army records

[silver cloud]

Hi All
This may be a long shot trying to confirm a army officer, he's not a relative but his name appears in grandfathers army records and its just happens to be a coincidence he served in my husbands ex regiment, and we are trying to connect the 2 stories so looking for confirmation he did serve with the 4th/7th RDG, I have got the London Gazette copy where he is mentioned,but cant find anything else on him.
his name was
Horace James Anderson Rea and his number 111046.
Any help gratefully received

[CaroleW]

There is a WW1 Medal Roll Index card for him with an address in Croydon Surrey plus a Fold 3 entry on Ancestry showing he was from St Louis

He was b 28.1.1899

Suspect he went to Canada at some time as there is a passenger arrival entry

This probate entry

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7XZ3-982M

Also

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68FP-XC9V

[Comberton]

This 1939 Register image has extra information on the right hand page.
www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/17316084:61596?_phsrc=pot38081&_phstart=successSource&gsfn=horace+j+a&gsln=rea&ml_rpos=1&queryId=69eb6e13835eafdd27dbc50ef88cfae1
Ancestry is free until May 8th

[Andy J2022]

The Gazette entry for 30  Apr 1917  says he was commissioned into one of the Hussar Regiments, so he must have transferred to the 4/7 DG later.  The 1939R entry says he was married, although there is a marriage for Horace JA Rea in 2nd quarter 1940 to a Grace M Poole, in Paddington registration district.
Overseas death registration for Horace JA Rea in Nice, France in 1972 aged 73. Based on a year of birth of 1899-1900, possibly he could have been the son of John Thomas and Jemima Rea born 3rd quarter 1899 Dudley, Worcs, and living at 75 St Johns Road Dudley, Worcestershire at the time of the 1901 and 1911 censuses. A Horace Rea is living with a John Thomas and Jemima Rea plus 5 others at the same address at the time of the 1921 census.
Admissions register entry in 1907 Horace Rea, same address as above, for Kate's Hill Board School Dudley gives a birth date of 9 August 1899 There is a marriage and later death for a Horace Rea in Dudley, which conflicts with a number of passenger lists for  HJA Rea during the 1920s which put him abroad for much of that period. This tends to suggest that Horace Rea from Dudley is the worng person.

[Andy J2022]

HJA Rea continued in the Army until 1922 when the Gazette says he retires as a full lieutenant. As noted above he had transferred to the Dragoon Guards in 1919. In 1920 he was attached to the Indian Army Signals.

In 1939 he rejoined the Army and was a Lt (personal number 111046) in the Auxiliary Pioneer Corps. In June 1940 he was reported missing during the British retreat to Dunkirk (Casualty List 223 dated 5 June 1940) but he was taken off the missing list on 9 July (Cas List No 250). The Dunkirk evacuation had ended on 5th June 1940. Since there is no record of him being taken prisoner, and given the month long period he was missing, he may have made his own way back to Britain possibly via Spain or Portugal. 

The remainder of his service record will still be with the MOD. 

[silver cloud]

Thank you all for your answers
very interesting  I know he's not family but might see if i can get his records as the connection between him and my husbands  Regt and the grandfather is very interesting.
Thanks all again for your help.
Kim