Hi All,
I'm hoping you can help me and my dad. We're trying to find out about the service medals awarded to my Grandad. It's an odd situation, but my dad never knew his father and believed that he'd died during the war. It only turned out (years later) that we found out that he'd not only survived the war, but got remarried, had another family and lived to a ripe old age. We've only got one photo of him, taken not long before he died, wearing his medals. As far as we’re aware the medals are:



1. 1939-45 Star
2. Atlantic star
3. Defence medal
4. not sure
5. no idea

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

We’ve been unable to find out anything about his service history. My Dad has written to the War Office, but they say that they’ve no record of him. They admit that some records were destroyed during the war, but if he was still alive at the end of the war, there should be some kind or record of him. Shouldn’t there? Again, any suggestions or advice would be most helpful!

DJ

Hi Digger,

You might also want to try posting your query here - I've found them very helpful

Digger you might want to have a look here

www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyre...ooklet.pdf

Digger,

No. 4 is the War Medal.

No. 5 Medal is the Canada Volunteer Service Medal.
Authorised in 1943 for all Canadian men and women of all ranks who volunteered for WW2 service. The Dieppe Clasp is worn on this medal.

This might explain why his service record does not appear in the WW2 British Service Records that are held by the MoD.

SP.
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If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary-wise; what it is it wouldn't be, and what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there. Lewis Carroll.

The last two medals are:

War Medal 1939–1945 - awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945

Canadian Volunteer Service Medal - granted to persons of any rank in the Naval, Military or Air Forces of Canada who voluntarily served on Active Service and have honourably completed eighteen months (540 days) total voluntary service from September 3, 1939 to March 1, 1947

Wow! Thank you all, so much! This is brilliant ... if a little confusing! My Dad and I have started to believe that my Granddad was a bit of a Walt. I think it's his (my Granddad's) birth certificate says that his father (my Great grand father) was a stoker in the RN, but his first Marriage cert gives his father as a radio salesman ... and then his second marriage cert lists him as a retired inspector of the Canadian Mounted Police. As I say, we thought he was attempting to progressively 'improve' his family tree - maybe there's something in all this, after all! My Canadian wife finds this all a little odd!

I talked with my dad on the phone this evening and he's planning to seriously check out the RCMP now - he sends his thanks to you all and so do I!

DJ

This might be worth a look: Are you looking for Canadian Forces Member Military Service Records?
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"The British Army should be a projectile to be fired by the Navy." Sir Edward Grey, British Foreign Secretary 1905-1916.