Captain Frank Charles Hill-MC

[Katie]

I have come across an obituary published in the Liverpool Echo 12th April 1917 for

HILL, April 10th, Died of wounds in London, aged 30 years. Captain Frank Charles Hill (Military Cross) R.A.M C, husband of Lilian Hill, of Calcutta and son of the late Charles and Mildred Hill, late of Sefton Park, Liverpool. Severely wounded in France August 1915; exchanged Prisoner of war February 1916 (His duty nobly done)

I cannot find anything for the above on CWGC or soldiers effects. I cannot locate him on census either. If he died in London his death would be registered cant locate a death.

Any help would be really useful.

[Katie]

I have just come across another obituary published 4th November 1918 for Lilian Hill

HILL, November 1, suddenly of pneumonia, while serving with the British Red Cross in France, Sister Lilian Hill, daughter-in-law of the late Charles and Mildred Hill. No entry for her on CWGC, however I do know that not all are included.

[daggers]

I have checked in Geoff's Great War pages and SDGW with no better result than yours. How about the RAMC Museum?
D.

[retiringtype]

Possible record for Lilian at TNA http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.u ... /C10804988

[MaryA]

Well I was going to say that at least it was free, not often you get something for nothing, but on trying to see what it was all about all I got was a checkerboard effect and only half the details there.

[retiringtype]

I just managed to see enough of it to be convinced that it is NOT the Lilian Hill we are looking for. There are references to her long service etc dated as late as 1939. That one was a Territorial nurse, not a red cross nurse.

I can't find any traces at all of this Frank Charles Hill. Nothing in the International Red Cross PoW records that I can see. At first pass I couldn't see anything in the 1915-1917 army lists either, though I'll take another look. I suppose he could have been Indian army.

[yappie]

Hi Katie
A possible answer to not finding Frank is that his medals were never issued. I noticed on the obituary that he parents were deceased and his wife died shortly after him. My reason for saying this is that my grandfather served in both World Wars. I have a receipt that he received his WW1 medals but could not find any for WW2. Eventually I tracked them down and the reason given was that as he died in 1947 and medals at the time were not issued until 1950 and no family member claimed them. After gathering all the information required they are now safely in my possession. I believe that WW1 medals were not issued until 1920 (I may be wrong). As his immediate family had past there was no one to claim them.
I must add I love the Forum and have learned to much from your replies. Please keep up the good work.
yappie

[Katie]

Thanks for all your input. I am now of the opinion that Captain Frank Charles Hill-MC is another made up soldier. I also checked the Red Cross records and also every other avenue. As to why obituaries and reports of death of Soldiers appeared, I don't know, but I have come across several over the years.

[retiringtype]

The thought had crossed my mind that these apparently fictitious notices were placed in support of some kind of fraud or confidence trick.

[MaryA]

What would somebody gain by doing that?