Tracing Ancestor And Photographic Memorabilia To Share

New here and just happened across this site whilst doing some research.
I've been trying to trace my Grandfathers ancestry back but it comes to a dead end. After my Grandparents died I kept anything historic and I do remember him speaking fondly of his Uncle who was a Captain in the army. I have a historic regimental photo still framed which shows '4th Troop C Squadron 18th Royal Hussars (QMO)' and on the back is written 1922, and a couple of letters one dated 8th September 1945 where he was Captain Jack Parker, Darjeeling, Bengal India. In that letter he states he intended to stay in India for another couple of years before retiring so I am assuming he was in service between 1922 to 1947. I'm not sure when he died but I remember meeting his wife who lived in Kent when I was young and died in the early 70's. I've got loads of military photos from that time and I'd be happy to share them with anyone interested if perhaps somebody could point me in the right direction? I was hoping to find his military record so as to have his correct DOB to use on ancestry sites. Any help is appreciated TIA

 

Welcome aboard, often help will appear.

On a quick look using "C Squadron" + "18th Royal Hussars" site:ww2talk.com finds a small number of threads, all appear to relate to combat duties in NW Europe. If you remove the "C squadron" that may find more help.

I noticed that the 18th Royal Hussars is sometimes prefixed with 13th or becomes 13/15th Royal Hussars.

Going back to 1922 on the link is their history 1906-1922: http://www.newmp.org.uk/sitedocs/Memoirs_of_the_18th_(QMO)_Royal_Hussars_1906-1922.pdf

The two regiments were combined in 1922. See: 13th Hussars - Wikipedia

Mass of historical stuff here! See: History Downloads For both regiments.

Is his first name actually Jack? I thought that was a nickname.

Might the 13/18th Royal Hussars have a museum, even an Old Comrades group and be on Facebook?

Enough orders incoming.

 

Thank you for your reply.
It's a difficult one as the squadron photo says 1922 but this is the year they joined with 13th so maybe it was a last photo of them together? Also at that point he may not have been a captain as the titled letter was not until 1945. As for 'Jack', I can only assume that was his name as again it was on the titled letter and not sure if you would use a 'nickname' in correspondence? There is another photo where they are sitting down at a dinner and on the table is a sign for N Squadron but this has no date. Have found a couple of groups on Facebook but they seem to be for people who have served in the regiment, have requested to join and will see what they say. Had a friend in the parachute regiment that said they knew someone who could trace back his service but sadly he moved abroad before it was done. Just a shame we don't have a database in the UK like they do in US.

 

18th Royal Hussars - Wikipedia

18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary’s Own) | National Army Museum

Cannon Hall Museum, Regimental Museum of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) and the Light Dragoons | The National Archives

Reading your post #1 I would personally join either Ancestry or Find My Past and trace his name using locations that you have for relatives and see how that develops.
There are a number of members with much experience of these sites who might offer answers or advice.
You could place military photos on the forum so that we can see them and offer suggestions from what we see.

Placing military photos on the forum is your least expensive option.

Of greatest concern is the lack of mention regarding India and the 13/18 Royal Hussars.
Had he gone there after serving with them in the UK?.

 

Thanks
Have been through the Wiki page. But in Memoirs of the 18th posted above there is mention of a Lieutenant A C Parker who's name I've seen before in an ancestry search given he was the only Parker to marry someone called Lillian I could find.

 

This old, but archived link states the 18th were @ Aldershot when the two units combined and as the 13th / 18th they did go to India 1931-1934. See: 13th/18th Royal Hussars: Service

A couple of points to look for on photos for what the 13/18th uniforms / badges were. See:https://www.arrse.co.uk/community/threads/a-bit-of-help-with-regiment-identification.236713/

I wonder if your subject linked India so much, that he was seconded to service there - probably with an Indian Army cavalry unit.

It might be easier to trace his wife, assuming you have some details! Then identify him.

 

I have my PC on today so I will scan and upload the Squadron photo in case anyone is interested.

Oddly enough the letter his wife sent is hand written on headed paper from 'Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles Darjeeling-Jalpaiguri'.

I spent 12 hours researching them yesterday and was up until 4am, all with dead ends. I don't know her maiden name is so hard to trace her back. Also looks like they were married before 2012 as after that the partners name was listed on marriage record and I can't find and cross reference with a Parker marrying someone called Lillian.

Am going to contact National Archives this week to see if they can give me any advice as everything seems to be hitting a dead end. I think my best hope is down the lines of Captain Parker as I know where he was in the military and at least that part of his name is correct. Also he was my Grandfathers Uncle and that is the side of the family I am trying to connect.

My Grandfather was born during WW1 and orphaned at a young age. He looked up to this Uncle as a Father and he helped him a lot. It's odd as my Grandfather didn't have his Mothers surname for some reason and I'd like to try and find out why. Also it happens to be he was born in the same borough of London that I now live so the connection is real.

