help wit finding Robert Morrow Gillies's Reg no!!

[stwrt]

Hi I'm wondering if anyone can help m G Granddad served in WW1 and WW2 i have been told by a kind person that he was Lance Corp in the 56Th ?-light Company of the Royal Artillery during the second world war but I seem to have came up against a wall. My grandmother didn't remember much about her father but gave me a photo of him the door that he's in front of has the insignia of the Royal Artillery with SUB SEC 3 - 417 BATTERY. Every time I try to get anywhere with this i seem to get nowhere any help at all would be great as my Grandmother is no longer with us for me to question her.

Kindest Regards

Gillian

[rosie99]

Hi

If he served in WW2 his records will still be with the MOD
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=651361.0

Rosie

[t mo]

hi Gillian
it could be he was in one of the searchlight companys ra  but if so I cant piece together the 56th part of it how certain is your informant of the details ? .
regards
trevor
ps would it be possible to post the photo please

[RRTB]

In the Royal Artillery, a Sub Section is a component of an artillery battery consisting of one gun, its tractor (if not self-propelled) and the gun detachment (RA), ie the crew manning the weapon. This sub-section is generally under the command of a sergeant.

A Battery "consists of 2 or 3 sections, each with two guns with their complement of ammunition wagons."

(Information taken from "Royal Artillery: Glossary of terms and abbreviations, historical and modern" by Philip Jobson).

However, as your G Grandfather appears to have been in a Searchlight regiment, the above probably doesn't apply to him!

I also have found this:

56th Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (Cameronians)(T.A.) - Highland Area, Scottish Command
HQ, 417th-419th Btys: Glasgow (from http://www.wikiwirral.co.uk/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/432210/2.html  - you have to do a Ctrl+F searching for '56th' to find it!!)

This may also be of interest: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/44898-15-anti-aircraft-brigade-ra-125-cameronians-light-anti-aircraft-regiment-ra/

Getting hold of his war service records will help you immensely, and if you then post pictures of sections of them the folks on here will be only too happy to help you understand them fully.

RRTB

 

[Rosinish]

Hi Gillian,

Where & what yr was Robert Morrow Gillies born & what was his wife's forename please?

Annie

[RRTB]

Just adding this in: From the National Archives website this is the number of the War Office reference for 56 Searchlight Regiment - WO 166/3074.

RRTB

[stwrt]

Hi Gillian,

Where & what yr was Robert Morrow Gillies born & what was his wife's forename please?

Annie

Robert was born Robert Morrow Gillies in Glasgow, his wife at that time was Margaret Haldane I have both their B.D.M certs im just finding getting his service number etc hard

Kindest regards

[stwrt]

hi Gillian
it could be he was in one of the searchlight companys ra  but if so I cant piece together the 56th part of it how certain is your informant of the details ? .
regards
trevor
ps would it be possible to post the photo please

Sorry cannot seem to condense the image

[RRTB]

You've had a reply on ww2talk.com here: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/61684-robert-morrow-gillies/?p=711940

The poster seems to have found the service number you're looking for. They have included a scan of the relevant piece of paper which shows Robert's number, his date of discharge and also the part of King's Regulations which pertained to his discharge. It quotes KR Para 390 (xviii) G (or it could be a poorly written 'a'!).

The sub-subparagraph "g" was added later as this piece of info shows:

"Warrant Officers, N.C.Os. and men who have hitherto been discharged under King's Regulations 390 (xviii) (a) "Services no longer required" will, in future, be dis- charged under sub-paragraphs (f) and (g). The reason for discharge, in the case of other ranks, will be "There being no Army employment suitable to his age and medical category." (~ taken from http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=1945-02-27a.1209.6 )

RRTB