Search for information on a WW2 Bren carrier veteran

Hi

Lesley has suggested I post on here

I'm trying to find any information regarding my maternal grandfather

I understand he was in Recce Regt during the war.

I don't have much information as I don't even know his first name

All I have is surname of Upton during WW2 in a bren carrier and the little bit of information regarding his cap badge as you can see in the image.

He was born in Liverpool around the docks area of Liverpool.

Anyone who can guide me in some direction on how to get more information.

Thanks
Dave

Attached Files:

 

Hi again David.

Just had another browse on Ancestry, put in Upton and added Recce as a key word and got one result, Alan Upton who obviously served in the Far East. This is the not-so-clear image of the card with an address in Manchester. May well not be him, of course, but any of it look familiar to you?



If you do a search just on Upton alone, without the Recce, you get 221 results, which I confess I’ve not looked through but adding Liverpool to the search provided two results, both for a Charles Upton, two different addresses, but clearly the same man as the service number is identical. Neither card has Recce on it, both say RA.

 

Hi

Thanks for doing that

As I don't know anything about him, he could have come from Manchester

I certainly know that he was in the Reece Regt

Before I knew any of this, I served in a tank Regiment and I know after you serve, you can settle anywhere in the world.

If there is only one name then it's better than 75% of it being him.

It gives me a great point to jump onto his history and see if it links to what I know on the family

Really appreciate your help

 

Hi,

As you know the index cards have a flaw for researchers 80+ years after they were created. They ask applicants for the last unit served. Many men had multiple moves of regiment - especially in the immediate post war months as many units were disbanded and men were moved on pending their own demobilisation.

Hopefully Alan Upton is the correct man. Looks like he has a Manchester Regiment service number.

Steve

 

I just edited my post and added two more cards (for one man though) purely because of the Liverpool connection, but as you suggest, being born in Liverpool doesn’t mean he lived there later on.

Here’s the link to the Upton medal cards, 221 as you can see and this may well not be all of them as a lot are missing from the site at the moment. As Steve pointed out in his post yesterday, Ancestry is free to look through at the moment, should you not have membership.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/62862/?name=_Upton&count=50&name_x=_1

 

This is so helpful as I have more information to work with

I need to try and link the family history to the information you provided.

It's true that when regt were almost wiped out those who remained were moved.

It's frustrating that the record cards only show the last regt, but that's useful information

 

I've just been doing some digging around and might have more information

His name could be Thomas Mann Upton born around 1897 in Liverpool Lancashire (when Liverpool was Lancashire not Merseyside)

Not sure if these parameters can bring anything up.

I believe he was married to surname Taylor

His father was believed to be Samuel Upton and mother Christina Upton.

Hope this helps

 

David,

In your last post you have this:

Does this 'wiped out' refer to your research?

 

The genealogy site I use has several exact matches on him. It confirms his parents and adds his siblings: John William Upton, Samuel Johnson Upton, Hilda Georgina Upton. It also shows a man (19yrs) with that name, born 1896 in West Derby, Lancashire (an area in Liverpool), served in WW1, with the Lancashire Fusiliers and Royal Garrison Artillery. CWGC no trace.

He would be 43yrs old in 1939, so I would not expect he would be called until manpower shortages became very evident - in 1942/43.

 

Interestingly there is a WW1 record available for a Thomas Mann Upton, next of kin is shown as Samuel George Upton and address shown is what looks like 10 Guernsey Road, “Stoneycroft”, Liverpool. Service nos. given are 1964 and 139270 (not unusual to have two numbers for WW1 soldier. Looks like he was a Gunner in the RGA.

 

Snap David!

 

No

When I was in my regiment I know that prior to the amalgamation of 2 regiments, there was part of one squadron that remained of a regiment following a serious battle, this is that I am referring to.

 

His age on enlistment, in December 1915, is given as 19 years and 1 month. Unless he lied about his age, and many did, that would have him born in 1896.

So he’d have been 42/43 at the start of WW2.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/c...583212810&_phsrc=Ktn21&_phstart=successSource

 

Wow

Do you have any screen shot of the information?

I'm probably being dumb but what is the RGA?

 

Royal Garrison Artillery.

 

Royal Garrison Artillery, it became part of the Royal Artillery in 1924. See: Royal Garrison Artillery - Wikipedia.

 

See above, my post #13. One blip with this guy is his wife. The marriage banns and the 1939 Census show he married a Margaret Adelaide Minnie Baker?





In 1939 they’re living at 57 Brockholme Road, Liverpool.

 

Brilliant thanks for the information

So he could have served in both wars and in ww2 he rejoined in recce regiment if the RGA was disbanded in 1924 or amalgamated with the Royal Artillery.

This group is so helpful as I have found more information out in a few hours that in as many decades.

 

From 1935 Probate Records

 

Something in the back of my mind as a child suggested that he may have married twice but it's a vague memory of a child over 55 years ago.

Anything is possible but I would have to look at bit closer.

I always remember the TV series Bread, I remember that my grandmother lived in the road next to the road where bread was filmed