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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Ranolki on Tuesday 30 September 25 14:00 BST (UK)
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I'm helping someone with family research and they have encountered a Bernard Atkinson, born around 1898 (I can't decide which of two birth records at that time in Yorkshire relate to him at the moment but that isn't what I'm looking at right now...). He was apparently in the East Yorkshire Imperial Yeomanry as a Hotchkiss gunner in WWl, finally being sent home in November 1918 after being affected by mustard gas. He joined up again for WWll, this time in the Intelligence Corps. He served in Cairo, Athens, Italy, Mombasa and Malta before leaving with the rank of Captain in 1946.
This is all from family information and at the moment I can find no records of any of this, service number etc. I think I've always been able to find even the briefest info via Ancestry, even if it's just a note of medals, but the two Bernard Atkinsons who come up with WWl service are definitely not him. I know the records aren't complete so could anyone point me how to tackle this please?
Someone has details which are supposedly for him on an Ancestry tree but I think they may have picked up the wrong person so at the moment I'm not going to rely on anything there. I thought I could work backwards from his military information, assuming I can locate it, to be sure I have the right person once I start looking at other records etc.
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I can help with his birthdate.
The Gazette entry for his commission as a 2nd Lt in the Intelligence Corps confirms his new army number as of November 1942 as 254261.
The MoD discharge list records his birthdate as 31 August 1898
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/61448/records/16095
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I can help with his birthdate.
The Gazette entry for his commission as a 2nd Lt in the Intelligence Corps confirms his new army number as of November 1942 as 254261.
The MoD discharge list records his birthdate as 31 August 1898
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/61448/records/16095
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I don't know how that got posted twice!
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You can apply under FOI for a copy of his WW2 service records which just might have his WW1 records attached.
https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service/apply-for-the-records-of-a-deceased-serviceperson
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Hi,
FindMyPast have a record for a Bernard Atkinson East Riding of Yorks Yeomanry 52653 (29599) and (?1168)
Mostly his casualty/hospital records
Next of kin Mr W J Atkinson, father, 8 De La Pole Avenue, Hull. Aged 20 in 1918
Does any of that ring a bell?
Cathy
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If you can find copies of the Army List, you can follow some of his career though not postings. Copies online at National Library of Scotland, on the shelves at the Society of Genealogists and the National Archives
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The man mentioned in reply#5:
At that address in 1921 is Bernard Atkinson age 22y10mo, born Hull
That age matches well with the dob in reply #1
Added: there is a 1929 newspaper marriage announcement for Bernard Atkinson/Olive Crabtree. He is described as the younger son of Mr and Mrs W J Atkinson, all of which fits with the 1921 census.
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There is a 1939 Electoral Register entry from Surrey—Bernard and Olive Atkinson—address 'Windrush', Lunghurst Road, Woldingham
At that address in the 1939 Register, Olive Atkinson, married, plus two redacted, so no sign of this Bernard Atkinson at the address.
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Thank you for that. Yes, he did marry Olive Crabtree so that's the right one...
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There is also a BG Atkinson commissioned 2nd Lt 13th June 1942 in the Int Corps.
Both B and BG Atkinson ended up as Capt at the end of the war...
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Oh that's interesting! Is it possibly they are the same person?
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Previous post from AlanBoyd
There is a 1939 Electoral Register entry from Surrey—Bernard and Olive Atkinson—address 'Windrush', Lunghurst Road, Woldingham
At that address in the 1939 Register, Olive Atkinson, married, plus two redacted, so no sign of this Bernard Atkinson at the address.
Interesting passenger list?
Ship Baluchistan sailed 27th June 1940 for Basra.
Atkinson Bernard aged 41
Merchant
Windnesh, Woldingham, Surrey.
Googling there might have been need for intelligence in Iraq in WW2.
Cathy
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Interestingly..
He was travelling on the same ship as
Douglas McKay Tulloch aged 28 Master Mariner from Falkirk.
There is a passenger list from Swansea to Port Said in 1945 with the same
Douglas McKay Tulloch 33 who is now an Iraq Government Official heading back to Iraq.
I'm probably making up my own story here but might be of interest.
Cathy
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He was travelling on the same ship as
Douglas McKay Tulloch aged 28 Master Mariner from Falkirk.
There is a passenger list from Swansea to Port Said in 1945 with the same
Douglas McKay Tulloch 33 who is now an Iraq Government Official heading back to Iraq.
Good Finds!
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=TNA%2FBT27%2F1560%2F00%2F0057%2FP%2F0001F&parentid=TNA%2FBT27%2F1560000057%2F00004
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=TNA%2FBT27%2F1578%2F00%2F0072%2FP%2F0001F&parentid=TNA%2FBT27%2F1578000072%2F00008
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Once again, the research abilities of people on here are amazing. Thanks for all that, I'm on the trail!