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  1. #1

    Angry Different dates of death

    I wonder if anyone can help.
    I am researching my ancestor John James Mckeown who died serving in WW1. I have details of two different dates of death and two differing places of death. The commonwealth graves commission has him down as being buried in Brandenburg in Germany having died on 27/10/1918 however forces war records have him dying on the same date in France and Flanders. Then WW1 pension ledgers and index cards show a date of death of 30/5/1918. All other details match up including his service number!?! I am completely non plussed!
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
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    Are you viewing the actual pension record on Fold 3, or just the transcription on Ancestry? If the latter then I'd be wary.

    The Register of Soldiers Effects give his DoD as 27 Oct 1918 and says that he was a PoW, so Germany would seem correct, although I'm struggling to find his PoW card at the moment.

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    EDIT: Looking at it again it could be DoW (died of wounds), although there is a PoW/Red Cross card for a a JJ McKeown of the Northumberland Fusiliers noting him as missing 27 May 1918, but the service number is wrong – 25/21

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    Hi

    As stated above, there are two people listed in WW1 pension ledgers and index cards on Ancestry, so you have to pick the one that says 28/11/18- Corporal 715214 in the RFA - date is probably an error in that form.- But is this the one you want, he died in Northern England and by the looks of things never served overseas.
    Giving us more details including service number and regiment would have helped!

    regards

    Robert
    Remembering

    My Father 1819170 Lance Bombardier Robert Simpson 39/14 L.A.A. R.A.

  5. #5

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    I’m a bit puzzled. Looking at the CWGC site, the only possibly relevant death on 27 9ct 1918 is for 30/21 Pte J McKeown of the Northumberland Fusiliers, buried at Berlin South-Western Cemetery, Brandenburg. Since no forenames are given, why are you so certain that this is the same guy as the other deaths you have found?

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    I think the confusion - as the OP has stated - is that the WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards on Ancestry state that John James Mc KEOWN of the Northumberland Fusiliers died 30 May 1918 and quote service no 3021/. NoK shown as Patrick McKeown. However, this is just a transcription, the original is only on Fold3.

    All other records refer to him as John McKeown Service No. 30/21, but give a DoD of 27 Oct 1918 & the CWGC shows him buried at the Berlin South Western Cemetery. Soldiers Effects record again states Patrick McKeown (father) as sole legatee. 'Soldiers Died' record states born Jarrow.

    The John James McKEOWN Service No 715214 (previously 797) mentioned by Simmo as also in the Pension ledgers served with the Royal Field Artillery, died 28 Nov 1918, and was buried at the Hautmont Communal Cemetery, France. All other records show him as McKEOWEN. His NoK/Legatee was his mother, Elizabeth.

  7. #7

    Default More on the POW angle

    The War Office list published in the Yorkshire Post on 17 May 1919 records- Previously Missing, now reported as died as prisoner of war in German hands- Northumberland Fusileers McKeown J J ( Hebburn on Tyne).
    If your McKeown is from Hebburn on Tyne it may help rule out the death in France and make the POW option likely.

    It may be that the earlier date was the date that he went missing (believed killed) and was then presumed killed but was reported as being a captive of the Germans much later. Sometimes this took over 6 months or longer for the information to arrive. One Essex Regiment man was captured in 1917 and put straight into field work and his capture was never notified to the UK. Presuming him dead, his wife remarried and on the soldiers return to the UK he found his wife six months pregnant and married to another man!

  8. #8
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    I saw this PoW record earlier but discarded it as the date typed on the card was 29 Nov 1918. It may not be relevant, but the document it cross-references to is headed 'totenliste' (dead list). Google translate tells me his rank & 'troops in part' (regiment?) are unknown, but he gives his date of birth as 4 Mar 1897 in Belfast, which obviously doesn't match as John James McKeown s/o Patrick was born Jarrow & in 1911 was living in Hebburn. He could have lied to the Germans I suppose?



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