CWGC Headstone/Memorial Error Reports and results.

CWGC showed casualty on panel 186
Will be corrected to panel 187

Thank you for your email of 16th September 2011.

Please accept our apology for the delay of our reply. This is due to the large volume of correspondence we are currently receiving.

I would explain that when our records were scanned to form our database some errors did unfortunately occur . Naturally, we are keen to ensure that all such errors are corrected, however small, and I am grateful to you for drawing this to our attention. Our Records Department will shortly amend Wing Commander D J Macpherson's record to read:

Casualty Details

Rank: Wing Commander

Surname: MACPHERSON

Forenames: DONALD JAMES

Service No: 110

Age: 28

Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force

Date of Death: 2 April 1943

Additional Information

Son of Donald Alex and Isabel Mary MacPherson; of Kew, Victoria, Australia; husband of Pamela MacPherson.

Commemoration

RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, Surrey, United Kingdom, Panel 187.

I hope this is satisfactory and thank you for taking the time to write to us with regard to the matter.

 

Thank you for your e mail of 21 September 2011. Please accept our apologies for the delay in reply: due to the high volume of enquiries received by our offices we currently have a backlog we are working to clear. With regard to the following casualty:

Rank: Private

Surname: CORBETT

Forenames: JEAN FLORENCE

Service No: W/48673

Regiment: Auxiliary Territorial Service

Date of Death: 4 January 1944

Commemoration

NORTHAMPTON (KINGSTHORPE) CEMETERY, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, Sec. 302. Grave 11208.

Thank you for pointing out the error on the headstone of Private Corbett.(wrong initials) We will now make arrangements to order a replacement. Please note that due to the high volume of headstone production which we undertake each year, the process can take up to approximately 18 months.

In closing, thank you for your interest.

 

Thank you for contacting us on 21st September 2011 regarding the headstone marking the grave of Leading Aircraftman L. G. Strachan, 925106, in Reading (Henley Road) Cemetery. Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in my reply.

Having checked our archives, I can confirm that we consistantly record Leading Aircraftman Strachan's forename as 'Lewis'. An engraving error must therefore have occured as the first initial is incorrectly engraved on the Commission headstone as 'E'.

We are very grateful to you for pointing this mistake out to us and arrangements will shortly be put in hand to rectify the error, either by re-engraving the headstone in situe, or, if this is not possible, by manufacturing a new one.

I trust this is satisfactory and thank you once again for contacting us in this matter.

 

Headstone shows "Wilmott"

Thank you for your e-mail of 21st September 2011 regarding the incorrect surname given on the headstone of Flight Sergeant Edward John Willmott.

We are grateful to you for bringing this error to our attention. The supporting documents we hold for the commemoration of Flight Sergeant Willmott also confirm your observation. Our records will be amended where necessary, however we cannot say at this stage when the work to amend the headstone will be completed, as it will have to be scheduled into the works programme.

Thank you again for bringing this matter to our attention.

 

While researching the Runnymede Memorial I was surprised to come across men listed on the wrong memorials.

1406548 AC1 J.W PARTINGTON 23.1.42 was listed on Panel 290, he is now listed on Singapore Mem Addenda Panel !

Also this Bomber crew listed on the Runnymede Mem, although they were serving in the Middle East.
Sgt R. J. COLLIER Panel 41 31.8.41 148 Sqn
Sgt R.T DODD Panel 42 31.8.41 148 Sqn
Sgt G.C.S LEACH Panel 47 31.8.41 148 Sqn
Sgt N. JARVIS Panel 46 31.8.41 148 Sqn
Sgt L.G McCORMACK Panel 47 31.8.41 148 Sqn
Now on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt Addenda Panel 285/286


So when I came across some more examples, I thought the Cwgc might be interested. Also I believed after all these years the record should be set straight. Also while researching the Runnymede Memorial I was surprised that the Cwgc records are not as full and accurate as we would like to believe. So when the memorials are restored in the future the mistakes will be repeated again !

