1st battalion Rifle Brigade 1939-1942

[fedup]

Can anyone please suggest where I might trace the enlistment records for this battalion? TNA doesn't appear to hold them. I am looking for someone who would have enlisted early in the Second World War, probably in east London. I have the 1942 death record from the CWGC website, but need sight of the details given on enlistment. Would the Rifle Brigade have its own records, and if so, where might that be?

Many thanks.

[Coromandel]

Hello there, fedup

Post-1920 army service records are still with the Ministry of Defence. For details see

http://
veterans-uk.info/pdfs/service_records/army_pack.pdf

[fedup]

Many thanks for the link, Coromandel. I'll have a look at that site. I think the Rifle Brigade are now known as the Royal Greenjackets, so have mailed their museum in Winchester, but a lot of signs are pointing me towards the MOD http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Ab...erviceRecords/, and the indications at the moment are that they would not have the info I'm looking for, which is the address and employment details on enlistment, similar to those on Ancestry for WWI. Basically, I'm trying to rule this man in or out of being my mother's fiance who died at El Alamein. I know his employer at the time of his enlistment, and his address would help no end too. All my mother gave me was his first name, which is proving tricky.

[Mutley]

If you cannot obtain his military records, is it possible he is on the Electoral Rolls?
He may be within reasonable distance of his employer and your mother.

[Peter Goodey]

Perhaps the 1939 Register (National Registration) might be of use?

[fedup]

Now seems like I had the wrong man. My Frank had a mother alive at the time he was killed, and I've now found death entries which predate his death for both the mother and stepmother of the man who was in 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade. Back to the drawing board!

[fedup]

I only have his first name and no surname, but possibly an address could be of some help in locating the right man. Can you help with where I would find the 1939 register. Many thanks.

[Peter Goodey]

Can you help with where I would find the 1939 register.

Any search engine will find it - "1939 Register" (with quotation marks).

However the register is not name indexed so you need an address in order to apply (£42 fee).

[keith9351]

The ALAMEIN MEMORIAL has 4 Franks serving with the Rifle Brigade.

Frank Warner 6920438 9th (1st Bn The Tower Hamlets Rifles) Bn. He is shown as married, Mottingham, Kent.

Frank James Prickler 6917490 1st Bn. Rifle Brigade. Also shown as married, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.

Frank Charles Wade 6913590 2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade. Single, Deptford, London.

Frank Aurthur Davis 6912869 2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade. No further details.

Keith

[fedup]

Frank Charles Wade is a definite possible, as the Deptford area could fit. I know he was single, and working at Tate & Lyle Silvertown so that would rule out two of the other three. However, although the Frank I thought might be the right one (and I now know it's highly unlikely) was in the Rifle Brigade, all I can now be sure of is that he was killed by shrapnel wounds at El-Alamein.

Thanks for your help.