Actualités de l'association l'A.T.B. 14-18 article sur la cérémonie au Laventie Military Cemetery de La Gorgue avec la famille Topliss

Dear editor,

I am trying to find a member of the Phoenix family (or anyone who knows of them), I don't know whether you can help me but I am trying to trace a relative who emigrated from England to Canada - unfortunately date unknown, but I presume sometime in the early 1920’s.

His name is Albert Rowland Phoenix and was born in Fort Belgaum, India on the 27th September 1887. He served in the Royal Navy as a Petty Officer service number 225839. His father (my great grandfather) was Joseph Phoenix and his mother was named Ann. Joseph Phoenix was in The Royal Artillery in the trade of a shoeing smith and served 21+ years in Afghanistan and India.

I believe Joseph and Ann were living either at Louth (Lincolnshire) or in Lincoln itself when Albert Rowland emigrated. The address in Lincoln was number 10, Tennyson Street.

My late grandmother Florence Gertrude Nicholson, nee Phoenix, (Albert's

older sister by some 12 years) attempted to trace him in May 1928. My

grandmother wrote to the British Ministry of Pensions Canadian office in Ottawa from her home at Garage House, Lion Hotel, Roman Bank, Skegness, Lincolnshire. The return letter, file reference 320420, stated that Albert communicated with the Pensions Office on 2nd April 1928 but did not wish to have his address disclosed. The letter was signed by J C Brampton, Ministry Representative.

I am compiling our family tree and have found a mention of Albert in a

census where he was described as having been born in East Arias, India and not as I previously stated although my information is from his certificate of baptism, and also infers that he died in 1932 in York, Canada.

My name is Anthony (Tony) John Topliss of 59, Kingscliffe Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 8ET, England and my Mother was Kathleen Barbara Topliss nee Nicholson (daughter of Florence Gertrude).

If you can give any enlightenment to Albert's whereabouts - any marriage - date of death - family etcetera I would be very grateful.

Yours faithfully and with many thanks,

Tony Topliss

Telephone 0044 476 573212

E-mail address –anthony.topliss@homecall.co.uk

Cet après-midi à 14h30, la famille TOPLISS accompagnée des élus locaux de La Gorgue et Laventie et du Souvenir Français ont rendu hommage au caporal Arthur Topliss et au sergent James Donald Cowie du 2/8th Royal Warwickrshire Régiment tués le 5 septembre 1916.

La cérémonie suit le protocole suivant :

-sonnerie du Last Post

-respect de 2 minutes de silence

-dépôt de gerbes par la commune de La Gorgue et des roses par la nièce du caporal Topliss

-sonnerie du Reveille

-l’Exhortation et l’EpitaphKohima sont récitées par le neveu du caporal Topliss

-prière le « Notre Père »

- les hymnes, le God Save the Queen et la Marseillaise.

-un peu de terre natale est répandue au pied des 2 croix.

-les villes de Laventie et de La Gorgue échangent des cadeaux avec la famille

Après la cérémonie une réunion sympathique s’est tenue autour du verre de l’amitié dans les locaux de la mairie de Laventie

Actualités du mois de septembre 2016