1386971 Sgt R.W THEOBALD 24-12-1943 100 Sqn listed Malta Memorial
I believe he should be listed on the Runnymede Memorial. 100 Sqn operated from the UK – Grimsby. Source Bomber Command losses 1943 – W.R Chorley 1996

R/ 54985 F/S J D R MENARD RCAF 1-10-1942 218 Sqn listed Malta Memorial
I believe he should be listed on the Runnymede Memorial. 218 Sqn operated from the UK – Downham Market . Source Bomber Command losses 1942 – W.R Chorley 1994

Three men listed on the Runnymede Mem, should be on the Singapore Memorial :-

LAC HALES Thomas Albert 943177 151 MU Held Java - Died Junyo Maru ship 18-9-44
ACI HANCOCK John Isaac Thomas 1151567 605 Sqdn- Held Java - Died Junyo Maru ship 18-9-44
AC1 PATCHESA Harold Arthur 1169691 152 MU - Held Java, Singapore, Borneo (Jesselton Sandakan)- Died on Death March 2-6-45

Source – Unsung Heroes of the Royal Air Force – Far East Prisoners of War Les & Pam Stubbs 2002

Dear Mr Haycock,

I am writing regarding your e mails dated the 31st August and the 6th October concerning the 5 RAF casualties you believe are commemorated on the wrong Memorials.

88. Leading Aircraftman T A Hales

90. Aircraftman 1st Class J I T Hancock

91. Aircraftman 1st Class H A Patchesa

92. Sergeant R W Theobald

93. Flight Sergeant J D R Menard

I understand that you believe the above casualties are commemorated on the wrong memorials. I should explain how the Commission records are complied which may be helpful.

The Commission records are based on information provided by the relevant Service Authorities after the War, who in turn, based their records on the military information available to them at the time. The Commission holds no service information for the casualties it commemorates. Later information may have brought to light the fact that the area in which the casualties lost their lives would be better represented by inclusion on different memorials, however by that time, commemorations would have already been made.

The Commission has of course given much thought to whether changes should now be made to such commemorations which have stood for many years, taking into account that the families and descendents of the casualties affected may have been paying their respects to their relatives at different memorials to the missing for so long. Also, to erase inscriptions from one memorial to add to another is very expensive, and would be likely to result in the replacement of entire panels at both memorials. As you will appreciate however, the most important thing is that casualties are commemorated, and their sacrifice will not be forgotten.

I hope this information will be helpful.

Yours sincerely

Monica Arnold
Records Section

Not the reply I had expected. Also as you can read some very misleading information, names are not removed and have never been !

I would greatly value other opinions and experiences, as I still believe changes should be made as they have been made in the past. I do wonder what the response would have been if I was related to any of these men !

Mark

 

CWGC:Headstone states death 12/13 March and age 34
Private Headstone states death 12th March age 33
CWGC informed

Private WILLIAM WALTER HUMM

4041091, 8th (H D.) Bn., Cheshire Regiment
who died age 34
on 12 March 1941
Son of William Henry and Eleanor Louisa Humm, of Harrow; husband of Mildred Humm. of Poplar, London.
Remembered with honour
HARROW CEMETERY

 

The unit title on a headstone differs from that on the CWGC database.

E-mail sent to CWGC on 8 October 2011

"Dear Sir/Madam,

The following casualty is shown on your database as follows:-

Name: MILLS, PERCIVAL FRANK
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Unit Text: 76 Field Regt.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 26/07/1944
Service No: 14377738
Additional information: Son of Henry Thomas Mills and Gladys Myrtle Oprie Mills, of St. Austell, Cornwall.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. E. 5.
Cemetery: LA DELIVRANDE WAR CEMETERY, DOUVRES

His headstone differs in that the unit text shows 76 (Shropshire Yeomanry) Medium Regt. A copy is attached for reference.

Please can you advise which is correct?"

E-mail received from CWGC on 24 November 2011.

The database entry is correct. Headstone will be changed in due course.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your email of 8th October 2011 regarding the headstone marking the grave of Gunner P F Mills in La Delivrande War Cemetery.

