Help with Grandfather's service

Hi my name is Paul and I am new to the forum.

My Grandfather served as a member of the Home Guard between the two Wars, there is a record on Ancestry that shows he signed up in 1928 for 4 years. My question is, would there be more records available at the MOD if I pay the £30 for a search there, any help appreciated.

 

There was no Home Guard between the wars. Perhaps if you can supply a little more detail someone here may be able to point you in the real direction

 

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

Can you expand on the information you quote from Ancestry please?

Do you mean he served in the Territorial Army got four years?

Steve

 

Hi Steve

According to the record his number was 764306 and he attested on 26.6.1928 in Grays Essex his name was Horace Frank Chiddicks it also says he enlisted for 4 years

 

Yes it was territorial army

 

The army number: 764306 indicates that the soldier's original unit or date joined was:



"Royal Artillery (Field, Coastal & Anti-Aircraft) 1"

http://www.corpsofmilitarypolice.org/tools/armynumber?query=764306

 

Brilliant thanks so the chances are the MOD will have a service record for him.

 

Thanks for the information. They don’t usually have post 1920 service files on Ancestry (I know there are the odd exceptions but they are usually men who had pre 1920 service and had re enlisted).

Have you searched backwards from the “start page” on the Ancestry file as you may find more papers (I found 20+ more pages on a relatives WW1 file) for previous service.

Findmypast has the copy Royal Artillery Attestation books. If he re enlisted under his RA number for WW2 it should be shown. Hopefully a kind member may attach a copy.

If he didn’t disclose his prior TA service if/when he re enlisted/was conscripted during WW2 he would’ve been issued a new army service number - same if he joined RAF or Navy.

Are their any family stories suggesting he did actually serve during WW2?

My understanding from other posts on the forum is that MOD will return the fee if no record is found - although in your case they will likely turn up the TA service you mention in their search.

Steve

 

I assume this response was regards to the post above it?

If so it is not saying there is a WW2 record at MOD.

it just confirms that his number was in the block commenced in 1920 for Royal Artillery.

Steve

 

Thanks everyone for the info
Apologies Steve the image I have is from find my past not Ancestry. There are no family stories regarding and actual service in WW2, all I have is the FMP review from 1928. I am just concerned whether there is likely to be any additional records or not, but I guess I’m not going to know unless I pay the £30

 

Hi,

So if you have his RA attestation record from FMP then MOD will have his service recorded in a file under the number quoted.

If he only served TA 1928/32 it will be quite a slim volume.

If he re-enlisted WW2 his additional wartime service may be recorded in the same papers but if not MOD should also turn up further service by ignoring his army number and checking on his DOB only if you make it clear you are a) unsure if he served WW2 and/or B) unsure whether if he served WW2 it was under his previous TA number or a new army number.

Good Luck

Steve

 

Thanks Steve much appreciated that gives me enough confidence to see what they have at the MOD. There might not be a lot of info but I’m hopeful that there is something more in his file. I will let you know how I get on, thanks again

 

Hope this helps.
Graham.

 

Click on the image to expand.(sorry not a very good scan) best I could do.
Graham.

 

Thanks Graham that’s brilliant and definitely the right person thank you