Searching for info

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by 13thbattalion, Aug 19, 2018.

  1. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    Hi, does anyone have any information regarding a soldier named Frank Micheal Wood. He was captured at oosterbeek during operation market garden.
    Thanks
     
  2. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    It will help if people know what unit he was serving in--any idea?
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Firstly I would suggest/recommend that you obtain his service records from the MOD - Request records of deceased service personnel - they are the only official records and will provide you with the right details with which to start your search.

    Secondly, some more details would help, however searching the POW lists then there is an F Wood in the Army Air Corps shown as a POW so the details below MAY be him, checking these details against his service record will ascertain if there is a match or not

    UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
    Name: F Wood
    Rank: Private
    Army Number: 863173
    Regiment: Army Air Corps
    POW Number: 75507
    Camp Type: Stalag
    Camp Number: IV-B
    Camp Location: Mühlberg, Elbe, Brandenburg

    TD
     
    Tony56, Guy Hudson, timuk and 2 others like this.
  4. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    He originally enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1937, he transferred to a Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment on 17.10.1941
    Screen Shot 2018-08-19 at 14.24.15.png

    He was serving with 11th Battalion Parachute Regiment when he was captured on 25.9.1944.
    Screen Shot 2018-08-19 at 14.25.05.png
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2018
    Tricky Dicky, 4jonboy and timuk like this.
  5. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    Brilliant!!!! That's the man. Thanks very much guys. I've just been given his service record from his daughter. He started out in the Royal artillery and ended up in the SAS in North Africa.
     
  6. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Can you upload his service record?? - be interesting to see if he was LRDG or SAS

    TD
     
  7. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    I'll have a go. It seems he volunteered for no. 2 commando and then 11 special air service. His daughter has his special service brigade cap badge. The interesting part of all this is that his daughter had no idea what he had done during the war.
     
  8. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    Hi, I think I've attached a picture of him. He's the guy with the pack in front of him. The picture looks to be Lrdg or SAS but I suppose it could be when he was posted to 4Para Brigade. Looking at his service record,I'm not sure the the SAS link holds up. It seems he joined 11 commando early on but was then returned to HAA unit a month later, so not sure what happened there. He ended up in Ceylon and was then sent to The Middle East where he was posted to '4th Airborne Division'. He was then posted to 11th Parachute Battalion and sent back to England and then to Arnhem. Do you think there is a way of finding out why he was returned to the HAA from 2 commando and where he did his training in Egypt.
    Thanks
     

    Attached Files:

  9. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    Does anyone know what the initials ABDW mean. They are on his service record.
     
  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    So you have rec'd his service records from the MOD in Glasgow??

    If so then please post them - it will also make understanding ABDW better

    TD
     
    Tony56 likes this.
  11. bamboo43

    bamboo43 Very Senior Member

    Did he get into any sort of trouble? In civilian terms ABDW is Assault and Battery with a Deadly Weapon!!
     
  12. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

  13. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    He did do a few stretches in detention blocks but no mention of serious assault. It's the entry just before the 11th para .
     
  14. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

  15. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    OK so why do you think he was in the LRDG or SAS ??


    ABDW could be Air Base Defence Weapon [Anti aircraft]

    TD

    I'm also confused here because the documents you have uploaded dont seem to tie up to each other, they are for the same person?? who seems to have spent most of his time in HAA Heavy Anti Aircraft, before apparently moving to a Para Regt and based in the UK.

    His time noted in South Lancs POW camp is post war - something here is just not right
     
    Last edited: Aug 23, 2018
  16. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    This is what was sent from Glasgow. I thought it odd that he went from HAA to para. Maybe it was because he was in 2 commando at the beginning. Saying that, he was only there for just over a month.
     
  17. 13thbattalion

    13thbattalion Active Member

    The lrdg link was what his daughter said but I think she's confused special air service battalion with the later special air service. Looking through his records, other than the picture,there doesn't seem to be any connection with operations in North Africa.
     
  18. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Can you upload full copies of all the documents sent you by the MOD please

    TD
     
  19. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Still stuck on ABDW. Few other thoughts.
    No. 2 Commando then posted 2/11/40 to Special Service Brigade Royal Marines.
    From Wiki:
    In 1940, volunteers were called for from serving British Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain and men of the disbanding Divisional Independent Companies originally raised from Territorial Army (TA) divisions and who had seen service in the Norwegian Campaign. In November 1940 these army units were organised into a Special Service Brigade under Brigadier J. C. Haydon with five Special Service battalions.[1] By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered for commando training, and the Special Service Brigade now consisted of 12 units which were now called commandos.[2] Each commando would number around 450 men, commanded by a lieutenant colonel. They were divided into troops of 75 men and further divided into 15-man sections.[2] The Commandos were all volunteers, seconded from other British Army regiments, but they retained their own regimental cap badges and remained on their regimental roll for pay.[3]

    Then posted 6th PCRA, unfortunately I don't know what this is.
    Then posted 17/10/41 to 54 Regt HAA
    Interestingly 54 HAA were in 1 AA Brigade Royal Marines from Sep 42 in Ceylon before going to Suez and Egypt in May 43.
    RA 1939-45 54 HAA Rgt
    His being in the 11th Parachute Battalion and his date of capture tie in with being in 'Operation Market Garden' and being captured trying to relieve those at Arnhem.

    Tim

    Edit: I've misread his posting 2/11/40. I thought it said SS RM but it is SS Btn ie: Special Service Battalion.
     
    Last edited: Aug 24, 2018
  20. Richard Lewis

    Richard Lewis Member

    Looking at the service record (Part 2 orders for the dates 12.9.43 – 6.1.44 the postings are AAC {Army Air Corps, of which the Parachute Battalions were part], 4th Airb Div [no such division as far as I can see, should read 1st Airborne Division or 4th Parachute Brigade] and 11th [Parachute] Bn.

    Therefore I would read this as AB Div [Airborne Division]. The next entry shows 11 Para Bde, again no such formation, should read 11th Para Bn.

    Which as TD and others have said (more than once ;)) it helps to see the original source!

    Richard.
     
    timuk likes this.

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