Please accept our apology for the delay of our reply. This is due to the large volume of correspondence we are currently receiving. (From WW2Talk I wonder? )

Having checked our archives, I confirm that Gunner P F Mills' unit was originally recorded as 76th Medium Regt. and later amended to 76th Field Regt.

Please be assurred that arrangements have put in place to ensure that the correct unit is engraved on a replacement headstone when the existing one next needs to be replaced in the course of our on-going maintenence programme. As you may appreciate however, this may not be some considerable time.

I trust this is satisfactory and thank you for taking the time to write to us with regard to this matter.



Yours sincerely


Argy Francis (Mrs)
Enquiries Administrator

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7DX, United Kingdom

 

Fusilier ALBERT JOHN STACEY

6466965, 11th Bn., Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
who died age 26
on 24 March 1942
Son of Frank Edmund Gordon and Mary Ann Stacey, of Barnsbury, London; husband of Joyce I. Stacey.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed name worn

 

Aircraftman 2nd Class ARTHUR LEONARD THOMAS

1809886, 415 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 31
on 09 April 1944
Son of Harold and Annie Elizabeth Thomas; husband of Dorothy Gwendolyn Thomas, of Highbury, London.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed
weather worn

 

Aircraftman 1st Class CHARLES WALTER GOLDING

1435180, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 36
on 28 December 1943
Son of Pte. James Alexander Golding, Middlesex Regt. (killed in action in France, 14th March, 1915), and of Nellie Golding, of Islington husband of Ada Louise Golding, of Highbury London.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM


CWGC informed
lettering missing from headstone

 

Sapper ERIC ARRAS SUTTON

1907727, 72 Chemical Warfare Coy., Royal Engineers
who died age 25
on 18 November 1942
Son of John and Mary Louisa Sutton, of Upper Holloway. London.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed
headstone collapsed

 

Driver ERNEST GUSTAVE KREBS

T/10702842, Royal Army Service Corps
who died
on 19 June 1946

Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed
name not readable

 

Rifleman FRANCIS CHARLES WHITE

6969001, 8th (2nd Bn. The London Rifle Brigade) Bn., Rifle Brigade
who died age 24
on 31 July 1942
Husband of Doris Edna White, of Islington, London.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM


CWGC informed
headstone weather worn

 

Sergeant FRANK HENRY ADAMS

1395215, 138 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 22
on 19 December 1943
Son of Frank Henry and Violet Elizabeth Adams; husband of Elizabeth May Adams, of Islington, London.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed

lettering missing name not readable

 

Aircraftman 2nd Class FREDERICK REED

1664467, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 29
on 30 November 1942
Husband of Evelyn Reed, of Chelmsford, Essex.
Remembered with honour
ST. PANCRAS CEMETERY

CWGC informed

still in brambles and not easy to find

 

Private JOHN CHARLES RIDER

35th County of London (Civil Service) Bn., Home Guard
who died age 36
on 26 June 1942
Husband of Margaret Catherine Rider. of Ashford.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM


CWGC informed
Name not readable

 

Serjeant KENNETH HOWARD HARRIS

1566332, 444 Bty., 129 (M) H.A.A. Regt., Royal Artillery
who died age 29
on 22 July 1944
Son of Osmond and May Harris.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed

Name weather worn

 

Sergeant RONALD FRANK SORRELL

2247417, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 20
on 03 February 1945
Son of George and Elizabeth Ellen Sorrell, of Hornsey.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed
name worn and highlighted

 

Private SIDNEY REGINALD PORTCH

14207618, 5th Bn., Wiltshire Regiment
who died age 21
on 22 September 1944
Son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Portch, of Islington, London.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM

CWGC informed
Headstone in brambles and name not readable

 

Captain FRANK GREEN

35377, 13th Bn., Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)
who died age 46
on 15 November 1940
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Green; husband of Hilda May Green, of Balham, London, who was killed in the same incident.
Remembered with honour
ISLINGTON CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM



CWGC informed

Headstone has fallen over and covered in brambles