Did any of your family serve during WW2; if so what did they do?

Hi - I’m researching about my friend’s father who was lost on SS Scillin. Please can we talk? I am new to this and no idea where to start. Thank you

 

Hi,

Welvome to the forum.

I’m afraid Brian ADM199 passed away several years ago.

Thsre have been several mentions of SS Scillin on the forum over the years - including in this topic

7th Royal Tank Regiment R.A.C.

Use the forum search facility for other mentions.

https://ww2talk.com/index.php?search/67184489/&q=SS+Scillin&o=relevance

Steve

 

thank you for replying. I am sorry to hear that, I will have a look at the searches you have shared, thank you. I have contacted the national archive and have subscribed to a family tree searching site. Are there any other suggestions? We have his Dunkirk medal but not much else to go on.

 

My mother consorted with the enemy. Specifically the Italians. More specifically the Italians in a POW camp near her home in Tennessee. She could see the camp from the farm her parents sharecropped. A friend wised her up and she started taking fresh veggies and fruits to the camp. She would trade the food stuffs for handcarved items the POWs made. She said she'd walk right up to a spot between two guard towers and wait. The EyeTees would trot over and offer hand-carved items intended to replace the pre-war metal utensils, like salad sets. The guards would lean on the tower rails and watch. She said she never felt threatened by anybody. Sixteen year old girl dealing with the enemy while our troops watched. What a weird world it was.

 

Hi,

Sorry but I’ve no detailed knowledge of SS Scillin.

If you don’t glean the required information from the linked topics I’ve mentioned above all I can suggest is that you start a new standalone topic on your subject - you’d need to include the name and army details of your subject (plus the link to his CWGC entry) and that you’ve studied all the available mentions of the SS Scillin incident on the forum - and perhaps members may be able to add new additional information.

On a general military history enquiry you could apply for the U.K. MOD for his service record, to see if it adds anything, via this link -

Request records of deceased service personnel

You won’t need a death certificate just upload the CWGC certificate. If MOD have already sent his file to U.K. National Archives they will signpost you there.

You could look for his WW2 campaign medal application form via Ancestry/Forces War Record sites as they went online last last year. If there is no trace it may mean that NOK didn’t apply in the immediate post war application window. MOD are still issuing WW2 campaign medals so NOK can still apply.

Apply for or replace a medal or veterans badge

Steve

 

Wow Steve thank you. He didn’t know what happened to his father. Dave is 83 now, it’s going to be hard to tell him. I’m going to try and make a file to help. Shame he’s too old to visit Egypt and see his name on the memorial. I will start a thread - might be of interest on here as to how we get on finding documents. what a wonderful forum. Thank you .

 

I actually like to find out more of his contributions too rather than just focus on the tragic event of his death. We have his Dunkirk medal.

 

Hi,

Forum members may be able to assist with regard to his unit at the time of his death from the details on CWGC.

If his son shares any other details/documents/photo’s more may be discovered but you really need to have sight of his service record to get a full and accurate insight into his military experience.

Steve

 

That’s fantastic. I’ll log on via my
Laptop. I have some documents that might help. I think I’ll start a new thread and then I know where to find it. If that’s ok?

thank you Steve.

 

I have posted as a new thread


7596765 Craftsman George Stanley MITCHELL, REME: 14/11/1941, SS Scillin - Research help please

 

Thank you Steve - sorry, yep that title makes sense !

 

Hello,

I'm looking for some help, I'm trying to locate the regiment my grandad was, he was an ammunition driver and didn't like to talk about his time in the war. However I want to get the war diary so that we can see where he was and be able visit the places he was posted to. Please can anyone help me decipher his papers as I'm not overly sure what I'm looking at. I have his cap badge and it's the royal artillery.

 

Welcome to the forum start a thread in the link below giving as much info as you have including his name. You will also be advised on how to apply for his service recirds
Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy

 

Thank you, sorry I'm new to the site

 

Both of my Grandfathers served in the Second War, one started with the Somerset Light Infantry and ended the war in the the RASC serving in England then North Africa and Sicily / Italy. The other started with the Somerset Light Infantry and ended the war in the London Scottish serving in England then North Africa, Palestine and Italy.

One of my Grandmothers served in the WAAF too, she was a cook and was based at a place called Hope Cove.

 

That's so interesting! In my grandads things he had a photograph of 2 men in the sea and written on the back was The Red Sea, March 15th 1947. There is other information I have found of men in the RASC being transported to that region in 1947 due to the Suez canal apparently on the SS Kingsbury which took the trucks over. If you want to see the picture I'm more than happy to post it for you

 

my Uncle George S MacFarlane, service number 14587990 was with the Cameron Highlanders and sent to India, eventually to Burma and was at Kohima and Imphal
Born in 1907 , married with 4 children he was sent to serve overseas in Inda
Disembarked Bombay 21/1/1944 and sometime later was at the front in Burma
I sent for a copy of his service record, but honestly i cannot understand all the abreviations etc
He was awarded the 1939/45 Star and the Burma Star
it looks like he left India sometime May/June 1946

Does anyone have any details of the role and his actions whilst in Burma

 

Walter,

Welcome aboard.

The next, best step is to start a new thread in this area of the forum: Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy

A visual guide to ‘Start’ is in Post 19 in: George William Knock

Please scan his Service Record into the new thread and the expertise here will be able to help.

Guidance on uploading / scanning is within: How to Start a new Thread / Edit Post / Upload Image

Update: rest moved to Walter's thread:

 

thank you i'll try to do as you are suggestioning, but as an 80yr old i might be a little slow

 

Walter,

Understood, no problem. Your main, new thread is: Details needed of service with the Cameron Highlanders in Burma 1944