Genealogy Chat

Hi,
Would be greatful for any answers on this. My grandfather served in the Second World War and I have always been told he died in Burma although my grandmother paid people to search for him following the war and never received a widows pension. We seem to be unable to get his army records dispite having the forms filled out by his next of kin, so we presume he did not die in service as they would be aware of his death (Commonwealth War Graves Commission also have no record of his death). We wondered if he had simply shosen not to return home after the war, and on searching the London Gazette I found the following:
"Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Lt. (War Subs. Maj.) M. L. MCCRACKEN (77055)
is cashiered by sentence of a Gen. Court Martial,
2nd Mar. 1946"
These are his initials and his rank, although I had thought he served with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Does anyone know how to find out if it is him (I don't know his service number)? Or how to get hold of the army service records with no proof of death? Or any ideas on tracing anything of him whatsoever following his heading off to war?
Any help would be appreciated as I've hit a brick wall! Also, one slightly easier question (I think!)-what does 'cashiered' mean?

Hi,
Thankyou, although we have tried the Army Records in Glasgow with no luck-we have been told we cannot get the records; as my father is definately the next of kin, we presume this must be because they have no record of death (next of kin can only claim if the soldier is no longer alive apparently), hence my questions on how to prove his death when we cannot trace him?
Freya

Interesting !

What year was he born in ?

Would there be a presumption of death after 100 years or something like that I wonder ? though after recent events maybe 111 !!

He was born in 1910, so I would presume he is almost certainly dead by now!

There are records at the National Archives of Court Martials. The files on the proceedings are closed for 30-100 years, so I would imagine his is still closed. You could apply for this restriction to be lifted but I think they would refuse as you can't prove his death.

There are registers of Court Martials though, which appear to be open, and charge, finding and sentence are given.

Ok, I'll try that, thankyou. Do you know if there is any way to legally prove someone is dead, considering he went missing over 60 years ago?

have you looked for him on uk incoming passenger lists

just a thought but if he had been court marshalled out of the army he may have returned to uk and would have used a passenger liner not a military ship


what was his full name and date of birth

Hi,
No she didn't-she hired detectives who came up with various leads and travelled all over Europe trying to find him herself.

Lorraine-I hadn't thought of that, thankyou. I will see if I can get passenger lists on Ancestry.

Cashiering is a ritual dismissal of an individual from some position of responsibility for discipline.

It is especially associated with the dismissal of military officers of high rank. Cashiering sometimes involved public degradation, with the destruction of symbols of status: epaulettes ripped off shoulders, badges and insignia stripped, swords broken, caps knocked away, and medals torn out and dashed upon the ground.

In addition, in the era when British Army officers generally bought their commissions, being cashiered meant that the amount they had paid was lost, as they could not "sell-out" afterwards.

Hi Paul, thanks for that bit of info-I didn't realise people still bought commissions during WW2, do you know roughly what they might have paid? I'm curious as, although his father was also a career soldier (who didn't make officer), I don't think the family had huge amounts of money, so it would be interesting to know how much they would have had to earn for this.

Freya.
If you think you your grandfather served with Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry why dont you contact them. They might be able to give you his service number.


www.lightinfantry.org.uk
On there under ww2 roll of honour.

That takes you to find a soldier.
You can e mail Keith who operates a service to apply for ww2 service records on your behalf.
Ask what the charges are before you commit yourself