Hello and thank-you for my addition to the group. My grandad James Thomas Holden was a driver during the war.a desert rat.He survived the war and returned home to continue being a coal miner. My great uncle Sapper John Kelly 3653717 170 Tunneling coy Royal Engineers is remembered on the roll of honour at St.Helen's Cemetery. Died 1944 on 20 Feb.I'm very proud of them both and am enjoying my continued research into their military service.
Hi and welcome to the forum If you do not already have their service records then the only official place to obtain them is the MOD - link - Request records of deceased service personnel - GOV.UK UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: John Kelly Given Initials: J Rank: Sapper Death Date: 20 Feb 1944 Number: 3653717 Birth Place: St. Helens Residence: St. Helens Regiment at Enlistment: Royal Artillery Branch at Enlistment: Other Corps Theatre of War: United Kingdom Regiment at Death: Royal Engineers Branch at Death: Other Corps Sapper KELLY, JOHN Service Number 3653717 Died 20/02/1944 Aged 24 170 Tunnelling Coy. Royal Engineers Son of Thomas and Emily Kelly, of St. Helens. Casualty TD
Thank-you..his other 2 brothers Robert and James served and come home and returned to the coal mines.I promised my grand mother 20 years ago when she passed away that we will always remember her brother John . It's took a long time to find him but now He will always be remembered and honoured. It's a picture of him I'm searching for and having no success.
When I applied for my fathers service records via the MOD (link as in post 4) I received along with the papers a photograph of him as he was at enlistment. You never know what you might find if you explore TD
1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION 322 Haydock Lane, Haydock U.D., Lancashire NAME DOB OCCUPATION James T Holden 01 Mar 1911 Coal Mine Day Wage Man Below Edith Holden 17 Feb 1915 Unpaid Domestic Duties
1939 REGISTER TRANSCRIPTION 10 Park Street , St Helens C.B., Lancashire, England NAME DOB OCCUPATION Thomas Kelly 25 Feb 1887 Metal Man Below Ground Emily Kelly 17 Sep 1889 Unpaid Domestic Duties Thomas Kelly 01 Jul 1912 Haulage Below Ground Heavy Worker Robert Kelly 05 Apr 1921 Coal Haggler Surface James Kelly 01 May 1923 Haulage Below Ground Heavy Worker Olive (Frances O) Marsh (Kelly) 10 Feb 1927 At School (4 entries hidden)
Sapper John Kelly has just the one brother now alive.my great uncle George in his mid 80.s I spend as much time as I can with him and he has enjoyed all the information I have had to share with him. I recently asked him does he remember that our town was a closed town.He said he remembers.I said it was because a lot of ammunition was made here.He spoke quietly as if still keeping that secret..even after all these years..He still keeps that secret..
In the cemetery book the family names and address.s are very familiar to me and I walk passed some of the address.s now and remember them soldiers leaving there family homes some return and many did not.