Hi, my name is Sophie and i am looking into my great grandfather, Sidney Hawkins. My mother and I have looked everywhere and we can't find any records. His daughter is desperate for some answers. She has his service number but when we put this into records it doesn't come up. She has a photo of him in a navy uniform however, he wasn't in the navy, he was in the RAF and he went to board with a family in Weston-Super-Mare. Can anybody help. Thanks Sophie
Hi Sophie Welcome The one and ONLY place to find military service records for WW2 is from the MOD - here is the link - Request records of deceased service personnel Download the general forms and in your case the RAF specific ones, you will need a copy detah certificate, his service number will help but is not vital Good luck TD
Welcome Sophie and good luck with your research. As TD says, get his service records, these should give you the full picture. Unlike WW1 there are very limited records available so you should start there. Having said that some members around here do have access to some, so, if you care to post his service number, full name, dates you never know your luck.
Are you sure he was RAF and not Fleet Air Arm? This might explain the photo. Many Fleet Air Arm personnel were often attached to the RAF. The Service or Official number will clear this up. Tim
Can you quote us the service number and his full name, i.e., did he have a middle name. Is the service number all numbers or is there letters in it?
We are looking for his service number at the moment. Sidney Hawkins is his full name and he didn't have a middle name. He was born and lived in Bedford in 1916. He went to Aden so serve and we know he was in the military police and lodged in Weston-Super-Mare which we know is correct as the family wrote to his wife.
To obtain his service records you DO NOT need his service number - it is useful but not vital - see post no 2 TD
I think that we know he was a Corporal. Have you got the marriage certificate - there is a chance that his service number and regiment are mentioned. Small chance but you never know, it was not uncommon, my father was married during the war and his number and regiment are quoted. Following from Bedfordshire Times and Standard 03 July 1953
Sidney Hawkins might have been voluntary transferred from the RN to the RAF.Such transfers were available during the war and to present day.The RAF service number would be appropriate to such a transfer,ie,indicating that an airman had previous service with the RN. A wild card......Weston Super Mare lodging...rank Corporal which is the minimum rank for an airman serving in the RAF Police......known as Station Police (SP) on RAF units.The other link is that just outside Weston was one of the RAF's largest technical schools.......RAF Locking. When it opened just before the war,RAF Locking was designated as No 5 School of Technical Training which catered for RAF and Fleet Air Arm training for Airframe,Engine and Rigging trades. During the war and postwar,difficulties with on site station accommodation was usually solved by the utilising of civilian lodging which I would think was the case here.
Thank you all so much for your help. If you know anybody else who may of served with him this could help. Sophie
Hi Sophie, to answer this I think we need to be sure who he served with, are you going to send off for his records to get the definitive picture? Did you manage to trace his service number (remember it is not needed for his records).
WW2 started almost 80 years ago, so the chances of finding anyone who served with him so long ago are going to be slim. That's why we suggest you apply for his Service records, as they will reveal (to us, at least) what he was doing, where and when. In the meantime, why not post up his photo and anything else you have as mementoes of him, medals etc. Any clues in the letters about rank, or what he was doing? A corporal is not a naval rank, but could be if he was RAF ground crew or police Why is his daughter so desperate for information? Did he not return to live with his wife and family? The more info you give, the better we may be able to help, otherwise the only recourse will be his Service records, which we can clarify terms and abbreviations etc for you when you get them.
