RootsChat.Com
Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: tamarjay on Friday 12 June 20 15:24 BST (UK)
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Hello fellow Rootschatters,
I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction after spending weeks going round in circles!
I'm trying to find out about my grandfather's WW2 military career. Hilary Max Torry was born in 1912 in Cheshire, UK but was living in South Africa when war broke out.
We believe he initially joined the Transvaal Scottish (we have a photo of him wearing their uniform), but later joined the Medical Corps (again, we have a photograph of him wearing a uniform with the Medical Corps lapel badges.) Family lore is he went to North Africa and Italy, and at some point towards the end of the war he was involved in a convalescent hospital in Brighton before returning to South Africa. We would love to be able to find out more than what we know from a couple of photo's and some verbal recollections.
Does anyone know where to try and get details of his Military Records? As he served in SA I'm assuming I need South African records. I've tried the South African Defence Force Archive email (mentioned in posts here and on other sites) but my email just gets pinged back. I've used search engines but am going round in circles and still can't find anything.
Any help would be very much appreciated!
Tamar
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Was he a British citizen living in South Africa or a naturalised South African? If the former, the MOD might be your best bet. Expensive though - https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records
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Thank you for your reply mrcakey.
Knowing where to apply for the records is part of the problem.
He remained a British citizen and I was all set to apply to the MOD until I saw conflicting information and was then led to believe the SA archives where the correct ones. ??? ???
Will keep digging!
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I have sent you a PM
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Many thanks Nookie!
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I have also sent you a PM.
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I have sent you a PM
I have also sent you a PM.
I am guess that there would be many folk trying to resolve the same type of problem, it is a shame we can not learn more from this topic if it is sent as a private message.
Regards
Sarah
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The reason I sent a PM is that Rootschat does not allow email adresses to be posted on a forum.
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I did the same for exactly the same reason.
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My dad was Eric Campbell Morgan and served in the South African Tank Corps in the Second World War. He was a corporal and I think his service number was 74629V. I would like to find out more about his service record, as all I know is that he was in East Africa, I think Somaliland and Abyssinia, also Kenya I believe. I don't think he went to North Africa but may be wrong. He was in the army from 30.05.40 to 24.08.45. Any help would be appreciated please.
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You can apply to SO3 Military Historical Services sandfdoc@mweb.co.za giving them as much information as possible - I have been successful in getting a few records from them
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Thanks very much, I'll try that!
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I have sent you a PM with the contact details of someone who can get the records for you at a very reasonable cost.
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Excellent! Thanks so much !