
« on: Saturday 07 November 09 15:26 UTC (UK) »

My great grand uncle and my grand uncle both died in WW1.

I just have a quick question.

What way would their family have most likely being informed.

Their families would have being in County Cork, Ireland.

Letter, telegraph etc?

Thanks
Ger
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Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

North West Cork: Barry Breen Clifford McAuliffe Murphy O'Connell O'Keeffe O'Shea Scully
Mid to East Kerry: Bastable Brosnan Cotter Cremins/Crimmins Curtin Dennehy Drury/Drewey Flynn Galvin/Gallivan Murphy O'Connor O'Sullivan Reidy/Ready Savage
Limerick: Drury/Drewery Reidy/Ready
atom12
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Posts: 1458



Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 07 November 09 23:36 UTC (UK) »

Hi Ger

There was an official communication document which I believe was delivered by the telegraph people.  Also, in some instances a letter would be written from a regimental chaplain or his platoon commander or even his sergeant, depending on the circumstances of the event whereby the soldier was killed.
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Reid: Nicol: Peterhead and Aberdeen
McDonald: Greig: Milne: Aberdeenshire
Moreland: Lanarkshire, Whitehaven in Cumbria and Ireland
Cunningham: Lanarkshire, Cumbria and Ireland
Halliday: Falkirk, Stirlingshire and Ireland
Redpath: Stirlingshire and Banbridge
McKay:
atom12
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Posts: 1458



Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 07 November 09 23:50 UTC (UK) »

Here's an idea of the official communication sent to families.  It would commence with the sentence "It is my painful duty to inform you that a report has been received from the War Office notifying the death of:

No
Name
Regiment
Which occurred
on the:



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Reid: Nicol: Peterhead and Aberdeen
McDonald: Greig: Milne: Aberdeenshire
Moreland: Lanarkshire, Whitehaven in Cumbria and Ireland
Cunningham: Lanarkshire, Cumbria and Ireland
Halliday: Falkirk, Stirlingshire and Ireland
Redpath: Stirlingshire and Banbridge
McKay:
atom12
RootsChat Aristocrat
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Posts: 1458



Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 07 November 09 23:54 UTC (UK) »

Sorry about that, here's the sample:



* Records_Office_death_notification_WW1.jpg (89.84 KB, 448x222 - viewed 90 times.)
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Reid: Nicol: Peterhead and Aberdeen
McDonald: Greig: Milne: Aberdeenshire
Moreland: Lanarkshire, Whitehaven in Cumbria and Ireland
Cunningham: Lanarkshire, Cumbria and Ireland
Halliday: Falkirk, Stirlingshire and Ireland
Redpath: Stirlingshire and Banbridge
McKay:
briant
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Posts: 239



Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 08 November 09 00:16 UTC (UK) »

According to my late Grandfather,(Ex Telegraph Boy}He delivered the messages to the local clergyman, The vicarage was on the main road into the village, thus removing him from being the bearer of the sad news,


briant
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Richardson    Westmorland & Cumberland
Hall,               Westmorland & Aussie
Titterington    Westmorland & Cumberland(Dalton Gamekeepers)

Cencus information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
bernard_lewis
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 284


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


WWW
Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 08 November 09 12:48 UTC (UK) »

As far as I know officers families got telegrams and other ranks got letters.

Bernard
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Author 'Swansea and the Workhouse - the Poor Law in 19th century Swansea' (2003); 'Swansea Pals - the 14th (Service) Battalion, the Welsh Regiment in the Great War' (2004); 'Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths Around Swansea'' (Autumn 2009). See my website: www.swanseabattalion.net/
LizzieW
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Posts: 3258



Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #6 on: Sunday 08 November 09 15:03 UTC (UK) »

Far too many killed for representatives of the services to visit each family personally like they seem to be doing with the soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
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BENSON- Dalton in Furness (Ulverston) and Hull
BETTISON - Derbys
BOULTON - Dalton-in-Furness and surrounding areas
BRAND - Lincs
COCKETT - Lincs, Yorks, Lancs
DA COSTA (or variants) -  Spain or Portugal, London (Middx), ?Hull
GILCHRIST - Scotland, Lincs
HINGLEY - Derbys/Yorks
MANN - Sussex, Kent, Herts
MUMBY - Lincolnshire and Hull
PEMBERTON - Ches, Lancashire
STANTON - Lincs
ROBINSON - Lincs
WHITTAKER/WHITAKER - Ches/Lancs
WRIGHT- Bethnal Green
Gerard A. Murphy
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 497


My Son Aaron


Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 08 November 09 20:35 UTC (UK) »

Thanks for the replies.

