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Army Unforms

Army Unforms

Posted: 11 Jun 2015 4:43PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 11 Jun 2015 4:45PM GMT
Hi, I seek help regarding my Grandpa.

I know he was in the army in the ww2, but there is some confusion as to which army my Grandpa was in. My mother believes he was in the Indian Army, while one of my cousins believes it was the british Army

I attach a pic of my Gran & Grandpa, would there be someone who could ID the unform at all please?

Thank you.
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Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 17 Jun 2015 5:31AM GMT
Classification: Query
If you do an internet search of the WWII Indian Army Uniforms and British Army Uniforms youcan see the difference. Also India was a British Commonwealth country so all Military Records of both Armies should be at the UK National Archives.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/worldwar2/

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 5:19AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 18 Jun 2015 5:38AM GMT
He's an officer, so his commission, and his subsequent promotions will have been published in the London Gazette newspaper, which is a hugely nebulous and difficult thing to search.

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/

He had a name and a year of birth, and so did his wife, and they got married, and they had offspring, and often a soldier's military details might be listed on their marriage certificates, and on their children's birth certificates, and both of those are findable, same thing for their children's baptism records.

The marriage of an officer would very likely have a marriage notice in the local newspaper.

His service record for that era would be with the UK Ministry of Defence MOD and it costs £30
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-re...

There are also things called Army Lists which are annual publications which list the detail of every serving officer.

If he survived WW2 his retirement will also be listed, and if he didn't, then he will be listed here...
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 4:35PM GMT
Classification: Query
A bit of a timeline here

My (maternal) grandparents were married in India in about 1940 – 1944

My grandfather was an Army Captain in 1945 (when he became a Captain I don’t know) Then was an Army Major and that was as far as he got.

We (the rest of family) don’t really know anything of my grandfather’s service life.
Though my mother says, he was a gunner (am guessing this was in his earlier Army days)

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 5:34PM GMT
Classification: Query
Well that's progress,...but he and his wife are both still anonymous. ! :):)

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 6:20PM GMT
Classification: Query
LOL


My grandfather’s birth name was John Burdett Clark, then he hyphened his surnane to Burdett-Clark (when he hyphened his surnane, I don’t know but it was certainly before 1945)

My gran was Dorothe Verna Terry, her father was Chief of Police in Delhi

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 8:44PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 18 Jun 2015 8:49PM GMT
Surnames: Clark Terry
Ah the fun of concatenated surnames, either with or without a hyphen.

Those things can cause a lot of trouble and confusion, even the registration authorities play it safe with such surnames, they often treat the first surname as a forename initial, and sometimes they also make two entries, one in that form, and one in which both surnames are listed.

They've done the former with your grandfather, his marriage registration lists him as Clark, John B.

Americans create the same sort of potential bafflement with their fashion for including a wife's maiden surname in her married surname.
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Anyway, your first task should be to give the UK GRO about £10 and get a copy of their marriage certificate. http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/

You might get super lucky and find that he has listed his service number, although I doubt it, but there's a good chance that he would have listed his regiment or corps.

I'll predict that your mum got it right,...they usually do.
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This is their marriage registration.

The marriage registration entries for the bride and the groom are on two different pages of the marriage index ledger.

UK General Register Office for England and Wales...GRO Index Army Marriages...Army Returns - Marriage 1941 - 1945...

This is the bride's entry...

Terry, Dorothe V. married Clark...year = 1944...Country = India...Station = New Delhi...Page 245

This is the groom's entry...

Clark, John B. married Terry...year = 1944...Country = India...Station = New Delhi... Page 245

************************************************************
Unusual spelling of the bride's first forename.

I'll have a poke around and see if I can find anything else when I have time, I'll give you a shout if I find anything.

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 8:55PM GMT
Classification: Query
WTH?

How & where did you find that?

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 9:29PM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 18 Jun 2015 9:30PM GMT
Smoke and mirrors and and practice, and the very minutest amount of initiative, and even less intelligence. :):)

BTW - Didn't he look really pleased to have just entered the blessed state of matrimony. ? :):)

Re: Army Unforms

Posted: 19 Jun 2015 1:07AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 19 Jun 2015 1:26AM GMT
Surnames: Clark Burdett Clark
Didn't I say that mum would be correct. ?

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 24 OCTOBER, 1941

Page 6182...
REGULAR ARMY...EMERGENCY COMMISSIONS (CADETS).
ROYAL REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY.
The undermentioned Cadets to be 2nd Lts....4th Oct. 1941: —

Page 6183...John Burdett CLARK (212605).

His service record from the MOD will provide the full details, and when you find his unit/units and research them, the Royal Artillery Regimental Museum in Woolwich in London should give you a heads up with that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firepower_%E2%80%93_The_Royal_...

http://firepower.org.uk/
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