4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment

I am after some help/information with regards to the 4th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment.

A while back I decided to start researching my family history. I thought to begin with this should be quite straightforward - how wrong was I!! My mother is still alive but she is unable to tell me virtually anything of her father - my grandfather (H.E.G Crocker).

I have a year of birth of 1912 but no exact date - so my first plan was to try and find out a DOB for him. 18 months further on and I am non the wiser! (That said I do have a baptism date and since it is the first month of the year quarter he was born in I'm going with that). Given that my mother knew he was killed on active service on 31st December 1943 I thought I would try and get his Service Record and get a DOB from there. No such luck as you need a DOB to get a service record (chicken-egg scenario?).

I have managed to see his war grave - he is buried in Weymouth, Dorset and have his service number (5731947). My mother is vague on just about everything about her father, she doesn't remember him being around much and given that he was killed when she was 7, she has neither ever asked or was never told much about him - so I am trying to fill in some of the blanks for us both, but now that we are in New Zealand this has become a bit harder to do.

My next stop was to try and find a death record for him.The only one that seems to fit is registered in Cuckfield in Q1 1944. Again, my mother can provide no details of exactly how/where he died - so this may remain a mystery for ever. But what I would like to know is that given he was in the 4th Battalion of the Dorset(shire) Regiment and Cuckfield is in Sussex can anyone shed any light onto what the 4th Battalion might have been doing at the time??

Many thanks in advance
Ross

 

If you have his service number, I think you'll find you do not need his D.O.B.!!!

 

Quick Check on find my past. Henry E G Crocker on 1939 register as. Born 19 July 1912 and living at 33 Lynch Road, Weymouth and Melcombe Regis M.B. Dorset. He possibly married Ethel D Dyer 1934.

 

On the grave registration on the CWGC Website it states that the grave plot was owned by Relative. It also states that the plot was reserved for the sum of £1. 6s. 3d.

 

Found this "Accidentally Killed" ;

 

England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Henry E G Crocker
Mother's Maiden Name: Rogers
Registration Year: 1912
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Weymouth
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Dorset
Volume: 5a
Page: 517

TD

Plus:
England, Select Dorset Church of England Parish Registers, 1538-1999
Name: Henry Ernest George Crocker
Event Type: Baptism
Baptism Date: 29 Sep 1912
Baptism Place: Weymouth, Dorset, England
Father: Henry Herbert Crocker
Mother: Bessie Crocker
FHL Film Number: 2427592

 

Casualty Details

 

I note he has a civilian death certificate - be interested to see what that says re cause of death

England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Henry E G Crocker
Death Age: 31
Birth Date: abt 1913
Registration Date: Mar 1944
Registration district: Cuckfield
Inferred County: Sussex
Volume: 2b
Page: 236

TD

 

Is this him, although initials slightly wrong?

The Western Gazette, Friday, January 14, 1944

MILITARY FUNERAL HONOURS
Soldiers acted as bearers and a bugler sounded “Last Post” and “Reveille” at the graveside at the funeral at Weymouth last week of Lance-Corpl. A.E.G. Crocker, Dorset Regiment, the former Weymouth footballer, who was killed in an accident while on active service. The Vicar of St Paul’s, (Rev. F.J. Colyer) took the service, and Weymouth Football Club and Westham Cricket Club were represented among the mourners. There were flowers from Lance-Corpl. Crocker’s Regiment, the football team of his unit, and the directors of Weymouth F.C.

 

CWGC Date of Death:31/12/1943

Its all close but having his funeral before his death is registered ........?????

TD

 

Tricky, March 1944 refers to the first quarter (J/F/M), as he died the last day of 1943 I think this fits.

The army casualty list that reports Henry Crocker also gives Victor Grindle of the same regiment being killed the same day, ? same accident?
Casualty Details

 

Reading the details of the death index it does state

"Month and year of registration" not quarter and year

As an example looking for Victor Grindle deaths:
Victor E Grindle abt 1918 Mar 1944 Cuckfield Sussex

Victor Alfred Grindle 13 Feb 1922 Sep 2001 Gloucester Gloucestershire

Victor Samuel Grindle 24 Nov 1943 May 2000 Forest of Dean Gloucestershire

May is not the last month of a quarter.


Name: Victor E Grindle
Death Age: 26
Birth Date: abt 1918
Registration Date: Mar 1944
Registration district: Cuckfield
Inferred County: Sussex
Volume: 2b
Page: 236

TD

 

A huge big thank-you to everyone who has replied to my post.

I already had the details from the Western Gazette and the CWGC but everything else is all new to me - all just great! I am currently at work, but once I get home I will sit down and absorb everything and really process what everyone has contributed. There may be more questions later.

Thanks everyone once again for your quick responses and solving part of my family mystery.

 

Many thanks for your information - it's all fascinating stuff. You are so helping in unravel this mystery that no-one actually knew was a mystery! Can I ask what is the document that you attached that shows the 'Accidentally killed"?

Thanks

 

Highland, Where did you find that accidentally killed item? Are they Civil Registration lists? Am interested as I often come across deaths of soldiers that were accidental but it can be hard to find details etc Was it from a War Diary?

 

Hi Shiny

Wouldn't the death certificate provide an indication via the cause of death?? - as sometimes the deaths are recorded in the civilian 'sphere' would they also need to have a coroners report?? which must be somewhere.

I would also hazard a guess that Highlands document is from the FMP site

TD

 

Hi,

I agree with TD - It looks like it's from the official casualty lists that are now on Findmypast.

Steve Y

 

OK, thats interesting, I was unaware of their availability. It would depend where death took place, I suppose.If in UK then that is worth a try. If abroad, well that would be different I suppose. I do know you can get death certs for men KIA but they don't give any detail.