help in finding the family of the British officer's bracelet we found in Israel

[ganerez]

Hello everybody
I really need your help we found with a metal detector in an ex British military base in Israel a bracelet belonging to a British officer.
As you can see in the attached photo it has all his details on it including his name J. Clark, his personal ID Number 202637, the military regiment he served in (Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders) and even his rank ( Lieutenant)
It is my dream to find his family in Britain and give it back to them. I am sure it will be a very emotional moment for them and will make them very happy.
May I ask for you help in tracking the family of Lieutanant Clark, I think this is an amazing story and we need to do everything we can to find his family,please help me.

[Gibel]

I hope you are successful in returning the identity tag to the family of the soldier. Have you had any success in tracing when the regiment was at the base?

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum at Stirling Castle might be able to help.

Email: museum@argylls.co.uk

Website  www.argylls.co.uk

[AlanBoyd]

There is a record of him, with his first name, in the Supplement to the London Gazette 19th September 1941

A & SH
C.S.M (O.R.S) James CLARK (202637) to be Lt. (Qr. Mr.) 13th July 1941

[Andy J2022]

A & SH
C.S.M (O.R.S) James CLARK (202637) to be Lt. (Qr. Mr.) 13th July 1941

In other words he was commissioned as a quartermaster, having reached the rank of warrant officer class II (Company Sergeant Major, Orderly Room Sergeant). Therefore he would probably have been in his mid to late 30s when he was commissioned. It's unlikely that any of his service records will be online anywhere, and I think we can assume that he is no longer alive.
Might be worth contacting the MOD to explain about finding the ID tag and seeing if they have any contact details for his next of kin.

[AlanBoyd]

There is a history of the time that 1st Battalion A&SH spent in Palestine from 1945 to 1948 at the two links below (read them sequentially, and note that there is a link to the second page at the bottom of the first. The second page has a list of casualties at the bottom, but there is no Clark there or anywhere else in the two pages. It does provide background and names the camps.

I got a security warning when I accessed the site, but went ahead anyway. I think it is probably just an invalid or lapsed security certificate. But visit at your own risk.

https://argylls1945to1971.co.uk/AandSH_Palestine1945to48.htm

https://argylls1945to1971.co.uk/AandSH_Palestine45to48.htm

[Andy J2022]

Looking at the second of those links, Lt or Capt J Clark does not appear to have been with the 1st Bn A&SH in October 1948, when this photo was taken
https://argylls1945to1971.co.uk/Col48AmalPdeOffs.JPG

[AlanBoyd]

Well spotted! That photo seems to be from after they returned to England. The fact that the bracelet was found in Israel suggests that he really was there (Palestine). So did he die or leave the service before the photo?

[AlanBoyd]

Looking at the group photo, front row extreme RHS is Capt W McGuigan QM

from British Army Lists:

Regular Army Emergency Commissions
Quarter-Masters
McGuigan, W. 10/1/45

[Andy J2022]

It's possible that he was serving with the 2nd Bn A&SH or elsewhere (known as Extra-Regimentally Employed ERE).
It is not uncommon for ex-rankers once commissioned to be posted outside the Regiment or battalion in which they served previously as this helped them gain respect as an officer. More difficult if you were in the Sgts Mess one day and the Officers Mess the next.