Likely regiment

[higgsy]

Hi

My uncle William Findlay  born 1919 did national service. I know he was a gunner and spent time in Aden. I have his service number but do not know which regiment he was with?

Can anyone give me any pointers in how I can find this information.

Thanks

Norma

[MaxD]

The answer has to be - apply for his service record which is still with the Ministry of Defence. There are no on-line sources for that info.

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

MaxD

[philipsearching]

The answer has to be - apply for his service record which is still with the Ministry of Defence. There are no on-line sources for that info.

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

MaxD

The only other way would be to do a g00gle search with the surname and service number just in case there's a transcribed BMD record or newspaper article floating around (but that's a very long shot!)

Gunner could suggest Royal Artillery - but I wouldn't guarantee it.

Philip

[higgsy]

Ok thanks by the way he was from Aberdeen would that still be Royal Artillary?

Norma

[MaxD]

If you do decide to get his records, you wil need among other things, his date of birth.

There is something perhaps wrong with the year of birth you gave.  National Service began in 1947 when, if born in 1919, he would have been 28, old enough for National Service but he would have been twenty when the war broke out and would, all things being equal, have served.

Perhaps you mis-typed his year of birth?

MaxD

[higgsy]

Thanks for fir replying

I didn't think he had served in the war therefore just thought National Service. He certainly never spoke of being in The war but my mistake.

Date if birth is correct.  I came across a photo of 20 guys in uniform and on the back was all their names. Was interested to see if I could trace any relatives of the men but needed to start with the regiment.

Thanks

Norma

[philipsearching]

I didn't think he had served in the war therefore just thought National Service. He certainly never spoke of being in The war but my mistake.

As Aden is a key post guarding the entrance to the Red Sea it is quite possible your father was stationed there during WW2.  The Red Sea-Suez route was the main shipping route from India to the Mediterranean.

Philip

[MaxD]

With the rank of Gunner, he was, as Philip has said, 99% certain to have been in the Royal Artillery.  That doesn't get us very far though because at its peak in WW2 the Royal Artillery had 960 regiments with over a million men (not all in Aden of course!) so only his record will say which of these he belonged to.

MaxD

[higgsy]

Thank you

Norma

I will post photo later today just for interest