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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: trenance on Sunday 31 July 11 21:46 BST (UK)
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Am I correct in thinking 5 digit service numbers were officers? Husband's Uncle has an artifact with initials G.W. R E 44899. Sadly the owner was killed in his view checking a bridge somewhere near Arnhem 1944. He would like to find out his name (G.W.) before it's too late. Is it possible to find this from just his number. Many thanks.
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I believed that the first block from 1 to 200000 was RASC.
I think you are incorrect to think that 5 digit numbers are officers.
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Another method to search for the man is to look on the CWGC casualty web site.
Start by searching for the more common "W" surnames such as Wilson, Williams, Wright, White etc etc.
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The only officer with the personal number 44899 that I can find is Squadron Leader L E King. He survived the war.
44898 was Squadron Leader George Edward Walker. He also survived.
I don't know if there were duplications though between the different branches.
Geoff's WW2 Search Engine doesn't give any results for that number on CWGC.
I've also checked all the GW's in the Royal Engineers that died, but can't see any close numbers.
Phil
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Thank you very much Forester, that must have taken some doing.
Uncle said he thought it was the Royal Engineer Corps 50/51/52. The initial scratched on item could possibly be C.W.not G.W. Got it wrong about the bridge , they were in a boat checking a boom placed to stop mines floating upriver.
Thanks again :)
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Just possible that he was Royal Navy.
I suggest that you google "Royal Navy sailors serial numbers" it could be that RE is RN code for "Rosyth" just possibly.
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I've checked that number against every Commonwealth country, all services, for WW2 and drawn a blank. I'm afraid that to do it by initials only would take too long.
By 50/51/52, do you mean the year? If you do, I have also checked the British Casualties (Army & Navy) for Korea.
Phil
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The only other possibility is Royal Ordnance Corps who may be involved with explosives.
Royal Ordnance Corps may have been part of RASC in 1939.
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http://www.re-museum.co.uk/research/
Last resort maybe to ask here?
may take a while to get a reply.
Ady
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I have a feeling that RE Royal Engineers is a red herring or a Blind Alley.
I suggest that you Google for Royal Army Ordnance Corps FORUM and ask on a specialist ROC forum.
I remember reading other threads about Ammunition Supply Dumps in France in 1939/40 and they were situated next to RASC supply depots.
I have just been studying a casualty list from 1940. I am definite that IF that 5digit number IS an Army service serial number then it is an RASC service number. Secondly, I would guess that it denotes that he had joined the Army before september 1939.
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Thanks so much for all your replies.
Sorry about confusion, it wasn't a year, he thought this person was in the 51st/52nd/53rd Royal engineer corps. Uncle was with a group who searched out possible river crossings. That day he drove 2 men who then went in a boat to check a boom. It was there to stop mines going further up river somewhere not too far from Arnhem in 1944. An aeroplane killed them both with gunfire while he remained on the bank. The artfact just has scrathed on it G.(C.)W. RE 44899
I'll have to try all your suggestions and hopefully find him a name.
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Although numbers 1 to 294000 were issued to the RASC, that does not mean that the person holding that number was in the RASC. My uncle (2032517) was called up for WW2 to join the RE, after a short time later he joined the Essex Regt, he then transferred to the Corps of Military Police (later the RMP) and became their RSM. He retained his RE number throughout his long career.
I doubt that GW was RASC; river crossings and mine warfare was then, and still is, the province of the RE.
I have many, many examples of RE soldiers with 5 digit numbers.
By and large, officers serving during WW2 had 6 digit numbers.
Hope this is useful.
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http://www.hut-six.co.uk/cgi-bin/search39-47.php
Geoffs serach engine doesnt give any hits with that number for 1944
Ady
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Thanks to everyone for trying to help. Uncle is now late 80's and would dearly loved to have known the name of the person in question. Thought it sounded simple having his service number (ha, ha). Think I'll have to call it a day now.
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Trenance, How about looking at the problem from another angle?
Find out whether there is a CWGC cemetery in or near to Arnhem, then see if you can search the index of that cemetery for the initials.
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There is a huge cemetery at Arnhem.
Jebber
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Hi, I received your message today re my interest in Hoyte/Bonython. I too haven't used this site for many years so I'm unsure what my initial enquiry was...lol. For some reason I got an error message saying I couldn't send personal messages and was unable to reply to your email.
My main interest is in George Hoyte's brother John b. Oct 11 1811 (married Elizabeth Mitchell) and in particular his son Philip Mitchell Hoyte. I simply cannot find Philip or his wife Jane on any UK census in 1871 and then Philip left his wife and children in Cornwall in 1878 and came to Australia on board the Durham and never returned to Cornwall. Philips father and brothers appear to have done well for themselves, so I'm abit perplexed as to why Philip left. I noticed that many Bonython's and Langdons came to Australia (South Australia) and wondered if Philip followed them. Did any of your Bonython's arrive in Australia in the 1870's?
Philip had 3 children in Australia and I'm a descendant from this line.
Regards Jo
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Hi Jo
I tried to reply before but couldn't through the system
If you get this my email address is angiehawker AT hotmail.com
I can then send you my little bit of info,
Cheers