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Military History detail for WWI & WWII

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  • Military History detail for WWI & WWII

    Hi everyone

    I am a newbie. I have over the past few years done a large family tree of the Ballance/ Guy families. I am now trying to investigate in more detail my fathers service history and was wondering if anyone can help.
    I have received his WWI info for his army service and have obtained his RAF records for WWII but is there anywhere I can obtain more deailed information other than where he served, his medals etc. Is there anywhere I can obtain any details of any missions he went on, his duties, his history of hospitalisation etc etc.
    He served in the 5 th Btn Bedforshire & Hertfordshire Regiment TAVR. I have found his name mentioned in a couple of war diaries, but have no idea where he was sent when wounded, what he did between the two diary mentions (1st in 1915, 2nd in 1918).
    Then in WWII he was commissioned into the RAF as an Intell officer. Again all I have is where he was stationed and various promotions and a couple of MIDs but not much more.
    I heard stories about him from other friends and family in the past but no details. Can I get these from anywhere or anyone?

    Mark

  • #2
    Welcome to FTF, Mark. There are several folks here who may be able to suggest whether / where more info might be found. - Christine
    Researching: BENNETT (Leics/Birmingham-ish) - incl. Leonard BENNETT in Detroit & Florida ; WARR/WOR, STRATFORD & GARDNER/GARNAR (Oxon); CHRISTMAS, RUSSELL, PAFOOT/PAFFORD (Hants); BIGWOOD, HAYLER/HAILOR (Sussex); LANCASTER (Beds, Berks, Wilts) - plus - COCKS (Spitalfields, Liverpool, Plymouth); RUSE/ROWSE, TREMEER, WADLIN(G)/WADLETON (Devonport, E Cornwall); GOULD (S Devon); CHAPMAN, HALL/HOLE, HORN (N Devon); BARRON, SCANTLEBURY (Mevagissey)...

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    • #3
      I'd say Google and Google and then Google some more!

      Julie
      They're coming to take me away haha hee hee..........

      .......I find dead people

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Mark welcome to FTF

        You say you have your fathers WW1 info for his army service what does this information consist of e.g pension records, medal card etc? Also would it be possible for you to give us his full name, rank and service number please?


        Ness

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        • #5
          Mark,
          I would try joining the great war forum for ww1 stuff and ww2 talk for ww2. There are guys on those forums who are clued
          up enough to just about tell when your rel went to breakfast each day.

          David
          Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

          David

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          • #6
            His name is/was Frederick William Ballance. The army records I have had sent to me are his arrival reports, signing up papers. I also have his reference from his headmaster, demob, medal record. He changed his name post WWI to Frederick William Ballance Stuart (Ballance-Stuart) I also have his RAF records (#85415) sheet which shows where he was stationed and a demob note, plus a copy of a transcript for one of his MIDs. I can be fairly mobile so visiting places is not a problem, just need to know where to go. I would love to know more details about what he did in both services.

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            • #7
              Thanks grumpy will join those forums :-)

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              • #8
                He gets a few mentions in the London Gazette:

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                • #10
                  His WW1 service record's on Ancestry:



                  Might be as well to check it to see if the documents are the same as the ones you already have.

                  If this is the right person, it looks as though he joined up long before the war: in 1903. I'm assuming it's your man, as the name's unusual, but this one was with the Yorkshire Dragoons.
                  Last edited by Mary from Italy; 22-07-11, 08:06.

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                  • #11
                    MHM,
                    I think you will find that as your man was also in WW2 his records will not be released online. Most available WW! records. The thing to do is
                    see what the British National Archives has on him, and you either have to go to the NA in Kew to see them for yourself or get a researcher who
                    has access to do the research for you. I have been a member of the ww1 forum for a while but have not done much looking into men who were
                    in the services in ww2. However there are folk on those forums who will give you the right areas to look and/or the actual files that your rel comes under.
                    David
                    Whoever said Seek and Ye shall find was not a genealogist.

                    David

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                    • #12
                      Just looked at the medal cards, and it looks as though the one with the Yorks Dragoons whose record I found isn't yours. I guess the one I found is the FW Ballance born in the Dewsbury district in 1875, and yours was born in the Luton district in 1894.

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                      • #13
                        Thanks Mary very kind of you. The London Gazettes I have copies of. The google book is interesting and will look into that but the FW Ballance WWI is another one ( a possible relation) mine joined up and was a 2nd Lt at 21yo in 1915 went to Gallipoli with the 5th Btn Beds and Herts

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                        • #14
                          Do you know where he lived between the wars? If he wasnt in the military then maybe he had a job and you could look thru the directories eg post office and kellys for that area and see if he was listed.
                          Angelina

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                          • #15
                            he was a piano saleman and musician (known as Barry Stuart) in Hampstead, London after WWI and eventually had a plumbers merchants Pearson & Stuart in Eastbourne before and after WWII

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                            • #16
                              Glad you know what he did in his 'gap' years. he sounds an interesting character. hope the great war forum helps you find out more about his service history. I trust you have asked all relatives and inspected all papers about him at home eg found postcards he may have sent home?
                              Angelina

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                              • #17
                                Unfortunately Angelina there are no relatives living who can help. My father was a lot older than my mother and his close family was already small.My mothers relationship with him only really started after the war finished although they first met in 1940. I'm the only one left now really

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                                • #18
                                  Mark thats sad but I can see why you want to find out about your father's life - I do hope you succeed.
                                  Angelina

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