Cemetery question and war records!

[Spangle]

Blast - just realised this first question is actually related to WW1 but I think it might be the same regardless...!

My Nan's Uncle died at Passchendaele and is remembered in a cemetery over there, in a place with an unpronouncable name. There are the usual hundreds of rows of tragic gravestones. Daft question, but would this mean that our man (James Keen of the Kings Royal Riflemen), was actually buried there or is the gravestone merely a memorial?

My other question DOES relate to WW2. My family and I would like to research the war record of my Grandad, but we have no idea where to start. (Double blast, he served in WW1 too!!).

Does anyone please know if I can find out anything on his record from the comfort of my County Durham home please as I am unable to get to London to look at any national records there.

Thank you very much.

[keith9351]

If he has a gravestone he would be buried there, if he is listed on a memorials he would be missing.

This site for service records WW2

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

You have to have written consent of next of kin.

Keith

[Spangle]

Thank you so much. I thought as much re the gravestone, but they look so forlornly identical I wondered if it was just a token memorial.

Gunderswaer-whatever it is shall be another on my list of places to visit when my children are old enough to look after themselves! (As they are only 13 and eleven I have some long way to go yet!).

My Dad is one of 13 and my Nan no longer with us so Grandad's NOK would, I assume, be the eldest child surviving. Thankfully we are all interested in the family tree so I shouldn't think I'll encounter any problems there. Thanks again!

[johnpritt]

If it helps, when I asked for my uncle's and father's service records, I didn't have to prove that I was next of kin...
In my uncle's case, since he died unmarried, and his parents and brothers and sisters were all dead, I figured I was as close as any of my cousins or my elder brother. This didn't stop me getting the records (let's just hope none of them take up genealogy!)
In my father's case, my mother and elder brother come before me in the "pecking order" but since I'm the designated family historian, I simply wrote for them in my name.

[Spangle]

|help|One more question and I'll leave you all in peace for a while.... promise!

My other Grandad served in WW2 (The Buffs) and was a bit of a maverick by all accounts. There was never any bad in him, but he was known to question authority (can't imagine where I get that trait from!), throw bags of spuds on top of the cupboard rather than peel them and think he'd got away with it... until they began to sprout tell-tale bright green shoots... that kind of thing! When he came to receive his papers to leave at the end of the war, he noticed the officer had his file on the desk. Grandad naturally asked if he might read it.

"Certainly not!", came the reply, "Thats confidential information. But if you'd excuse me I must visit the gents...."

Of course he knowingly left the file on the table and of course Grandad took a quick peek. He didn't have much time but what he did read made me laugh and still had him grinning 50-odd years later.

It read something to the effect of

"On no account must this man ever be allowed to join Her Majesty's Armed Forces Again!" |laugh1|

TBH I think it was a relief for Grandad to hear it... he had not long before avoided being landed on the infamous beaches by a cat's whisker, getting to the boats, only to have his unit turned back and sent up North just as they were about to embark.

Anyhow, what I really, really want to know is - is it likely that the WW2 records for my Grandad would contain such information and the comment about his not being permitted to re-enlist or would it be of a far more basic or statistical nature?

Thank you very much, from the Maverick's proud Granddaughter

[keith9351]

If this is your man JAMES WILLIAM KEEN

The King's Royal Rifle Corps

21st (Service) Battalion (Yeoman Rifles)

Formed in September 1915 from volunteers from the farming communities of Yorkshire, Northumberland and Durham by the Northern Command. January 1916 : attached to 124th Brigade, 41st Division. 16 March 1918 : disbanded in France.

You can see where the 41st Division fought at The Long, Long Trail website


I have my Fathers WW2 service record and it shows Theater of War ie Greece, North Africa, Italy and North West Europe.
Courses he attended, promotions any brushes with authority and punishments.
It also has dates when he was in hospital.

Keith

[Spangle]

If this is your man JAMES WILLIAM KEEN

The King's Royal Rifle Corps

21st (Service) Battalion (Yeoman Rifles)

Formed in September 1915 from volunteers from the farming communities of Yorkshire, Northumberland and Durham by the Northern Command. January 1916 : attached to 124th Brigade, 41st Division. 16 March 1918 : disbanded in France.

You can see where the 41st Division fought at The Long, Long Trail website


I have my Fathers WW2 service record and it shows Theater of War ie Greece, North Africa, Italy and North West Europe.
Courses he attended, promotions any brushes with authority and punishments.
It also has dates when he was in hospital.

Keith

Thank you ever so much Keith, I'm very grateful.

So the War records will have info on brushes with authority? Oh my oh my, this might be a long read...!!!!!