Hi Everyone, My grandfather's brother, Sidney James Howney served at home with the Royal Artillery during 1943-45. I finally received his service records this week after a 8 month wait! The records are fairly straight forward although he was medically discharged in April 1945 and sadly died a few months later in August. I have a service summary with units and dates and wondered if any flesh could be added to these entries; locations of units etc. Any assistance gratefully received. Service Summary 13th PTC on enlistment (06/05/1943). 227 AA Royal Artillery (17/06/1943). 12 HAA Regiment (11/11/1943). 177 HAA Regiment (21/05/1944). 211 HAA (Mobile) T/Regt. (25/05/1944). Y List B (13/07/1944). 211 HAA (Mobile) T/Regt. (24/11/1944). E Battery Depot (01/12/1944). 8th Reserve Regiment (11/01/1945). Y List B (08/02/1945).
Steve, It looks like he was sent for driver training : 227 A.A. Driver Training Regiment, Royal Artillery at Kimnel Park Camp, North Wales
Thanks Guy, absolutely spot on there, Sid became a Driver/Mechanic before something went wrong for him in late 1944, when he was downgraded to Medical Category C2--30% disability. The family have always thought that he died in a road traffic accident in his home town of Willesden, London. He is remembered in his local cemetery.
From a family tree [there are 5 in total] Sidney James Hawney/Howney 1910–1945 BIRTH ABT 1910 • London, United Kingdom DEATH 28 AUGUST 1945 • London, London, England Birth 10/11/1910 london Death 28/08/1945 London London England Father charles hawney (1878-1942) Mother margaret goodenus (1878-1937) Spouse eva edith fabray (1913-1994) UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current Name: Sidney James Howney Death Date: 27 Aug 1945 Cemetery: Willesden New Cemetery Burial or Cremation Place: Willesden, London Borough of Brent, Greater London, England Has Bio?: N England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: Sidney J Howney Death Age: 34 Birth Date: abt 1911 Registration Date: Jul 1945 [Aug 1945] [Sep 1945] Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep Registration district: Chelsea Inferred County: London Volume: 1a Page: 276 TD
There are at least 5 family trees that he appears in, having said that some people have multiple trees - I know I have TD
I have the panel which I photographed at the cemetery. Gunner HOWNEY, SIDNEY JAMES Service Number 14599422 Died 27/08/1945 Aged 34 8 Reserve Regt. Royal Artillery Son of Charles and Margaret Howney; husband of Eva Edith Florence Howney, of Willesden. Buried at WILLESDEN NEW CEMETERY Location: Middlesex, United Kingdom Number of casualties: 257 Cemetery/memorial reference: Screen Wall. X. 541
Hi Not service, but Ancestry has electoral registers for him from 1933 in Willesden East England, 1939 register and his probate records. You could apply for his death certificate to see what he died from, as noted by TD. For the different regiments he was in you could get someone to get the war diaries from NA- Here are 12 HAA records for example - Search results: 12 AND HAA AND Regiment | The National Archives you would need to just pick the right one for the dates he was in it. regards Robert
Thanks Robert. I'm going to chase the various diaries when I next get to Kew. I still have a family contact for one of my grandfather's other brothers, so all is not lost for an explanation of Sid's demise. Steve
