jimmyjames Posted 21 December , 2003 Share Posted 21 December , 2003 Pte James Cameron Reid died on 27th February 1915 and is buried in a CWGC plot in Midmar Cememetry, Aberdeenshire (20 miles down the road from me). I'm attaching a digital snap of the headstone which lists his regiment as the Machine Gun Corps. As I understand it, the MGC was formed in October 1915 (some eight months after his death) and when I approached the CWGC about this apparent anomaly they said that this was the information given to them by the service authorities at the time. I did hear (many moons ago now) about a "Motor Machine Gun Service" which was authorised in 1914 by Army Order 480 of 1914, so I wonder if James was a member of this. I would be most grateful on any info on James or the MMGS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 21 December , 2003 Share Posted 21 December , 2003 The mother site gives a potted history of the MGC http://www.1914-1918.net/mgc.htm The original 1931 CWGC register for Midmar says Reid 'Died of wounds (gas)' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staffsyeoman Posted 21 December , 2003 Share Posted 21 December , 2003 Indeed, his death preceeds the formation of the MGC by 8 months. What makes me think that it is a fowl-up is that it includes the additional rider (INF) for Infantry branch. On balance, I think that makes him unlikely to have been an MMGS man - and that the date is completely and utterly wrong. There are precedents. A Pte of 2 Bn MGC, who was killed in Ireland in 1921, but was buried in a churchyard in Norfolk with a headstone erected by his colleagues by susbscription, was listed in the CWGC as killed in May 1915. Firstly, preceeds the ormation of the MGC; secondly, MGC Bns weren't established until Feb/March 1918. Thus, the date was a total foul-up. On balance, I blame admin cock-up rather than postulate that he was previously MMGS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 22 December , 2003 Share Posted 22 December , 2003 This is starting to look like an error in the date of death rather than in the regiment details. The register states 'died of wounds (gas)'. The first gas attack on British troops was not until 22.04.15 - nearly two months after his death. We need some local digging. If his death certificate can be checked, it should confirm or deny this theory and would form the basis of getting the date changed in the records and on the headstone. Could you help here, Jimmy? How about local newspapers as a start or checking the cemetery burial records. I have sent a query to CWGC. From what he says, Jimmy only queried the regiment - not the date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 22 December , 2003 Share Posted 22 December , 2003 I have found James Cameron REID on the 1901 census living at 28 Bankhead, Midmar with his father (William), mother (Annie), two brothers (William and Gilbert) and a sister (Beatrice). His age was then given as 10 years. His father is described as a crofter and he is down as a 'scholar'. The age matches that on his headstone for a death in 1915 and so my theory about a wrong date may be incorrect. I could not find any likely candidate amongst the on-line Scottish death certificates for the years 1915-18 anywhere in Scotland and so James must have died in England, Wales or Ireland and then was brought home. I await CWGC's answer to my query which won't come until after Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 5 January , 2004 Share Posted 5 January , 2004 CWGC have confirmed that the year of death is in error. It should read 1919. The database has been changed and, once all the paperwork has been sorted, the headstone will be amended in due course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 5 January , 2004 Share Posted 5 January , 2004 We need some local digging. Leave the poor chap alone, I say. But well done, Pals, another soldier properly and accurately commemorated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyjames Posted 5 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 5 January , 2004 Delighted that his correct date of death has been confirmed as 27th February 1919 by the CWGC. I found a digital Death Certificate and it states that he died, aged 27, at 1st Scottish General Hospital of tubercular peritonitis and perforated bowel. It also records that he was a Private in the Machine Gun Corps (Cav), regimental number 47362. So his date of death and age will have to be noted by the CWGC for amendment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 6 January , 2004 Share Posted 6 January , 2004 Jimmy I have passed your info regarding age to CWGC along with the copy of the 1901 Census which confirms age 27. The date has already been changed and will appear when their site is next updated. CWGC say that the original Burial Return stated 1919 but that all subsequent paperwork said 1915 in error! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyjames Posted 6 January , 2004 Author Share Posted 6 January , 2004 Terry Many thanks. It was quite by chance that I stumbled across James Cameron's grave in Midmar Churchyard as I visted to look at the stone circle there. James is also commemorated on the village War Memorial, located within the churchyard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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