Units of RASC War Dead on CWGC database

Discussion in 'RASC' started by Tom OBrien, Mar 28, 2020.

  1. Tom OBrien

    Tom OBrien Senior Member

    I've been transcribing the war diary of 310 Coy RASC (Armd Bde) of Guards Armoured Division during 1944 and came across a reference to the death of a member of the unit:

    "31 July 1944
    […]

    News was received during the day that Dvr. Anderson had died at 0730 29/JUL/44 as a result of m/c accident."

    Looking on the CWGC website, they have a record for Driver Robert James Anderson T/14392476 whose death is recorded on that day and is now buried in Ryes War Cemetery.

    Casualty

    He is recorded, however, just as a member of the RASC.

    My question is whether the CWGC would be interested in identifying the particular unit which individuals were serving in when they died? Has anyone tried offering them that information? I would like to think that sort of information would be included were possible so that their descendants can more easily identify units and therefore avenues for research.

    Looking at the concentration reports, it looks like that information was available to them already. Does anyone know if they therefore have a policy of not recording particular RASC unit details? Seems strange.

    Regards

    Tom
     
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  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Nothing ventured, nothing gained, Tom.

    There appears to be the same problem with many of the large corps, RA, RE, Pioneers, etc, often stemming from contemporary information supplied on original burial/concentration reports.*
    (Although, UK burials tend to be more general in regiment/corps designation, probably since many died At Home of illness, still in service but as a result not allocated to a unit.)

    My own efforts with CWGC have been hit & miss. However, as evidenced by results posted on the forum, others are consistently successful, eg with additions of gallantry awards, changing memorial to actual grave locations, care/replacement of headstones, etc.

    The problem might be with War diary evidence: in my own example it wasn't accepted, despite having other sources to back that up. They could insist on copy Service Records, which 4Jonboy had to get in order to have a Recce man's DOD amended.

    *In Pte. Anderson's case, his unit details were supplied on Concentration Report but struck out at some point. So, they might be happy to accept WD confirmation on this basis alone - for online records at least.
    Screenshot 2020-03-28 at 14.33.25.png


    Whether you contact them / they accept or not, you've at least added his details here on the forum. We all know that folks carrying out research find info on the forum eventually, through search engines.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2020
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  3. hutt

    hutt Member

    From memory there are 2 deaths between the two RASC units that my father served in abroad (there may have been another during the blitz as testament to the dangers of delivering ammunition around London in the blackout but would have to double check). Neither mentions the individuals name. One was an accidental drowning in North Africa and the other as per this thread, a motorcycle accident involving a collision with a tank in Italy. Some while ago I felt with some confidence that I had identified the individuals on the CWGC site and at the time wondered if that might be of any value to someone. I also did it recently with an MP killed in Italy while directing traffic. He was named and his grave is at Casino. If I had done it before my trip out there with Frank last May I would have stopped by and paid my respects.

    Motorcycle riding seems to have been particularly hazardous, indeed my father was in hospital at the very day the war started having been in a collision with another vehicle in Banstead Surrey where I now know he would probably have been going to or from the ammunition supply depot there.
     

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