6100107 William James HALL, Queen's Royal Regt & 1 Gordon Highlanders: any help on more info?

I've recently been trying to research my Grandads activities in WW2. I have found what I believe is his draft record as it matches the limited information my dad remembers, mostly that he had had at some point been with the Gordon Highlanders. Other than that he remembers that my Grandad had been in Africa during the war at sometime and that he owned a set of fine German shaving razors which he believes indicates he made it to Germany.

I'm just curious if anybody can help me source some more information or what else I can extract from this draft record. It seems to indicate that he was transferred into the Highlanders and has a date beneath but I cant tell if the date has been written at a different point in time to the other writing as it looks different but I am no expert.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

Name: William James Hall
Dob: 1913
Army Number: 6100107

Sorry I've also realized that he was in the Queens Royal Regiment at first

 

You really need to apply for those service records otherwise its guesswork. The number is from The Queen's Royal Regiment block allocation . I will post the medal card for 6100107 see if any details match what you know ? Possibly the address ?



Kyle

 

To be sure you need his full Service Record.
Get a copy of military records of service

You could also look on genealogy sites for Tracer Cards (limited information on these)

To be in Africa he would have been in the 5th or 6th Battalion Gordon Highlanders

6th Battalion fought in Tunisia 1943 then Italy 1944 part of 1st Infantry Division

5th went back to the UK to take part in the Normandy Landings

Gordon Highlanders - Wikipedia

From this information you might be able to deduce which Battalion he was in.

For Card See Kyle #2 he got in first!

Notice on the Medal Application Card on display he joined 1st Gordons most were captured in 1940.

He must have transferred to 5th or 6th Battalion.

Most likely the 6th who fought at Anzio, an experience he would never forget, or not want to talk about.

Battle of Anzio - Wikipedia

 

Yes that's him!! Thank you!

 

Thank you for the great work and how fast you found it! Currently in the process of filling out requests for records.

So is it correct in presuming based of his draft record that he was with the Queens Royal Regiment until 1945 when he was transferred to the Gordons? Therefore, his action in Africa and Italy would have been with the Queens Royal Regiment and then Germany with the Gordons? His transfer was late in the war is that significant or related to anything in particular ?

 

Post removed irrelevant to question asked

 

His army number on his enlistment registry in the registry book of the Queens that you posted states he joined 18 July 1940. , suggests that he joined them 1940 and was transferred to the Gordons 25 feb 1945.

 

JWHall,

Welcome aboard.

I have checked and your subject’s name and number have not appeared here before your post.

We always recommend applying for the subject's full service record. Yes, it may take a year to arrive - either from the MoD or National Archives (TNA). It is not available online and is the definitive record. There is nothing you can do about the wait.

There is no current TNA record for him using his service number.

Once you have the record you can search online with his unit(s) if known or later, so for example: "XXth Anti-Tank Regiment" site:ww2talk.com that may identify threads mentioning them, at a glance without adding much. If you drop the 'th' more may be found.

During WW2 soldiers were regularly transferred between units / corps, especially when a shortage of infantry appeared in Italy and later after D-Day. Whole units were disbanded, and new ones formed for e.g. from Royal Artillery anti-aircraft units became infantry.

Searching the National Archives for the subject or unit(s) can identify those who were awarded honours / medals and the existence of War Diaries – which rarely mention individuals soldiers. They do give context and details of activity.

Some research tips next via PM and good luck.

 

The WD confirms the battalion received 80 ORs on 25th February. An additional 113 ORs had also joined on 23rd February and another 37 on the 26th, a sign of heavy casualties in Operation Veritable.

Given the numbers, I would have assumed these came from an infantry reinforcement unit that paid little heed to the original units. He may have been ill/transferred from a Queen's battalion and ended up in the replacement system. I checked the casualty lists and he doesn't appear on any of them.

If he were Queen's and did serve in North Africa/Italy then it would have put him in 1/5, 16/ or 1/7 Queens, part of 7th Armoured or 2/5, 2/5, 2/6 Queens, part of 56 Division. Given that he ended up in NW Europe, I would lean towards the former, but as mentioned, without the service record, we are guessing.

PS 1 Gordon Highlanders did serve in North Africa and Sicily with the 51st Highland Division.