Is it possible to find out a soldiers name using just his service number, initial and surname?

Hello, I am trying to find out some soldiers names so that I can apply for their service records but all I have are their service numbers, initials and surname from a nominal roll in a war diary.
Is there anyway this can be done?
They were all RAOC in 1940

The details I have are;
7604366 Boyter G.B.
7599221 Ferguson R.D.
7599213 Robertson J.
7598999 Stewart C.L.
7599398 McFadyen R.P.
7602587 Shaw N.J.
7599183 Foggo J.J.

Thanks for any help!
Adam

 

Search TNA Discovery on service number and WO series eg

Search results: 7599213 | The National Archives

Then try surname only

use surname and dob from record summary on gene sites or Free BMD for first name find

eg if born in England only 3 J Robertson in first quarter - all James
ROBERTSON, JAMES MILLER
GRO Reference: 1920 M Quarter in NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Volume 10B Page 408
ROBERTSON, JAMES -
GRO Reference: 1920 M Quarter in WHITECHAPEL Volume 01C Page 512
ROBERTSON, JAMES TURNER
GRO Reference: 1920 M Quarter in HARTLEPOOL Volume 10A Page 349

Ross

 

Thanks I'll try that. I think that some of the men were Scottish not English. Does this change where I need to look?
Adam

 

GRO/FreeBMD for England and Wales
General Register Office - Online Ordering Service - What would you like to do?

Scotlands People for Scotland
Statutory registers | Scotland's People

Another avenue is Fold3 Medal Cards for WWII Surname and Initial with possibly service number but this is pruned and incomplete

Ross

 

Scotlands People has the best primer on birth records and how to search with tips I've ever seen on an official site.

Statutory register of births | Scotland's People

Have a read to get the best out the site

Ross

 

There is a pre-1939 match too at another golf club @ Cowdenbeath, Fife, Scotland. Use Control F. See: Cowdenbeath Golf Club, Fife. (1888 - 1950s) Plus, on another golf club: Golfs Missing Links

For J.J. Foggo see a possible match in 1949 on pg. 17 in a Clackmannanshire, Scotland golf club magazine; multiple entries for a lady with the surname. See: Golfs Missing Links

Note the three golf clubs have long since disappeared, so no point of contact.

No trace on the genealogy site I use; doesn't like two initials. Google suggests James or John.



I think this is the golfer, albeit only as he died in Fife, which is close to the two golf courses. From: John Foggo (1890-1949) - Find a Grave Memorial

The genealogy site I use has a close match for a John Foggo, b. 1889 @ Dysart, Fife; with military service 1915 and death 5/6/1946 @ Alva, Clackmannanshire.

 

You wanted access to service record

N J Shaw

Name: J Shaw . Service number: 7602587 . Date of birth: 26 April 1917 . | The National Archives

Listed on Discovery as Closed to 2033 but..

Its on and open as a 216 page record in Ancestry and he is Scottish to be found on Scotlands People but as the record is here no need for death certificate for access

! Note service number index transcript error!


Name Norman John Shaw
Nationality Scottish
Marital Status Married
Age 22
Birth Date 26 Apr 1917
Birth Place Dennistown, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Marriage Date 14 Apr 1937
Marriage Place Stirling
Residence Place Stirling, Stirlingshire
Enlistment Date 30 Aug 1939
Enlistment Place Stirling
Discharge Date 5 Apr 1946
Service Number 7605597
Regiment R.E.M.E. 855
Eye Color Brown
Hair Color Brown
Complexion Fresh
Height 5 Ft. 6 1/2 Ins.
Weight 133 Lbs.
Occupation Driver
Religion Protestant
Registration Number 3543941
Spouse Janet Malcolm Shaw
Table of Contents 16 images
Coverpage
1
Tracer Card
2 – 5
Record of Service
6 – 8
Attestation
9 – 12
Service and Casualty
13
Service and Casualty Continued
14 – 16

 

Had second thoughts after a coffee break.

Ross

 

Little success on Ancestry for me with the service numbers, and, of course, some of those surnames are very common ones so I confess to trying mainly with the service numbers you quoted.

I thought I’d have more luck looking at the less common names, Boyter, Foggo and McFadyen. Not really!

I did not get one correct hit with the service numbers/names for the medal cards - I know many are currently not online, but I thought at least one of them would pop up.

I did get a hit for a J. J. Foggo, but no first names given, so not a lot of use to you in that respect. The one I did find was on a couple of Army lists and a mention in the London Gazette, 2nd Lt J. J. Foggo, with a RAOC/REME connection.

This is the gazette entry, left hand column about half way down. There is a number next to his name - 226095 - but I don’t know if that’s his Army number, or a Gazette thing. If it’s his number, then obviously not your man.



The Army List pages are not great images, and they’re all pretty much the same, but I don’t have access to Fold3, so these are best I could do. I’ve included the links to the Ancestry pages too:



P



https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/c...0f2f0483d&_phsrc=Gqd26&_phstart=successSource

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/c...77bd92550&_phsrc=Gqd27&_phstart=successSource

 

Wow thank you guys, all excellent information.
The service record for NJ Shaw is a big win! Thank you!

I note that NA also hold service records for Robertson and McFadyen but these are closed for another decade. If these are on ancestry as well that would be amazing!

By using the Scotlands People website I think that McFadyens initials could be Robert Palmer.

Thanks again,
Adam

 

Adam,

If your subject(s) record is held by TNA, but it is 'Closed' as their procedures require an official document recording his death (CWGC entry will do). Follow the link and TNA explain: Request Closed MOD Personnel Records Or try to get a Death Cert. via: https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

 

Thanks but to get a death certificate I need to know their full name. They all survived the war I think as no details of their deaths on CWGC website.

 

On the genealogy site I use there is a Robert Palmer McFadyen, b. 1918 in Stirlingshire, with Military Service, but the source cited is:

There is another entry for R. McFadyen, same year and place of birth and source.

Using that full name and minus the middle name there are no TNA records shown. Closed Records are normally shown, so I am puzzled.

 

Look harder.

Name: R P McFadyen . Service number: 7599398 . Date of birth: 1 April 1918 . | The National Archives

 

Regarding J.J. Foggo the only information I have on him is that he was discharged February 1942. Does this help narrow him down??
I got this information from the attestation books held in the Royal Logistics Corps Museum in Winchester.

 

Which would rule out “my” J. J. Foggo, as two of the Army Lists I found on Ancestry are for 1943 and 1945.