Research Update No.1 - APRIL 2026

“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” 

Chinese Proverb

This first project update is to inform everyone that the research has now started. It began with the launch of the GoFundMe page in March and subscribing to the British Newspaper Archives and Ancestry UK to access their phenomenal records and data. Scotland’s People is a Scottish government platform for all births, deaths and marriages in Scotland and operates a ‘Pay As You Go’ pricing model. As the training fatalities occurred in Scotland obtaining the death certificates has been a great start point. At £1.50 a search it’s really great value for money. Death certificates provide several useful leads for further research:

·      Date, place, time and cause of death.

·      Marital status, age and employment (Before enlistment)

·      Parents details and home address

Several open source platforms have been used to garner information that already exists and it’s amazing how often a bit of casual Googling throws up a crumb or two of information. That luck has to be set against the frustrating hours following a name only to find that it’s bricked up cul de sac! Regroup, refresh and soldier on.

The next update will provide a case study and use it to tell the individual’s story. Thanks to everyone who has donated to the GoFundMe page as that generosity has allowed the subscriptions to be covered with the remainder of the money available for paid searches. My final thanks to an old friend of mine, Steve ‘Griff’ Griffiths from Appledore in Devon. Promoted to ‘Local Detective Inspector’ for the case he was given to research a local lad, Sergeant Eric Hookway Goven, 44 Commando, Royal Marines. Griff has worked his socks off and done some amazing research on our behalf. That story will feature in a future update but thanks Griff.

And if you would like to help the project research and be appointed a local Detective Inspector then please, please get in touch. You don’t need any formal skills to help, just a willingness to spread the word and promote awareness. If you live in the same neighbourhood as one of the ‘lads’. You can actually be our ‘boots on the ground’.

I’m so looking forward to the next project update when I can provide some tangible information about the progress. You won’t be disappointed!

Steve

steveknicoll@gmail.com

We Will Remember Them, We MUST Remember Them

UNITED WE CONQUER