Identify unit and more ?

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by Joseph King, Mar 12, 2021.

  1. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    I am hoping that someone can help fill in some family history gaps for me if possible ?
    the photo shows a family member (in white belt) called Alexander (Alec) Wylie Born 11 June 1914 in Scotland (possibly Dumfrieshire area ?) did not marry until after the war and had 1 child as far as we know..
    apart from the photo all i know is that he served for an unknown time in Iceland ! is it possible to learn more about his service history, ie where he may have joined up, trained, served and when ?. not wishing to throw a curved ball but someone in the family mentioned Artic Convoys !
    any information would be most welcome
     

    Attached Files:

  2. High Wood

    High Wood Well-Known Member

    A close up, higher resolution, picture of the cap badges should help us identify the unit that he served with.
     
  3. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    sadly i only have this digital copy and no idea where or when taken
     
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Send off for his service records - ONLY available from the MOD - forms here - Request records of deceased service personnel

    You will need a copy of his death certificate unless he died on active service

    TD

    Alexander Smart Wylie
    1914–1970
    BIRTH 11 JUN 1914 • Crainlarich, Hospital, Crianlarich, Perthshire, Scotland
    DEATH 19 JAN 1970 • Dalmally, Argyll, Scotland

    Father: John Wylie
    Mother: Eliza Jane Smart
    Birth: 11 Jun 1914 Crianlarich, Perthshire, Scotland
    Death: 19 Jan 1970 Dalmally, Argyll, Scotland
     
  5. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    Thats him from his parents names that i recognise, i did not not know the locations of birth, never heard of Crainlarich - have struggled finding Scottish records through Ancestry.
     
  6. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Scottish records are available at Scotlands People. Seems free to register & search the indexes, then pay for credits to view certificates. Quoted as aprox £ 1.50 to view a birth.
    ScotlandsPeople

    Seeing Crainlarich made me remember that I caught a train from there once. Its just North of Loch Lomond, but before Rannoch Moor & very rural.
     
    vitellino and Tricky Dicky like this.
  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    As Travers says Ancestry holds very few Scottish records, but his service records are the most important to obtain to stop you going off down blind alleys, and chances are you will need to visit Scotlandspeople in order to get a copy of his death certificate

    TD
     
  8. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    Registered with ScotlandsPeople - ordered cert, 2 people same name but i got the right one, waiting game now, did some reading up on UK forces in Iceland, seems they where there early war with Canadians then handed over to Americans, was under Impression he was there a while (just family talk down the years) so possibly only brief service there,
     
  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  10. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

  11. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

  12. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

  13. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    Further help please ! recieved death cert today, came to start to fill in application for service records, and realised specific records to be filled dependent on wether RAF, Army or Navy/Marines ,
    i know the photo is not clear enough to identify what unit he was in but is it possible to tell if he could be Marines rather than Army ?
     
  14. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    After getting the death cert and applying for the Navy;Marines service records as Mr Wylie appears to be wearing a Marines cap badge (I posted on British and Commenwealth Military badge Forum and also Commando Veterans Archive)
    the Navy/Marines asked for further family Information, and they confirm he was not a Marine.
    I have applied for Army records now but appears to be a very long backlog.
    Information recieved yesterday from a Nephew of Mr Wylie says that his Brother Richard ? served in the Black Watch WW2 but there was mention of Durham Light Infantry as a possability also.
    looking at the photo some of the badges look similiar to Durham Light Infantry ?
    Obviously If and when the service records turn up then that should give us what we want - I hope,,
    opinions on the cap badges badly blurred I know would be appreciated. as the Durhams served in Iceland.
     
  15. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Not an expert in badges or uniforms at all so mainly making some observations that I hope others here can answer or consider.

    I can see that the front left badge could possibly be an angled view of a DLI badge, and the soldier back right has a badge large enough to be Black Watch, but image is too blurred to be sure.

    Alexander Wylie's badge is different in that it is dark in colour rather than silver gilt or polished metal. There are many possibles for his badge including If oval with a crown on top Royal Signals, or if round with a crown RASC or RE.

    One man is wearing gloves which suggests an autumn/winter date or cold climate location.

    They are wearing leather jerkins (sorry don't know technical name) I would associate with RASC or REME, but other units would have worn & for other purposes.

    It's a mixed group of regiments/corps, so maybe a training course or joint exercise. I am reminded that in some commando units, men retained the cap badges of their original regiment.

    You say that you only have this digital image, do you know where it was taken from, as it is clearly just part of a larger photo.

    Travers
     
  16. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    I had realised that it appeared to be part of a larger photo, but this is all my side of the family has, someone on the commando forum said that the photo must be taken after summer 43 as that is when the Berets were first Issued,
    such a shame re the backlog of service records which could leave us waiting Into 2022 until we learn about him,
     
  17. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Was the person on the commando forum of the opinion that it is/could be a commando unit, as that would explain the mix of badges.

    I wonder if they wore the leather jerkins when practising abseiling, climbing etc, useful extra protection when you have ropes tied round you etc.

    Travers
     
  18. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    Several Commando forum members seemed to accept that this was a Marine/Commando group, I also contacted the Royal Marines assosiation to see if Alec Wylie had perhaps joined after the war but no record of him.
     
  19. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Thanks for confirming what they said, interesting to see what his records will say.

    Travers
     
  20. Joseph King

    Joseph King Member

    When I recieve them I will post back here
     

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