CSMBE

[Kate]

Hello,
I have a relation who had these letters after his name on his grave.
He was buried in 1918. In 1911 he was a second division clerk in the civil service. I have not found any evidence that he went to war, so wondered if he had been in a reserved occupation.He was 31 when he died 'suddenly'.
Could anyone suggest what the letters stood for, please?

 

[peter]

Could it be a Civil Service MBE? King George V instituted the MBE in 1917.

 

[Kate]

That crossed my mind and I looked on the Times archive but did not find him. However, I may not have looked properly so will check again as you had that idea. Thank you.

 

[Kate]

I have had a look and cannot find him or the meaning of those initials.
Any other ideas welcome. Thank you.

 

[peter]

I have had a look and cannot find him or the meaning of those initials.
Any other ideas welcome. Thank you.

Can you confirm precisely how the letters were written - do you have a photo?

For example, might it be "C.S. M.B.E." or "C.S.M. B.E"? (C.S.M. usually stands for Company Sergeant Major.)

 

[Kate]

I have not been able to upload the photo of the grave as there is an error when I try. The photo is from findagrave and the transcription said C.S.M.B.E although I am less sure abut the B now I have looked again. Maybe it is something else! The letters look equally spaced.
Thanks for your CSM suggestion.
I always believe I will get a solution in the end!

 

[Tim]

What is the error you are getting Kate?

 

[Kate]

It just says there was a problem uploading my file. I am sure it is my fault somehow as i am not the best person on computers!

 

[Tim]

It just says there was a problem uploading my file. I am sure it is my fault somehow as i am not the best person on computers!

Do you want to try it again?

 

[Bob Spiers]

I have saved one or two images from Find A Grave and right clicking on the image and selecting 'Save picture as' (sometimes Save image as) from the drop-down list with a left click will open the default folder where the image can be saved. I invariably replace the image identification code with a name of my choice so that it can be easily found later. If you have not set up a folder for such saved images, then note the default folder (usually Downloads) as you save the picture.

 

[Kate]

Hi
I don't have a problem down loading it, just getting it on here. It still won't work.

 

[peter]

Hi
I don't have a problem down loading it, just getting it on here. It still won't work.

Perhaps it's too large? The size limit is 1200 by 1200 pixels, and the maximum file size is 1mb.

If the picture/file is too big you can easily reduce the size using Irfanview.

 

[Kate]

I will look at that as I have never used it, thank you.

 

[Kate]

Thank you. It must have been too big! Hopefully it is now visible.

 

[Bob Spiers]

Looking at the grave stone picture might the lettering be: C.S. M.O.L? (I believe there is a small gap after the 'S'). Might this have been a way of portraying him as a Civil Servant, employed in the Ministry of Labour? The Ministry of Labour only came into being in 1916, taking over from the Board of Trade. Just a best guess really!

 

[Heather]

Looking at the gravestone picture, I agree with Bob that there seems to be more of a gap between the S and the M than is between the other letters, but as to what the letters stand for ??????

 

[Kate]

It's a possibility.

 

[Kate]

Thanks for your comments. Like a lot of other things...I may find out one day!

 

[Pauline]

I looked on the Times archive but did not find him.

Names of people appointed MBE were posted in the London Gazette. There is a Herbert Stanley Gray listed in June 1918, giving him as being in the War Trade Department - so a civil servant. Could this be your man?

 

[Kate]

Hello, I just came back to this post and was surprised to see the reply I thought I had made was not here.
Sorry, I must have failed to press something.
Yes this is my man and I have gathered some info on him from the Gazette.
Thanks very much for your help.