Genealogy Chat

My Grandfather served during WW2 as he was a TA member and automatically was called up as soon as war broke out. None of the family know his rank and file number and unfortuntaley my Grandfather died recently. All we know is that he served with the Staffordshire Regiment. Is there anyway that I can find his number??? Could the British Lgion help me out?? Clare.xxx

Clare The number will be on your grandfather's medals, if you've got them. Otherwise I don't know. Helen

Unfortunately my Grandad refused his medals, so I don't have any record of a number. As he was a TA member would his Army number be the same or would he have been given a new one??

Don't always need to prove relation when writing to infantry. I wrote to Oxfordshire light infantry museum and they kindly gave me some details free although they recommend a donation which i am going to do such as date he joined up and date of death, year of birth and where they served. I didn't have his army number but had full name and infantry he was in from son's birth certificate as well as rank. google is always worth a try thats how i got the infantry's address. zoë

This is a long shot but if you search the London Gazette Website his name may be mentioned in there if he was awarded a medal. Alongside his name should be his number. Good Luck PS I found a Navy number for an ancestor of mine this way.

Just a thought Clare, was he in the army when he got married? If he was, you may find his army number on his marriage certificate. I sent for one of my relatives marriage certificate and his army number was on it. Good Luck, Maggy

Hi Clare Territorial Regiments in Stafford at the start of WW2 The Stafford Yeomanry 5th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment 6th Batt. North Staffs 7th Batt. North Staffs 5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment 6th batt. South Staffs 7th Batt. South Staffs 9th Batt. South Staffs 16th Batt. South Staffs I think that you should contact the Staffords Regiments Museum (in Lichfield) and the Stafford Yeomanry (in Stafford) to see if they have the muster rolls for each unit at the start of the war. There will be a lot of names to go through. As for medals, My father was in the territorials at the start of the war and served throughout. He got 39-45 war medal, Defence medal, 1939 - 45 star France and Germany star. He was also entitled to the Territorial Efficiency medal for 12 years service, (war time service counted double ) Hope this is of some help. Malcolm

I dont know whether it is the same in all areas but at my local museum where they hold records for the district among the electoral registers there is an absent voters reg for war years. If you know the address it shows anybody away fighting and their regimant details. Worth a try.

Thank you to everyone for their kind help. Cheers!!!