Hi I'm Biscuitman and i've come on to hopefully find out some more information about my Fathers war. I've got some of his army record information but I'm looking to find out exactly which unit he was in and where he went during the conflict.
Hi Great username - just be sure you dont dunk yourself The only place to start your search is with his service records which are ONLY obtainable from the MOD in Glasgow - forms on this link Request records of deceased service personnel any other subscription web site dont do what they say on the tin Good hunting TD
Thanks.... I've also got a friend called Tricky Dicky! Should have said I'm a Londoner and my father was too, I'm just living in Scotland now. Which forum should I ask general questions on to find out more general info?
Well thats the catch 22 - do you absolutely know which units he was in - if so then possibly start a new thread for him in the units or arm he was in (for example Royal Engineers/RAMC/RASC see WW2Talk) What has happened before though is new members have started searching before obtaining service records only to find their initial search was a waste of time Up to you TD
Hello from soggy (and windy) Scotland - I'd suggest a post in Searching for Someone Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy and include scans of any records/photos/documentation you have and we'll all happily pick out any detail that jumps out to us and help. As suggested getting his full service record is the ideal but it may be possible to make a start on his story - there is an element of luck though in what's available. Good luck
I have his Release Book and his Service and Pay Book which gives me some information and he said he was in the Eighth Army in the desert on the 25 pounders. I think he was at El Alamein but don't know if he went on to Tobruk. I assume he went over to italy. He got the usual medals plus the Africa Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star etc His Army no was 1591509 Rank W/Bdr name Cecil Davies. Like many guys in the war he didn't talk about it much.
Not that it adds much, but findmypast has this from the attestation book If you post scans from his release book and service book they may help, they probably wont give his actual regiment within the Royal Artillery but you never know - his release book might but if it does it will be his unit at discharge which probably wont have been the one he served with during the war
His service records should show all this as it will tell you what units he was in, when he was in them and where they were. Following on from these details you can then zero in on the War Diaries that pertain to him and read what his unit was up to on a daily basis. TD
Hi Looking at his medal sheet, no tick on F&G Star, he got North Africa and Italy, so he was in both of them. regards Robert