1158776 Leonard HORTON, RAF: Service Records help pls

Hi,

I hope everyone in this group had a wonderful Christmas.

I have spent hours and hours trying to find the records of a Leonard Horton. His D.O.B is 17th April 1917 and he was born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. He was my uncle in laws father, and he lost his dad when he was young but found quite a few war medals in his house years later (after his mother also passed) the medals include the Burma Star, the Italy Star, Defence medal and others.

I have searched the internet every where I can think of, but I just can’t seem to find any information regarding his military service and I would love to be able to give my uncle the information he has longed for about his father.

If it helps in 1939 he was married to Priscilla Joan, in Boston. And was still living in Lincolnshire.

Any help would be appreciated so much.
Elysia

 

Elysia,

Apply for his service records.

Get a copy of military records of service

Scott

 

Elysia,

This looks like you are on a long journey. Millions were mobilised in WW2 and your subject was one of them. If he was an Other Rank finding information online is hard. Some maybe available online on paid for sites, but how can you distinguish him?

Slightly amended advice 1) Assemble the basic information, 2) Exhaust family and friends as sources; 3) Start a narrative for the subject's military life; also when not a soldier.

Do you have access to his medals? What are the others? I think it is unusual to have both the Burma Star and Italy Star. Yes, some units switched between the two campaigns. Such as a parachute battalion raised in India, then fought in Italy and missed Arnhem.

Did he have any other first names? Where and when did he die?

Once his service record is available then you can pick up the pace.

 

Can't find Leonard in the 1939 Register (Edit: see below) (Priscilla is and is single) and they were married Q4 1939 (December according to newspapers) there is a possibility that he was already in the services, my first port of call would be their marriage certificate that may give details. You have the details on your family tree.
https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

ps wasn't Leonard born 1914, not 17 as your first post? With that dob was he at Willoughby Road, Boston in 1939, a butcher's assistant, with a name of Jack?

 

If Leonard's father was Walter, who married Ada Medley, and who died in 1976, his newspaper obituary states father of Betty and Jack - was this a nickname?

 

Tony56
davidbfpo

Hello. Thanks for all your comments. Firstly Jack was a nickname, his christian name was Leonard. On official war documents they would have used Leonard rather than Jack wouldn’t they? He had no middle name.

I apologise he was born in 1914, this was a typo error completely my error. I have searched D.O.B 1914 when researching.

1) Assemble the basic information, - I have used the option to look for broad name options on Ancestry and Find My Past so it being up different options

2) Exhaust family and friends as sources; - sadly my uncle in law is the only family to ask

3) Start a narrative for the subject's military life; also when not a soldier. - will try this thank you!

Did he have any other first names? No other than the nickname Jack

Where and when did he die? - he died 11 April 1978 in Lincoln

In terms of medals. My uncle has a large collection and he assumes they were all his fathers but again he isn’t sure. Obviously I’m hoping once I have tracked his war journey I will be able to find his medal index card to cross check. My uncle did have other relatives that fought in WW2 and lost their lives so some of the medals could be theirs. I have attached a photo of all the medals in the collection. (The ones I have crossed out are WWI medals and I have been able to track these down to the correct person).

Thanks again,
Elysia

 

A shortcut might be to look on Forces War Records for WW2 Campaign Medal Application forms.

On the face of it the WW2 medals appear to belong to one person as if it was more than one person I’d expect to see more than one War Medal (unless some medals have been mislaid).

The 3 medals on the left hand side are WW1 campaign medals - Pip, Squeak & Wilfred.

Steve

 

I have Leonard (b 1914) living in Smap Houses, Scrivelsby as a 4-year old in 1921. His father Walter is a chauffeur for a farmer and he has a sister, Betty, born 1920. Image of census return attached FYI.

 

Yes that’s him got this saved in my tree already. Thank you ☺️

 

Hi Steve,
I’ve tried this avenue and had no luck. It’s such a mystery!!

 

On the Africa Star, does the brass bar say 8th Army or 1st Army?

Frank

 

Looking at the amount of text on it I would say it was a North Africa 1942–43 Clasp.

 

It says North Africa 1942-1943

Thanks,
Elysia

 

Hi Elysia,
Based on my own experience, I would apply for their service records. Give as much information during the application as you can, this will help them narrow down their search. Be advised that this can be a really long process. Took a few months for my grandfather's records to come back to me. Another thing to think about is that the records may give you a lot of useful information, or not a lot at all. My other grandfather's records included everything (dental records, health reports, regiment movements etc) where my other grandfather I got just his regiment moves.

 

Hi Elysia,

As you say the, WW2 medal index cards were no help. I've also gone through all the medal cards, no hits for a Lincolnshire address but still a number had the addresses redacted.

The only confirmed medal groups I've ever seen with that combination (incl the North Africa 1942-43 clasp) were to the RAF. I'm not saying other forces couldn't have earned them though. 152 (Hyderabad) Sqn certainly jumps to mind, but I've checked and he's not listed with them.

Do you have a copy of Leonard's death certificate?

Best wishes.
John.

 

Thanks for looking John, I said to my uncle these are an unusual medal combination to have. Just can’t confirm if they are all this yet!

No I don’t have his death certificate. I do have his obituary though. (Margaret was his daughter in law)

Thanks,
Elysia

 

Hi Tom, I think you’re right. I have filled in the application this morning so will see what they come back with. Sounds brilliant you got all that information for your grandad

 

It is the best way to get started. If not already, you can purchase birth and death certificates from the GRO (General Registry Office) for about £3, this may help with your search request.

 

Hopefully, if TNA have a record, they'll confirm they have and even quote you a service number. That's what they've always done with me when I've applied with just a name and date of birth.

Best of luck.
John.

 

I am not sure if it is of much help, however, my father has the same set of medals with the addition of a post war named NZ medal.



He served with the 2nd Battalion Royal Tank Regiment in North Africa and Burma and with 3rd Hussars in Italy. (2 RTR also served in Italy). I think the 7th Hussars were in the same category.
Because he was Royal Armoured Corps, I was able to get a Tracer Card (a very abbreviated Service record) by ap[plying to the Tank Museum Library at Bovington.

He does not have a Medal card that I am aware of, but that is probably because her served after the war and was issued with his medals rather than having to apply for them.
Good luck with your search. Jim