Arthur Leonard Folks 5104485 8th Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Can anyone help please with the details of my Great Uncle Arthur Leonard Folks. He was born 8th Oct 1909 in Birmingham. I've looked for any record but found nought. not even his medal index card. see the 1939 register attached, living at 161 James Turner Street, Winson Green, Birmingham,
Phil

 

You need to obtain his service records which are only available from the MOD, the forms etc are in this link - Get a copy of military service records

You will need a copy death certificate
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Arthur Leonard Folks
Death Age: 74
Birth Date: 8 Oct 1909
Registration Date: Jun 1984
Registration District: Birmingham
Inferred County: Warwickshire
Volume: 32
Page: 1504
Obtainable from Order a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership certificate

Possible the medal index cards you mention are the WW1 rolls - dont recall there being a WW2 version

Do not use any pay sites as they do not hold WW2 soldiers records (whatever the enticing title of the site says)

 

Thanks Tricky Dicky, my mistake, I've been on the "great war forum" the last few days searching for other relatives and forgot there is very little available when switching to WW2.
Phil

 

So he is shown in the 1939 census as a Private 5104485 in the 8th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
married, aged 30 (not a young man in infantry terms).
I mention his age as many TA Regiments were over strength in 1939 so kept the older men for either Administration or Instructors, staying back in Home HQ rather than going to France. The more experienced men were also selected to go home from Dunkirk first, to be available to organise and train those who eventually got back.

You might find out more as to what they did but not necessarily where your Gt Uncle went, so his Service Record is paramount.
Unless of course you have letters or stories in the family.

BBC - WW2 People's War - Dunkirk: A Unique Story of the Evacuation - Royal Warwickshire Regiment
BBC - WW2 People's War - Brief account of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in WW2
Royal Warwickshire Regiment - Wikipedia

The Army Number comes up as Foulkes Arthur Leonard 5104485 in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment According to CWGC but no record of death.
Not seen that before.
Does your thread title have a typing error.

 

Thanks Uncle Target, all suggestions are welcome. I already have some war diaries of the 8th R.W.R because I have another Uncle who was killed in action with his brother-in-law on the 21st May 1940, they were both killed trying to hold the enemy on the line of the Scheldt at Calonne. They were Harold Leslie Webb and Frank Tranter of D company. R.I.P.
I was wondering if Arthur Folks might have been in the same engagement.
Phil

 

I'm afraid that I have very limited resources in general but have access to a terrific amount of knowledge and information from others related to the 67th Field Regt RA (TA).
Being from Worcestershire, they were part of the 48th Infantry Division until they got to France with the BEF then transferred to the 1st Infantry Division.
They were tasked with getting back to Dunkirk, which they did in a fighting withdrawal to defend the beaches while everyone that could got out.
I have read a bit about the 48th Divisions activities in the BEF and spoken to several veterans of the Warwick's over the years as I live in Tamworth Staffs.
The 48th Infantry Division trained in Wiltshire prior to going to France with the BEF. The same villages were later used by the American 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment part of which was Easy Company "Band of Brothers".
They are just beginning to research the British Forces who also trained there.

Overpaid, oversexed, and under Aldbourne? Digging D-Day’s ‘Band of Brothers’ - Current Archaeology

Ramsbury at War

 

Hello Uncle Target, I'm puzzled by this, there's no typing error but I have seen other spellings of this surname, What's more puzzling is why would he appear on CWGC website when he wasn't killed, he died in 1984 aged 74. Could you send me a link to where you found this please?
Phil

You might be interested in this thread, I think it was my first on this site..

8th Bn, Royal Warwickshire Regiment - Dunkirk veteran's lost grave.

 

Search Results | CWGC

NO SEARCH RESULTS

Service Number: 5104485

So I am confused as well

 

there is a confusion in a post he is not on CWGC
his army number is Royal Warwicks

you said his name is Folks not Foulkes and died in 1984 this is him
FOLKS ARTHUR LEONARD 8OC1909 BIRMINGHAM 32 1504

apply for his service records as suggested by TD
you will get false trails if you dont

regards
Clive

 

I was visiting the CWGC site and out of curiosity keyed in his name and army number when to my surprise the name Foulks A L cropped up. No records of death, burial or anything. It said quite clearly No Records
I assumed it was a new feature and a possible way of finding names against numbers so mentioned it to you guys as I wasn't sure. Perhaps it was a trick of the internet but agree that it was extremely odd.
A it worrying maybe.
Perhaps you would like to have a go CWGC Find War Dead.

 

op is looking for is Folkswho died in 1984 not Foulkes

only one on CWGC is WW1 casualty

 

Phil just to recap

Apply for his service records link provided by TD but here again Get a copy of military service records
A fourm member on this site offers copy service for war diaries at Kew for a reasonable fee
PsyWar.Org

regards
Clive

 

Apologies gentlemen Pilot Error it comes up with highlighted alternative spellings. Cant remember that happening before some sort of improvement I guess.
Or old age at turbo speed.

 

no apology required mate we all make a few me more than most

 

No one makes more mistakes than me, "measure it twice cut once".

Looks like the only way forward is to apply for his service record, thanks to all.
Phil

 

All I can add is he enlisted pre-Feb 1938 and I'd say a fair bit before (5,110,225 enlisted 8/2/38 so he was 5,740 recruits earlier in the Warwick's)

 

Phil please keep us updated on your search

regards
Clive