Family Research

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Mrs Daffy, Feb 29, 2012.

  1. Mrs Daffy

    Mrs Daffy Junior Member

    Hi, new here, and not very good with computers, so apologies in advance if i get things wrong! Doing research on my maternal grandparents who both served in WW2. Have hit a few stumbling blocks so i thought i would ask the experts, as getting service records from the army may not be possible for me to do due to adoption laws. Any help would be greatly appreciated, especially explanations as regards the MM and Liberation of Norways medals. Thankyou.
     
  2. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    Hi, and welcome to the forum.
    Next of kin can apply for service records, so adoption shouldn't be a problem?
    The MM (Military Medal?) sounds interesting. I'm not sure how to proceed from here, but there's lots of people on here who are willing to help and I'm sure they'll be along soon to offer advice.
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hello...Whats the chaps name who got the MM? I'll see if there is a citation available for you.

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  4. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    Hi & welcome.

    If you can give the name of the person who won the MM, it is possible to look it up. If it is found, it would give the unit name, service record number and might lead to other information.

    Cheers - Rob
     
  5. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    Mrs Daffy. Welcome.

    I have found the more information that ones posts about the person being researched the more the members here are able to jump on board and assist with your research.

    Good luck with yours.

    Mark
     
  6. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Welcome to the forum

    Lesley
     
  7. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    Hi Mrs Duffy and welcome to WW2Talk.
    As has already been said the more information you can provide about your grandparents the better the chance of assistance.
    This link:
    service records army
    will tell you everything about applying for service records.
    Good luck,

    Mike
     
  8. Mrs Daffy

    Mrs Daffy Junior Member

    Thankyou for all the replies! You all asked for info, so here goes.
    Private John L McDermott, inlisted 1936 Kings Own Royal Regiment, served in 1st and 2nd Battalions in Palastine and Iraq, MM 1941 for gallantry, CMP, unsure where he served exactly, just have a Liberation of Norway cert. which says L/Cpl J McDermott CMP. Service no. 3711502. Don't know when he was born or died sorry, or where - only know some of this thanks to the museum in Lancasters curator.
    Private Vivien Hall, service no W/173241, served overseas august 1944 to november 1944, would love to know where and what she was doing as i can't ask her due to advanced dementia. Hope this helps.
     
  9. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  10. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Name McDermott, John
    Rank: Private
    Service No: 3711502
    Regiment: The King's Own Royal Regiment
    Theatre of Combat or Operation: Middle East (Syria, Iraq and Iran)
    Award: Military Medal
    Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 19 August 1941
    Date 1941-1943
    Catalogue reference WO 373/27
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Thanks Di, I suspect if more time was taken with the citation he may have got that DCM.
     
  12. Mrs Daffy

    Mrs Daffy Junior Member

    Thankyou everyone, pity they didn't follow the DCM recommendation, but hey, thats life. Does anyone have any idea where he went after Basra please? Or about my grandmother abroad?
     
  13. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    Mrs Daffy,

    Found this on Ancestry in UK, Military Campaign Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1949 :

    Name:J Mcdermott
    Campaign or Service:Palestine
    Service Date:1936-1939
    Service Location:Palestine
    Regiment or Unit Name:The King's Own Royal Regiment
    Regimental Number:3711502

    [​IMG]

    From the record a Duplicate was issued to him in 1976, Is it possible there was a name change between the medal's issue and 1976? This I believe is suggested by the "now* Crowder" note.

    Do you have a maiden name for his mother?

    Mark
     
    dbf likes this.
  14. Mrs Daffy

    Mrs Daffy Junior Member

    Hi Mark, the name Crowder rings a huge bell in a solicitors letter to my nan regarding maintenance, haven't a clue what his mothers maiden name was as i don't have any idea when or where he was born! Will have to do some more research i guess, thankyou, Izzy.
     
  15. Mrs Daffy

    Mrs Daffy Junior Member

    Mark, thanks to you and the other members i may now be a step closer to uncovering more about my grandfather, i know the first half of the war to 1942 when he joined the CMP, just need to find that half now! The Crowder clue was a big help, thankyou, Izzy
     
  16. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Welcome to the forum


    Cheers
    Paul
     
  17. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Hello and welcome to the forum.

    Good luck with your research.

    Regards
    Tom
     
  18. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Izzy, as he enlisted in 1936 i suspect that the Kings own was his local regiment, and therefore i would say that he was a Lancashire Man.

    Do you have any further details.

    What was his wifes name, his childrens names etc, as all this will help dig up some of his past

    P
     
  19. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Izzy, here are the details your your grandparents marriage Cert.

    Name: John L Mcdermott
    Spouse Surname: Hall
    Date of registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1944
    Registration district: Westminster
    Inferred County: Middlesex
    Volume Number: 1a
    Page Number: 930

    Name: Vivien M Hall
    Spouse Surname: Mcdermott
    Date of registration: Oct-Nov-Dec 1944
    Registration district: Westminster
    Inferred County: Middlesex
    Volume Number: 1a
    Page Number: 930

    Ordering this wil tell you how old both where when they married , and where they where living. This will help trace further details such as where both where born

    P
     
  20. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Izzy, when the award was gazetted, it states that your grandfather was from Blackpool

    No. 3711502 Private John McDermott, The
    King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
    (Blackpool).

    http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/issues/35250/supplements/4788/page.pdf

    This would then possibly be his birth record

    Name: John L Mcdermott
    Mother's Maiden Surname: Coxall
    Date of registration: Jul-Aug-Sep 1920
    Registration district: Fylde
    Inferred County: Lancashire
    Volume Number: 8e
    Page Number: 1116
     

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