RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Kerrill on Tuesday 22 January 19 08:30 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
have been looking for a Thomas Francis Mitchell in the war records born 1883 Ireland died 1970 Warrington, Lancashire, on his obituary he is said to have been a holder of the special constable award but cannot find any trace of him, would he perhaps have been a Air Raid Warden and not be mentioned in the military? (he worked at the Vulcan foundry from 1920 to 1955 give or take a few years. Or could he have been a works police (security).
Thanks in advance
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Have you found him in the 1939 register?
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Possible - 1939 has him as an ARP Warden - Newton le Willows.
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See paragraph 7 of the following:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/bomb-census-survey-records-1940-1945/
You wouldn't have found him on line if he was in the military as WW2 service records are with the MOD still
MaxD
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Yes that's him Bumble, looks like another wall :(
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He was born in 1883 so could have been in the military during WW1, he'd have been 55/56 at the start of WW2.
Between 60 -70% of WW1 documents were destroyed in the bombing of WW2. There may be a medal card but it will give little detail.
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A possible on FindMyPast will try to find his docs.
Thomas Francis Mitchell
Year 1914-20
Service number T4/124458
Rank Private
Regiment Army Service Corps
That man received silver badge
Private Thomas Francis Mitchell
T4/124458
Badge number 238398
Enlistment date 01-Jul-1915 Discharge date 30-Aug-1917
Regiment/unit A. S. C.
Cause of discharge Para. 392 (xvi) King's Regulation Sickness
Issued 07-Sep-1917
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Different man on Ancestry with his attestation docs and is said to be a trustworthy and honest man. Was invalided home from Salonika in 1919
Name: Thomas Francis Mitchell
Birth Date: abt 1892
Enlistment Age: 23
Document Year: 1915
Residence Place: 1 Stewart Street, Preston
Regimental Number: 4110321
Regiment Name: Army Service Corps
He was a horseman as a civilian taken on as a driver in the army service corps.
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Thanks for your time and patience , don't think he was in the army as we think he was in the IRA as far as we know he came over from Ireland around 1920 and before that worked at the Ballinasloe Asylum in Galway he started work at the Vulcan foundry, if the records do exist of Air raid wardens in WW2 when will they be open to the public ?
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Have you read the link at my post above which says that Personnel records for the NFS and ARP have not survived.
MaxD
PS The SWB badge man was born 1865.
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A special constable is a volunteer who helps the police force by going out with them, they wear the same uniform have given you a link.
http://www.policecouldyou.co.uk/special-constables/
Ex IRA man becomes ARP and special policeman in UK?????? more like the second serviceman I found.
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Thanks Max, must have read it wrong thought it was inferring that most had been destroyed, maybe just keeping my hopes up. :)
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Thanks Medpat ,
I have a pension letter which he received for services in Ireland and he was definitely working at the Asylum in the early 1900 , have come across several Thomas Mitchells in the war records but none that match with him.
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I'd suggest that the Special Constabulary route would be worth looking at. They would have been under the command of whatever police force was in his area and, assuming they exist in the same form, an enquiry about wartime records might bear fruit?
This is what a search at National Archives throws up for police service records Lancashire:
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=police+service+records+lancashire
MaxD
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Thanks Max,
very interesting site seems to go on forever :)
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Scroll through till you find http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/b4f8e3e5-f7cc-45f7-8102-f6088c33187e
Worth an email to Lancashire Archives? https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/libraries-and-archives/archives-and-record-office/
MaxD
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Thanks Max :)
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This from a thread on another forum:
"My late Father served as a Special Constable from the 1930's to the early 60's reaching the rank of Sergeant. I tried some time back to see if any records were available,this was through Lancashire Constabulary. The reply I got back was that no records of Specials were kept by the force, however you could try the Home Office as they were responsible for Special's"
https://www.british-genealogy.com/threads/82711-Is-there-a-record-of-Special-Constables
From another reference on that thread I am wondering if all ARP wardens had special constable status.
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Thanks very much Shaun :)