First Cousin 2x removed Merchant Navy WW2 photos

[tornado]

My First Cousin 2 x rem was George fred Kitto b 1910 in Fowey . My only records say that George was in the Merchant Navy WW2 and his service number was AX 15320 . So are there any military boffins out there who can find any photos of George with his Navy mates? Thank you .

[rosie99]

Regiment Royal Engineers
George Frederick William Kitto
Birth date 27 Apr 1910
Enlistment age 31
Enlistment year 1941
Regimental number 1952702

[tornado]

Many thanks for this Rosie . A bit more to go on in the background of my Cousin . Best wishes .

[Andy J2022]

Taking Rosie's reply a stage further, he was posted to 5 Training Battalion, Royal Engineers (TBRE)  based in Chester on 28 Oct 1941, and then to 2 TBRE 0n 17 December 1941. On 3 Jan 1942 he was transferred to the W (Territorial) Reserve and remained there until recalled to regular service on 12 Aug 1943, rejoining 2 TBRE.

This 18 months in the Reserve having not completed his initial training suggests that he was either seriously ill or injured, necessitating his transfer. I would guess an injury was the cause. A major illness requiring that amount of absence would likely have made him unfit for further service. 

As for his Merchant Navy service there is a CR1 card for someone of that name (ie George Frederick William Kitto, born 1910 Fowey) in BT349 at the National Archives, with a discharge number of R18657 dated 1921. However he would have only been aged 11 at the time, and was not supposed to have left school until he was 14. This seems odd. Possibly he was at a school for training seamen, of which there were several around the country. More on how to research Merchant Navy sailors here: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/merchant-seamen-serving-since-1918/

[tornado]

Hi Andy . Thanking you for the update and help regarding George in WW2 . I will look into the query about possible seaman training for him . You have found the right man and your info will be noted down and put in my family tree files . Best wishes to you .

[HMac]

Hello,
He appears to have served in the Merchant Navy from 1926 until 1929
He enrolled for a 5-year term in the Royal Naval Reserve on 30 July 1930 until 29 July 1935.
He joins the army on 28 October 1941.

He has 2 x CR1 and 1 x CR2 cards which are for him.

The CR1 card is not for 1921 it just means the cards are dated in the 1921-1941 range

Regards
Hugh

[Andy J2022]

The CR1 card is not for 1921 it just means the cards are dated in the 1921-1941 range

Thanks Hugh. That makes sense now.

[tornado]

So many thanks HMac for clearing up the query here . All your military information is greatly appreciated and is a finale to Andy's contribution . So more info for my family tree files . Best wishes . Wendy

[Andy J2022]

Wendy,
In your opening posting you were looking for photographs of your cousin. His CR1 may have a photo attached, although most of them did not.  Had he been in the MN during the First World War (which he was obviously too young to have done) he would have had a CR10 which would almost always have had a photograph. This was done to ensure that merchant seamen were identifiable and no-one could falsely assume the identity of a seaman (a protected occupation) to avoid being conscripted into the Army.