Gay Flier

[MonicaL]

I suppose the ultimate check would be to check the lair owners registers. For the Western Necropolis, that is no mean task 

If you were considering having a look through the existing microfilms - The Mitchell don't have any Burial Records for the Western Necropolis.

As for the 'digitising' project - that's been the story for a good few years now and I haven't heard if anything is actually anywhere near being accessible. Apparently although all the filming has been done, no-one quite knows how to index it!! 

Anne

[RJ_Paton]

Unfortunately the digitised burial & lair records previously held by Glasgow City Council and now at the City Archives in the Mitchell are not available to the public.

I spoke to the staff a few months ago regarding them and apparently they are still in "negotiations" to centralise the records at the Mitchell but while the records are not publicly available a staff member can conduct a search for you - at a price ( I am told the price is much lower than the figures reputed to have been quoted by Glasgow Council cemeteries Department) - I think I remember seeing someone on RC mentioning £10 per hour for a search. All enquiries to be addressed to the Mitchell and they prefer email.

[loobylooayr]

Well done, Monica, I do think you've cracked it.....the more I look at the names....

CRYSLER
GAYFLIER

Maybe Walter was working from scrawled notes  ??

Could there be something about the burial in the press of 1919?

Looby

[RJ_Paton]

Well done, Monica, I do think you've cracked it.....the more I look at the names....

CRYSLER
GAYFLIER

Maybe Walter was working from scrawled notes  ??

Could there be something about the burial in the press of 1919?

Looby

I've checked the Glasgow Herald for 10 days after the date of death but found nothing - rather surprising given Mr Freer's description of the event. Although there are various articles concerning the spread and rising number of deaths from Influenza

Maybe Walter was working from scrawled notes  ??

I know that feeling too well 

[loobylooayr]

Maybe Walter was working from scrawled notes  ??

I know that feeling too well 

Me too !! 

Re- Glasgow Herald and the burial  - that's a shame …..perhaps by February 1919 there had been so many service deaths/ burials  and so many influenza deaths that another funeral (albeit of a Canadian First Nation soldier) wasn't thought newsworthy 

I've been trawling through news items from 1918 for something relating to my own research and have been struck by the number of references to influenza deaths   

Looby

[IMBER]

I don't think the CWGC buried the dead on UK soil free of charge, either before or after 1917. The families had to pay something towards the ground and the CWGC then erected the headstone. If this wasn't the case, can anyone tell me why there are at least 6 or 8 WWI servicemen buried in common graves in the Western Necropolis of Glasgow?

The CWGC (or IWGC as it was first known) was not responsible for burying the dead. That was done by others. In the fullness of time details of burial places were normally made known to the Commission who then made arrangements to record and commemorate them.  On the battlefields recording was more systematic thanks to the work of the Army Graves Registration Units but clearly in the UK the situation was quite different and recording was much more random. In the UK many chose to mark graves privately but the Commission still records those graves in its register. If the private marker deteriorates beyond repair they may replace it with a Commission headstone. In the case of the common graves at the Western Necropolis it may well be that they were buried by the hospital or other authorities rather than by families.  Three of the five in P2585 died in Stobhill Hospital, one died in the Western Infirmary and the final one was found dead in a close.  All died between 2 and 14 November 1918 which may suggest that the lair was designated for such burials.
Because of the inadequate recording procedures etc unmarked burials still come to light. Earlier this year, together with a friend, both of us ex CWGC, we located the unmarked grave of a soldier who had died at home from illness and was buried at Duffus, Moray. After providing the necessary evidence to the satisfaction of the CWGC an official headstone was erected and marked by a small ceremony on the anniversary of his death one hundred and one years later.

Imber

[scotmum]

From the lair book, so this chap, Orlaff Crysler, was buried by the war department, it seems (column is for naming lair proprietor). If he was 'Gayflier', it is still possible that Walter had involvement, albeit it doesn't seem to fit with the story of Walter claiming the body to avoid an unmarked grave.

[IMBER]

Very well done Monica and Scotmum!

Imber

[Rosinish]

Excellent sleuthing all, too many to mention, well done 

The extract at Reply #77 added a whole new dimension as the interpretation was key.

Annie