Grandad's uniform can anyone help??

[MaryA]

If you were interested in a trip to the National Archives, I believe Katie was wondering about getting a group of our members together for a trip there, if my memory serves me right I think she suggested possibly during the summer months when we don't have regular meetings.

[Sue H]

Hi Mary.......count me in as long as its not July......my sons getting married then

[MaryA]

Have a word with Katie about it, I haven't made plans yet so don't know if I'm going or not.

July hopefully will be lovely for a wedding.

[Katie]

He should be recorded in BT382 1941-1960. These are CRS1 cards and will give a record of all the ships he served on. As a matter of interest my dad sailed on the QE2 and I remember those christmas parties I was born 1960 so a bit later than yours.

[Sue H]

I have continued searching for grandad uniform, I had emailed a Liverpool site relating to the police.....and this arrivied today, so can you give me sugestions of how to look up his ww11 medals

I don't give up easily and I have made a few enquiries with other retired Police Officers. We all believe this to be some type of Security uniform worn by Security at a factory. We are guessing the Speke area of Liverpool because some have seen similar uniforms in that area. We believe it could possibly be the old Triumph car factory. The factory closed in 1978 and became part of British Leyland that eventually became the Rover Group and that company was disolved in 2000. The cap badge is very similar in appearance to the old Triumph logo.

We can confirm that your grandad is wearing the medal ribbons of the 1939-45 Star, Africa star and the Defence and War Medals of WWII.


So another tale Nan told me is true.....

[MaryA]

You could check the National Archives site for any details of the medals, however I believe you would need to visit in person to research these properly.

[Hilary]

If he was in the Merchant Navy when he received the medals he will appear in Documents online on the National Archives site under WW2 seamen's medals. To differentiate the Richard Hughes you need his actual date of birth

Medals in the 2nd World War weren't issued they had to be claimed.

You can also look in the National Archives to find where someone had to serve to qualify for the medals.

If he isn't there he must have served in the Royal navy, the Army or the RAF.

Last Friday we had a talk at Southport group from someone who had researched her father's Merchant Navy servcie in the WW2. She had spent hours in the National Archives and other respositories. One thing she had done was go through crew lists starting with a ship he was known to have been on. That crew list then told her which ship he had been on for before and so on. That would be the only way you would find out his actual service.

She also told us about the Ship's Movement's cards for voyages taken during the war which recorded the ship's movements.

She was able to piece together her father's complete war service and then submit all her evidence to claim the medals that somehow her father never received. It was a fascinating story and one that must have taken days to research. She did say that visiting the National Archives was vital.

[daggers]

Looking at the cap badge on the original photo, I cannot think it belongs to a police force, but more likely to a security company. It seems to have a prominent capital A.
I have looked at the Standard Motors badges in Google images, and their post war version is not the one shown in the photo.If anyone can look in a directory for that time, there might be a security company listed, beginning with A.
D

[Sue H]

Hi folks though you would like an update for grandads uniform

Seems it could be the security guard uniform for the Truimph Car Site that was in Speke. They lived in speke in 1952, Oldbridge Road, I was born there.......so very possible ........by 1956 we were in Norris Green, so I think his Cunard period start around then.

Also been told the medals on his jacket could be 1939-1945 Star (Battle of Britain), that medals won were worn on other uniforms..... this I will have to check out if I can get the the National Archives someday

I got this information from a chap who runs a site for the history of Liverpool Police when I sent the photo for him to have a look at

So one problem (maybe) solved and a million and one to go!!

[Sue H]

oh dear just seen I have already posted this......sorry

[MaryA]

I'd rather hear good news twice over than not at all

[Ken Lees]

Just a thought regarding his medals - if he had served in the Royal Navy or Merchant Navy in WW2 I would expect him to have been awarded the Atlantic Star amongst others. In the absence of that (and I think you need other opinions on the medal ribbons he is wearing in the photo) I would lean towards him serving in the Army or the Royal Air Force.

You could try posting the photo on the British Medals Forum - http://www.britishmedalforum.com/. If you do post there, make it clear that your question is regarding his medals, not his uniform, as they deal with medals only there. I'm sure someone there will be able to advise.

If you do establish the branch of the forces he served in, you can then apply for his service record under the Freedom of Information Act.

Good luck,

Ken

[MaryA]

Welcome back Ken, we appreciate your military knowledge and help - thanks.

[Ken Lees]

Thanks Mary. I have almost recovered from my traumatic ordeal now.

[Sue H]

Hi Ken......this has and is still a puzzle. I have just got my mother and fathers marriage certificate and it states there in 1951 he was a male nurse. I know he had some sort of war injury and had many sleepless nights with it. I am going to join that site and see what I can find

While on the subject of uniform, my sister and I have scourned sites for old triumph badges and none seem to resemble that on grandads uniform..........so I may never really know the answer!!

Many thanks for your suggestion tho......will try