Help with a Deceased POW's Name

[Chris Grimshaw]

Afternoon Team

I attach sans of a cover into a POW held in Turkey, Changia?  originating from Grindlay & Co, London,

Censored prior to dispatch, London Paid OCT 30  8? in red  London S. W. cancel 27 Feb 8 and on reverse R.E. POSTAL SECTION R.L.S, 8 May 19

Endorsed 'Decede'  and framed cachet UNABLE TO DELIVER FOR REASONS STATED / RETURN TO SENDER. 

Oval cachet M.A.3 / C48 

Cover certainly got to Turkey as shown by the Boxed Turkish Hand-stamp. Where the  DECEDE RETOUR Label applied. 

I cannot read the addresses name however Help appreciated Major R.B. Cotton? 

Timeline I think is,

London S.W. 27 Feb 19 first dispatch,

London Paid Oct 30 18 received back in London. There's a trace of a second London Paid in top right corner, unreadable, probably the same date. 

Released by the RLO 8 May 19

The only Major Cotton I can find is a H.J. Cotton listed as Died Page 182 from Cox & Co Records He's one of 4 Cotton's listed and the only Major.

Of course I may be mis-reading the handwriting :)

Chris

[Howard Weinert]

Chris,

Definitely not Cotton. Looks like Major R. D. de la Com Corbett.
Strange name!

[Chris Grimshaw]

Howard, You're a 'Genius'  Appreciated

Took some further searching but finally found him.

See below

Cannot yet find when he was attached to the RFC.  Cox & Co Records show him as Captain R.D. CORBETT, 48th Pioneers

"Name: The Ousel VOL XII No 511 28 March 1918

Reference: Bedford School Archives

Title: Obituary of Reginald David de la Cour Corbett

Description: Major R. D. de la Cour Corbett, Indian Infantry, attached R.F.C., who was born in 1881, was the elder son of the late Colonel R. de la Cour Corbett, D.S.O., R.A.M.C, and Mrs. de la Cour Corbett, of 13, Goldington Road, Bedford, and was educated at Bedford and Sandhurst. In 1901 he was gazetted to the Royal Irish Rifles and served through the South African War. In 1904 he transferred to the Indian Army and was gazetted to the 48th Pioneers, and in 1908 he was sent on famine duty in the Utroula District. When war broke out he went to Mesopotamia in November, 1914. He was besieged for five months in Kut, and was taken prisoner at the fall of that garrison and sent to Kastamouni, in Asia Minor. He was mentioned in dispatches in May, 1916. The camp at Kastamouni was broken up in October, 1917. and the prisoners marched to Changri, where he died on Christmas Day of rupture of the heart due to strain. —Times."

A little more, Full name was Reginald David De La C Corbett. Originally buried at Changi Cemetery, exhumed after the war by CWGC and re-interned at Baghdad North Gate Cemetery,  Buried in the same plot as crew members of Submarine AE 2 


Chris