John William Ivan Tinkler

[SpareBott]

I was determined to find out about my late Grandad's military service all by myself, but it is not meant to be.. So I ask for help..

John William Ivan Tinkler (27/12/1932 Houghton Durham - 25/11/2022 East Markham, Nottinghamshire)

Little is known about his military career
What I do know is that we think he served in the REME and had ties to the SAS

He travelled a lot and would always say he jumped out of more planes than he came down in

A friend of the family said he thinks he was in a para regiment but my aunty disagrees and said the REME - we do have a photo of him in all his parachute gear, however

His medals, beret and badge were all stolen and no one knows his service number

I have looked on findmypast and there are many Tinklers but I can't find any that could certainly be him

He died in November just gone, I wish I had asked him so many more questions

[rosie99]

I believe WW2 records and after are still with the MOD though I think in time they will all be digitised by TNA (Kew)
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=651361.0

[SpareBott]

I believe WW2 records and after are still with the MOD though I think in time they will all be digitised by TNA (Kew)
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=651361.0

Thank you - I have looked on the government website but funds are just too tight at the moment
I will re-visit in the near future, however, if I can't find anything

[heywood]

If he was born 1932, would it not be National Service or (voluntary) enlistment?
Can you place him to certain years with marriage/electoral registers/employment etc  to see where the gap is?
That might tell you what kind of service he had.

[SpareBott]

I can't find a marriage record for his first marriage - I will ask my aunty, she will know the year
I imagine it was around 1959 when he had his first daughter

There are lots of gaps - I'm struggling to find much about him at all
Even family don't seem to know a great deal about his life!

[heywood]

Is this him?
Marriage
1953 Worksop
John W Tinkler and Kathleen M Spragg

Newspaper snippet
November 1957
John William Tinkler, 25 yrs, Worksop fined £5 for speeding for driving a lorry in Terrington.

[SpareBott]

Haha yes! Thats him!

I have gone through newspapers on findmypast, this one must have been hiding

Thank you

[Girl Guide]

Hhmm, well there is a record for a John Tinkler whose Army No. appears to be 23142118.  He was evidently in National Service and discharged from his job on 2.6.1957 and enlisted on 3.6.1957 into the Coldstream Guards. Posted to what looks like AJR IIA (Roman numeral 2).

Whether that is your John or not I don't know.  I put in his year of birth as 1932 exact and this one came up along with a John Tinkler service no. 1045541 as a gunner in the Royal Horse & Royal Field Artillery receiving a General Service Medal 1918-62.

Nothing came up with his full name in the Military section.

[Daisypetal]

Hi,

I've no idea if this is him, but here is a picture of a TINKLER in the REME,

https://rememuseum.photos/no-14-regular-young-officers-course-reme-officers-school/

Regards,
Daisy