Guest louise Posted 25 March , 2003 Share Posted 25 March , 2003 Hello from Canada This is my first posting to this board and I am hoping that you might be able to steer me in the right direction to find some information about my great uncle. Joseph Henry Scott was a private in the machine gun corps in the British Army. His number was 114315. According to family history, he was exposed to gas in France during the first world war. We know that at some point he was sent to the Queen's hospital, Frognal House in Sidcup, Kent, and that he died there on March 4, 1929 of heart failure, acute and chronic bronchitis. He was given a military funeral and is buried next to a war memorial in Chiselhurst Cemetery, Sidcup. He is listed on his death registration as Joseph Henry Scott, Pvt. 114315, MGC, pensioned. His wife is buried in the same grave. The full story is quite sad, including the death of his parents and the separation from his sister (my grandmother) who was sent to Canada as a home child in 1890 at the age of 10. They never saw each other again. Although the family always called him Tim, he was born Joseph Henry Hadley ca 1885, and apparently joined the army underage, was sent to war and was badly frightened - enough so that he deserted out of fear. (Could this have been during the Boer War? He would definitely not have been underage by the start of WW!) He married a lady named Lavinia Scott and took her surname. When an amnesty was declared, he re-joined and was sent to France, where he was gassed. Aside from his death registration, I have been unable to find anything about him - no birth, marriage ... I have contacted the Machine Gun Corps people (Jim someone - records are at home, and Judith Lappin) and they have no further information either. I would be very interested in finding out anything I can about his military history, but don't know where to start. I realize I am imposing and really clutching at straws, but I hope you will overlook that! I thank you for reading this, and hope you can help. Louise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hill 60 Posted 25 March , 2003 Share Posted 25 March , 2003 Louise - Have you looked on the 'Mother' site to this Forum? There is a section on how to research British Army soldiers. Be advised though, not many WWI personal records survived the Blitz of WWII. British Army in the Great War Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 26 March , 2003 Share Posted 26 March , 2003 Louise, Send a mail to Phil McCarthy who uses the tag 'staffsyeoman' on the forum, he has a lot of info on MGC men. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest louise Posted 26 March , 2003 Share Posted 26 March , 2003 Ian and Lee - thank you very much for replying to my post. I appreciate your help and will follow up on both suggestions. My great uncle is an enigma, but I will keep trying to figure him out! I am nothing if not persistent, and shameless in my willingness to ask for help!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest louise Posted 31 March , 2003 Share Posted 31 March , 2003 hello again. I have a follow up question. If my great uncle was receiving a military pension at the time of his death, would it have continued to be paid to his wife after his death? If so, would there be a record of her receiving the pension? I am really clutching at straws in my desire to find any information about this mysterious man. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 31 March , 2003 Share Posted 31 March , 2003 Louise, I will be going to the PRO this week and will check to see if your great-uncle's war record survived the Arnside Street fire of 1940. This will answer a lot of your questions. But please don't hold your breathe! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 31 March , 2003 Share Posted 31 March , 2003 Louise; I've e-mailed you privately in response to yours (for which thanks) but like Ian says... don't stop breathing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 31 March , 2003 Share Posted 31 March , 2003 Phil, If you have sorted this out, please let me know as Ican take this off my list! Ta, Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest louise Posted 2 April , 2003 Share Posted 2 April , 2003 Ian and Phil - you gentlemen are wonderful Thank you so much for your offers of help. Phil - I have emailed you what little more I have, including a photo of Tim in uniform. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all the assistance I have received in my genealogical quest. People have been so very helpful and kind. Thank you, and I will try to keep breathing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ian Bowbrick Posted 4 April , 2003 Share Posted 4 April , 2003 Louise, Your great-uncle's service record was not to be found in either WO 363 or 364. Try the MGC Old Comrades Association. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest louise Posted 4 April , 2003 Share Posted 4 April , 2003 Ian - thank you so much for looking. Rats - the mystery continues ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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