Capt Stedham Denbury Home Guard

[Beavances]

Hi Happy New Year everyone!
I have a clock which has a small panel attached, it is inscribed ' Presented to Capt. Stedham by Denbury Home Guard 1942. I would love to reunite it with a member of his family.

Google searches reveal a picture of Denbury Home Guard (although is name is not mentioned at that time), there are also several newspaper mentions from around the WW2 and various Stedham  family trees on Ancestry. What I would like help with is finding the right family - any suggestions how I can go about this? 

[ShaunJ]

This is probably Nigel Seaton-Stedham. He was a Captain in the KRRC. Died 1984.

[Beavances]

Thanks ShaunJ for that possibility.
I am unsure about military history  and the ranking system used.  For example could Captain Stedham have been given the rank of Captain as a Home Guard in WW2? Or would that title have been awarded in a previous military career? e.g possibly WW1? Thinking along these lines might give me a clue about his likely age when he received the clock.

[nanny jan]

His death registration gives a birth year of 1913.

[Beavances]

Thank you NannyJan for that information. I wonder if he is the correct Capt Stedham?
 With that birthdate he would have been aged 26 at the outbreak of WW2 which gives me two further questions - would he not have gone abroad to fight rather than being in the HomeGuard? Secondly if he did join the HomeGuard ( maybe a reserved occupation?) wasn't that very young to become a Captain?

[ShaunJ]

You don't know that he was in the Home Guard. Only that the clock was presented by Denbury Home Guard.

[nanny jan]

Have you searched the 1939 Register? Might find a hint there.

If there is a local history group at Denbury you might get help from them.   

Not able to help on military matters.

[Beavances]

That is a good point - that he might not be a Home Guard himself, just because the clock was presented by the HomeGuard - I hadn't considered that ShaunJ so thanks for the suggestion.
I have looked through the 1939 register and have found some men with the name Stedham. I have only looked at the register for Devon though but am mindful that he may not have lived in that county.
Thanks also NannyJan for the suggestion to contact the local history group. I have found a village group for Denbury and have contacted them. Will let you know if I get a reply.

[ShaunJ]

Looking at army announcements in the Gazette, there were other Captains named Stedham.

There was  a Captain J E C Stedham in the RASC.

Bur perhaps more likely is Captain F C Stedham, Territorial Army, who transferred to the Royal Artillery from "Devon R" (presumably the Devonshire Regiment)  in January 1942.

There may be other candidates