Jack Forsdike

[DanFountain]

Hi all,

I am very interested in a person on my family tree. His name is Jack Forsdike, i believe he was born around 1914 around ipswich.

From what I have been told by family he was captured in WW2 and died worked on the railway (Burma?).

I have a picture of what i have been told by family is him, on horseback. The back of the card says its Carragh Camp. Signed From Jack to Mother with Love.

He is the son of Ernest Forsdike and Jessie Last. My grandmother was his sister (Ruth Forsdike).

I am interested in knowing more about him and his military history. How can i find more?

Many thanks

Daniel

[Peter Goodey]

First of all you need to find out some basic details such as his full name.

The only FORSDIKE on the Commonwealth War Graves site for WW2 is Reginald Harry.

If you mean the Curragh Camp, this was handed over to the Irish Free State in 1922 so something doesn't ring true about the statement. Unless it was the Curragh racecourse

Reginald Harry was listed as "Son of Harry and Jessie Forsdike, of Ipswich, Suffolk; husband of C. A. Forsdike, of Ipswich." From FreeBMD his mother's maiden name was LAST.

So over to you. Who are you asking about?

[elsinore]

On FreeBMD there is a Reginald H FORSDIKE b. Ipswich, 1912, AMJ, 4a, 1881. Mothers maiden name LAST.

FMP (GRO War Deaths) has a death for a Reginald H FORSDIKE in 1943. Private in Suffolk Regiment, service number 5833565.

He also appears on the Army Roll of Honour 1939-1945 with a specific death date of 6 December 1943.

Peter

[DanFountain]

Peters,

Thanks for your information.

To be honest I wondered about that as well. Would it be unusual for someone to go by a completely different name? However the picture i have wouldnt ring true when it came to Curragh Camp. All i can read on the back is "ETON Curragh Camp 3674" then the message. Perhaps i will follow this up with my Auntie and see if it may ring true.

I had read online that Curragh had been handed over. Something just doesnt make sense. I think thats what attracted me to try and work it out.

Thanks very much for your time and effort.

Dan

[elsinore]

Would it be unusual for someone to go by a completely different name?

My brother-in-law, Henry John, was known as Jack for the whole of his adult life!

Peter

[janbooth]

According to the GRO Index, the marriage between Ernest George FORSDIKE & Jessie LAST was registered in the June qtr 1903 at Bosmere reg district. The 1911 census shows them to be in Ipswich as follows:

53 St Matthews Church Lane

Ernest FORSDIKE Head Mar 38 Carman Helmingham Suffolk
Jessie do Wife Mar 37 Gosbeck do
Oliver do Son 9 School do do
Gladys do Daur 7 do Ipswich do
Charles do Son 4 do do
Doris do Daur 3 do

So no Jack with them then. They had been married 8 years, had 6 children of whom 4 were still living. Charles looks to have been registered as Edwin Charles FORSDIKE in 1907 (there is a death registration in 1972 at Ipswich for a Charles Edwin FORSDIKE) and could Oliver be the Ernest Oliver LAST whose birth was registered in 1901 at Bosmere? (death registration for him in 1976 in Ipswich). There are 3 FORSDIKE children whose birth registrations I can find after 1911 with the mother's maiden name of LAST namely Reginald H in 1912, your grandmother Ruth I in 1914 and an Arthur G FORSDIKE in 1919 whose death was registered in 1952 at Ipswich.

So by process of elimination, it looks as if Reginald H FORSDICK could well be your Jack who died in 1943 - why he was known as Jack who knows but he does seem to be the only likely candidate out of the FORSDICK family.

Janet

[Peter Goodey]

I don't think Reginald was Jack. I think there were two different people - Reginald who died in WW2 and Jack who was photographed at the Curragh sometime before 1922.

There is a John Forsdike, born Leiston, among the WO 364 pension records but only the questioner can say whether or not it's a member of his family.

[elsinore]

There is also a Jack FORSDIKE b. Blything, Suffolk 1886, JAS 4a 871. Blything was the registration district for Leiston.

Peter

[DanFountain]

Hi all,

I have also thought about Reginald Forsdike. Indeed my grandmothers name was last i believe, however she married Ernest Fordike. He had a brother Harry however?

Strange.....

Dan

[carolchipp]

Ancestry shows up the birth of a JOHN FORSDIKE in Ipswich in 1915 under FreeBMD listings (volume 4a page 806). However this birth does not appear if you search it on the FreeBMD site. Also, there is no image available on Ancestry. Not really much help, sorry.