Searching for Harold M Monks WW2

I've been searching for information regarding my Grandfather who served during the second world war, the images I have attached are all the information we have as everything else including his medals were stolen in a robbery some time ago. My father would love to know as much information as possible as his dad didn't like to talk about the war while he was alive.

All I know was he was from Manchester, signed up for the Royal Marines and his DOB is 25/08/1914

If anyone can help it would be amazing

 

Hello Andy welcome
Your best bet is to get the war diaries, members on here copy for a reasonable price.
Also might be worth reapplying for his service records Get a copy of military service records requesting full records.

You can also reapply for his medals at Apply for a veterans badge or a medal
Replace a medal
You can only get a replacement medal from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) if it was stolen or destroyed, for example in a fire or flood. The medal must have been awarded for service after World War 1.

You’ll need to show proof by providing a copy of either a:

• police crime report
• successful insurance claim listing the individual items

regards
Clive

 

Harold M Monks
1914–1979
BIRTH 25 AUG 1914 • Chorlton, Lancashire
DEATH MAR 1979 • Manchester, Greater Manchester, England

England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
Name: Harold M Monks
Mother's Maiden Name: Clarke
Registration Year: 1914
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Chorlton
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: Lancashire
Volume: 8c
Page: 1447

England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
Name: Harold Merton Monks
Death Age: 64
Birth Date: 25 Aug 1914
Registration Date: Mar 1979
Registration district: Manchester
Inferred County: Greater Manchester
Volume: 38
Page: 1540

Harold Merton Monks
Birth: 25 Aug 1914 - Lancashire
Death: Mar 1979 - Manchester, England
Marriage: Sep 1937 - Stockport, Cheshire
Spouse: Dorothy Pendergrast
F: Edward Monks
M: Elizabeth R Clarke

Details from Ancestry

As Clive says obtain his service reocrds, they are the place to start
TD

 

What did he do in civilian life, what types of job??

TD

 

Searching around, came up with these:
https://www.royalmarinesmuseum.co.u...ing a second world war service record (1).pdf
RN and RM abbreviations | Commando Veterans Archive

 

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-t...884/facts?_phsrc=TOI52&_phstart=successSource

 

In 1939 Register (as linked to in the Family Tree link by Tony56) he was living at 7 Ellwood Road, Stockport with Dorothy (born 3 August 1915) no children
He was a biscuit cream mixer, she was in the cotton industry a ring? spinner.
Perhaps someone who knows Stockport could tell you what biscuit manufacturers were there. McVities?

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I've researched the Ancestry side and that avenue seems to be closed. The records posted are the only documents we have now, the robbery was over 25 years ago, why no one has tried to get this information before I don't know

 

Try searching for “royal marine ww2 copra”. It comes up with an establishment in Largs called COPRA which is on one of the records you have posted. It seems to be an admin base - Combined Operations Pay Records and Accounts.

Regards

Tom

 

I've search "Copra" but can't find a mention of him serving there, it does say "COPRA" was used when they didn't know the name of the marines ship

 

You are lucky that you have your Grandfather's Certificate of Service. It was an original document that (in the case of RN and RM) was handed out on discharge so many were lost/mislaid by individuals or descendants. There is not much detail on this one.
HBL = Home Base Ledger and MNBDO = Mobile Naval Base Defence Organisation, a RM organisation for Port defence. Rightly or wrongly I have always attached the 'Mobile' to the Naval Base rather than the Defence ie MNBDO is the Defence Organisation for a Mobile Naval Base.
Search on this site using 'MNBDO' will give you some info. It would appear that 2 MNBDO were deployed North Africa/Crete/Sicily.
The entry of Copra as already pointed out stands for Combined Operations Pay Records and Accounts. A shore establishment which would merely have held his records whilst he was serving elsewhere. Looking at the dates I would guess Landing Craft. The only clue I can see on his records during this time is that from 30 Dec 43 to 27 Jul 45 he was employed Act.2.R.II. Unfortunately I have no idea what this stands for.

Tim

 

These are the only documents I have from my deceased grandfather for his service in World War II

I would like to get copies of his medals and ribbons for my family to remember him, I'm sure he was awarded a Burma Star and a North Africa Star but can't be sure.

If any can gleam information I might find useful please get in touch, service number etc are much needed

 

Well his service number is PLY/X.100561 - which I think shows he enlisted or was based in Plymouth, more expert naval members will correct

RE his medals

Contact the MOD Medal Office
You can contact the Medals Office in writing or via email.
DBS-Medals@mod.gov.uk
MOD Medal Office
Room G36
Innsworth House
Imjin Barracks
Gloucester
GL3 1HW

Freephone (UK only): 0800 085 3600

Have found them to be very helpful

TD

 

His service number PLY/X.100561 indicates he was allocated service in the Plymouth Division Royal Marines for Hostilities Only (HO) during WW2. He seems to have been involved in the Combined Operations role. The service record does not give any medal information so best to contact them as per the details above.
Regards
Hugh

 

There is another post on Harold Merton Monks:
Searching for Harold M Monks WW2

Andy, probably best to keep everything under one heading or it will make it very difficult to follow. Some will answer one thread and someone else the other, no one will know where we are!

Any MOD out there who could merge them?