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Author Topic: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin  (Read 1524 times)

Offline ScouseBoy

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Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« on: Sunday 03 April 16 21:54 BST (UK) »
Just watching Home Fires now.

A motorbike telegram boy has delivered a telegram to the Vicars wife,  apparently informing her that her husband is a Prisoner of War.

Is that historically accurate?

Were telegrams normally reserved for  notifications of fatal casualties, do you know?
Nursall   ~    Buckinghamshire
Avies ~   Norwich

Offline Jebber

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 03 April 16 22:19 BST (UK) »
That is why everyone dreaded the arrival of a telegraph boy in war time.
CHOULES All ,  COKER Harwich Essex & Rochester Kent 
COLE Gt. Oakley, & Lt. Oakley, Essex.
DUNCAN Kent
EVERITT Colchester,  Dovercourt & Harwich Essex
GULLIVER/GULLOFER Fifehead Magdalen Dorset
HORSCROFT Kent.
KING Sturminster Newton, Dorset. MONK Odiham Ham.
SCOTT Wrabness, Essex
WILKINS Stour Provost, Dorset.
WICKHAM All in North Essex.
WICKHAM Medway Towns, Kent from 1880
WICKHAM, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Offline Romilly

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 03 April 16 22:25 BST (UK) »

That was certainly the case in WW1. I'm not sure about WW2 though, - but someone on here will know!

Romilly.
Any census information included in this post is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Wilson, Warren, Dulston, Hooper, Duffin, Petty, Rees, Davies, Williams, Newman, Dyer, Hamilton, Edmeads, Pattenden.

Offline ScouseBoy

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 03 April 16 22:41 BST (UK) »
My dad was in France in June 1940.  He was lucky to get home to the UK.

His mum and dad received a letter informing them that their son was missing,  but saying  that he may have been taken prisoner,  and  if they heard from him  before the War Office was informed, please to let the Army know.

The Good news was that my dad was already back home when the letter arrived.

I have seen the letter, although the letter itself has now gone missing.    The British Army was in administrative chaos  at that date  with so many men  evacuated.   But it seems to me that telegrams were only sent when it was confirmed that a person was a fatal casualty.

That is the fine point I am trying to ascertain.
Nursall   ~    Buckinghamshire
Avies ~   Norwich

Offline Ayashi

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 03 April 16 23:39 BST (UK) »
My great grandfather was a PoW in WW1. I'm lucky enough that his records survive. It seems that my great grandmother was given a notification that he was missing in action and then there is a letter from the War Office thanking her for letting them know that she had heard from him and that he was alive and a prisoner.

Offline barryd

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #5 on: Monday 04 April 16 02:32 BST (UK) »
'The British Army was in administrative chaos at that date with so many men evacuated".   

My father was serving in the Durham Light Infantry and was one of the many thousands of soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk. While back with his unit he saw a notice asking for volunteers to transfer to the RASC and took the opportunity as he had clerical and administrative skills. Probably saved his life as he was later at El Alamein. He was involved  in clerical work for the Italian Campaign and was awarded the Italy Star but did not actually serve there because he had a football injury in England. He survived the War. He was lucky.

Offline Spikey68

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #6 on: Monday 04 April 16 08:28 BST (UK) »

Offline IMBER

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #7 on: Monday 04 April 16 09:29 BST (UK) »
Great source material. Well done Spikey.

Imber
Skewis (Wales and Scotland), Ayers (Maidenhead, Berkshire), Hildreth (Berkshire)

Offline RRTB

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Re: Missing reports and notifications to next of kin
« Reply #8 on: Monday 04 April 16 19:53 BST (UK) »
My grandfather was captured on 21 March 1918 but unfortunately there was no telegram that I'm aware of which was sent to his parents in Dublin. With a newspaper headline stating that the South Irish Horse had been annihilated, his mother thought for months he had been KIA. I have no idea when she and his father found out that Grandad had been captured and had survived, but I have two letters which he wrote to them in November 1918 which make interesting reading.

How wonderful it must have been for the folks who received those telegrams to find out that their loved one was at least safe even though in captivity.

RRTB
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