My uncle, John McEwan, was a private in the Seaforth Highlanders, 6th Battalion, BEF. An extract from the Service Departments Registers, GRO, Edinburgh, states: Name: John McEwan Army Number/Rank: 2823481 Pte. Age:20 Date of Death: Between 23.5.40 and 31.5.40 Place of Death: France/Belgium Cause of Death: Died of Wounds. The CWGC confirms this information. My problem concerns two dog tags which have been in the family for years. One is gray and octagonal, the other brown and circular. They are attached to an old string ‘necklace’. Both are stamped McEwan J., O4, RC, 2828171. I was under the impression these dog tags were John McEwan’s but they don’t match the army number in John McEwan’s records. I understand both these numbers were issued to the Seaforth Highlanders. Is there any possibility of John McEwan being issued with two numbers?
hello Maddy they check out here when you input as Seaforth Highlanders service numbers Army Number Search Tool link below http://www.corpsofmilitarypolice.org/tools/armynumber?query=+2828171 Name: McEWAN, JOHN Initials: J Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Seaforth Highlanders Unit Text: 6th Bn. Age: 20 Date of Death: between 23/05/1940 and 31/05/1940 Service No: 2823481 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Enclosure No.6 V. B. 2. Cemetery: BEDFORD HOUSE CEMETERY Also number 2828171 is not showing as a casualty on Geoffs search engine Geoff's 1939-47 Search Engine Im sure a forum member will possibly be able to shed light on it
Unfortunately, they're for two different John McEwans, one of whom joined the army some time after the other. Not all that uncommon a name really. The O4 is significant,... but... I can't remember why at the moment! Dave
The dog tags are stamped J McEwan. How do you know it is John? I was told O4 was blood group OA. A number was used in order to avoid any misconception they were the person's initials. True? I don't know.
As far as I'm aware there is no OA Blood type but there is (technically) a AO one which is a Genotype Blood group which I doubt not have been used back then. Even today its not something that is used unless you are really going into blood. For transfusion purposes there is only four groups A, B, AB and O used today. Cheers Andy
Good luck, Maddy. The folks here are a bit more specialist than over on TS! I'm sure they will provide you with the info that you need. 6th Seaforths were - I think - originally from Elgin; their drill hall is now the library. I live in Elgin; if there is anything I can do to help, you only have to ask. Roxy
My guess would be a transcription error of some kind. When looked at: 2828171 2823481 The '8' and the '3' are easily mistaken. The '1' and '4' can be similar depending on font/handwriting and so on. If the record was transcribed by hand at any point these kinds of error are quite common. We've come across about a dozen army numbers incorrectly transcribed in either CWGC or unit war diaries in the 1500+ military police casualties over the years. (Don't make army number a unique field in a database!). The unit war diary might mention deaths on that day. These can be viewed at the national archives. The Highlanders museum Army Museums Ogilby Trust might also be able to help in tracking down what is the correct number. If you find out what is the correct one then the fine people at CWGC are always obliging with corrections. Good Luck
cmp, I had suggested that it may be a transcription/reading error; Maddy - and her family - are convinced that the number on the dog tags is different to that on CWGC. Roxy
Thanks for this information. This site is certainly more knowledgeable on these matters than TS. To be honest, I only discovered WW2talk a couple of days ago and for the first time feel confident of having this old family puzzle soved.
From Geoff's Search Engine, 26 men from 6 Seaforths with service number beggining 282 died between 23 and 31 May 1940: 001 ADAMS DB 2821684 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 002 ANDREWS H 2820182 6TH BN 24/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 003 BEATON JR 2821818 6TH BN 30/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 004 BLEAKLEY SW 2823406 6TH BN 25/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 005 BREMNER DM 2821802 6TH BN 28/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 006 DAVIDSON RM 2822909 6TH BN 25/05/1940 - - 31/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 007 DAVIDSON DC 2820601 6TH BN 30/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 008 DUGGAN E 2821829 6TH BN 25/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 009 FAULKNER EO 2822604 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 010 GEDDIE AW 2820459 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 011 GORMAN OM 2823446 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 012 HAY WD 2820695 6TH BN 23/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 013 INNES J 2820976 6TH BN 25/05/1940 - - 31/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 014 LAING JM 2820784 6TH BN 30/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 015 LAING A 2820514 6TH BN 30/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 016 MCEWAN J 2823481 6TH BN 23/05/1940 - - 31/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 017 MCKAY AC 2821638 6TH BN 29/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 018 MCKENZIE GD 2822594 6TH BN 25/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 019 MCRITCHIE CJ 2822516 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 020 PROCTOR W 2820626 6TH BN 28/05/1940 - - 31/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 021 REID DC 2822251 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 022 SCOTT G 2823471 6TH BN 27/05/1940 - - 31/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 023 SIMPSON DJ 2822527 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 024 SUTHERLAND J 2823591 6TH BN 26/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 025 SUTHERLAND RT 2820628 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 026 THOMSON E 2821649 6TH BN 27/05/1940 SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS 56 men from the battalion fell.
Silly Question but covering all the bases. The Service Records you have received are your relatives and not another mans with the same name sent by mistake? And a question from me: If ID Discs were taken from a dead soldier in WW2 do they go to the NoK? I'm wondering how the ones you have would be with your family if he was killed in France. The only thing I can think of at this time are they were his original ones and they contained an error and was issued with a second (correct) set and he kept the originals?
Ok, I'm going to ask the obvious stupid question, did your uncle die during the period shown ? I was also puzzled about the two dog tags - I thought that the British soldiers were issued with a circular (leather?) tag, and that the metal ones were privatly bought - thought they both went to the army together with some form of report on the death ie confirmed by whom. Do you have any other paperwork with his details, letters home etc. If not, I think you should apply for his service record, it would show a change of service number etc. Pete
one disc , the green one remained on the body, the red, round "no.2" disc was removed for recording purposes. Info on Croonaert's website. Identity discs
And a question from me: If ID Discs were taken from a dead soldier in WW2 do they go to the NoK? Eventually, yes... but only (usually) the round,red 'No.2' Disc. Dave
The dog tags are stamped J McEwan. How do you know it is John? Obviously, I don't (but chances are that its either James or John... but could just as easily be Jeremy or whatever)...just assumed that it was considering the subject of the thread. I was told O4 was blood group OA. A number was used in order to avoid any misconception they were the person's initials. True? I don't know. Willing to be proven wrong, but I'm yet to come across any (British Army) tags from the 1940 period that have blood group indicated. If it is,its certainly against Army Orders of the period regarding stampings and definately not regulation. Dave
I've been Googling ww2 british ID tags & lots have O4 on them. The ones on diggerhistory have too. I've seen one with L on in place of O4. Still not worked it out yet. If Dave doesn't know then I dunno who would.
I've been breaking my head trying to remember if there was a Blood Group shown on my own identity disks. I think not, but will reserve judgement until I've checked with my ex co-Driver/Op Larry who is bound to have a set in his memorabilia box. ps Larry confirms NO BLOOD GROUP Will take a photo next time I visit him
I found information relating to John McEwan on the CWGC website and acquired his Death Certificate from the General Register Office, Edinburgh. This was taken from an ‘Extract of an entry in the Service Departments Registers’. The information contained in both CWGC and his Death Certificate is the same. John had three brothers, Matthew, William and James. On discussing this matter with my sister she says she vaguely remembers a photograph in our grandparents' house of John and James in army uniform. She thinks they were both wearing Glengarry bonnets, though she's not absolutely certain. James died in 1978.
