Private John Erskines Ryder

[kevin]

Reading my local evening paper i came across this item,

A World War One soldier from Middlesbrough is to have his name added to a memorial almost 90 yrs after he was killed in action.

The CWGC will arrange for Private Ryder's Name to be added to the Menin Gate in Ypres,Belgium.

His omission was uncovered by detectivee work by history students at Bishop Grosseteste College in Lincoln.

It goes on to explain how there used databases ,death certificates etc, it also states that ther traced seven soldiers whose names ought to be added to the Memorial.

The Green Howards records show that 19yr old Pte Ryder was one of 30 men who attacked enemy positions on the Menin Road on May 24,1915, during the battle of Ypres. They all died in a gas attack.

1) Can i say well done to the students from Bishop Grosseteste College.

2) Does any one know of the other soldiers whose names are to be added?

3) Are names added to Memorials often?

Regards Kevin.

[Terry Denham]

Kevin

Names are frequently added to the CWGC Memorials to the Missing just as, occasionally, a newly found and identified casualty gets a grave and a headstone.

Obviously, many were omitted when the lists were first drawn up for a variety of reasons. Most if not all the memorials have Addenda Panels bearing 'late' names.

Although these names are also added to the CWGC database as soon as they are accepted as being omitted, they are obviously not to be found in the old registers. Because of this, I have started compiling my own 'register' of these late additions to try to collect them all in one place.

Pte John Erskine Ryder 2529 Yorkshire Regt Died 24.05.15 Age 19 has already been added to the CWGC database & his name will appear on the Menin Gate Addenda Panel at some point in the future.

[Bob Coulson]

Interestingly John Erskine Ryder 1/4th Battalion Yorks Regt is on the bronze plaques mounted on the walls of Albert Park which were unveiled with the Cenotaph opposite on November 11th 1922.