Home Guard, died 20 November 1943: CWGC

That's brilliant - much better than the CWGC one.
Thanks.

 

Can I ask your interest in this casualty

regards
Clive

 

My interest is really in his brother William who with my Grandfather Edward Gallagher and many more soldiers were killed in North Russia in 1919 in a sideshow to the Great War. While researching William I came across the story of Walter which prompted me to ask the above question here. Very grateful for all the helpful information and suggestions.

 

Great show well done
The death cert should give details of his demise

please let us know

regards
Clive

 

He may well have been killed on Home Guard exercise - many were.

 

Name: Pvt William O'Driscoll
Death Date: 30 Jun 1919
Cemetery: Archangel Allied Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place: Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russian Federation
Has Bio?: N

There looks to be 12 trees on Ancestry that include him
William O'Driscoll
1899–1919
BIRTH JUN 1899 • Blarney County Cork, Ireland
DEATH 30 JUN 1919 • Russia


TD

Some background to the North Russia Expedition 1919 if anyone is interested
Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War - Wikipedia

 

Just received the death certificate for Walter Benedict O'Driscoll (39) of 27, Corfton Road, Ealing a sheet metal worker.

Registration district: Paddington
When and where died: 19/11/1943 at St Marys Hospital.
Cause of death: Meningitis due to Bacillus Pyocyaneus certified after PM without inquest.
Informant: Elizabeth O'Driscoll widow of deceased.

Not sure where this leaves us. If he was allowed a CWGC headstone it implies his death 'occurred while officially on duty'. Could he have been injured, while on duty, sometime prior to the 19th November and developed Meningitis as a result?

Would appreciate any thoughts on the matter.
Thanks,
Pat

 

Hello Pat
Unless you can dig up info to suggest that he was injured first whilst on duty then he does not qualify for CWGC commemoration. However CWGC have commemorated him so there has been some form of criteria met for them to do so.
If he had been injured one would assume the dc would have stated it and added that as cause of death

Please look at my post #14 the same situation but not commemorated

Regards
Clive

 

I’m with Clive . Very surprised he’s listed on CWGC

 

Just spoken to CWGC

They have no further info about his death but he is commemorated.
One assumes he became ill whilst on duty then died

Bacillus Pyocyaneus Just googled this and suggests amongst other things can cause infection via a cut or such like
Possible he cut himself whilst on duty and demise followed due to infected cut
Of course I am just running away with my own self diagnosis but that is possibly a reason for his commemoration


regards
Clive

 

Hi Clive and Jon,
As you say something must have happened whilst on duty which resulted in the infection, this then allowed a CWGC headstone.
Thanks again for all your help and if I turn up any further info will post it.
Pat

 

I may have missed something but what says he was in the Home Guard when he died? Could he not have been in the Home Guard and then enlisted in the 6th Middlesex? If so he would then meet CWGC criteria even if death was from natural causes.

Tim

Edit: Doh

 

Pvt Walter O'Driscoll (unknown-1943) - Find A...
Pvt Walter O'Driscoll
BIRTH unknown
DEATH 20 Nov 1943
BURIAL
South Ealing Cemetery
Ealing, London Borough of Ealing, Greater London, England
PLOT Sec. C.C. Row M. Grave 44.
MEMORIAL ID 91555475 · View Source


Home Guard. 6th Middlesex Bn. Age:39. Son of Mortimer O'Driscoll and of Margaret O'Driscoll (nee Sheehan); husband of Elizebeth O'Driscoll (nee Kennefick), of Ealing.


Sounds as if service records are necessary to resolve

TD

 

Is there another Walter Benedict O'Driscoll ??

Surrey, England, Regimental Rolls and Recruitment Registers, 1914-1947
Name: Walter Benedict O'Driscoll
Event Date: 7 Dec 1944
Regiment Number: 14883849
Regiment: Queen's Royal West Surrey


TD

OK - panic over

Birth 9 Sep 1926 Ireland
Death Nov 2002 England

 

It appears to be

6th Middlesex Bn Brentford MX 6 of the Home Guard

https://www.home-guard.org.uk/hg/cty-middlesex.html

CWGC confirmed his wife and son are in the same grave

 

Would any St Marys Hospital records be available?

 

I would suggest that it is extremely unlikely that you would get access to any medical records from the hospital.

 

Pat

I think you should be pleased he is at least commemorated as per my last post re his cause of death it is an assumption that at the start time of his first illness he was deemed on duty hence his commemoration.
Also I spoke directly with CWGC today and they do not have any further info

regards
Clive

 

Check with them again in Nov 2043

TD