Genealogy Chat

Hi all, I have someone that should have been of join up age during the second world war. He married in 1943 and his profession is listed as 'Boiler Sealer Contractors'. On the marriage cert he's listed as 38 years old. If this is the case, then he surely was of an age when he would have been called up to fight in the war. Is there records of people who weren't called up for health reasons or because they were doing a job that meant they were needed more in that position (like policemen)? What about the home guard? Another possibility that has recently come up, is that he may have been a Railway Policeman. Does anyone know if there are records kept of people who were employed as such, presumably with by Railways (rather than the police)? This guy is so confusing, I have next to nothing on him: A marriage cert and court document for maintenance payments. Liz

Hi Liz Taken from Web Site btp.police(.)uk/History%20Society/Publications/History%20Society/The%20history/History%20of%20Policing%20the%20Railways.htm 'In 1935 Police Establishments increased. The Southern Railway transferred existing employees into the police on secondment and if found suitable they were appointed while the L.M.S. preferred ex-servicemen. The LNER Police trained their new entrants by sending them to Metropolitan Police or other Police Training centres to train with local police constables. This was, however, the exception to the rule as most other entrants got a copy of the Manual of Guidance and were ordered to attend lectures in their own time. WORLD WAR 2 During the last war the strength of the Railway Police doubled. With many men conscripted Special Constables and Women Police were again employed. (This time female officers were here to stay)' So you may be correct about him being a railway policeman, there is a link from the British Transport Police site on 'how to make a family history request'. Worth pursuing perhaps. A railway worker would have been classed as a 'reserved occupation' I believe. Regards Gail

Thank you, that's most interesting. I shall have a good look and see what I can find out, if I can make a request then all the better (since we have a hard time knowing what to believe about this guy lol). Liz

Bear in mind that people who were not in the forces (medically unfit or reserved occupations ) usually had to do war work in their 'spare time', which could have included being a voluntary policeman. As far as I am aware, there is no national record of who was in the Home Guard, Civil Defence. Firewatching etc because most of them were voluntary tasks. There may, of course, be records for some places tucked away in libraries or CRO's. I have just been trying to find out about how the war years affected my village, and have been asking the same questions. I am having to rely on personal reminiscences, though, and my sources are now in very short supply. Jay