Captain William McCREADIE OBE

q98 · Post by **q98** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:23 am

Is anyone able to assist with locating data regarding the death and burial of my great-uncle Captain William McCREADIE OBE.

Apparently William died in 1963 and was buried in New Cumnock but I have my doubts. There are no family ties to New Cumnock, even today. He was born in Ballantrae in 1886 and lived most of his life in Ardrossan. His wife Annie (m.s. MacDonald) came from Arran.

Would appreciate any assistance. Regards and thanks.

Chris Paton · Post by **Chris Paton** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:17 pm

The Scotland's People website at www.scotlandspeope.gov.uk lists the death of a William McCreadie in 1963 at New Cumnock. You would need to order up the cert from the GROS, or see if someone can do a look up in GROS, as it won't be digitised just yet.

On the OBE, the award was first issued from 1919, and for the first four years, hundreds if not thousands were given out. I donlt know when your man received his, but if you don't know why he received it, you could look up Burke's Handbook to the Most Illustrous Order of the British Empire. There is a copy Glasgow University library. This covered OBEs issued for the first four years, and gives a short biographical entry for each recipient. Beyond that, the Edinburgh Gazette or London Gazette are your best bet - see http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/

Chris

q98 · Post by **q98** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:33 pm

Many thanks Chris for what would appear to be confirmation. I must confess I am at a loss to understand any connection with "New Cumnock". More to discover perhaps?

I located William's medal card at the NA website and it confirms the award which was gazetted in Gazette Issue 36547 published 2 June 1944, page 2 of 16 and 2668 Supplement to the London Gazette, 10 June 1944. I also located an entry for a vessel identified as "Formigny" with "6/44" noted in a column alongside.

Further research revealed "Formigny" was scuttled on 9 June 1944 as part of Gooseberry No 4 at Normandy - AFTER the Award was gazetted.
Ergo, the Award was NOT related to D-Day as the wheels of bureaucracy grind exceedingly slow!

I recall many years ago (now 59 years old) as a boy, my granpa (William's brother Edward) telling me of a convoy from USA to Britain which was attacked by U-boats and the vessel was hit. I always thought it was my granpa's vessel but my research has revealed this not to be the case. My granpa's command was "Empire Celt" (a tanker in ballast) which was torpedoed by U-158 on 24 Feb 1942 sailing in convoy ON-67, Liverpool-Halifax. Now I wonder if the story was not telling of William's vessel.

I have not been able to locate a citation for the OBE, perhaps because it's not online at NA or due to my poor understanding of the NA website.

Long story Chris but thanks again for the information.

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Sat Aug 02, 2008 6:02 pm

Hi Jim,

I had a quick google and didn't find anything specific but found this rather interesting list of war deaths in the area - though as your man died outwith a war he wouldn't qualify for inculsion.
http://www.newcumnock-warmemorials.org.uk/

I did find another site who do paid look ups on MI's from Ayrshire cemeteries.
http://www.ayrshireancestors.co.uk/CemeteryHome.htm

They could be worth a try if you think was actually buried there rather than where family ties are.

Interestingly I was at a wedding last month of a McCreadie!

q98 · Post by **q98** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:23 am

Thanks Wilma for those links. The first one was very interesting; I noted one man who was buried in New Cumnock but had died at Ballochmyle Hospital. I assume that the Hospital isn't too far from New Cumnock or even located IN New Cumnock.

I had located the second website previously but do not know William's date of death much less his burial site. Ah well, more research to get through before the end of our winter.

Thanks again.

Jim