Records for Royal Flying Corps.

[Tarnwater]

I am trying to find the war record for my Great grandfather, Cpl. George Henry Furneaux, Reg. No. 8183 Royal Flying Corps. who died 07/01/1918. Ive been on the CWGC site and his details are wrong, they have him as C. H. Furneaux, no age or next of kin. In order to correct his details, I have to be able to provide proof of his name and service record.
As it is 90 years since the end of that terrible war, if I do nothing , I doubt if it will ever be put right. Can anyone help me find his war record?
Regards,
Brian

[neil1821]

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=2419034&queryType=1&resultcount=69

The medal card is for George H Furneaux.
If you download that, is that not proof enough?
I don't have any experience asking CWGC to correct details though I have to say.

[Tarnwater]

neil821,
The CWGC letter Say's, Medal Index Card, whilst bearing a service number, is not acceptable as conclusive proof.
I must admit that I was more than disappointed in their decision.
Regards,
Brian

[Bilge]

Thats a shame as my Grandfathers details were wrong on the CWGC site. They had put Hertfordshire instead of Herefordshire.

I rang them and they corrected it, it did take nearly 12 months but it did get done.

[mmm45]

Is it possible that an obituary went in the local papers? Also a copy of his birth certificate with correct naming.
There must be some official RFC records at Kew with nominals on.

Ady

[Tarnwater]

mmm45,
The CWGC have been given both his Birth and Marriage Certificate, but they do not prove that it is the same Furneaux as their records. It has to be something that links all the information together. I had produced his name and Reg. No. from his MIC Card showing the medals that he was entitled to, but that also could not be used as proof! There was an entry from the Flight Magazine dated 1918, again showing his correct name and Number, but again Sadly not proof enough. I cannot find his service or pension records, they must have been destroyed in the fire. My only hope lies with the library at Torquay, where they have back copies of 2 local papers, which might show all his details correctly. His details have been wrong for 90 years, if I am unable to do it, I doubt if he will ever be remembered for who he was and who he left behind. His wife ended up in a mental hospital for decades in Devon, dying in 1966, aged 82.
Regards,
Brian

[neil1821]

It's a really ridiculous situation!
To my mind, it has to go on the balance of evidence.
The MIC is an original document, and especially if it gives his name in full and not just initials I can't see how the CWGC can argue against it.

Turn it the other way round, you could reasonably ask the CWGC to provide one single scrap of evidence (ie original documentation) to support their entry of C.H.Furneaux. Of course they won't be able to!!!

Yet they're going to ignore what evidence there is!!?? 

[neil1821]

Does anyone in the family still have his medals?
They'd also be original and individually named, with his number, rank and unit.

[Tarnwater]

Neil821,
Unfortunately no one in our family has any medals or documents relating to George Henry. When I was a child staying at my grandmothers house in Beaumaris, there was a picture of him above the fire in the front room. All I can remember is that he was stood on his own , with a fancy looking uniform. I have seen others dressed like him since, showing the front of his jacket with buttons that slope to one side, like they had in the RFC.
Regards,
Brian