5 digit service number? Royal Engineers WW11

[trenance]

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.

[ScouseBoy]

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.

[ScouseBoy]

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.

[forester]

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

[trenance]

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

[ScouseBoy]

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.

[forester]

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

[ScouseBoy]

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.

[mmm45]

http://www.re-museum.co.uk/research/

Last resort maybe to ask here?

may take a while to get a reply.

Ady