Hi all I'm fairly new to UK family/military research and an Aussie so would appreciate any help along the way. Up to now all my delving has been re New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. And apologies in advance if I ramble - bad habit After doing some preliminary research, we found two relatives who seemed likely to have served with the Gloucestershire Regiment during the war and the family story is that they were at Dunkirk. Not being next of kin, applying for their service records was out, but with some very generous help and much patience from other sources online, we've been able to find basic information about one - born in the Forest of Dean he joined as a Regular in 1935 and served until 1947. Bonus was that his 1946 marriage certificate arrived with the info that he was a Lance Corporal and giving his service number. He married a lady from the ATS at Hatfield House so I presume he was probably there convalescent after being wounded. And we have his death certificate which made searching a bit easier. Our mystery is with the other guy who was married to his sister. Our problem guy was born in March 1912 in London. Married with one child when the war broke out. We have his entry from the 29th September 1939 Register, when he's still a civilian and living in Hendon. In July 1940 his daughter was born and he's listed as a private in the Gloucestershire Regiment on her birth certificate, but there's no service number. And we don't have a death record for him either, though he certainly survived the war. He's back on the electoral roll in London in 1945 and was still alive in the 1960's. But not having an actual death record does make it hard. (have looked and looked, with no success yet) The problem is that he doesn't seem to appear in any of the Enlistment Registers for the Glosters. Or in any of their Outside Numbers. They couldn't find anyone with his surname at all. Or any likely matches using his mum's maiden name or other married name. Though I couldn't really work out why he'd be using another name anyway. So, I'm wondering how common it is for records to fall through the net. Could he have maybe joined up in Middlesex and then transferred, but the record's been lost? Or had he been carted off to jail or something in the interim and his wife used her brother's rank and regiment on the daughter's birth certificate to make it seem more respectable? I would think that would have been highly illegal at the time though and not advisable straight after Dunkirk. Is there anywhere else we should be looking for anything about his war record? Just looking for any clues that might be useful and many thanks.
Yes, I have a name and birth certificates and marriage ones. But because he may not be dead - 101, but there's lots of centurarians around - I've been told before not to post details on public forums. Is it the same here?
HI With the one who has passed, if it is over 25 years ago, you can apply for his service records- http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html . Follow the link and read through what it says. The other is a problem and I am not sure how to help. regards Robert
We do research living people on here and I can see no reason why not. Usually though we research those who died however this is what brings the most important information from relatives time and time again who continually search the internet. Posting the specific original documents may be a different matter.
Thanks. I don't know anything about where he was during the war apart from the mention of the Glosters on his daughter's birth certificate. I do know where he was in 1939 and then in 1945. And his family background and his wife's. What would be useful?
