Georgina Drysdale, born 19 February 1900

[Shiny1]

Morning All,

I'm trying to find about about Georgina Drysdale, born 19 February 1900 in Anstruther Wester, Fife, Scotland but who lived in Tynemouth / North Shields.

She is the only lady on the Tynemouth roll of honour and I'd like to include her on a talk I do in schools around remembrance but I don't know a great deal about her.

I have posted in a military forum to try and find out about her service career but I'm hoping people here may be able to help me learn about her as a person rather than a service woman.

What I do know is that she was 19 when she died on Saturday 23rd of November 1918 and I believe it was through an illness of some kind, although she does have a CWGC grave.

According to the Tynemouth WW1 database she is the daughter of James and Jessie  Drysdale (nee Janet Hunter Groat, married 28 Feb 1890 Chaldon Herring, Dorset) of 45 The Quadrant, Balkwell, North Shields & 2 Halliday Place, Tynemouth, North Shields, Northumberland and Coast Guard Building, Shore Road, Anstruther, Fife, Scotland.

The database is great but it only really deals in facts, it doesn't tell me anything about her or what she was doing so any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks a lot, 

Michael 

[JenB]

Hi Michael 

To prevent duplication of effort here's a link to your posting on The great War Forum, where there are already a few replies.
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/topic/255482-telephonist-georgina-drysdale-wrns/

There is an entry on the World War 1 Casualties database which says she dies from 'disease', so the suggestion in reply #4 of your Great War Forum posting that she died on Spanish Flu seems rather likely.

[groom]

An online tree shows her having 3 siblings

James Thomas Drysdale 1892–1974 emigrated to US 22. August 1929 and died there.
Nellie S Drysdale 1896–
Mary J Drysdale 1898–

[Tickettyboo]

Her father's coastguard record is free to view on the National Archives site

Start here:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2976665

and its image 104 of 129.

That should give a rough idea of when and where he was stationed (and Georgina would be living) during her short lifetime.

Boo

[JenB]

The family appear to be living in Burntisland, Fife in 1911 (available from Scotland's People).

[Tickettyboo]

There does seem to be a civil death registration for her
Q4 1918, age 18,  Tynemouth 10b 486

The GRO PDF pilot covers that year so if you wanted the details then it would cost £6 for the pdf of the  register entry (not an official death cert, but cheaper than the £9.25 you'd have to pay for getting the same info on a cert.)

Unfortunately it seems to take just as long as getting a cert - go figure that one!

Boo

[JenB]

Have you done any investigations at the Local Studies centre in North Shields? (I see you live in that area)
For instance, they have some local newspapers. As you know the date of death it would be an easy matter to check the papers for obituaries/funeral notices.

[Tickettyboo]

Shields Daily News 25 Nov 1918, page 3  col 6 (section marked too late for classification)

DRYSDALE -  At 2 Halliday Place, Tynemouth. on the 23rd inst., Georgina (Dodo), aged 19 years. dearly beloved and youngest daughter of Jessie and Lieut. James Drysdale R.N., a member of the W.R.N.S. Percy Gardens. Interment Preston Cemetery 26th inst., 2.30 leaving residence 1.45. All friends kindly invited. - Deeply mourned and sadly missed.

Boo

[Radcliff]

Have you had a look through the Illustrated Chronicles photo collection on (Flikr0 to see if there is a photo of Georgina or a recording of her death in there