Great Grandfather Mystery WW2

[thecapt]

Hi Folks,

I've been trying to trace any sign of my paternal great-grandfather Arthur Walker (Born Birmingham, England, 1906).  I have a picture of him in WW2 military uniform and both my dad and granddad assure me that he served aboard Troopships.  There is also some thought that he was actually in the army and was then moved to the troopships where he eventually became a sergeant.  HOWEVER............ this is 'legend' and I'm not too sure how true these stories are.  Firstly he had only one eye (lost at the age of 3) and secondly I have a bullet in my possession that was apparently from him (it caused him to lose a lung??).  To say this is intriguing is an understatement.  I'm sure he did serve in some capacity and I'm absolutely sure he was no war hero (other than serving his king and country - in itself heroic) however I would love to find out what he did.

I did apply to the Army for his records (as my grandfather is still alive - he requested them as next of kin), however nothing was found!!  Could this mean he had naval records?

Any help, pointers, tips, info would be very well received!

many thanks,

Leigh

[iluleah]

Hi and welcome to rootschat

Have you considered he may have been in the Home Guards https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/home-guard

[rosie99]

Hi

Welcome to rootschat

Have you located him or his wife/children on the 1939 register

[thecapt]

Thanks both......

I have him on the 1939 register living in Smethwick with his wife and kids (one of them blanked out - my grandfather).

I will try the homeguard, good call. 

[nanny jan]

If you can post the photograph showing him in uniform some of our military experts might be able to identify it.

[thecapt]

Arthur Walker

[MaxD]

Were any further children born during the war years, a birth cert should have regiment/unit and number.

Whoops - just seen the photo.  It is certainly army and is the old service dress as worn in WW1 and up to about 1930.  Makes it difficult to date it as from mid 1930, soldiers wore the battledress blouse and trousers with a  map pocket although not everyone in the early WW2 enlistments got it.  The badge above the pocket is a puzzle.  There was an enamel Home Guard badge but this looks a bit elongated for that.  Cap and collar badges look to me like the Gloucestershire Regiment (the Home Guard wore regimental badges).

No army record suggest he did not serve in the "active" army.  The process for getting a Home Guard record from the MOD is done by a different MOD department and is here http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/home-guard-personnel/  The link given by iluleah suggests a number of possibles.   I do not have a sub to that site,

From the uniform he is certainly not RAF, RN or Royal Marines so not naval or air force records.

Long winded way of saying - puzzling.  And I should add that the Home Guard is guesswork but sounds feasible if his eyesight was badly affected.

MaxD

[thecapt]

Both my grandad and his brother (Arthur’s children) were born before the war.

 

[thecapt]

Thanks so much for this.

I spoke to my grandfather tonight and he confirmed that he was in the Gloucestershire regiment. Does this still mean homeguard ties?

He definitely served aboard troopships and apparently the only time he ever cried was when the Champollion broke up off the Israel coast. He said it was HIS ship.  Apparently he also served aboard the Mauritania 2 as well.

He is a real puzzle....