Hi, I’m new to this forum and never posted before so hope I’m in the right area? I’m researching my great great grandfather John George Richardson who was born on 17th October 1905 in Birkenhead, Merseyside, I am unable to find any service records for him and unfortunately no one in my family knows his service number, so assume unable to request his service records? I have attached a photo of John (on the left) on his motorbike, would anyone recognise anything that would give me clues as to his unit, possibly what his role would be on a motorbike? Any help anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.
With the details you have it is possible to request records (you will need a death certificate or other proof of death) there are restrictions, check out this page: Get a copy of military service records
As for the photo, it's pre-war or very-early-war at the latest. The white lanyard suggests Royal Artillery but the collar dogs aren't their flaming grenades/shells. Motorbikes might suggest Royal Signals despatch riders but most units would have had motorbikes on strength for liaison duties. I don't know if the data exists to match the registrations to a unit... Both the RA and RSigs had units converted from Yeomanry (part-time cavalry) units so that is another possibility. That could possibly explain the badges - some converted Yeomanry units kept their own. The 'Desert Rats' were, strictly speaking, 7th Armoured Division and a handful of direct offshoots. It is sometimes misused to mean 'anyone who was in the desert'. The bottom line is you need his records because pretty much anything is possible.
You do not need his service number to obtain his records - you will need a copy of his death certificate which should include his date if birth - service records can ONLY be obtained from the MOD There are web sites with fancy names that imply records are available but for WW2 the MOD is the place to go TD
Hi All, Thanks for the warm welcome and reply. Next stop will definitely be to obtain his records. Again many thanks for your help.
Although service records is the way to go some TA Battalions trained as motorcycle Reconissance units before WW2. This comes from a little knowledge (dangerous thing) of the Queen Victoria Rifles. 1st Battalion, Queen Victoria’s Rifles training as a motor-cycle reconnaissance battalion
Do I see RASC on the fuel tank of the right hand motorcycle? Shoulder titles could be the same, but they are not clear. Formation badge looks like 36 Inf Div, but they were formed in 1944 in India so not that. Richard
The lanyard is white which was a R SIGNALS thing. Also if you look carefully on the left hand person’s left arm you can see a white square. That could be one half of the R SIGNALS Tactical Recognition Flash which was white and blue. Left rectangle was white and right rectangle was dark blue. Frank