CSM William A M Pirie , death Glasgow Sept. 1945 , grave location ?

[Crumblie]

Jim, he would surely have got a military funeral, the Maryhill Barracks were not far from where he died!

Skoosh.

A military funeral is not a certainty because it is down to the next of kin/relatives whether they accept the offer of such a funeral. Similarly CWGC contacts them to offer a war grave but not all families want them and some relatives cannot be contacted.

[Skoosh]

This man is a CSM, he is far from home & visiting his sister while on leave from active service during wartime. Maybe his distraught sister, still in shock, hasn't got two ha'pennies to rub together or maybe she has a wee fund for passing relatives who die on her.
This case will certainly involve a doctor, possibly the police, even the procurator fiscal & ultimately the military whose responsibility he is, a funeral will cost money. So Jim, disregard ruling anything out here before we've even started ruling things in!
 Death notices in Glasgow then would generally be in the Evening Times, only the toffs died in the Glasgow Herald!

Skoosh.

[verrieres]

I would definately expect something to be offered . He was by all accounts very well respected in his regiment where he was known as `one of the big five` Although 1st DLI were still in Italy CSM Pirie was listed as being attached to 4th Holding Unit . i would expect given his standing in the Regiment that the pallbearers would have came from the regimental Depot at Brancepeth in Durham. Another good lead thank you.

True not all families took up the offer ,with CSM Pirie being single and listing a sister as next of kin on enlistment ? I am not sure who the surviving family would have been . He may even have been buried in an unmarked plot at the families request ? I still dont completely understand how he got to be recorded on the Brookwood Memorial however recently I believe hundreds commemorated there have been discovered to have graves ? Hence the enquiry into William Pirie. Thanks

Procurator fiscal was involved `James Adair` as was the Assistant Registrar `Thomas Montgomerie`  Sept-Oct 1945. I have seen the entry which confirms he was found at 12:45pm 11th September 1945 having been last seen the day befor at 11:30pm .

Jim

[Skoosh]

I had an uncle in the Camerons who was killed at Cassino, they were attached to the Sikh's & Gurka's so not found amongst the British troops. An Italian buddy recently sent back photo's his daughter took of the grave. Beautifully kept & the gardeners were offended at the offer of a bung! 

Bests,
Skoosh.

[Skoosh]

Jim, a few suggestions here,

https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/libraries/venues/the-mitchell-library

https://glasgowfamilyhistory.org.uk/

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery-browse/Scotland/Glasgow-city/

Glasgow City Council's Parks & Recreation Dep't, John Street will also run a search but make a charge!
Obviously  Covid 19 will hold things up right now but good luck with the search.

Skoosh.

[DonM]

Jim,

He may be with his parents or perhaps cremated.  According to the CWGC, Necropolis has 124 WWII burials and the crematorium 75 but I can not attest to this groups accuracy.

If he did have a Military Service I'm guessing that would include a Military burial and perhaps its noted in his military records.

Don

[Skoosh]

Guys this is the oldest Glasgow crematorium,

https://glasgowcrematorium.co.uk

Skoosh.

[verrieres]

Thanks once again for the links. I have tried most of the conventional routes ,news obituaries, news articles,war diaries.findagrave,registers of death ..despite being such a high profile figure in his battalion he seems to have disappeared without trace .

The CWGC do not know where he is hence their decision to commemorate him at Brookwood . I will keep looking it took six years just to establish how and where he died  and that was provided by a friend who contacted someone who had experience of finding people such as Pirie but even their trail appears to have gone cold.

Onwards and upwards as they say

Thanks

Jim

[Skoosh]

Jim, I think the Glasgow Family History site would be a good start. Out of interest, what was the cause of death, wounds?

Skoosh.