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BSM George Menzies, DCM, RGA ** Now Commemorated **

 
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 7749
Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Thu Jun 25, 2015 10:10 am    Post subject: BSM George Menzies, DCM, RGA ** Now Commemorated ** Reply with quote

Battery Sergeant Major George Menzies 16194 of 109 Heavy Battery R.G.A. was discharged as no longer fit for active service on 13 December 1917 and was awarded a Silver War Badge No. 282131. He was aged 37.
He had originally enlisted on 13 August 1903.

George Menzies, aged 37, died in the December Quarter of 1917 at Hartley Whitney in Hampshire. "Soldiers Effects" gives his date of death as 13 December 1917. (the same as his discharge date - odd!)

He is named on the Drymen War Memorial in Stirlingshire.
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-ftopic733-0-asc-0.html

This is his DCM Citation - The London Gazette 16 April 1918 Supplement:30636 Page:4676

16194 B.S.M. G. Menzies, R.G.A. (Dumbarton)

For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He has always displayed coolness and courage of the highest order, freely exposing himself in action, and maintaining good order and discipline in difficult circumstances.
He has also shown great devotion in attending to the wounded.


Anne Anderson has found his service file.

"I downloaded his Service File which clearly states that the cause of his discharge (TB) was definitely attributed to active service- it’s all there in black and white – the ‘medical’ pages are stamped by ‘Connaught Hospital, Aldershot’, dated 22nd November 1917. "

I have ordered his Death Certificate, so we'll see what it has to add.
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Last edited by Kenneth Morrison on Tue Oct 27, 2015 11:25 am; edited 1 time in total
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
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Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 4:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have just received a copy of the death certificate issued by the District of Hartley Wintney, Sub-District Farnborough in the county of Southampton:
On 29 December 1917 at Connaught Hospital, Farnborough: George Menzies, Male, 37 years: of 24 Blytheswood Square, Glasgow, Sergeant Major Royal Garrison Artillery: Tubercle of the Lung: Registered by W.Turner, Lt Col. Officer in Charge Connaught Hospital, Farnborough.

We now know that he was buried in Drymen Parish Churchyard but the actual plot is uncertain and seems to be unmarked. Investigations are continuing but all the records have been passed to Terry Denham at the In From the Cold Project.

Anne got this from Stirling Council Archives:
"George Menzies, aged 37, is listed as being in Drymen Old Churchyard, Lair No. 111146. I checked the Cemetery plan, but this number does not match. This could mean it is Lair 46 or 146, but it is impossible to tell as he is not listed as having purchased a lair.
It does confirm that George is buried in the Old Churchyard, however, and not in the attached extension at Drymen
."

The folks at Drymen and District Historical Society are trying to identify George's burial place.
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Last edited by Kenneth Morrison on Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:01 am; edited 2 times in total
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apanderson
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Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Posts: 2571
Location: Stirlingshire

PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

With this amount of verification, hopefully there will be no cause for delay in his inclusion to the database.

Well done Ken - you were on the ball spotting him!

Anne Very Happy
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Kenneth Morrison



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Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers Anne - here are the images you sent to me




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apanderson
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

These photographs are from Drymen Churchyard and show the Henshilwood Family's stone.

George Menzies is not listed, but there's more reason to think that this is (rather than isn't) where he's buried. There is no lair number anywhere on the stone.

His mother Catherine Menzies does not appear on any of the burial registers for Drymen, either at Stirling Cemeteries Office or on any of the records held by Stirling Archives. Again, the reasons to think that she too is buried there outweigh the reasons for her not to be!







Donald Evan Henshilwood would have been the half-brother of George Menzies as they shared the same mother.
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Kenneth Morrison



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PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 11:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

George Menzies was added to the CWGC Debt of Honour Register today.

MENZIES, GEORGE.
Rank:Battery Serjeant Major
Service No:16194
Date of Death:29/12/1917
Age:37
Regiment/Service:Royal Garrison Artillery 109th Heavy Bty.
Panel Reference: Memorial:UNITED KINGDOM BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

Update: His DCM will be added.
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apanderson
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 4:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Brilliant news Ken!

I'm chuffed to bits for you.

Anne Very Happy
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DelBoy



Joined: 12 Jul 2007
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good work,

It's always good to see another person remembered for their sacrifice.
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Adam Brown
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 29, 2015 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well done Ken

Adam
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Kenneth Morrison



Joined: 29 Sep 2008
Posts: 7749
Location: Rockcliffe Dalbeattie

PostPosted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 7:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I notice that CWGC are looking for relatives and that his register entry has been updated.

http://www.cwgc.org/news-events/news/2017/7/appeal-for-relatives-july-2017.aspx

MENZIES, GEORGE.
Rank: Battery Serjeant Major
Service No: 16194
Date of Death: 29/12/1917
Age: 37
Regiment/Service: Royal Garrison Artillery 109th Heavy Bty.
Awards: D C M
Grave Reference: Special Memorial.
Cemetery: DRYMEN PARISH CHURCHYARD
.

N.B.
Recent research has shown that Battery Serjeant Major Menzies is buried here. The Commission is in the process of producing a special memorial headstone to commemorate him as it is not possible to mark his actual grave.
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