A possible non-commemoration?

The Times, Thursday, Jul 08, 1915
SOLDIER KILLED BY LIGHTNING
Stanley Galloway ALLEN, aged 36, of Hull, a driver
in the Army Service Corps, was struck by lightning
during a thunderstorm yesterday. The lightning
struck his cap, and he was instantly killed.

regards,

Martin

Possibly. Death certificate would be needed to take it further unless his service papers still exist and there's mention there.

The In From The Cold Project may have already picked this up when we checked Soldiers Died. I'll draw Terry Denham's attention to the thread.

J

Martin

I can find no trace on CWGC or SDGW

Mind you can find no DC ref for the lad either under spelling Allen or Allan in England or Wales

Chris

Bet this is him and the paper got his name wrong:

Births Sep 1879 - ALLAN Stephen Galloway (Sculcoates 9d 130)
Marriages Mar 1906 - ALLAN Stephen Galloway & PAYNE Harriet Jane (Wakefield 9c 73)
Deaths Sep 1915 - ALLAN Stephen G, 35 (Sculcoates 9d 182)

1911
LAMWATH COTTAGES SUTTON HULL
ALLON [sic], STEPHEN GALLOWAY HEAD MARRIED M 31 COACHMAN DOMESTIC SUTTON YORKS
ALLON, HARRIET J WIFE MARRIED 5 F 30 SCARBORO YORKS
ALLON, DAVID A SON M 4 SUTTON YORKS

"Coachman" fits well with him being a driver.

Can't find an MIC. Maybe he never went overseas.

Adrian

Terry advises that we're not on the case with this one. And no trace amongst the English or Welsh death certificates. Died in Scotland or Ireland?

Thanks, guys. There are these 3 possible MC records without a middle name or initial recorded (there were a couple more with wrong middle initial):

Allen, Stanley:
Army Service Corps, M/33489, Private
Army Service Corps, A/437756, Private
Royal Army Service Corps, T/388017, Private

Adrian, you're right, it's quite possible the newspaper did get his name wrong. It does say he was from Hull, so that's a match with Sculcoates. However, I guess there's another possibility, feint admittedly, that that was his brother and they both died in Q3 1915, Galloway being the name of their mother or some other family connection.

regards,
Martin

I tend to go with Adrian on this one

now here is the down side with regard to burial records see this link

Chris

1881
Ivy Cottage, Sutton, Sculcoates
ALLAN John A, Head, 24, Merchant's Clerk, b Sigglesthorne
ALLAN Fanny, Wife, 22, b Sutton
ALLAN Stephen G, Son, 1, b Sutton

1891
Ivy Cottage, Lowgate, Sutton
ALLAN John A, Head, 33, Commercial Traveller, b Sigglesthorne
ALLAN Fanny, Wife, 31, b Sutton on Hull
ALLAN Stephen G, Son, 11, b Sutton on Hull
ALLAN Alexander, Father, Widower, 64, Retired Gardener, b Haddington, Scotland

John Alexander ALLAN married Fanny GALLOWAY in Sculcoates, Q2 1879.

No sign of any siblings, and there's no birth of a Stanley G. ALL*N in the right place at the right time.

Adrian

Thanks. I think you're right - definitely sounds like it was Stephen Galloway Allen, not Stanley. I'm wondering if they also made a mistake with his regiment. Perhaps they assumed he was Army Service Corps because he had been driving a truck. There is this MIC record:

Allen, Stephen G
Middlesex Regiment, 6306 Private
Middlesex Regiment, G/41026 Private
Cat. ref.: WO 372/1

The death certificate would probably have whether he was a soldier or not, would it not? Perhaps even the regiment? I'd be happy to order it from the GRO. Would it also be necessary to find a service record to tie in with his death?

Yes, pity about the Hull Archive Centre being closed, Chris. I wonder if we could still send it through to them, perhaps under one of the categories they're still accepting. In a way, at a stretch, it could be related to building approval (i.e. a CWGC headstone)

regards,

Martin

I downloaded the MIC for Stephen G. Allen, which included 5 others, one of which is a Stanley G. Allen. See attached.

Right this is what I suggest we do - I will get the grave details if TD is willing to order the DC through IFCP

Should have never have taken on the post of gravefinder general

Chris

Dear Gravefinder General

As post #5, Terry can find no trace of any death certificate. Which means we're stuffed for now.

Yours in admiration, O Skillful One.

John

John,
As per post #4, Deaths Sep 1915 - ALLAN Stephen G, 35 (Sculcoates 9d 182)

Adrian

Cheers John

I love you too

Chris

He's neither of the two medal index cards shown. One man was discharged in 1919; the other did not go overseas before 1916 but did so at some point after that.

Slinks away, sheepishly......................

As we all seem certain now that this man is Stephen and not Stanley and that he was a serving soldier at death, IFCP can get his DC at no cost to anyone else.

Therefore, I shall do that and report back here when it arrives. Assuming all is OK with the DC, IFCP will submit the case.

In that case I will see if I can find the grave

Chris

Sounds like a plan - thanks all.

Being from the wet side of the forum, I haven't had much to do with MICs. Is it unusual that there doesn't seem to be one for Stephen Galloway Allen?

regards,

Martin

If he did not serve overseas, he would have no medal entitlement and so - no MIC.

However, there are a number of men who appear to be missing from the online MICs.

I thought the name & details rang a bell! - see: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/i...t&p=1235902

This thread provoked me to look at the names given in the other Times extracts about lightning strike deaths again, and I've edited in some notes to that post; there are two which have proved - at least to me - allusive: Messrs Powell & Baker, possibly two more non coms or, maybe, more likely, a case of mis-reporting in the paper?

Hope the quest on Allen's behalf is successful.

NigelS

Grave has been found

Name: Stephen Galloway Allan
Cemetery: Hedon Road Cemetery
Grave: 46
Compartment: 316
Age: 35
Date of Death: 7/7/1915
Date of burial: 10/7/1915
Address at time of death: 8 Florence Avenue, Courtney Street, Hull

Also, there was one other person buried in the grave. Her details are as follows:

Name: Fanny Allan
Cemetery: Hedon Road Cemetery
Grave: 46
Compartment: 316
Age: 76
Date of Death: 25/1/36
Date of Burial: 29/1/36
Address at time of Death: 63 Durham Street, Hull

My thanks to Hull City Council cemeteries department

Chris

Cracking result, Gravefinder General. You have weaved your magic again.

Fingers crossed that the DC supports the "serving soldier" thing.

Great stuff, Chris. The spelling ALLAN matches what Adrian found in the census. This narrows things down considerably on the MIC - just four. My bet would be this one (Yorkshire Regiment):
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=4

regards,

Martin

Martin

not him mate as that Allan went to the Balkans in Sept 1915

Chris

Did you download the MIC, Chris? I tried but my credit card was over the limit. Thanks for checking. Well I guess we'll wait and see what the DC says.

regards,

Martin

Martin

got it off ancestry co uk - do you want a copy?

Chris

No, that's ok Chris. Thanks.

I'm currently going through the Carlisle Journal, and have just come across the report, on the 9th July 1915, of Stephen Allen being killed at Hedon by a lightning strike!!! Looks like the research is already in hand!!!!

CMF

lets us know if you come up with any other non comms

Chris

IFCP will put this one forward today

DC says

Driver
Stephen Galloway ALLAN
Army Service Corps
Address: 8 Florence Avenue, Courtney Street, Hull
Age 35
Cause of Death: Lightning Strike 07.07.15

No service number quoted.

Thanks for the update, Terry.

an excellent example of teamwork

Chris