Finding out military enlistment dates

[tom58l]

I have inherited some medals from my g.grandfather, and g.g. grandfather and am looking at getting them mounted, but wanted to list the correct years of service on the framed inscription. This is where I've been having some trouble:

I have the medal card for my g.g. grandfather, W.C. Boon, who served in WW1 (attached here). This, and the medals I have are the only military-related items I have found relating to his service. And is there any other way to tell which year he joined? He doesn't have the 1914-15 star, so I am assuming his years of service are 1916-1919, does this seem right?

More complicated is my g.g. grandfather, Thomas Mellings (1058807), who joined the Royal Artillery in 1924, and left, from what I can tell from the photos I have, around 1932, a year before his marriage. But then after joining the Home Guard in 1940, he was called up again for WW2 in Nov 1940, serving in Italy in 1945 (with a different service number of 1094551). Again, I don't know when he left service after the War - is there any way I could find out this information - I have tried searches on Ancestry but haven't found any military documents for him?

[Girl Guide]

I've found an image relating to Thomas Mellings which says:-

Attested 1.10.1924, what looks like an R meaning Regular Army, Age 18, attested at Wolverhampton, occupation Ironworker born Donnington, Salop. 

Under the Discharge heading I can see:-

20.2.31 AR and 30.9.36 Para 520 (VII). 

Then says deemed to have enlisted into RA Field Branch A/No. 1094551 14.11.40.

The image is on Find My Past.

For his second world war information you would need to apply to get his records, see belowl link

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records

[tom58l]

That's wonderful - thankyou! The discharge information:

20.2.31 AR and 30.9.36 Para 520 (VII).

Does that mean he was discharged in 1931?

[Girl Guide]

With regards to William a lot of First World War records got destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.

The likelihood of finding any service records for him will be small.  Have you checked Ancestry for any pension records for him?

Did he come from West Yorkshire as he appears to be in the West Yorks. regiment?

[Girl Guide]

Yes Thomas was discharged in 1931, then presumably married after that and then rejoined for the Second World War.

[tom58l]

With regards to William a lot of First World War records got destroyed by bombing during the Second World War.

The likelihood of finding any service records for him will be small.  Have you checked Ancestry for any pension records for him?

Did he come from West Yorkshire as he appears to be in the West Yorks. regiment?

That's a shame, maybe there are no records for him after all. I have looked on Ancestry, and found nothing except the medal record.

William lived all his life in Staffordshire, so it's curious that he joined the West Yorks, but I know from other family members who served in WW1 that they served in distant regiments, depending on the needs of the Service.

I'll apply for Thomas' service records as well, which should hopefully give some more information about him.

[Girl Guide]

You may know this already but just out of curiousity I looked up Thomas on the 1911 census.  Living at Wincote Lane Eccleshall Staffordshire, Eccleshall, Staffordshire

Thomas is described as step-son so his mother obviously remarried.  Below is the marriage record for  her first marriage:-

Marriages Mar 1905   
KILFORD    Elizabeth        Newport Sh.    6a   1157    
MELLINGS    Thomas        Newport Sh.    6a   1157

Much to my surprise Thomas is with:-

William Charles Boon born 1878 in Standon, Staffs - Farm Labourer.

Marriages Mar 1908   
BOON    William Charles        Stone    6b   33   
Mellings    Elizabeth        Stone    6b   33

Not the same William C Boon that you were asking about is he?   

[tom58l]

Yes Thomas was born in March 1907, 3 days after his father, a miner (also called Thomas) died from TB. His mother, Elizabeth, was left to bring up a baby on her own, and met William Boon, who she then married in 1908. They went on to have the own family together, so Thomas was the stepson, and the only Mellings in the family.

So yes it is the same William Charles Boon!

[Girl Guide]

Ah right.  So strictly speaking William is a step gg grandfather.  Thomas's father Thomas is the birth gg grandfather.

I must admit my jaw dropped when I saw the name William Boon as you hadn't stated the correct relationship in your original post.

All is now clear.