Hi all, hopefully, the brains trust here will be able to help me out! Have been going through some photographs of my mum's family and we came across one of her uncle, who obviously served in the RN, as it's of him in uniform, but no ship name on the band. Can anyone give me an idea of how I can help the MOD find his file, as we have no idea of a Service Number, ships, dates of service etc. I'm pretty sure I've found his birth records, a marriage certificate and his death certificate online, but nothing else. He went missing after the war and was presumed deceased by the family until he made contact in 1977 when my mum (and her Australian family) returned to Chorley to visit family, and her favourite aunt put a piece in the local paper. His name was Leonard COWELL, born 15/09/1923 - and that's about all we have to go on.
Hello Reid date of birth and a copy of his death certificate is all you require to apply for his service records Get a copy of military service records Apply for the records of someone who's deceased You can apply for a copy of someone else’s service records if any of the following apply: you’re their immediate next of kin, for example their spouse or parent you’ve got consent from their immediate next of kin you have a general research interest - you’ll only have access to limited information, unless they died more than 25 years ago regards Clive
Ah sorted England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007 Name: Leonard Cowell Registration Date: Oct 1922 [Nov 1922] [Dec 1922] Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec Registration district: Chorley Inferred County: Lancashire Mother's Maiden Name: Pilkington Volume Number: 8c Page Number: 627 1939 England and Wales Register Name: Leonard Cowell Gender: Male Marital status: Single Birth Date: 15 Sep 1923 Residence Year: 1939 Address: 14 Residence Place: Chorley, Lancashire, England Occupation: Mineral Water Labourer Schedule Number: 204 Sub Schedule Number: 3 Enumeration District: NTUE Registration district: 475/4 Inferred Father: William T Cowell Inferred Mother: Elizabeth Cowell England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 Name: Leonard Cowell Registration Date: Jul 1941 [Aug 1941] [Sep 1941] Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep Registration district: Chorley Inferred County: Lancashire Spouse: Mary Kelsall Volume Number: 8e Page Number: 1277 England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: Leonard Cowell Death Age: 58 Birth Date: 18 Sep 1922 Registration Date: Jan 1981 [Feb 1981] [Mar 1981] Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar Registration district: Preston and South Ribble Inferred County: Lancashire Volume: 40 Page: 2146 As CL1 says a copy of his death cert (it contains his date of birth) and apply for his records - there are 3 family tress on Ancestry that include his details Initially I found another Leonard Cowell (but middle name Gordon) born Aug 1922 in West Brom, but then your Chorley reference trumped him If you need more just ask TD
Just to be clear I think the transcription on Ancestry is wrong, the image is fairly illegible but, to my mind, certainly says Sept 22, although day unclear.
Thanks for that Tony56, havent received my new glasses yet from Boots (there are other opticians and companies available that check eyes and provide frames and lenses to those of us who need them, I must state that this is the first time for many years I have used this company, - so do not take this in anyway as a recommendation - phew thinks I covered that) TD
Ahh, Tricky - you're a marvel! Apologies for the delay - I'm way down south 11.5 Hours ahead of you. Thanks too Clive, for the MOD info. I'm always amazed at how you guys get all this info. This is definitely him and I now need to order those certificates. I had managed to narrow down the birth certificate, but we weren't 100% sure of the marriage and death details, as he never spoke of his wife after her death in 1942 nor did he ever remarry. (I need to find out how she died too, so soon after marrying.) I'm not on Ancestry, so I might need to sign up on a "Free" day to view the 3 family trees, so will see how that goes. If I need any more help, I know where to come!!
Nanette - wondering if this might be of interest - cant find a Mary Cowell died in 1942 that was born in the 1900's In the trees Leonards wifes details are shown as (if they are correct) May Mary Kelsall 1921–2001 BIRTH 11 MAY 1921 • Preston, Lancashire DEATH SEP 2001 • Tameside, Greater Manchester, England TD
Ahh, Tricky. The plot thickens! He never mentioned her to my mum or great aunt back in '77, so I wonder if I may have got the date wrong, and it's actually this woman instead? (Of course, they might have separated . . .) COWELL Mary Age: 27 Died: 1943 Fulwood, Preston I'll need to order his information and add these to the mix - thankfully, they aren't as expensive as ours here in Australia, so ordering several won't hurt in the slightest.
Certificates ordered, and think I've solved the spouse riddle too! Now just have to wait for delivery to me waaaaay down south.
