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apanderson
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Joined: 21 Dec 2006
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Location: Stirlingshire

PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 2:55 pm    Post subject: What about this one? Reply with quote

I know, here I go again! Still, keeps me out of mischief!

After reading Paul's thread on Captain Alexander Dobree Young-Herries grave marker (in St. Ninian's Episcopal Church, Castle Douglas), I remembered about a 'stone' I had found not that long ago.

It was in Glasgow Western Necropolis (Section O, Grave 2039) and although not much left of it, there was enough to intrigue me. The style of it, I presume, had at one time had been a cross and all that remained were a few words . . . .

In loving memory VO ARSCHO BELGIU(M) ....... O



It's lying at the foot of a CWGC stone but I would doubt that there's any significance in that? (The stone which sits in that Lair is to the following man:
2nd Lieutenant F. J. HIGMAN, King’s own Yorkshire Light Infantry, died 17th October 1918, age 24, son of Albert James & Edith Mary Higman, 11 Hayburn Street, Partick)

Thoughts and suggestions on a postcard please (or on here will do fine).

Anne
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Allowing for missing letters, of which some traces can be seen, I think it reads "CVO AARSCHOT BELGIUM" and I think there should be at least one further letter after the final 'O'

Anyone take it from here?
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spoons



Joined: 09 Jan 2007
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Location: St John's Town of Dalry

PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Aarshot is a small town in Belgium where the Belgians fought a rearguard action against the Germans in the Great War, although this would have been earlier than the date on the nearby grave. Perhaps the soldier died from wounds received there? Might be worth contacting the local papers or town council for the area, and GWF?
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apanderson
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laughing Laughing

Yes, there's always the GWF. The reason I'm laughing is that I think the mods over there wait for me posting to see how far OFF TOPIC my posts will be this time before sending them off to that great Off Topic Bin in the sky!!

Och, I can't help it - there's so many people on that forum with humungous amounts of knowledge (which isn't limited just to WW1) so sometimes it's worth a wee knuckle rapping in the hope of someone catching a wee glimpse of the message before it vanishes.

As for local papers, I wouldn't know where to start with this one, folk from one end of Glasgow to the other are buried in the Western Necropolis and without having any indication of a name . . . . ? The bit that survives could have come from anywhere in the cemetery - or for that matter, even from Lambill or St. Kentigerns as this part of Section O is where all three cemeteries come together.

Anne

P.S. What does CVO mean?
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spoons



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PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sorry, I didn't make clear, I was suggesting that you contact the current local paper for Aarschott in Belgium, not the local papers in Glasgow.
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Regulus1



Joined: 03 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I may copy the photo, I'll post it and the question on our forum, full of people of Flanders, and even some from the Aarschot area...
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apanderson
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 7:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Paul - Sorry, I misunderstood - I though you meant Glasgow.

Regulus - Feel free to copy the photo. It's been reduced to post on here so if a full sized copy would be better, let me know an I can send you one

Anne
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Regulus1



Joined: 03 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anne, photo is ok, have placed it on our forum, will keep you posted on the matter.

http://www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl/viewtopic.php?t=10495
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Adam Brown
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looking at the stone I take it the metal poles sticking out of each side. once supported stone 'arms' to form a cross?

If that's the case then the letters in the middle '..VO..' may well have been in the middle of a longer inscription.

What words commonly seend on grave markers or names have VO in the middle of them?

Adam
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apanderson
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Adam,

I can't think of a word with VO in the middle. Paul mentioned CVO - but I don't know what that means.

Anne
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 12:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anne

If it starts 'In Loving Memory...' the chances are the first word on the left arm of the cross would be 'Of'.
Looking at the spacing across the probable length of the 'arm' I wonder if VO is the start of a surname. I'm not convinced there is a shadow of a letter before the 'V' but it looks like there is one after the 'O'

It also looks like this cross sat on top of a stone base since there is another bit of metal sticking out of the bottom. Perhaps there was more of the incription on the base. Are there any pedestals without a cross in the vicinity of the CWGC headstone?

Adam
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apanderson
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Adam,

I agree with your thoughts about it originally being a 'cross' and also that it probably sat on a base of sorts. The problem with this cemetery, like every other one, is that there's broken stones, bits of stones, bases etc., strewn all over the place - it would be like trying to do a jig saw - piecing bits together. I've seen the day when I would have a go at this but even the smallest bits weigh a ton. Crawling about in the undergrowth is my limit these days. Smile

Does anyone know if there was a particular battle fought at Aarschot? My thinking here is that if a 'Theatre' can be established, dates narrowed down then going through a process of elimination of names . . . . ?

Anne
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Regulus1



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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

On the 19th of August 1914 Kol Stenger was killed at Aarschot. At first the idea was that he was kille by a 'franc tirreur', a belgian civilian in other words, and as revenge a large number of citizens were killed. Some sources claim that he was killed by one of his own men, as he was really hated by them. Which seems never to have been proven. It remains till today a mystery, no official paper or source has ever been found to my knowledge which could lead to a conclusion...

So VO is most probably part of a name, possibly a Flemish name...
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Regulus1



Joined: 03 Apr 2007
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The day before and the same day there had been some fighting in the area, one of the units being the 9th Line Reg., specifically the 4th Comp. 1st Bn with capitaine commandant Gilson.
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apanderson
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I looked on the CWGC website and there's 9 men, all British, whose surnames begin VO ...... killed in 1914. None of them are buried or have memorials in Belgium.

Could you give me the 'idiot's guide' to what the 9th Line Regt. was?
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