War Graves and Date of Death errors

[Mike Jones]

Happy New Year to you all, Just a thought to start off the New year, from which I would welcome your thoughts and opinions. Doing some work tonight and I came across L/Cpl. Alfred New 8677 of the 3rd Bn. Worcestershire Regiment. Soldiers Died, part 34 says he was killed in action on 29th August 1915 but CWGC have buried him in Maple Copse Cemetery, Belgium with the date 29th August 1918. So if a relative of his enquires of him they will be told he died in 1918. Interested parties would then set off researching what the 3rd Bn. were doing in 1916 , 1917 and up to August 1918. I have spent some time checking and think 1915 is right. Anyone interested in researching why it cant be 1918? I wont bias you with my results , yet. What can I do to correct the error , if one exists? Should we correct the error? I often spot things like this and wonder what course of action I should take. Regards Mike Jones

P.S. 28th June 2007
I have had to edit this posting because after contact with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, they have checked and amended the date from 1918 to 1915. For which I thank them. It of course now means that if you look up Alfred New, you will not see the error of dates anyway. I was disappointed that no one looked him up. It showed me that most people are blinkered and only check on things relevant to them, no interest in the overall picture. I realised something was wrong with the date of Alfred's death. He is buried in Belgium after supposedly being Killed in Action with the 3rd Battalion on 29.8.1918. The 3rd Bn. had left Belgium (Never to return) on the 9.5.18 (Three months earlier). So he could not have been killed in Belgium on that date! Also the last date for a burial at Maple Copse Cemetery is February 1917. Again did not fit with Alfred's supposed death in 1918. However all things fit with him being killed in 1915. Battalion in the right location and cemetery being used for burials.

Disappointed Mike