My great grand uncle came from a very republican area. His brother's were fighting against the British at the same time as he died in WW1. Within a few weeks of his death in WW1 his father died at home in Ireland. I wonder was the news too much for his father. It was then actually forgotten about no one handed down the story of him dying in the WW1 until i accidently found his record in the the war graves website when i was looking for another relative.

Ger

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Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

North West Cork: Barry Breen Clifford McAuliffe Murphy O'Connell O'Keeffe O'Shea Scully
Mid to East Kerry: Bastable Brosnan Cotter Cremins/Crimmins Curtin Dennehy Drury/Drewey Flynn Galvin/Gallivan Murphy O'Connor O'Sullivan Reidy/Ready Savage
Limerick: Drury/Drewery Reidy/Ready
cathaldus
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 285


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #8 on: Sunday 08 November 09 20:57 UTC (UK) »

This is a very interesting subject from a personal point of view.  My Uncle (Patrick Mason,  Royal Irish Regiment) was KIA on the 14th. Sept. 1916 on the Somme (Memetz Wood).  Fortunately I have been able to locate his Medal Card and his service documents and so I feel as tho' I actually did know him.  Looking at his documents,  there are letters from London (War Office) advising of his hospitalisation after wounding and his release therefrom and also for periods of sickness, (influenza). In dealing with his death however it is somethat different and a local person,  seemingly from some kind of Insurance organisation.  This was located in Clogheen. Co. Tipperary,  where my late uncle lived and where his family were. This Insurance person, seems to have been a "civilian" employed by the Army for this onerous task.  I should mention that both his parents were illiterate and the younger children could not help in that regard and therefore letters,  however personal would have had to be read for them, (presumably by the local priest maybe).  It makes sad and very impersonal reading.  Sufficient to say that in 1923,  his medals were returned and presumably broken up.   My advice then to people looking on this thread,  find out as much information as you can,  because these were real people - dying a really horrible death.
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Gerard A. Murphy
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 497


My Son Aaron


Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #9 on: Sunday 08 November 09 21:34 UTC (UK) »

I am hoping to find as much as i can about my great grand uncle and my grand unlce part in the war. I have both of their medal cards must go study them more now.

Ger
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Census Information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

North West Cork: Barry Breen Clifford McAuliffe Murphy O'Connell O'Keeffe O'Shea Scully
Mid to East Kerry: Bastable Brosnan Cotter Cremins/Crimmins Curtin Dennehy Drury/Drewey Flynn Galvin/Gallivan Murphy O'Connor O'Sullivan Reidy/Ready Savage
Limerick: Drury/Drewery Reidy/Ready
LizzieW
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Posts: 3258



Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #10 on: Monday 09 November 09 09:38 UTC (UK) »

Quote
My advice then to people looking on this thread,  find out as much information as you can,  because these were real people - dying a really horrible death.

Unfortunately, in the case of my g.uncle, I cannot find out any more than I have, as his papers appear to be amongst the ones destroyed during WW2.  His parents had both died by the time he was 8 and he was put in an orphanage by his older brother who then enlisted in the army.  G.Uncle enlisted age 14 in 1906 (as per orphanage records) and was killed in 1917.  My grandfather (his other brother) didn't even tell the family he had 5 siblings.   One sister died aged 13 and the other two married and had families.  Although I've been in touch with ancestors of both the sisters, no-one has any photos or any other info.

Lizzie

ps.  Also been in touch with ancestors of the other brother who was in the army, no luck there either.
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BENSON- Dalton in Furness (Ulverston) and Hull
BETTISON - Derbys
BOULTON - Dalton-in-Furness and surrounding areas
BRAND - Lincs
COCKETT - Lincs, Yorks, Lancs
DA COSTA (or variants) -  Spain or Portugal, London (Middx), ?Hull
GILCHRIST - Scotland, Lincs
HINGLEY - Derbys/Yorks
MANN - Sussex, Kent, Herts
MUMBY - Lincolnshire and Hull
PEMBERTON - Ches, Lancashire
STANTON - Lincs
ROBINSON - Lincs
WHITTAKER/WHITAKER - Ches/Lancs
WRIGHT- Bethnal Green
Redroger
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Posts: 2190


Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk


Re: Communication of Death?
« Reply #11 on: Monday 09 November 09 17:33 UTC (UK) »

I believe, and have just spent some time unsuccessfully searching for the reference in my copy of "Cambridgeshires 1914-1918 by Riddell and Clayton", that all official notifications were by telegram from the war office. The individual batallion commanders then wrote individual letters to the next of kin.
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Ayres Brignell Cornwell Harvey Shipp  Stimpson Stubbings (all Cambs) Baumber Baxter Burton Ethards Stanton (all Lincs) Luffman (all counties)
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