Forces War Records - very dissapointed with their service

[jess5athome]

I think that's this trio.

Hi Birkbeck, yes that would be the trio mentioned 

Frank.

[Carmelo Galea]

My paternal grandfather Carmelo Galea was born on 26 September 1893, and my maternal grandfather Vincenzo Brincat was born on 17 September 1889.

If I try out the sources suggested to me here, and fail in getting any information, I will then post a separate thread on each of my grandfathers mentioned above.  Carmelo navy years were short, so he could not have been awarded the long service medal you mentioned I would think.

Thanks for now Birkbeck and jess5athome - would eventually get replicas of medals once I get to know exactly which ones are applicable.

[MaxD]

Carmelo

I can confirm my earlier post that none of the eight Carmelo Galea names in the RN records at the National Archives (also reproduced and cross checked on Ancestry and Findmypast) have an 1893 birth date.

The only army records are medal records for a V Brincat (no first name given) number 3862 in the Maltese Labour Corps, no further detail and for Vincenzo Brincat service number 9449 who served in Cyprus from Jan 1915 with the King's Own Malta Regiment of Militia, again no further detail.   I can't see any Salonika reference as posted by Birkbeck.

As far as service records are concerned, I believe there is no more to be found in UK records at any rate so I am not sure what posting about them again would achieve.

maxD

[Carmelo Galea]

Thanks MaxD.  I remember someone or somewhere I heard or read that there are a lot of Maltese records in Kew.  Do you think this is untrue or perhaps something that I might have misunderstood?
Carm.

[Birkbeck]

Max

I saw the V Brincat/Salonika reference on the WW1 Service Medals and Award Rolls on Ancestry.

It may not have been the right gentleman, though.

http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/5119/41629_625537_9955-00089?pid=5641447&backurl=http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DRBf4998%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26db%3Diwoservicemedalawardrolls%26gss%3Dangs-d%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsfn%3DV%26gsfn_x%3D1%26gsln%3DBrincat%26gsln_x%3D1%26MSAV%3D2%26MS_AdvCB%3D1%26cp%3D0%26catbucket%3Drstp%26uidh%3Dd43%26pcat%3D39%26fh%3D0%26h%3D5641447%26recoff%3D5%25206%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=RBf4998&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

[MaxD]

You can try various search combinations on the NA advanced search page to cross check what you've been told already.  http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/advanced-search using combinations of Malta or Maltese and putting WO (for army records) or ADM (for RN records) in the References box and using the dates boxes to limit the dates. However, those army records that did survive the second war, and the extant RN records are on Ancestry or Findmypast and I, and others, are using those to answer your queries.

This NA guide is very useful http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/firstworldwar/service_records/sr_soldiers.htm

A sample search on "Malta" and "service" with WO throws up 600 odd medal cards (all of which could also be found by name) and a few officers records but no soldiers records.  The same search on ADM throws up 188 mostly medal records and some service records, again all of which are searchable by name. 

Among these are of course the ones for the names you have given already.  Significant though is that if someone did not serve in a war theatre, then there would be no medal card and if that same person's record has not survived than that means no trace at all.

Doesn't help much I'm afraid. If you have other names/dates of birth start a new thread for each and keep plugging away!

maxD

Birkbeck - yes. that is the same name V Brincat (number 3862 Maltese Labour Corps) but the poster gave the service number 10523 and the discharge date is wrong so I mentioned him just to discount him.