Royal Warwickshire Regiment/Coldstream Guards 1940?? & RHA 1922-33??

[Foggyb]

I have just started to research my grandfather's military history and am a little confused!
Part 1 - My grandfather JH STEVENSON was to me always a soldier who served as an NCO with the COLDSTREAM GUARDS as I always remember him wearing with pride his CG tie on a daily basis. However his AB64 shows him as serving with the Royal WARWICKSHIRE Regt. Which isn't suprising as he lived for all of his life in Warwickshire. I believe that he was injured at Dunkirk in May June 1940 and was medically pensioned off in Apr 1945 having served for 5 yrs and 222 days.  Can anyone assist with any pointers as to where I can start to trace his military career and find out more information relating to his action in France in 1940. Could he have been part of the BEF as part of 143 Inft Bgde or was he part of something else................
Part 2 - relates to my paternal Grandfather who served for 6 years + in India bet 1927 & 1933. I believe he was gunner rank with the Royal Horse Artillery, but where I am not certain. He was I believe in the Rawalpindi area during this period. His name was David PHILLIPS born in Rhos NR Wrexham North Wales in 1907. I have no service history i.e rank and service no.
Can anyone please help.............................
Thanks

[km1971]

As they served after 1921 their service records will still be with the MOD.

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/army.html

If by any chance their widows are alive it is free. Otherwise it is £30. In all cases you need to supply a copy of the death certificate - except if they died while serving. For the Coldstream Guards you may be better off contacting these people - http://www.rhqcoldmgds.co.uk/shop/page/3?shop_param=

They The MOD do like the man's army number. They can sometimes work with just his date of birth, but you may have problems with a name like David Phillips.

If either of them were married while a soldier you may discover a BMD certificate in the regimental BMDs on a site such as Findmypast. The certificate should give the soldier's army number.

Ken

[ScouseBoy]

When did JH Stevenson get married?

[ScouseBoy]

does the AB64  show him leaving for France in 1939 or 1940,  does it show him being in hospital in May or June 1940?

Are there any relatives who may remember what his injuries were?   Are you sure he got his injuries at Dunkirk or could he have got out of France through the ports such as St Nazaire?

Does anyone in your family remember his parents or wife getting a telegram to say that he was missing?

[Foggyb]

Ken,

thanks for the info re MOD etc. Sadly my Grandmother as no longer with us so it will cost me the £30. No great shakes, but it does leave me without a direct source of information. Thanks for the link to the Coldstream Guards. I do have "Jack's" number from his AB64 so shouldn't be too difficult to start a search. As for my paternal grandfather as you say that may be another matter. Both of them were married whilst still soldiers so I will take your lead and have a look @ Findmypast. 

I'm very new to this and not fully au faix with either the genealogy or the military command structures in the army at this period.

I'm very impressed with the quick responses that I have had thus far I have to say.

Thanks again and any other pearls of inspiration gratefully received.

Cheers

Paul

[Foggyb]

Scouse Boy,

Thanks for dropping me a line.

John Henry "Jack" STEVENSON married Edwina "Win" BENNETT on or around the 24/04/1940, which was about a week before he left for France. The AB64 shows him leaving France on 26/04/1940 and I would guess being hospitalised back in the UK after this date. From anecdotal evidence I recall snippets of info as a young lad where he was seriously wounded as Dunkirk and that not all of the shrapnel was ever removed from him. He remained in the army until discharged 07/04/1945. However I'm still very confused by the fact that I never heard him make mention of the Royal Warwicks only ever the Coldstream Guards yet his AB64 shows him as serving with the RWR!

Again a very tenuous link maybe but I vividly remember as a young child him being a very gentle giant, a loving man who did on occasions show hatred of people wearing black clothing and hostility towards the SS when they came up in conversation or reference to them on the TV etc. Assimilate this to the information that I have managed to view in the last few days with the relevant dates and I am wondering if he was involved at Wormhout? I may be way off beam!! I cannot state where he left France and I have no information relating to any telegram.

As for David PHILLIPS, he married Deris Noreen ROWLEY (from the Burslem area of the potteries) around May 1934 upon his return from serving in India with the RHA.

Like most military personnel who have seen conflict they rarely spoke of their exploits/encounters. Both were in this way very private people as one would expect, so I don't have much to go on at this time.
Any further help is gratefully received.
Cheers

Paul

[ScouseBoy]

My dad was in France on the 17th June 1940 and must have been one of the last ones to get out.   He got married back home in Liverpool on the 23rd June 1940.   The British army and its admin were in chaos, and my dads parents got a telegram to say that he was missing,  but that did not worry his parents,  because he had already arrived back home.