Mossband, Gretna, 1941

[Narnster]

Thank you everyone.  I've concluded that he must have been living on the site and probably in Scotland.  The link to the archives guidance is also extremely helpful.  Thanks again.

[ScouseBoy]

He may have been in the Guard Force?

[..claire..]

Hi

It could be worthwhile getting in touch with this museum. It's primarily about WW1 but maybe worth a shot.

http://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/

claire

[Narnster]

I've just remembered that his occupation on his son's birth certificate is "Storeman".  Also, his son says he was never in the forces as far as he knew so has no idea why he would be in a naval uniform in a photo.  We thought it might have been no more than a studio portrait but that's surely unlikely when it says "HMS Victory" on the reverse of the photo.

Is it possible that he joined up but didn't make the grade somehow?

Re Devil's Porridge - I shall give that a go.

Thanks to you both.

[Gan Yam]

The place he was mostly likely to have worked was known as RAF 14MU. It was at one point one of the biggest maintenance units and its site is massive.  It closed in the 1990s.  It did all sorts during the war, not just supplying parts etc. A lot of the hangers still exist on the site.

It could also have been Longtown,known as CAD Longtown. This was a small army base and still is. There was/is an ammunition dump starting at Longtown and extending over the Scottish border. One of the biggest munitions dumps in Europe up until recently. Both sites had service personnel and civililian personnel. Both could be classed as Mossband as they run into each other. There is still accommodation blocks at Longtown and there was accommodation at 14MU.  NAAFI and messes definitely during the war.

[Narnster]

I now know that the photo that I originally mentioned was dated 27th October 1939 and that the young man dressed in a naval uniform had just turned 18.  It just says "HMS Victory 27th October 1939" on the back.  I'm wondering why he would be wearing the uniform if he hadn't joined up, yet his son says his father was never in the forces as far as he knew (and he knew him well).  The next record available is his son's birth certificate in 1941 which puts him at Mossband as a storeman.  Any ideas what might have happened?

[ScouseBoy]

I've just remembered that his occupation on his son's birth certificate is "Storeman".  Also, his son says he was never in the forces as far as he knew so has no idea why he would be in a naval uniform in a photo.  We thought it might have been no more than a studio portrait but that's surely unlikely when it says "HMS Victory" on the reverse of the photo.

Is it possible that he joined up but didn't make the grade somehow?

Re Devil's Porridge - I shall give that a go.

Thanks to you both.

               If he was a "storeman"    in a depot   with   thousands of items of clothing, surely it would be easy for  him to borrow   an item    for a souvenir   photograph.

[Cell]

Can anyone tell me if people lived on site at Mossband in WW2?  I'm looking for someone who worked there in 1941 (information from son's birth certificate) but whose family lived in Carlisle.  This person is not on the 1939 Register.  Another odd thing is that there is a photo of him dressed in a sailor's uniform with "HMS Victory" written on the back yet he was never in the navy!  Do records exists for civilians at munitions depots?

Any information would be appreciated!

Wouldn't he have to been signed up to the Navy to work as a storeman?
I don't know too much about the Navy ( my family are army) . My grandfather who was in the army all of his working life , when he finally retired from more active duty,worked as an army storeman right at the end of his career( he was in his 60's at the time)

Here is a link to the army that says you must be a serving soldier "You can only be selected for this role if you're a serving soldier, so you've already mastered basic soldiering skills like weapons handling and living and working in the open" https://www.army.mod.uk/rolefinder/role/204/storeman
Maybe the Navy is like this too ? I don't know, but I'd guess it could be.
Kind Regards

[Narnster]

Thank you Cell and ScouseBoy, both comments food for thought.  I'm hoping that all these ideas combined may eventually get us somewhere near the truth.  I don't have the photo in my possession but I will ask what the backdrop of the photo is.  Maybe that will give us some clues.

..claire..  I have emailed the Devil's Porridge twice but they don't reply!! (What I do know is that they've just appointed a new archivist so they might have some useful records... if only they would respond!!)