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By Bill McCarthy
#1882602
I been buffing up my gongs for the local memorial service today - and had just realised that I never wore them (except for the ribbons on my everyday jacket) when in the navy. We didn’t do parades in boat service. My grandfather (able seaman) was lost in WW1 and his name is mis-spelled on the parish memorial. My surname was and still is pronounced McCurthy - with that “u” rather than an”a”. It’s a bit late now but should/can it be changed - I’m not unduly concerned but the record is wrong.
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By eltonioni
#1882606
Funny you should raise this Bill, a couple of my uncles aren’t named on local war memorials and it got me wondering if a memorial could be changed to keep memories alive locally as well as in Poland and Egypt where they died.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1882629
Our family got off lightly: All four of my uncles were in reserved occupations (coal miners) and my father in law was also in a reserved occupation (Industrial glassblower making cathode ray tubes/radar screens for HMV.)

My dad was the only one that served (RAF Navigator) and he survived...............................
Last edited by PeteSpencer on Sun Nov 14, 2021 1:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1882631
Being from N. Ireland, there wasn't subscription, but my Grandfather served in RAF near the end of WW2 at Falcon Fields (glider instructor) and later as a transport pilot, before returning to his civilian career (chemist).
I never really knew him as he passed away when I was in single figures. He discovered he had cancer ( which killed him) about a year after be got his PPL and was just starting to enjoy his retirement.
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By Rob P
#1882633
The CWGC are very happy, given sufficient proof, to update headstones and memorials. But the parish memorial wouldn't come under their jurisdiction, so I fear it is something that you will have to raise with the Parish Council.

Rob P
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By Bill McCarthy
#1882652
Thanks - I will run the matter by them to see what happens. It would be a difficult task on granite.
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1882656
A skilled monumental mason may be able to convert a u into an a depending on what font is used to a degree. Worth finding someone to take a look at the practicalities
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By OCB
#1882662
@Bill McCarthy - I’d just live with the fact the written versus spoken word have a bit of divergence/natural texture. Nothing new for our part of the world.

My maternal grandfather’s name - when properly pronounced in either Scots or Irish Gaelic sounds not unlike a cat with a bad cold trying to vomit up a stuck fishbone. The spelling has evolved quite significantly over the years.

The cool thing is, the record holders of births/marriages and deaths in Scotland and Ireland are quite well aware of this fact, and the last time I searched for someone’s family (WWII bomber command casualty), the “search engine” knew quite well there were multiple variations of the same name.

My “go to” joke about Scots/Irish names is - “have you met Alistair?”