Grandads war service history ?

[Tashyboy]

Don't ask me why but my mother is now interested in her fathers career as a soldier during the Second World War.
to the best of my knowledge, she never asked him a single question about his service, but 10 years after he passed away she is asking questions.
i have both of his medals from the war, his service medal and his home front medal.
having spoke to my brother in law re tracing his history (ex soldier in British legion) he has given me a few ideas. One of which was to get his service number which my mother said she did not have and then found 1825663 on a letter he sent from skipton which also had 556 BTY which bro in law says is short for Battery and then 925/LRFGTRA which means nowt to us.
Originally my mother said he was in the Lancashire Fusillers, but bro in law said that's not poss as they were a infantry regiment and grandpa told me he was in the anti air craft squad coz he was classed as unfit to fight abroad. Which ties in with what bro in law said. Any help in trying to trace James Howarth of Lacashire would be gratefully appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Have you tired the national archives ?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Don't ask me why but my mother is now interested in her fathers career as a soldier during the Second World War.
to the best of my knowledge, she never asked him a single question about his service, but 10 years after he passed away she is asking questions.
i have both of his medals from the war, his service medal and his home front medal.
having spoke to my brother in law re tracing his history (ex soldier in British legion) he has given me a few ideas. One of which was to get his service number which my mother said she did not have and then found 1825663 on a letter he sent from skipton which also had 556 BTY which bro in law says is short for Battery and then 925/LRFGTRA which means nowt to us.
Originally my mother said he was in the Lancashire Fusillers, but bro in law said that's not poss as they were a infantry regiment and grandpa told me he was in the anti air craft squad coz he was classed as unfit to fight abroad. Which ties in with what bro in law said. Any help in trying to trace James Howarth of Lacashire would be gratefully appreciated.

Mrs Doon is an ace on family history, already on your case.

 

[williamalex1]

There will be a ID number on each of the medals. I think they can be traced and verified through the MOD or British Legion.
I still have my fathers medals from the 2nd world war also my grandfather's from the 1st world war.

Neither spoke about their experiences , my father (a sergeant) did once joke that when the first shot was fired he was right on the front line.
But he didn't hear the second shot because he was running like the clappers.whoo:

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Had a quick look on the following website: www.forces-war-records.co.uk and the are several possible matches, but a middle initial is needed to narrow it down. Also there is The Fusilier Museum - www.fusiliermuseum.com/family-history - they may be able to help or point you in the right direction.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

After Dunkirk, Lancashire Regiments reroled to home defence and came under the Royal Artillery, they manned heavy and light Anti-Aircraft positions, so it is possible he was both infantry and Royal Artillery.
You will only get his sevice record if you actually visited the National Archives at Kew Gardens.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
I reckon if you decifer the 925/LRFGTRA this will help with the Research,
RA is Royal Artillery and that helps with the Bty connection.
7th Loyals(Lancashire Regiment) became – 92nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, could this be the 92?

 

[SocketRocket]

The Ancestry web site holds military records. You have to pay to use it though.

 

[Tashyboy]

Gents (and Missis Doon Frae Toon) a massive thanks to all who have helped me.

Doon, when I had a quick look I found a few James Howarth but they all had middle names and my mother is adamant he never had a middle name so that went a bit tits up.

William my bro in law said look on the side of the medals coz sometimes they were in scribed. I asked which head or tails and he replied the side/the edge. First time I realised there were three side to a coin. Anyway neither of them are engraved.

Grandpa Jim told me when he came back from the war to live in Rochdale he gave his medals and a big piece of shrapnel to me grandma Rose. She was the dominant one in the relationship. She opened the kitchen window and launched them onto the back garden where they remained for two weeks with her screaming they cost me five years of my life. grandad said he never heard language like like it whilst serving in the army. The shrapnel is still there he said.

would 1825663 mean anything or not. Many thanks

 

[Tashyboy]

Well I called round at me mums on the way back from smacking Norwood up for 44 on the front nine. Tashyboy was in da house.

anyway sodding pensioners, I asked me ma to show me her paperwork.

on a letter he sent from Skipton which was postmarked 17th Feb 42 (why would he be in Skipton then ?) on the back is
Name and address of sender;
James Howarth 1825663
556 BTY. 925/LREGT RA
SKIPTON YORKS.

First thing I said to MA is that flippin F is an E which she says "does it matter".
course it flippin matter coz am not related to Einstein but even I know REGT is short for regiment. With RA being short for Royal Artillery she there be a flippin great clue there. Oh she says am still not sure I think he's in the infantry.

inside two seconds I says Mum what's this, "I dont know"like an innocent kid caught with his hand in cookie jar.
its a flippin credit card sized piece of card which says in flippin Capital letters

ROYAL ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION
R.A.A BENEVOLENT FUND

Dated 30th May 45
This is to certify that No 1825663 rank GNR. (? gunner)
Name Howarth J has been
subscibing Member of the RA Association during his service of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. rate of Subscription 1 /. - quarter
now there's other bits of biro writing on it but it is signed by his commanding officer and another officer but it definately says C Battery R.A.

