Hello I have her Fork with Service Number , the Soldier was Member of BEF 1939/40 . Can you help my find out who he was ?. best Regards Mike
Militia wasn't so much a unit as more an early type of conscription (I'm sure others can explain it better) in the summer of 39- but basically men who got called up under the Militia act seem to have gone on to pretty much any Regiment or Corps after initial training - I have paybooks to Militiamen who went on to REME, RA, RASC and East Yorks I've checked the casualty lists and cant see him in there
I've tried to find numbers close via CWGC but their new search system doesn't seem to collate based upon the initial digits - it used to.... It really is about time that at least the WW2 medal lists were released so that we could find out a name and maybe see if they were still living. Any 1940 veteran is now at least 98 years of age. There can't be many left now.
Have found some near number records in the Royal Artillery WWII Tracer Cards on ancestry. These men have all been renumbered, so maybe a card or other records for 10035281 are in his new number. For subsequent units full details only to 1941 as OP advises its a BEF spoon. 10035271 (later 934480 ) Alfred PAYNE Enlisted 15 Jul 1939 5th Med. Rgt. Mil. Cadre 22nd M & H T Rgt No 1 G.B.D. 51 M Regt 31/8 168 F. Regt 22.12.41 Went to Middle East Aug Sep 1942 Served there with 76 A/T Regt, 58 F Regt & 124 F. Regt to UK Nov 1943 124 F Regt 13 Regt R.H.A. Released 22.1.46 10035278 (later 1507508 ). Sidney William John TOMLIN 17.7.39 137/22nd S/L M.D. ?369/42AA Bat. R.E. 42 S/L Rg. X List 21 A.G. 20.3.45 42 S/L/ Regt 26.3.45 Released to Class Z Reserve 14.4.46 Online trees on ancestry linked to this doc say: Sidney John William TOMLIN born 30.7.1918 Chigwell, Essex married 1942 Caistor, Lincs died 23 Nov 2004 Lincolnshire 10035294 (later 1508146 ) REARDON S.K. or S. R. Enlisted 15.7.39 (joined on 17.7) 21 S/L Militia Depot R.A. R.C. Ascot 217 S/L T. Reg 66 S/L Regt R.A. 7.1.41 153/ F/RA Depot 1.7.45 Released to Class Z Reserve 2.4.46 10035294 (later 934660) James Arthur ST PIER Enlisted 15 Jul 1939. 5th Med. Reg. Mil. Cadre 36 Sig. T. Regt crossed out & 63 M. Regt Z written in. then 2.6.41 crossed out and 4.6.41 written in. Home details 26.7.43 Y List 16.8.43 63 Med Regt 30.8.43 Then X List, Y List, 280 RA Depot, 12 Field Regt, Draft RAXAB (0n 17.5.45), 46 R.H.U., 63 Mec Reg, 146 Med Regt, 53 Med Regt Release 1.2.46 Records on ancestry that could be him: James Arthur PIER/ST PIER born 2 Aug 1918 Romford marr 1938 Romford Died 2000 Southend I have also looked without finding further information at no's 10035261-10035299 inThe National Archives, London Gazette, Fold3, British Newspaper Archives, CWGC, and other military records on ancestry.
I think "Militia" were soldiers with previous military service but had been discharged as of right but who were then the first to be called up again in 1939 before general conscription, not sure if they went back to their parent cap badge or just sent where they were required. I know 2 Glosters had "Militiamen" in Oct 1939. The war diary talks about an influx of them and that they had to run courses of Trg to bring them up to standard.
Two of the men with near numbers were born in 1918, so fit with the Military Training Act 1939, which called up 20 & 21 year olds for 6 months training. These recruits were called Militiamen. Military Training Act 1939 - Wikipedia