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  1. #1

    Default J Costello b Prestwich abt 1922

    Hi Lesley,
    As you can gather I am very new to this forum thing...
    Could you please guide me in the right direction to see if there is a way you can find a service number for someone. I am looking for my grandfather it would be ww2 my dad seems to think merchant navy but he is not sure. He was born 1922 prestwich lancashire england. So at a guess he probably served 1939 onward. I have a picture of an envelope with his name J costello as in James Costello and the number stamped B - 493. I also have a picture of a postcard saying pte J Costello 5837090 371pc camp staff musherby purfleet tilbury 341. Can you please direct me to someone who may know what these numbers are and if I can find out his actual service number please.

  2. #2

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    Karen, I moved your post to its own thread in the WW2 section as I think that it will get more attention here. The MOD has not released WW2 service records yet - see HERE.

    I don't know whether this applies to your man, but if someone did not survive either of the Wars, the first place to look is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at CWGC.org.

  3. #3

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    Thanks Lesley.
    I know that he didn't die at war, as have a picture of him in uniform and I know when and how he died it was in 1956 at home.
    Thanks again.
    karen

  4. #4
    Super Moderator - Completely bonkers and will never change.
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    Are you trying to find his service number so you can apply for his service records?
    If so, if you have his date of birth then you don't need his service number.
    However, the bad news is that at the moment there's about an 18-month wait for records to be dispatched.

    Pam
    Vulcan XH558 - “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”

  5. #5
    Famous for offering help & advice simmo1's Avatar
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    Hi

    If the postcard says Pte = Private, then he was not in the merchant navy.
    If that is his service number (5837090), then it fits in the range for Suffolk Regiment 5819001 - 5875000, which would be the regiment he originally signed up with,, I add if. Getting his service record is the only way to prove anything, unless you have some official service document.
    Could you post the back of the postcard, to view it?

    regards

    Robert
    Remembering

    My Father 1819170 Lance Bombardier Robert Simpson 39/14 L.A.A. R.A.

  6. #6

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    Chris has posted instructions for posting photos HERE

  7. #7

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    thanks Robert I will try and upload postcard, Christina has sent through instructions on how to do this. I will have to do it tomorrow though.
    Thanks karen

  8. #8

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    Free BMD shows only 1 James Costello born in the September quarter of 1922 in Prestwich. His mother's maiden name was Hurst.

    There is a marriage (again the only one in Prestwich) between a James Costello and Lydia Hurst in 1920 in Prestwich.

    Of course, FreeBMD is an index. To confirm that these are your ancestors, you need the actual certificates.

  9. #9
    Loves to help with queries
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    The 1939 Register shows a James H Costello (DoB 1897),Lydia Costello (DoB 1899), Gladys Howard (Costello)(DoB 1921) and James Costello(DoB 1922)
    Living at 31 John Street, Droylsden, Droylsden U.D., Lancashire, England.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by simmo1 View Post
    Hi

    If the postcard says Pte = Private, then he was not in the merchant navy.
    If that is his service number (5837090), then it fits in the range for Suffolk Regiment 5819001 - 5875000, which would be the regiment he originally signed up with,, I add if. Getting his service record is the only way to prove anything, unless you have some official service document.
    Could you post the back of the postcard, to view it?

    regards

    Robert
    [IMG][/IMG]

    Hi Robert here is the picture of the postcard, I have managed to find out that there was a prison camp called musketry camp 371 in purfleet, but havent found out any other information on it.
    I have also just this morning found out that where it says camp staff may mean that he was a cook there as My aunty informed me that her mum (my nan) told her that when she visited the barracks he would make her nice cakes.
    That is all I know.

    I am a member of Ancestry and have his birth and death certificate and also some places of residence, but I would really like to find out about his involvement in war time.
    Karen

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