925382 Gunner Emrys MEEK, Light Anti Aircraft, Royal Artillery

Discussion in 'Royal Artillery' started by Sparklelady20, Oct 27, 2020.

  1. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    Good afternoon, I new to this and would appreciate any help finding out where my grandad's spent their time in the war.

    Here's what I know so far, if anyone could fill in the gaps I'd be really grateful.

    Emrys Meek
    925382
    Royal Artillery Light Anti Aircraft. Despite having paperwork, I do not know what regiment he was in.
    Joined Up 6th September 1939 in Luton
    He qualified as a motor mechanic in the army and I have his training record book which shows he passed his army driving test in 1942 and had various other mechanic courses between January 1942 and September 1943. I'd like to know where he would have been located for these courses.
    I also know that on the 1st January 1943 he was in Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. I'd like to know what his regiment were involved in whilst there. After that he disappears for a while and then I know he was in Scharnhorst Barracks in Germany in 1945, and also Falkenburg DP camp in September that year. Last known location before being demobbed was Dusseldorf in 1946. His discharge papers are stamped Strenshall 30th May 1946.
    I'd love to fill in the missing gaps and know a bit about what if any action he might have seen. Any help gratefully received.
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hello and welcome to the forum.

    I'm only guessing but perhaps you haven't got copy service records from MOD?
    Request records of deceased service personnel

    Those would be the best help for research. Would you be able to take a photo of what you do have and upload it to the thread? That way if there's anything at all to be gleaned from the paperwork you have, someone here can pick up on it.

    Good luck with research
     
  3. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    A supplement to dbf's post.

    Welcome aboard. Others may come along and help. Always apply for his Service Record, even if the turnaround is reported as a year plus now. See: Get a copy of military service records Upload the records here once you've obtained them and then the forum can get to work on them.

    Please do not pay for any site on the internet who promise you his service records they will not have them, and you would have wasted your money.

    Adding what you have already found can help, saves others from duplication. A Date of Birth and a Service Number help, though the experts here can surmount that gap.

    I have noted the 'Other Ranks' rarely feature in Google searches unless they have been awarded gallantry medals or written their memoirs.

    Searching Google will sometimes bring you back here. The site’s search engine is rather simple; two examples 53rd will bring back all mentions of 53rd; an Army unit can have after 53rd an additional official name, in one case 53rd (Bolton). You must be agile and keep going.

    War diaries can contain almost anything. At the very least, they give the daily movements and most important actions of every unit. They may also contain information on casualties, message logs, rolls of officers (but not O.R.'s), maps, orders, and much else. They are available at the PRO to everyone. Drew5233 and some others are willing to scan them for the benefit of those who cannot get to the National Archives at Kew.

    It depends of course how much you want to know, just one battle or campaign for an example.

    Please come back and tell us what you found. Scanning threads it is clear some discover the site years after your posts and add their information or request help. Good luck.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2020
  4. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    Thank you for the advice, the service number is included but the date of birth is not, as I'm new I'm not sure how to update my post. I did try to upload a couple of pictures of the paperwork I have but it said the file was too big.

    I'm grateful for any help you can give.
     
  5. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    You are right I have not asked for records yet. I only discovered your site recently and didn't know I could get them. I have read that I should ask for the FULL records and not the summary is this correct? I did try to upload pictures of the paperwork I have but the file was too big.

    Any help is gratefully received.
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Resize your images so they are less than 2MB each.
    I usually do it so the longest side is about 1000 pixels.
     
  7. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    This is his Royal Artillery tracer card on ancestry (just one comment on the back of card)

    Screen Shot 2020-10-27 at 16.57.49.png
     

    Attached Files:

    dbf likes this.
  8. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Sparklelady,

    You refer to Torshavn, Faroe islands - these Danish islands were occupied in WW2, not the first time either - the Uk went there in 1808. See: Tórshavn - Wikipedia and the RN arrived 12th April 1940, Denmark having fallen two days before and troops left in September 1945. See: British occupation of the Faroe Islands - Wikipedia More details here: http://www.ww2.fo/links/British_Occupation_WW2_PDF.pdf and a previous thread here: Searching for soldier

    I note two naval 5.5" guns were brought ashore and installed in the fort near Torshavn. Just perhaps they had Royal Artillery crews? See: HMS Furious (47) - Wikipedia The guns are not the same as the 5.5" gun the Army used and these naval guns turned up elsewhere for coastal defence. See: BL 5.5-inch Mk I naval gun - Wikipedia

    A National Archives record indicates that for 1941 July - 1943 Jan 56 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery was deployed there. It is not a digital record: FAROE ISLANDS: Royal Artillery: 56 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery (LAA Bty). | The National Archives

    A previous thread here on this battery: 56th Light A.A Regiment R.A (T.A)

    It would appear that your subject left 56 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery or Regiment as Google hits indicate served in North Africa and Italy.

    Other Royal Artillery units were there, for coastal defence and anti-aircraft. For one anti-aircraft unit is was not quiet:
    From: 93rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia
     
  9. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    Thank you. Are you saying he was in 56th light AA battery or regiment or is this just a possibility? The data I provided I know for sure is correct as I have pictures with his writing on saying where they were taken. I will try tomorrow to upload some.
     
  10. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    Thank you, how do I see the back? It’s funny as I tried ancestry first and couldn’t find anything on him at all, just the usual birth, death electoral roll etc.
     
  11. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    It is Strensall rather than Strenshall. Strensall was, and still is, an Army barracks on th3 north eastern outskirts of a York.

    F
     
  12. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    Thank you I did miss read it.
     
  13. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Me again ! This is from the Honourable Artillery record cards, as you see it gives another three regiments, afraid my advice must be the same, only his service records will give an accurate timeline.
    Meek.jpg
     
  14. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    Thank you still more info than I had. The unusual name makes this one easier especially as I have his discharge papers and pay book.
    I will apply for records though. Do I ask for full diaries? What is best to order as I know there’s a charge.
     
  15. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    You need to start with his full service records, these are only available from the MOD:
    Get a copy of military service records

    These should give the units and dates allowing you to draw up a timeline of his service. Armed with this you will need to hunt down war diaries for the units/dates as applicable or look out for regiment histories etc. Diaries are the second stage and are held at The National Archives at Kew, once you know what you are looking for you may be in luck and find some posted on this forum or elsewhere, if not there are folks around here who offer to copy them for a reasonable charge. Unfortunately the strange world that we are living in makes all this sort of thing a lot more difficult.
     
  16. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    When you get the records they will confirm which unit he was with. Once you know that you will know which war diaries you will require. The war diaries are held at the National Archives at Kew. A couple of members on this site offer a copy service however with the current climate this will take longer than usual. Their rates are very reasonable


    Regards
    Clive
     
  17. Sparklelady20

    Sparklelady20 Member

    Many thanks for the advice I will get onto it.
     
  18. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    All that was on the back of the card is on that little screenshot below the image of the front.
     

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