Great-Granddad's Medals

This past week has been a mix of highs and lows. I have located nearly all of my Great-Granddad's family (all of his brother's family - Glossop, Clark & Beverstock). I now need to track down his sister's family (McLachlan). This was the highs of the week.

In regard to Thomas' medals I had a mix of great highs and lows. I discovered that his brother Charles took loving care of them. Unfortunately after Charles died in 1969, no-one seems to know what happened to them.

I still hold some sort of hope that some day, by some miracle I will hopefully find them.

Continued Research

With continued research more information is turning up and yet it isn't. What is turning up is adding to the information of the 1st Battalion soldiers being buried March 1917. Yet the information isn't always specific - some of it is very general.



An example of the information adding to the knowledge of the burial of the 1st Battalion soldiers is to the right. This letter clearly states that William Gibney was buried about 450 yards North North West of Gueudecourt but after searching they couldn't locate his grave.


To me this letter proves that the soldiers were buried before the end of the war near Gueudecourt but for some unknown reason after the war their graves couldn't be found. One such reason could be the cross or crosses marking their graves was destroyed during the war. Also after reading war diaries I discovered that the area around Flers and Gueudecourt was bombed by the German for the following few months after March 1917 (when they were buried).


William Gibney had the same burial location in his military file as Thomas Rutherford. The record below is taken from William Gibney's military file.

Introduction

This photo is of Thomas Rutherford.


My pop never new his father (Thomas Rutherford) and the family never knew what had happened to Thomas. They knew Thomas served in World War One and had his serial number - 5207. A couple of years ago I was asked to see what I could find about Thomas' World War One service (as I am the family historian).


I discovered that Thomas served in the 1st Battalion, A.I.F and was a private. I also discovered that he was killed on the evening/morning of November 5th 1916 along with quite a few other Australian soldiers near Gueudecourt, France.


Thomas died near the trees in the middle of the photo. This photo is taken from the A.I.F Cemetery. Gueudecourt is to the right of this photo.




On November 5th 2006 my father and I stood near Gueudecourt looking at the location where my Great-Grandfather was killed exactly 90 years early (to the date, but not the time). We had gone to France to be the first in our family to remember this man none of us knew. Up to this point I had discovered Thomas' personnel file, Red Cross file (as he was reported missing in the war), embarkation roll and honour roll. I also discussed that he was now just a name on the wall at Villers-Bretonneux, France and at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

This photo shows Thomas' name on the wall in Canberra

While in France seeing the Somme area and seeing the different places involved in the wars. I began wanting to discovered Thomas' final resting place, I began wanting to change him from just a name on the wall. I had a little tiny light of hope in that in his Red Cross file (which only contained 5 pages) included a page stating that Thomas was buried near Gueudecourt and the location of his burial. (You can see this page above)

I decided when I got back from France I would try to confirm this location and hopefully get a memorial of some sort erected for Thomas. My following entries will follow my research and show the information I uncover. To start with I will be placing the research I have already undertaken.


One of the main things I realised when undertaking the search is that Thomas died with quite a few other Australian soliders. Also that I am not just looking for Thomas about 40 to 50 Australian soldiers all together. (I will explain in another blog what I mean by this last sentence)