I have nothing but praise for the efforts of those who contribute to the IFTC project, indeed I too have helped out in a very small way.

Having an interest in the Liverpool Regt I am always keen to check out any KLR non-comms. Recently however I am minded to question the accuracy of some the GRO records - this is not meant as criticism of anyone but merely to add a note of caution when using single source information ie the GRO (please note I am assuming that the following examples are based solely on GRO so I could stand corrected). In the case of Pte Cromer below - a relative could be significantly misled as to the circumstances and location of Cromer's death.

Having checked the information I hold about Pte Robert Stanley Jones. listed on the recent new commemorations, there appears to be some contradiction - this may be explained by a mis-transcription either on my part or on the part of the MOD clerks or indeed in the GRO records.

According to my notes No 3125 Robert Stanley Jones of 5 KLR crossed to France with his Battalion on 21/2/15 and was discharged due to wounds on 7/10/16. He was awarded Silver War Badge (SWB) No 76959. The fact that he was awarded a SWB is confirmed by his MIC - the ref page in the SWB lists being TH/310. (Grateful if someone researching the SWBs could check this entry for accuracy). His papers do not appear to have survived on Ancestry.

According to the GRO? he died in France 4/6/16. In such a case where there are only two pieces of information (ie GRO and the SWB list - Terry you may have more information from his death cert) I was wondering whether a third source should be sought to confirm that he was indeed killed in France. Is the GRO seen as reliable and considered to trump all contradicting sources. I say this because . . .

A recent addition to the CWGC database is Rifleman Albert Ernest Cromer who is listed as being killed 17/06/1917 6 KLR att 17 KLR. I have in my possession copies of primary source information which refutes this date of death - 17/6/17 being the date that he transferred Battalions. Some regiments are lucky to have documents which I call Casualty ledgers - the Liverpool Regt is fortunate to have access to couple of these.

The entry for Pte Cromer for his service with 17 KLR reads "Posted ex 1/6th KLR 17/6/17. Joined 'A' Coy of Bn [ie 17 KLR - the Coy is after his initial] 17/6/17. On leave 2-16/3/18. Killed in action 29/4/18:

Click to view attachment

This date of death accords with the 17 KLR war diary which records that on 29/4/18 'A' Coy was surrounded by the Germans and that 'severe fighting' ensued

I have not uploaded the original entry for Cromer's service with 1/6 KLR but it reads:

Wounded 17/5/15 (gsw r arm - fracture of same) and admitted 14 Field Ambulance. Admitted No 8 Casualty Clearing Station 18/5/15. Admitted No 14 General Hospital 19/5/15. Evacuated to England 19/5/15 on the HS St Patrick. Re-embarked Southampton 27/10/15. Left Base for Battalion 1/11/15. Attd Res Div Coy 7 Corps 3rd Army HQ 24/11/15. Rejoined Battalion 25/3/16. To 55 Div Salvage Coy 8/9/16. Rejoined Battalion 16/9/16.. Admitted 2/1 West Lancs Field Ambulance 17/9/16 (fever). Rejoined Battalion 20/9/16. Wounded in action and admitted 15 Corps Collecting Station 25/9/16 (gsw r thigh). Admitted 1 Australian General Hospital 26/9/16. Evacuated to England 29/9/16 on the HS Carisbrooke Castle . Re-embarked 3/6/17 and posted to 17 KLR 17/6/17.

Just thought I would raise my concerns.

Promenade

You are right in that there are many errors in the GRO data. This is understood and every effort is made to cross-check with other readily available sources before submission. However, it is MoD's final investigation that decides acceptance or not.

During this exercise, it was found that the army had a system for cancelling the DCs of any men erroneously reported as killed and so listed by GRO. We have had many of our DC requests cancelled by GRO for this very reason - the man was wrongly reported to be dead or he died in the UK of wounds etc and his overseas DC was then deleted. However, none of these later changes were corrected in the GRO Index so you do not know of this circumstance until after the request for a DC has been made.

However, without doubt some cases slipped through and we have picked up on several of these (GRO still amends these records today when informed of any such case). The MoD has also picked up a few more from its own subsequent checking and GRO informed of the errors in the original military documents.

The system is probably as foolproof as it can be at this distance in time from the events. Despite this, we have a system in place for back tracking on cases when subsequent information comes to light as it has done on a couple of cases. If you have any info on this particular case, I would appreciate receiving it so that it can be looked at by MoD. There is information out there amongst specialists that only surfaces after the event.