Naomi Perera ATS

Discussion in 'The Women of WW2' started by amberdog45, Mar 15, 2014.

  1. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    We were always lead to believe our Aunt Naomi Horgan (nee Perera) was in the Womans Land Army and I have a picture of her that I would say was her in that uniform, but this new picture that's resurfaced doesn't look WLA to me.

    It's a completely different uniform to the one where she is sitting on the wall (which I assume is the WLA uniform).

    Always more questions than answers when it comes to our family photos. Thanks for taking the time to look at the photos and any suggestions you can offer.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    I think that you are correct in your assumption, the photograph on the left Shows a shoulder patch which does not appear to be Land Army.

    Hard to make out but it could be two crossed flags?

    Regards
    Tom
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Badge on shoulder says ATS.
     
  4. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

    A maybe - there was a time when potential officers were appointed as under officers (appointment not a rank) prior to training, wearing a light blue ribbon on the epaulette - not sure if this applied to ATS.
     
  5. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    I'm starting to wonder if it's maybe Timber Corps? I'm hoping to get sent a clearer image of the shoulder. Thanks for the suggestions so far. - Maria
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  7. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Like this?
    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205195562

    [​IMG]
    THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-1945: THE AUXILIARY TERRITORIAL SERVICE. © IWM (H 11075)IWM Non Commercial Licence


    ATS girls on parade at an officer cadet training unit at Craigmillar, Edinburgh, Scotland.
     
  8. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

  9. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Amberdog Just a suggestion Was this your aunt.

    Miss N Perera Born about 1913, arrived London 15th Aug 1938 aged 25 from Rangoon Burma, with a mr C M Perera aged 20 (assumed brother) both students permanent residence Ceylon.
    Both lived at 6 Eastbury court Holland rd London.
    Say for instance she was a medical student and joined the Ats would she be put in the medical branch of the Ats and the ribbon under the badge might signify this.
    Its only a guess, sometimes I look at history forwards and not backwards if you see what I mean.
     
  10. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Alright Hawk eyes Owen, I'll give you it's ATS ha ha. Must admit I didn't notice the curve of the S. I think it's high time I got my eyes checked. I've emailed my cousin to see if he wants to pursue any potential service record via Glasgow. I had exhausted all lines of enquiry on the WLA side of things. Cant believe this new twist in the families military history.

    There is a Ceylon/Sri Lanka connection but Naomi was born in Glasgow in 1925. Her father Lewis came from Colombo and ended up in Glasgow during WW1 service with the Merchant Navy. He met and married my Gran Josephine Gilmour in 1919. Many thanks though for taking the time to check the passenger lists.

    Can't believe there's now another record out there possibly. Serves me right for thinking it was time to burn all this family history to disk as it was all wrapped up. There's always something new cropping up and I'm excited at the prospect of reading war diaries connected to my aunts service. Now we will just have to wait & see what her records reveal.

    Naomi and her mother were living in Fife by then. In 1941 Naomi's half brother Alexander Gilmour died on the SS Rhineland after it was hit by German u boat. His Merchant Navy record stated his home address as Chapel Street, Fife.

    When my Dad, Naomi's brother, Louis Perera, was discharged from the Army in 1947 their mother was then resident at Toft Terrace Anstruther Fife.

    It will be interesting to see where Naomi did her service. Thanks to you all for your help. You really are a great bunch of folk.
     
  11. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Absolutely gutted today when I got a letter from Glasgow saying they couldn't find any record of my aunt's ATS service.

    Do you think it's worth my while seeing if she applied for any medals? Were the ATS given any medals?

    I've also been in contact with my aun't daughter in the U.S. who recalled her mother seemingly was building bombs during the war.

    Going through my mother's bag of old photo's I came across some B&W negatives and had them developed the other week. I was chuffed when the attached showed Naomi again in her ATS uniform standing with her Mum in Fife.

    Looks like I'm just going to have to be content with the old B&W photographs and thanks to everybody for their help in identifying the ATS uniform.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Staffsyeoman

    Staffsyeoman Member

    The ATS certainly qualified for the 1939-45 War Medal as a bare minimum. The Defence Medal too if they served long enough at home. Not sure of figures for overseas service but these would also attract campaign stars.
     
  13. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Thanks for the info Phil. Well I've got nothing to loose by asking the medal office. Can't give up until I've exhausted every avenue - Cheers - Maria
     
  14. snailer

    snailer Country Member

    Her badge on left breast pocket should show you who she was attached to. I have photographs of quite a few ATS's, they are either RE or RA but yours doesn't seem to be either of those, I wonder if it's possible to ID her badge would that branch of the Service have a record of her? Are there any records in Ceylon/Sri Lanka that might document her service.

    Rgds

    Pete
     
  15. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Hi Pete,

    Sorry I've never responded before now, research had to go on hold. Naomi was born in Glasgow to a Sri Lankan father and Glaswegian mother in 1925 Chilwell Envelope.jpg . MOD can't find her record, but my Mum hit the jack pot in March and came across a load of forgotten photos. Within them was an envelope address to Naomi in "D" Coy, ATS, Room 164, Queen Elizabeth Camp, Chilwell, Beston dated 7 March 1946. There are also clues from some of the photos as well where she may have been. I'll post them later. Thanks for your response Pete. Cheers - Maria
     
  16. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    Fascinating material Maria, many thanks for posting.
     
  17. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Chilwell was a large depot run by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. It's possible the breast badge could be RAOC or perhaps the original REME - Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - one.

    Found this photo of an RAMC-attached ATS NCO and an RAOC one.
     
  18. amberdog45

    amberdog45 Senior Member

    Thanks Brian & Idler. Naomi's daughter remembered recently that her Mum told her she built bombs during the war.

    I don't know if any of the mods are reading this but would it be possible to change the name of the thread to Naomi Perera, D Coy, ATS (1925-1979) please?

    I found a news article (23/10/1943) in the Derby Daily that mentions a "dusky" Pte. N. Perera and have often wondered if it was Naomi. I'm convinced now that it is her. Others mentioned in the news article are (listing the names in case anybody searches for them in the future):
    Subaltern Hylda Lewis
    Senior Commander R.M. Villiers-Stuart
    Senior Commander P. Tetley
    Sgt. E. M. Crossley
    L/Cpl. I. Findlay
    Pte. M. Tucker
    L/Cpl N. Lamer
    Sgt. F. Storey
    Pte. E. Desborough
    Pte. J. Ritchie
    Subaltern D. Stark
    Pte. J. Dower
    Pte. D. Evans

    I'll post the other photos I have in the gallery but this one I attach as I would love to find out where it was taken. There are several photos from here, but none state where. All Naomi wrote on the back of this one was "This is the Billet. Incidentally this is only half of the building. My room is not shown"

    Thanks every one and hope you are all having an enjoyable May Day holiday.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. idler

    idler GeneralList

    There's another reference to the camp here as being on top of a hill.
     
  20. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Found this address, Queen Elizabeth Barracks. Training Centre Swiney Way. Chilwell. NOTTS. So thought I would have a look on google maps for the building.

    Turns out Chetwynd Barracks are on Swiney way

    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9133695,-1.2536999,847m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en-GB

    Mostly modern buildings I zoomed around the area, then zoomed into what looks like the base of a building in Gell rd. Not the right shape. However in the football field above there looks to be an outline of a building which could look like the photo if the photo was reversed. It is on Queen Elizabeth rd.
    Anyone else think the same?
     

Share This Page