 

In case anyone is interested...

 

And the man himself (although ranked Lieutenant in this I believe?)...

 

No……he has 3 pips = Captain.

PS

I doubt the proposed enquiry with U.K. NA will take matters further. You’ll likely struggle to get a response via whichever media you use to make contact.

 

Is that not 4 on shoulder? How does it work, is one a button?

 

Referring back to Post #1 "I am assuming he was in service between 1922 to 1947" [?] Those medal ribbons appear to be WW1 so earlier than 1920.

Kyle

 

Interesting. As I have no information on his exact age all I can go by at the moment is the regimental photo from 1922 to what he said about leaving in 2 years in the letter dated 1945. Although I found another photo which I believe says they were getting ready to leave India and that was dated 1948. There's also talk about him getting his pension around that time so am assuming, if 65, this would take his birth date to around 1883.

 

The first ribbon appears to be the 1914 Star [rather than the 14/15 Star] as it appears to have a Rosette emblem upon it ? He could possibly have been an ordinary soldier and commissioned later from the ranks ? I can find only one but he is a James Parker 3093 awarded a 1914 Star with 14 Hussars ? {could have served with another unit of course but listed for info only



Kyle

 

In post #9 he is a Captain and post 1920 as his rank is on his shoulders 1902-1920 the rank was on the cuff of the sleeve.
Probably taken in Europe as he is wearing dark brown No 2 Dress. Indian Army was usually Khaki Drill (light brown).

Captain and ranks above are allowed to use their rank as a title after they leave the Army.
Like "Captain" Peacock in Are you being Served? TV series.

Comparative officer ranks of World War I - Wikipedia

WW1 Service Records are available on Ancestry (or were when I last used it)
This included his declared next of kin, wife and children at the time that he enlisted.

 

Good spot (cited in part):

FIBIS has this:

From: Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles - FIBIwiki

Slightly more:

From: Koi Hai | Articles, Tea Planters Clubs & Tea Companies | Military | The North Bengal Mounted Rifles which is: 'Koi-Hai the history of British tea planters from Assam and North East India' so could be more there. Such as those on: Koi Hai | Ancestry in India ? - how to search

More here: Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles and for 1926-1927: Lost Scrapbook Irvine 5 Your subject is not listed as a member then.

Re the photo on Post 8. The collar badges are not for Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles. See: Dead Spartan

A little history:

From: Northern Bengal Volunteer Rifle Corps

Would the medal ribbons match those for another NBMR officer? See: 314 - Five: Major G.A. Webb, 9th Northern Bengal Mounted Rifles Britis...

 

He could be referring to retiring from the army & getting his army pension. It would vary when officers retired from the army, but it would I think be earlier than age 65. Generals in the British army used to retire about 55 yrs but I assume it would depend on wether you had a big enough pension, so 45-60 yrs old is a very broad but reasonable age range for retirement.

Some of this will not apply if however he left the army before WW2 to become a planter or other civilian job in India & only rejoined in WW2.

We don't yet know if he was in the Indian Army or British Army in India in 1945/48. Getting ready to leave India in 1947/8 was usual for a soldier or indeed a civilian who may have spent a large part of his career there, as India was made independent in 1947. The regiments of the British Army stationed in India had all left by end of 1948 I think & the regiments of the Indian Army either went to newly formed Pakistani or Indian army, with some Ghurka Regiments transferring to the British Army. At Independence most British senior officers serving in the Indian Army left or retired.

He may have been due to retire during WW2 but stayed on for the duration. Having WW1 service as well & assuming no breaks he would have had 30 years service in 1940.

A better guide to his age is the 1914 Star and rosette which means he was at least 16-18 in late 1914, so born 1897 or earlier. There are no Boer War ribbons in the photo so that eliminates him having served there 1900-02.

If he was serving in India in 1922 & 1947 & as you can't find his marriage it could have happened in India. The FIBIS website already mentioned has records of some marriages in India.

I should add that although Jack was used as an official christian name, it was very often a nickname for anyone whose real name was John, like Rudyard Kipling's son John who was known in the family as Jack.

Travers

 

Yes, the one nearest his neck is the stud or button holding the epulette on.

Travers

 

This was Lilian/Lil shortly before she died in mid 70s, photo taken by the Kentish Gazette. I still have the picture she was posing with (one posted), and the cabinet she is leaning on...

 

My Grandfather was born in 1915 and there are pictures in an album where he is staying with them in a house which looks to be in the UK. I'd say he's around 8 to 10 so would put them in uk after the war, around 1925. There's also many photos of my Grandfather and his Uncle together whilst he was a young man and pre married, mostly taken around the UK coast so agian I'd assume they were in UK during the 30s as my Grandfather didn't marry until 1941.