Pioneer Corps

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:14 pm

Hi,

I have spent the day looking at most of the sites regarding wars and regiments and have found my husbands Grandfather J Riddler, private, Pioneer Corps, died WW2, he is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery.

I had been searching for his death on Scotlandspeople, after reading what happened to a soldier when he died, on the long trail, I now understand his death would have been registered in England, is this correct?
I am not sure what to do next, or where to go, to get his death certificate!

Ann

Post by **joette** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:59 pm

I'm not sure on thsi one but certainly I have seen WW1 death certificates for my rellies but they are quite disappointing in what they reveal.

I was expecting details of how &where they died & all I remember is a list of dates &France &Flanders as the place?? I did this on a search at NRH & I was so disappointed.I was looking for the nitty-gritty & it wasn't there.
As to WW2 I am not sure but I would expect it to be at NRH in Edinburgh.

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:13 pm

Hi Joette,

This is also what I was hoping to find!! I have just e-mailed someone who runs a website for The Pioneer Corps, he might be able to give me some extra details, hopefully.
I believe he died in England, not certain though, but I will try NRH and see what it brings.
Thanks
Ann

Post by **AndrewP** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:37 pm

Hi Ann,

The War Service Returns are amongst the Minor Records on ScotlandsPeople. The description on GROS's website of the War Returns is as follows:

GROS website wrote:War registers (from 1899). Registers are held of the South African War (1899-1902), which records the deaths of Scottish soldiers; of World War I (1914-1918), which records the deaths of Scottish persons serving as Warrant Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers or Men in the Army (but not officers); Petty Officers or Men in the Royal Navy; and of World War II (1939-1945), which comprises incomplete returns of the deaths of Scottish members of the Armed Forces.

By that definition I would have hoped to find your John Riddler of SP. He can be found on the websites of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and of the Scottish National War Memorial, and is clearly described there as being from Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire. I have searched SP using various combinations of wildcards and found no sign of him.

All the best,

AndrewP

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:04 pm

Hi Andrew,

Thank you for checking, I did expect to find him on Scotlandspeople too.
I have been searching sites all day, but I'm still none the wiser, I think I will have to look harder, he might even have died at Normandy! as he died on the 7th June 1944.

Thanks
Ann

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:41 am

Hello Ann,

Were the bodies of dead soldiers brought back to the UK for burial? I don't think that would have happened very often during WW2, but then I don't know much about that topic. If in fact he is actually buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery (London) that suggests to me that he died locally, maybe in a Military Hospital, as a result of enemy action or accident or illness with a slight possibility it could have been in connection with D Day. (i.e. died offshore during a return of wounded, or something similar).

His death may have been registered in England in the June or September quarters of 1944 and it might be worth a look at the images at http://content.ancestry.co.uk/iexec/?ht ... 3a7858%3a0

(I'm registred at Ancestry but not subscribed and if I remember correctly I could access these images but now I'm just getting the invitation to pay for a subscription - is anyone else experiencing this?)

More about Brookwood Military Cemetery http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_det ... 400&mode=1

Hope this helps,
Alan

Later,
Is that him mentioned on the memorial for the Parish of GLENBERVIE?
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/SC ... 0936974420
There’s a photo of a previous John Riddler here in case you haven’t seen it.
http://www.militarybadges.org.uk/mimage/photos7.htm
Alan

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:01 am

Hi Alan,

I think yesterday my brain was well and truly fuddled, I had looked at so many sites regarding the 2nd WW, I think your right, he most probably died in the London area.
I am registered at ancestry too ,I tried, and there was one hit, but it wont allow me to look , I will have to pay subscription too, I wish the English records were as easy to look at as the Scottish ones!
I might try findmypast and see what they have.

Thank you for your help.

Ann

Post by **AndrewP** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:27 am

Hi Ann,

The index page on Ancestry shows a death for a 29 year old John Riddler in Aylesbury (Buckinghamshire) in the second quarter of 1944.

The CWGC and SNWM websites give the date of death as 07-Jun-1944, age 30 (CWGC) and theatre of death United Kingdom (SNWM), so I would be surprised if the 29 year old above is not him.

All the best,

AndrewP

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 8:51 am

Hi Andrew

Thank you for checking this for me, I have my hopes up now, it does sound like it could be him

I'm off to have a look at the English Records site now

Many Thanks
Ann

annie1 · Post by **annie1** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:07 am

Alan,

I did not notice your later comments regarding the memorial for Glenbervie, I have asked my mother in law and she has now told me, yes, he is on the memorial, and she always understood that he was in the Gordon Highlanders

Now I am confused, would the CWGC have got the details wrong, as they have him in the Pioneer Corps. I am waiting on his death Certificate, hopefully it is his! and it might throw some light on this.

Thank you for noticing this.
Ann