Pioneer Corps - BRUCE, Sydney William Medlock

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by Mavis Williams, Mar 8, 2019.

  1. Mavis Williams

    Mavis Williams Well-Known Member

    Hello Everyone,
    I am looking for information for the above Soldier who died and is buried in Hawarden, Flintshire, on the 13th March 1941 age 41 years. According to his family, he was injured with Shrapnel in France, they think, and was sent to a hospital in Clacton-on-Sea, and then to Meadoswlea Hospital, Flintshire, dying a few weeks later. He is not on the CWGC database, I have I asked them. Also the Registrar said that he died of TB., as I was hoping to bring him "In from the Cold." I also want to add him to our local War memorial, as he signed up at the beginning of the War and served 2 years, but as most of his children have died and the youngest cannot really remember him, the only clues are that he was in the Pioneer corps and he was brought back after shrapnel wounds and died a few weeks after being in Meadowslea Hospital. I know this is a stab in the dark, but I thought if anyone can help, this forum was the place to come. Any help in finding where he might have been in France or abroad would be much appreciated. Kindest regards, Mavis.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Mavis
    You state his death was due to TB assume this is on the death cert?
    By the looks Meadowslea was a TB sanatorium.

    Does the family have his service records?
    Was he discharged from the Army?
    If he was discharged then he will not be commemorated unless you can gather further evidence to show he died of wounds etc



    The below shows a chap who was in the RAF and contracted TB and was discharged,however he then got killed in an air raid and is now commemorated as a civilian casualty
    Ivor Godwin-Monck: Casualty 6/12/40
     
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  3. Mavis Williams

    Mavis Williams Well-Known Member

    Hi CL1, Thanks for your swift reply, yes the Registrar told me about the TB, and yes Meadowslea was a TB Hospital as far as I know. No the Family have nothing related to him, the only reference to the forces was on a marriage certificate of his daughter in 1947 when he was referred to as her father, being deceased and in the H.M.F. as occupation. He died after being home only a few weeks, so we don't know if he was discharged. I know it's grasping at straws, but we have no clues at all, but thanks for your input. Kindest regards, Mavis
     
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
    Name: Sydney William M Bruce
    Registration Year: 1899
    Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
    Registration district: Peterborough
    Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
    Inferred County: Northamptonshire
    Volume: 3b
    Page: 279

    1939 England and Wales Register
    Name: Sydney Wm Bruce
    Gender: Male
    Marital status: Married
    Birth Date: 10 May 1899
    Residence Year: 1939
    Address: 13
    Residence Place: Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales
    Occupation: General Labourer
    Schedule Number: 82
    Sub Schedule Number: 1
    Enumeration District: ZNAV
    Registration district: 620/1
    Inferred Spouse: Martha E Bruce
    Inferred Children: Violet A Bruce
    Stanley H Bruce
    Joyce G Bruce
    Joan Bruce
    Edna Bruce
    Derek R Bruce
    Household Members:
    Name
    Sydney Wm Bruce
    Martha E Bruce
    Violet A Bruce
    Stanley H Bruce
    Joyce G Bruce
    Joan Bruce
    Edna Bruce
    Derek R Bruce

    England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
    Name: Sidney W M Bruce
    Death Age: 41
    Birth Date: abt 1900
    Registration Date: Mar 1941
    Registration district: Hawarden
    Inferred County: Flintshire
    Volume: 11b
    Page: 832

    I guess the only way to really know the situation is to see his service record to note the date [if there is one] of when he was discharged and relate that to his date of death.
    I assume if he died before he was discharged he could be included on the CWGC database however if he died after discharge then he would be classed as a civilian - I know this is probably a very basic view, in some instances it may not work, but it is a possibility in this situation.

    His HMF as an occupation on the daughters marriage certificate may just be that between discharge and his death he was unable to work hence his 'last job' was HMF

    TD

    I note he died in March 1941 - the last to evacuate France would have been in June 1940, so thats about 9 months.
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2019
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  5. Mavis Williams

    Mavis Williams Well-Known Member

    Thanks so much TD., the family are so excited about finding out about him, which I have only just done started really, but the two remaining children were only about 5- 6 years old and cannot remember anything much except that their father was lying in a coffin after being away for a couple of years. I too was wondering about Dunkirk, and if the family story was true about the shrapnel wounds, I hoped that his death certificate would say so, but if he died of TB., then that would be the only thing entered I suppose, although the wounds would not have added to his chances of survival, but they didn't kill him! As his name was unusual, I wondered if they, the CWGC, thought that BRUCE was a christian name and perhaps he would have been listed as MEDLOCK, but no I couldn't find him as that either. Thanks for your usual dedication TD. Kindest regards, Mavis
     
  6. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    There is another assumption in that we have assumed he was in France. If indeed he did have a shrapnel injury that might have happened in France, in the UK or somewhere else. If they really need to know the history they will need to apply for his service records - I am sure you have the details

    TD
     
  7. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Mavis

    It is quite possible that he did not serve and died of TB
    The family need to contact Glasgow and try to get his service records if he did serve.

    Does the dc state any employment clues?
     
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  8. Mavis Williams

    Mavis Williams Well-Known Member

    I will ask the family to apply for his service records, as they are adamant that he was in the Army although he died of TB, which he could have picked up while he was abroad, but then TB was very common here too in those days. Thanks everyone for your input, this is a hard one, sadly. Kindest regards, Mavis
     
  9. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Am afraid it doesn't add anything, but just for correctness the burial register states he was buried 13 February 1941 not March.
     
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  10. Mavis Williams

    Mavis Williams Well-Known Member

    Apologies everyone, Tony56 is correct, thanks for pointing it out. Where I got March from I don't know. Another senior moment! Regards, Mavis
     

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