WWI and Home Guard Records

[Dean1]

I have for some time been trying to obtain my grandfather's WWI record.    £30 later I do not have it.   I had assumed "burnt series" but he did not leave the service until 1921 having been seconded to Washington ?what for.   I decided then to go for his Home Guard record which is going to cost another £30 (thank goodness Mr. Brown has just made a £60 one off donation to all pensioners!) but I have a horrible feeling I am going to get a similar reply - I have applied and they are asking me to provide "proof of death" - he was born in 1880 so couldn't still be alive and he died in a high profile incident (which earned him a posthumous GC) with the Home Guard - I had put all this on the form.  I have to admit I did forget to enclose the cheque!!!!   Do I really need a death certificate for a man who was born in 1880 and one who they know has died.

I have now seen somewhere that there is another place to which you can apply:   these are records (personal) that are "closed" for 75 years.   It is possible to apply for them to:

TNT archive service,
Tetron Point,
William Nadin Way,
Swadlincote,
Derbyshire DE11 OBB

These records can be obtained by next of kin.

I have never heard of this before - has anyone else and how well does an application here work.

He was a Weapons Instructor at Clarendon Hill, Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire and I read an article in the national press on Sunday saying that there was a highly trained auxiliary unit, members of which would be attached to the normal Home Guard Units if there was an invasion.    I am wondering if he could have been involved in this - has anyone ever heard of this?

What is my best course of action here?

Sue

[scrimnet]

There is a move to get HG records released prior to the 75 year deadline (2015), and the NRO put out a questionnaire  around Nov last.

However, this rather splendid site (belonging to another RC!!) is quite useful...

http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/J9GeneralInformationSearchingforMembers.htm

If you granddad is who I think he is, there is even a Wikipedia page for him!!
Not many people would do what he did...Although there is that chap last year who got away with it because of his bergan! He got a medal as well!

And of course the HG site...

Perhaps a copy of his Gazette entry, with the "posthumous" bit underlined may help these poor YTS Civil Servants!!

Just to confuse things...There was the Auxiliary Home Guard, and the Home Guard Auxiliary!!!

The sneaky beaky ones...

http://www.auxunit.org.uk/

And the women!

http://www.staffshomeguard.co.uk/HomeGuardingPages/63staffshg.htm

[Dean1]

Hello Scrimmet,

You are spot on - it is William Foster.

Where on earth do I go from here - I am (I am embarrassed to say) not made of money and want to avoid obvious pitfalls.    I suspect the sneaky beaky bit but of course have no idea if this is true.   He was an officer but, like many of his ilk, because of fast a furious vacancies I imagine (and he seemed to be very good at his job!)

I have some extracts from the Royal Fusiliers WWI activities where he got his DCM etc but I never met him sadly or if I did I was too young to remember (I wish I had, or remember if I had - I think I would have liked this guy).

I have actually been asked by an author to obtain these records as she is doing a book which will include him - I think I would have given up on this - (apparantly I am the only person who can apply - I am the second oldest child (the first being dead) of WFs oldest child.    I know these records will be more freely available in the future BUT at the age of 68ish I suspect it will be too late for me!

What do you reckon I should do Scrimmet - I can't ask the authoress to pay!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sue 

[Dean1]

Hi Again Scrimmet,

I am sorry, I shouldn't have asked you what I should do - that puts you in an impossible situation - I don't even ask what you advise - I am just very grateful for your knowledge.

Sorry, Sue

[scrimnet]

Hi Again Scrimmet,

I am sorry, I shouldn't have asked you what I should do - that puts you in an impossible situation - I don't even ask what you advise - I am just very grateful for your knowledge.

Sorry, Sue

Don't be daft!!

Of course you can ask!!  In fact I am proud to be helpful towards a hero such as your granddad being remembered...

To be perfectly honest, a hero like your granddad needs to be remembered...Not just in this womans little book (any author worth their salt would be assisting you in this...) but also by your family...He is someone to be proud of...Immensely...I would be!

If you have "church mouse" syndrome, why not ask the family to club round? I would personally do everything in my power to get all records, medals ...in fact anything together. We are but the custodians for future generations, and we must all do our bit to ensure his name lives on.

Do you have his medals and Home Guard certificate??

He was an officer because of his qualities and experience...NOT because of him being in the right place at the right time.

Have you his birth and death certificates and those of his child, your parent? You also need to have a look at this if you haven't seen it yet...They may even do a special copy for you...

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35802/pages/5173

With this int you may even have a chance of getting everything from the MOD...

[Dean1]

Dear Scrimmet,

I have re-applied with covering letter - I did mention it seemed odd to have to prove the death of a man who would be 129 now if he had lived!

I enclosed the copy you attached from the Gazette, plus CWG 2 pages and mentioned that I had been told in a previous letter (which I attached) that you only needed to prove the death if the person had NOT died while in service.

I just hope they can find the record which of course will not be very substantial.

To the medals - no, I have never seen them - there were Boer War service medals and WWI service medals - he was at St. Elois where he also got an MC, the DCM I think was the Somme.    The story goes that when my grandmother was told of her husband's death in the Home Guard she threw all his medals in the dustbin in her grief - I hope someone found them if this is true - but I can understand how she must have felt.

Will let you know if I get the record - I believe it can take up to 3 months.

Sue