WWll sailing records.

wendymac

wendymac

Well-Known Member
Could anyone tell me please where to look and how I can find what ships my dad sailed on during the war. WWll
Born Manchester 1922 and lived in Salford, was in the Army. My dad use to tell me when i was young about when he was in the jungle for a time and he caught Malaria. He use to also talk about the desert and how awful the camels were saying they smelled awful and spat at you.
I’ve not done any searching for quite a time and I just don’t know where to start:(
Herbert Valentine Hillier dob 14.2.22 - dod 30.5.76.
His patents died young - his dad died aged 27 in 1924 and his mum died aged 31 if I remember rightly just a few years after.
My dad then lived with his grandad Thomas Glynn and uncle Earnie Glynn in Salford .
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thk you ..
 
I sent for my dad's army records and I did get an awful lot of detailed information from those. My dad was hospitalised thirteen times with malaria while out in Burma etc - he'd told me this many years ago (he died in 1986 and the malaria came back on him towards the end). His records confirmed this - although I believe there have been changes to what people now receive in the way of personal info. I'd assumed, for instance, that my father saw out his service overseas - but he didn't. He returned to Wales on compassionate grounds and was given home-based military service. That was never mentioned.

There are some WWII records on FMP - not many, but I've got my father's transfer records from there. He enlisted with the RWF and was transferred to the Devons when they suffered heavy casualties. If you can find out what regiment/battalion your father was with, there are some excellent published regimental histories. The Devons' book has been particularly useful to me.

Not a direct answer to your question, re. troop ships, but if you know the regimental details it's a starting point. . My mother noted that my grandfather had feared drowning, standing-to on deck during a storm in the Bay of Biscay, en-route to the Dardanelles. I can't remember the name of the ship now - I grew up hearing about it, but I worked out from ships' logs that at this time, the ship in question was elsewhere on its way to be broken up - I have no doubt that Grandad did travel on that troop ship, at some point.
 
Wendy, have a look at the MoD's 'Get a Copy of Military Records of Service' page.

The one thing in your father's favour is that he has quite an unusual name so they could find him without a service number. I doubt there were many Herbert Valentine Hilliers born 1922.
 
Bay Horse said:
Wendy, have a look at the MoD's 'Get a Copy of Military Records of Service' page.

The one thing in your father's favour is that he has quite an unusual name so they could find him without a service number. I doubt there were many Herbert Valentine Hilliers born 1922.
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Ok Thankyou but where will I find the MOD records please xx
 
wendymac said:
Ok Thankyou but where will I find the MOD records please xx
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Yes, MOD. I contacted them and they were fantastic and quick. Highly recommend getting in touch with them, but I cannot remember how I did it. I just sent them an e-mail with my request and as much information that I knew about my Dad. Was recommended from here and was given a link from here. My Dad was in the navy In WWII but I knew next to nothing about where he travelled or what he did.
 
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