Outram Barracks, Lucknow, India between the wars

[Malcolm Butcher]

Cathy, you're dead right about the advice and I really appreciate it. One more thing: how do I go about ordering the death certificate? I've done plenty of them from these islands but never from abroad.

[Andy J2022]

Malcolm,
Log in to the GRO site in the normal way then select Place an Order from the menu on the right hand side. You should then see the form below. Select the third option Outside the UK then fill in the next boxes for Death and the year 1932 until you get to the I know the GRO reference part and enter 142 (it is shown on the image I posted above) along with his names. That's all there is to it.

[Malcolm Butcher]

Cathy and Andy you've been a terrific help with this. Thank you very much indeed. The certificate will be tomorrow's job and on Monday I'll get onto the Rifles museum to see if they have anything. As promised above, I'll keep you posted with any progress.

Best wishes,

Malcolm

[maddys52]

I don't have a subscription to findmypast,or BNA, however there appear to be a couple of newspaper accounts about the incident.
24 June 1932 - Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore)
26 June 1932 - Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore)

From the previews available I think he was shot in a fit of temper by a fellow soldier, Private William George HOCKADAY. The charge was "culpable homicide not amounting to murder ".

[Malcolm Butcher]

I think I'm shocked! Thank you for sending me this. There's a library near me that opens from 10 - 2 on a Sunday and I'll be down there this morning to look at FindMyPast and the newspaper archive. I can get them both for free there. It just shows how some family legends aren't always correct.

[Neale1961]

Malcolm, I have a vague memory that you get a couple of free look-ups with the British Newspaper Archives, before you have to pay. You might save yourself a trip out, if that is still the case. Why not give it a try?

[maddys52]

I'm sorry that it is quite a surprise. As you say, family stories often contain a kernel of the truth, somewhat sanitised (or often embellished) over time.

[Malcolm Butcher]

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll give it a go. The newspaper archive is free to use at any library. A member of staff at my local record office put me onto this some time ago. You can't use it at home; it must be in a library and somehow the system recognises that you're in a library and lets you in. FindMyPast and Ancestry are also free to use too.

[Malcolm Butcher]

Maddy, there's no need to apologise. It might sound a bit gruesome but it livens up my family history to some tune. It must have been dreadful at the time but who doesn't want a bit of intrigue in their tree?