Got a reply last week regarding my uncle's service medals (39-45 Star & War Medal) - seems they were issued in 1960, but sadly, they were not amongst his posessions that were sent to my grandad when he died in 1981. On a more positive note, I did get his service number - JX244239, COWELL, Leonard - so all isn't lost. I can now start digging and see where he may have served and on what ships. While it won't be the same, I'll also look to find one of each medal, to put on display alongside those of my and nan and pop.
Some wonderful mail today: my great uncle's service records finally arrived - 4 weeks after being sent airmail to Australia. Admittedly, it was extremely light on, but it was good to see what his contribution to the war effort was. And now a couple of questions for the brains trust: What exactly are "Boom Defence Duties"? How can I research further details?
Hi Nanette, Boom Defence was the protection of harbours against enemy vessels. The purpose of these vessels was to tend and operate anti-submarine and torpedo nets or booms surrounding exposed anchorages and across harbour entrances in conjunction mooring vessels. These laid buoys from which the booms or nets were suspended below the water surface. ON THE WATERFRONT: Wartime boom defence vessels engined on the Wear World War II – Defending Scapa Flow Search our collection | Imperial War Museums He served on one sea-going ship for duration of the war - the BDV ARREST in which he was awarded the 1939-45 Star and the War Medal. HMS ROOKE was the Boom Defence central depot at Rosyth. HMS ARREST was a Boom Defence vessel based at Rosyth in early 1942. Home Fleet, Iceland, Orkney & Shetland, and Rosyth Commands, January 1942 HMS BEAVER was a shore establishment on the Humber HMS BEAVER OF WW2 TIMES HMS VICTORY III was an accounting base, also, as stated, a Boom Defence Depot, Gosport Portsmouth. HMS VICTORY was the Royal Naval Baracks in Portsmouth. There appears to have been an incident on 14 June 1943 with two RN men killed. I note on the records he would have been aboard at the time. 14 June 1943 Arrest GILL, Raymond E, Stoker 1c, R/KX 110555, killed OPPEN, Reginald A, Able Seaman, R/JX 218811, killed Both men appear to have died of wounds received during enemy action. Regards Hugh
World War II – Defending Scapa Flow – Orkney Museum (wordpress.com) This article provides an excellent description/photos of Boom Defence Duties at Scapa Flow.
Thanks a bunch Hugh. As always, you're an absolute mine of information! Any suggestions as to how I can find some further information on BDV Arrest? Thanks, John. I shall check this out - Uncle Len's brother (my grandfather) was posted to Orkney in 1940 (RA), so this will hopefully provide gems for both of their service.
Search results: Rosyth | The National Archives I did a search for Rosyth, to see which War Diaries are on file at Kew at ADM 199. Unfortunately no sign of Rosyth Diaries from 1943. No entries under Arrest either.
According to ADM 104/131 Registers of Death and Injuries for the period Sept 1939 to June 1948 (on Ancestry) the place of death for both men is Grimsby and District Hospital, Lincolnshire.
That would be correct I have since found out that HMS ARREST worked out of Grimsby. Anything in the ADM files would probably not show up in online searches and I would suggest you would need to trawl individual files at Kew if you were to find anything. There will also be no individual logbook for this vessel. A search of Royal Navy Trawlers by Gerald Toghill has found that she was originally the Grimsby trawler [BUZZARD II] requsitioned in 1940 and converted to a BGV (Boom Gate Vessel). Renamed ARREST in 1941. This lead gave me something to go on and I have this link for you. The photo of the trawler is in peacetime liveary. Buzzard GY 825 – Deep Sea Trawlers Regards Hugh
Thanks a bunch, Hugh! Just had a (very) quick search on the NA website, and note that there was a "Buzzard" listed with the number 109814, so a possible typo on the above website. (Official Nos: 109560 Bluebell, 109579 Lowestoft, 109588 Dunmore Head, 109598 May, 109616... | The National Archives) Using that corrected (?) number brings up several more lucrative results, including this one: Ship Buzzard , official number: 109814. And this one, however, it doesn't appear to be linked at all, other than by the reference number: MOTOR MINESWEEPER 1. Looks like I'm going to be ordering some more files from PsyWar.Org and Drew5233 over the coming months.
Well spotted Nanette you are correct - did some fact checking and I can confirm the official number 109814 is correct for BUZZARD II. The second one re the MOTOR MINESWEEPER link disregard that - it is a file reference to a different vessel rather than a link to the official number. I hope I am not going to rain on your parade Nanette. There are some crew lists there - last one for 1940. This makes sense because she came under Naval requisition in 1940 so the way of accounting for the crew also changed. You will not find any crew lists for the period the vessel was under military control unfortunately. She was returned to owners in 1945 but laid up. I don't think any of the files for the vessel will advance your search for your relative. Regards Hugh