Can you help Uncle, old soldier aged 99? 14746425 Lance Corporal Eric Harold NEILSON, RAOC

. Uncle Eric cannot remember his war. Can you help? Eric Neilson is front row, right, kneeling. We think photograph was taken serving with Royal Corps of Transport, Egypt, circa 1944/45.Hope you can help? Eric comes from Liverpool, his brother Tommy was a stretcher bearer

 

Royal Corps of Transport wasn't formed until 1965 so it won't be them in 44/45.

 

would it not be an idea if he is still alive for someone to apply for his serice records?

is this him born March 1926
NEILSON, ERIC HAROLD
GRO Reference: 1926 M Quarter in LIVERPOOL Volume 08B Page 593

 

cheers. seeing Eric tomorrow, will chat some more. He did drive and repair heavy vehicles.

 

From what you mention it is most likely he served with the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), although the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) formed up on 1st October 1942. Keep us posted on your findings!

Bruneval

 

I applied recently for my cousins husbands records and they came back within 6 weeks - so I would suggest you get him to apply immediately for his service records - even if you fill in the forms etc but have him sign them

 

Thanks for feedback. Sounds if it could be REME and will check his army records as suggested. We had to see Eric, via a pod as visitors were not allowed into the nursing home today. Eric recognised himself in the photograph but not the names of the others. He did remember Italian pows and locals pinching bits from Army vehicles and their engines. Some nights he had to sleep in his lorry as a result. Eric's long term memory is better than the short term, otherwise he is in good shape for a man of his age approaching 100. Thanks again for the interest. Incidentally, I once knew a VC holder who could not remember much of his war in old age. I ended up telling him about it.

 

He is Eric Harold Neilson, nursing home just checked its rercords.

 

My Uncle Eric Neilson is 99 and in a nursing home but cannot remember his war. We want to celebrate VE Day with him. All I know is that he served with the British Army in the Far East and had something to do with transport. He once spoke about working with Italian p.o.w.s Eric Neilson was born in Liverpool, a life time resident until moving over the Mersey to Wirral in later life. His army record is sought. He is pictured front row right with hand on chin.

 

Can you share is full name plus date and place of birth. It helps searches for him.
I have not found his birth in 1924/25 in the GRO indexes

Robin

 

Eric (Albert I think) born Liverpool St Patrick's Day Wednesday March 17 1926

 

Eric looks a picture of health but has no memories, except one brief moment in recent times about his father's WW1 service . Eric went abroad towards the end of the war

 

The 1939 register gives his full name as Eric Harrold (could be Harold) Neilson and his date of birth as 17th March 1926. He was born in Liverpool according to the records.

 

I have asked the Moderators to merge this thread with your 2021 thread: Help Uncle Eric 96 remember his war

Checked TNA and he is not recorded by them. That may mean his Service Record is either with the MoD still or is like thousands of others being processed.

I assume you have not requested his Service Records: Get a copy of military records of service You do not need his Service Number, though that helps.

 

Could this be Eric, same date of birth?

14746425 Lance Corporal Eric Harold NEILSON Royal Army Ordnance Corps
17th March 1926
Residing 52 Serpentine Road Wallasey Merseyside L44 Oay (address on medal card from 1997)
Discharged from the Army 1st January 1948

1939 Register
Residing 11 Wavertree Vale, Liverpool, Liverpool C.B., Lancashire, England

Albert E Neilson 11 Sep 1896 Male Tinsmith & Plumber Married
Elizabeth A Neilson 26 Oct 1887 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married
Thomas K Neilson 01 Jan 1920 Male Railway Bricklayer Apparti Single
Lilly ? Bird (Neilson) 04 Jul 1921 Female Saleswoman Boots & Shoes Single
Eric Harold Neilson 17 Mar 1926 Male At School

 

Thanks GUY(s)! You have made an old man happy and that is me and my Uncle Eric pp. Lily Neilson, nee Bird, my mother. Thomas was Eric's brother and a stretcher bearer during the war. Can now doing something for Uncle Eric on VE Day because of WW11 Talk members

 

Shame someone didn't apply for his records on his behalf back in 2021.

It'd been free as they were his own .

 

His war medal card is on Ancestry sorry I can't download the proper one as I don't have the subscription, hopefully someone can for you.

 

As his medal card shows no qualification for the Africa Star it looks like he arrived in North Africa after the final Africa Star qualifying date of 12 May 1943.
Africa Star - Wikipedia

His service number is from the block (14000000 onwards) allocated to the General Service Corps. From July 1942 almost all other rank army recruits did their basic training in this corps before being allocated to their next regiment or corps for further training. To give an idea of when he joined the GSC here are the two closest numbers to Eric's I could find in the Royal Artillery Tracer cards. This does not imply that Eric was at any time in the R.A.
14746437 joined 18.4.1944
14746494 joined 18.4.1944

His service number does not appear in the British Army Casualty lists for 1939-1945 & I can't see a mention of the family in the index of the British Newspaper Archive for 1940-1949.


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