Pte. E. Cope of Penallt

[Lydart]

Thanks Mack.

I wonder if it is possible to check his details from his call up paper-work ?  Is there something like what they have in Canadian records for the British Expeditionary Force ... 'attestation' papers, (searchable online) ?  I've found out a lot about a Canadian cousin who was killed on the Somme via that route, right down to scar on left arm and colour of his eyes !!

Lydart

[Lydart]

We must have clicked the 'send' button simultaneously !

The Parish Mag route is a good idea ... if I can locate them somewhere ... I'll try our local museum first.

Yes, we knew about the others Mack lists, buried in our churchyard.  You obviously have been busy on our behalf !

But I'd like your opinion on 'attestation' papers, or whatever they might be called here ... we'd get his Christian names from them.

[manmack]

Hi Lydart

Was the unveiling of the plaque recorded in the Parish Magazine...... just thought there maybe a titbit of info there

Wendi

you clever girl,why didnt i think of that mack

[Lydart]

Mack, I've just spent a while on the laptop looking through the CWGC lists of 'Cope, Pte' ... there are something like 130 Pte Cope's !   Its so sad to see that the ones with 'age unknown' also don't have any details of parents either. 

Anyway, I've checked every Cope, whatever the initail, and can't link any to 'our' Pte Cope, so any info you can give me about the paper-work they will have signed before joining up would be very useful !

Here's hoping we can find him !

[Wendi]

you clever girl,why didnt i think of that mack

Fanx, praise indeed 

Here's hoping we can find him !

We've still got 362 days left 

Wendi

[warresearcher]

I spent 3 hours on Saturday at the National Archives going through the WWI soldiers with Cope as a surname. The staff were as ever so helpful and made lots of helpful suggestions. I have now narrowed him down to about 6. I am returning there in February to finalise the search. To date he is the only name on the Penalt WWI plaque that I have not firmly identified. Many of the WWI papers suffered WWII bomb damage and are burnt so they are not always readable, however one Cope record was very hard to read and I think it has the word Monmouthshire in the address line!!
The only other suggestion was that it was not uncommon to name the plaque with the familiar first name so E Cope might have been say John Edward Cope but always went under the name of Edward!
I learned that the first World War "Death Pennies" were often named with the familiar first name not the actual, particularly if they had signed up as Edward Cope and not "John Edward".
I was able to access the records of all the other WWI soldiers named on the plaque - so hopefully Cope will be identified soon!!

Peter

[Lydart]

My goodness Peter, MANY thanks for that !   I have to confess, having had a busy Christmas season and then flu after, I had totally forgotten about Pts E Cope.  I had searched on the Commonwealth War Graves lists, but have to admit, there were so many Cope's, that I gave up.   DO please keep me informed if you have any luck with finding him; do you live in S. Wales, such that you have an interest in our war memorial ?

And a belated welcome to Roots Chat ... you'll find there is always someone who knows something about whatever you want to know !   Even if my impression is that you have to be slightly quirky to really have fun on this site !  Dont forget to put some more details on your personal profile details ... click that little face symbol ... then we know who we are talking to, your gender, and roughly where you are !   I made the serious mistake more than once of assuming I was talking to a man when it was a woman, and also that the avatar was actually the person I was replying to !! 

[warresearcher]

Actually I have live in Trellech for 26 years and am collating the War Dead for WWI and WWII for both Trellech and Penallt.(in between doing the War Dead for my old school!! and a host of other interests).
I will try and fix the profile too!

Peter

[Wendi]

Hi Peter and a Warm Welcome to Rootschat 

Wonderful news!  I look forward to your return visit in Feb.  It's nice to know the staff were so helpful.

299 days left 

Wendi