His date of birth was 4.4.1912

only other thing I have at the moment was his NHS number from 1977 which was NNA3557244.

flippin mothers.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Gents (and Missis Doon Frae Toon) a massive thanks to all who have helped me.

Doon, when I had a quick look I found a few James Howarth but they all had middle names and my mother is adamant he never had a middle name so that went a bit tits up.

William my bro in law said look on the side of the medals coz sometimes they were in scribed. I asked which head or tails and he replied the side/the edge. First time I realised there were three side to a coin. Anyway neither of them are engraved.

Grandpa Jim told me when he came back from the war to live in Rochdale he gave his medals and a big piece of shrapnel to me grandma Rose. She was the dominant one in the relationship. She opened the kitchen window and launched them onto the back garden where they remained for two weeks with her screaming they cost me five years of my life. grandad said he never heard language like like it whilst serving in the army. The shrapnel is still there he said.

would 1825663 mean anything or not. Many thanks

Mrs is Doon is seeing what she can find with additional info.

Re. medals I think a lot of folk followed your grandads act.
My Dads medals were heaved off the rocks into the Firth of Forth.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

During the War Skipton was RAF Skipton and they would of been protected by the Royal Artillery and the previous bit I posted
7th Loyals(Lancashire Regiment) became – 92nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, could this be the 92 L Regt RA and explains him going from Infantry to Gunner,
The 1825663 is his Army number, with that and his other details his full service career will be available.
The Royal Artillery Association would probably also be able to help,
http://www.theraa.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Mrs is Doon is seeing what she can find with additional info.

Re. medals I think a lot of folk followed your grandads act.
My Dads medals were heaved off the rocks into the Firth of Forth.

Agreed My Dad served in The Merchant Navy in the Arctic Convoys and it was only 10 years ago I got him to agree to claim his medals for me!
When asked why he didn't have them he simply said he didn't bother as everyone just did there bit!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Bit more info
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/92nd_(Loyals)_Light_Anti-Aircraft_Regiment,_Royal_Artillery

 

[Old Skier]

A useful source if you wish to follow up a relatives service details https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

 

[patricks148]

My Uncle did a fair bit of digging ref his father, my Grandfather.

He was a professional Soldier who fought in the FWW as a 1st Lt then stayed in and served in Ireland between the wars. was an intelligence officer in the 2WW some of the files ate still classified under the OS act. left as a Major in the 50's after spending his whole adult life in the army. he died shortly after with hardly ever getting to know his two sons, or meeting any of his grand children.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Regimental History of 7 Loyals,/92 Regt
http://trueloyals.com/page4/files/Regimental History PDF.pdf

 

[stevelev]

You could also get in touch with the Artillery Museum in Woolwich or the Artillery Museum in Larkhill. I'll ask a few mates to see if they are able to find out where to recover anything in relation to his regimental history.

As the other people have posted you can pay to access service records online or apply to Service Records via Gov.UK who will furnish family with full details.

Goodluck.

Ubique

 

[Deleted member 16999]

You could also get in touch with the Artillery Museum in Woolwich or the Artillery Museum in Larkhill. I'll ask a few mates to see if they are able to find out where to recover anything in relation to his regimental history.

As the other people have posted you can pay to access service records online or apply to Service Records via Gov.UK who will furnish family with full details.

Goodluck.

Ubique

Good advice mate, but you'll of confused him with Ubique😜
PS Got a spare Lanyard if you want it back 😃

 

[Tashyboy]

Talk about resurrect an old thread, anyway I managed to get me mum in an armlock and got £30 out of her to apply for me grandads service record.
Well guess what, the postcard he sent from skipton tied in with his service record. He was based at Skipton and as been said probably around RAF Skipton whilst serving with the Light anti aircraft 556 Battery. RAF Skipton being a base for Lancasters and Halifax bombers etc.
Not quite sure how, but with plenty of surfing the net I was 99% sure he served in 556 Battery. So much so when we did Normandy last moth the other three trench monkeys had the Worcester and Sherwood foresters badge and motto whilst I had The Royal artillery badge and Ubique on the back of mine. Which was apt as we went everywhere.😉👍
His record is very informative as it is filled in at every step of his carreer, it's just a shame that every entry looks like it was written by a doctor in a hurry with a fountain pen. 😂

Incidentaly i I believe at the mo the artillery museum re records is shut due to cutbacks 🙁

Thanks for all the help boys.

 

[jim8flog]

Sometimes it is better not knowing.

One of the family members does a lot of historical family research they were markedly upset when they got their fathers war record.

It caused quite a bitter argument in the family because they had to tell the whole family about it instead of keeping their mouth shut.