Noodling about on the Engine looking for hints on Blacksnake's Mersey tug. 23/12/1944 came up with this chap: Name: BENNETT Initials: J A Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: ALIAS Date of Death: 23/12/1944 Service No: A/42478 Additional information: See Philip BENEDETTI, true family name. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY Never seen that 'alias' for the unit. Looking at his 'real' info, he's a Canadian apparently: Name: BENEDETTI, PHILIP Initials: P Nationality: Canadian Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Regiment Age: 26 Date of Death: 23/12/1944 Service No: A/42478 Additional information: (served as BENNETT, Pte. J.A.). Son of John and Esther Benedetti, of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: II. E. 6. Cemetery: RAVENNA WAR CEMETERY Is this at all common, do any other circumstances generate two records on CWGC? Does anybody know this chap's likely story? I thought maybe just covering up Italian roots when he signed up. ~A
Indeed, this is quite unusual. It would be interesting to see his service file if someone in Ottawa wandered over to Public Archives and ordered it up. phil
Seen lots of alias & it's common to have 2 entries look at the Aristocracy At War thread, a few of those have 2 entries. Another CWGC :: Casualty Details Name:VINCENT, ALEXANDERInitials:ANationality:United KingdomRank:Second LieutenantRegiment/Service:ALIASDate of Death:23/12/1944Service No:83995Additional information:See Alexander Francis VASS, the true family name.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadMemorial:BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL Name:VASS, ALEXANDER FRANCISInitials:A FNationality:United KingdomRank:Second LieutenantRegiment/Service:General ListSecondary Regiment:Special Operations ExecutiveSecondary Unit Text:attd.Age:32Date of Death:23/12/1944Service No:83995Additional information : (Served as Alexander VINCENT). Son of Mrs. Julia Vass, of Welland, Ontario, Canada. Born in Hungary.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:Addenda Panel.Memorial:BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL CWGC :: Casualty Details
I think it's a case of someone registering for military service in a different name to that on their birth certificate, Click on the alias will sometimes takl take to the official record using their correct name.If not click on the name andthe official name will be somewher in the text.
This one has only one entry - I have a few of these however they do not have the word "Alias". In Memory of Flight Sergeant IAN HUNTER FLEMING 436537, Royal Australian Air Force who died age 25 on 23 October 1944 (served as HUNTER, Ian), Son of John Gerald and Mary Amelia Fleming, of Nedlands, Western Australia. Remembered with honour WINTERSWIJK CEMETERY
As I understand it these chaps served under an alias because they were 'nobility' and in the eyes of the enemy, if captured and identified, would have been more important than an 'ordinary' pow. They would have been something of a coup for the Germans who would have used them in the propaganda war.
Interesting that the alias is displayed as the main name on Spidge's headstone, I'd have thought the given name would take precedence when known. I can understand the 'prominente' reason for the aristos and those with connections to other famous names, and suppose there must have been many men that covered their past identities for a variety of reasons. I'd just not seen it on CWGC before. Wondering now about this Benedetti chap, quick Google for that name suggests nothing too obvious as a reason for prominente subterfuge?
BENEDETTI, probably joined up when Italy was still part of the Axis, I imagine he wanted to Anglicize it. Same goes for Vass that I posted, it being Hungarian.
Found some from D-Day. Name:VANEInitials:JNationality:United KingdomRank:SignalmanRegiment/Service:ALIASDate of Death:06/06/1944Service No:2385858Additional information:See VAN-BOCHOVE, the true family name.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadCemetery:BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY Name:VAN BOCHOVE, JAN CHARLES HENRYInitials:J C HNationality:United KingdomRank:SignalmanRegiment/Service:Royal Corps of SignalsUnit Text:50th Div. Sigs.Age:24Date of Death:06/06/1944Service No:2385858Additional information Served as VANE). Son of Jan Bastiaan van Bochove and Mary Martha van Bochove, of Battersea, London.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:XIV. E. 21.Cemetery:BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY Name:LADDY, MAXInitials:MNationality:United KingdomRank:PrivateRegiment/Service:ALIASDate of Death:06/06/1944Service No:6387023Additional information:See Max LEWINSKY, the true family name.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadCemetery:HERMANVILLE WAR CEMETERY Name:LEWINSKY, MAXInitials:MNationality:United KingdomRank:PrivateRegiment/Service:Queen's Own Royal West Kent RegimentSecondary Regiment:CommandoSecondary Unit Text:and No. 10Age:32Date of Death:06/06/1944Service No:6387023Additional information ; (Served as Max LADDY).Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:1. E. 2.Cemetery:HERMANVILLE WAR CEMETERY Lewinsky being a Jewish name, pretty obvious why he used an alias.
Scroll down on this link and it will give a good example of using aliases. No 3 (Jewish) Troop, No.10 Commando
Ah, a penny perhaps begins to drop . 'Benedetti' not just an Italian name, but also seems to have been carried by one or two prominent Jews over the years.
Alias is much more common in WW1 - about 3 men per thousand enlisted under an alias in the UK. Don't have any figures for WW2 but could find out. They usually have two CWGC entries, and the real one is sometimes a devil to find (unless you use a search engine) since ther is no cross-reference given but the surname.
.... do any other circumstances generate two records on CWGC? ~A I noticed recently that some WW2 civilians had been given a double entry. Don't know why, they were not there 4 yeas ago. A few thousand of them.
just found another by accident. Name:JARVISInitials:J LNationality:United KingdomRank:Lance SerjeantRegiment/Service:ALIASDate of Death:10/08/1944Service No:4690395Additional information:see HARGREAVES - true family name.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadCemetery:ST. MANVIEU WAR CEMETERY, CHEUX CWGC :: Casualty Details Name:HARGREAVESInitials:J LNationality:United KingdomRank:Lance SerjeantRegiment/Service Durham Light InfantryUnit Text:6th Bn.Date of Death:10/08/1944Service No:4690395Additional information: (served as JARVIS).Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:IX. D. 6.Cemetery:ST. MANVIEU WAR CEMETERY, CHEUX CWGC :: Casualty Details
There are quite a few alias's (Some of them famous) in the thread I started called 'Churchills German Army' Cheers
