Death on the Railway?

[pinkwindsor]

My elderly uncle may just have got muddled with Hilda, Matilda or indeed Tilda 

Just discovered through all the scribblings that John Henry Putnam was called Jack by the family, and I can now see that he was indeed my Uncle. He married Dorris but, you're right, it doesn't seem that they had children. I was told that Jack was shot in the back so I'm expecting that he didn't survive to see the very end of the war, sadly...

My poor grandparents, Thomas killed at age 31 and 'Jack' at age 35..!!

[Redroger]

Though the death might in fact be murder; only the death certificate will tell that, I think it is more likely that he was travelling without a ticket and was removed from the train at Slough either by a guard or ticket inspector. This was and is normal practice for dealing with passengers who cannot or refuse to pay. They are NOT pushed from the train, simply escorted off sometimes into the hands of the police at the first scheduled stop after they are discovered. Of course what happened after he was removed from the train is a conjecture that only the certificate and any news reports will tell.

[pinkwindsor]

Yes, I think you're right as my elderly uncle mentioned 'No money' but he did die on the railway line... Awaiting the death certificate anyway!

[avm228]

The Curator isn't there today but may be in tomorrow. I've left a message - will let you know what develops.

Just to update - I met the Curator this evening and he had very helpfully copied the pages of the Regimental Nominal Roll relating to John Henry Putnam.

The new information is this: the roll records that John had served in the regiment since 30 January 1941, and on 14 June 1945 was "accidentally killed".

He told me that any further information will be in:

(1) Records archived at the Army Manning & Records Office in Glasgow*
(2) Regimental war diaries (if they survive) in the National Archives.

* In fact this seems now to be called the Army Personnel Centre:
www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html

There is of course also the option of purchasing the death certificate - details previously given.

If you send me a PM with an email address I would be happy to scan the documents tomorrow and let you have them. Alternatively I can put them in the post to you if you prefer.

[pinkwindsor]

That's absolutely wonderful, thank you so very much for your help!  (I will send you a PM)

I live in between Dundee and Aberdeen so I could easily go to Glasgow for the day and see if I can find anything in the Archives. I'll order the death certificates today too.

Thank you 

[pinkwindsor]

Not sure if you received my PM, I can't see it 

[avm228]

Yes - really sorry; I keep forgetting to take the documents in for scanning.  Will do it today

[pinkwindsor]

That's absolutely no problem, I just couldn't and still can't see my send messages 

[avm228]

If you checked the "save a copy in my outbox" option on the message, it should appear in your sent messages (menu running down left side of page).