Captain. Douglas William Sykes

[Sykes]

Hi There i would like to find some records on my grandfather, Douglas William Sykes, i know you would have to send away £30 to the Ministry of Defence to obtain his Service Records, but i was wondering if there is any from of information on him that you could obtain for free or that anyone could find on him, his details are as followed:

Douglas William Sykes
b. 1914, Weatherby, West Riding Yorkshire
m. 1941 - Accra, Ghana
d. 2001 - Jersey, Channel Islands

my father seems to think that he joined the Territorial Army before the war around these set dates, '1935-36' and then when the war broke out he was sent to the regular army, but this maybe wrong?

He was in the R.A.S.C ..... Royal Army Service Corps.

There's a picture of him and The No1, Officers Battalion - R.A.S.C. dated 1943 and he is listed as Captain. D. W. SYKES.

My father also seems to think that he was in:

West Africa
East Africa
India?
Israel

That's all i know on my grandfather as he never talked about his war days, i was only 4 years old when he died so i wouldn't know much at all.

Any information on his Army Career would be much appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Sykes

[Coromandel]

Hello Sykes and welcome to the forum

You may be able to piece together information about your grandfather's army career from announcements in the London Gazette, which you can search online at london-gazette.co.uk (put www. in front).

For example, this could be him, being promoted from 2nd Lieut. to Lieut. in 1936:

London Gazette, 28 July 1936
(under the heading 'Territorial Army')

'7th & 8th Bns. W. York. R. - The undermentioned 2nd Lts. to be Lts. 6 July 1926:- D.W. Sykes, R.C. Baker.'

Then joining the Royal Armoured Corps:

London Gazette, 21 November 1939
(under the heading 'Territoral Army Reserve of Officers')

'ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS'
The undermentioned offrs. are transferred from T.A. Res. of Off. (W. York R.) retaining rank and seniority, 1st Nov. 1938:- . [12 other names, not copied], Lt. D.W. Sykes (56306).'

and then the RASC:

London Gazette, 22 October 1940
(under the heading 'Territoral Army Reserve of Officers')

'ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS
Lt. D.W. Sykes (56036), from R.A.C. (T.A.R.O.), to be Lt. 11th Oct. 1940.'

[Sykes]

That is him being announced in the Gazzette!, thanks for all your help, i might have to send away for his service record.