Irishman in British Army WW2 (John Smith)

[AussieIrish3064]

I'm having a needle in a stack of needles moment here, wondering if anyone can help.

My Grandad was born in Ireland, but served in World War 2 for the British Army. He was born in Monaghan, Ireland, and on returning from the war lived in Dublin until his death in 1992.

He spoke very little of the war, only to tell my dad that he signed up with two friends and he was the only one to return. He kept no service records, and I don't believe he ever received a pension (joining the British Army as an Irishman was a sensitive subject at this time, and when he returned he may not have kept anything that would have tied him to his service) . All we know is that he served in Montecasino, he MAY have been part of a parachute regiment (?), and he was an accomplished boxer in the Army.

Unfortunately, his name was John Smith (may have gone by Jack). I know he was born in 1922.

Where on earth do I start?

Regards

Thomas

[Lesley Robertson]

If he served in the British Army, his records are probably still with the MOD, like all others from 1921 and after. There's a message about getting a copy HERE. Note that it'll cost 30 pounds and you'll need a copy of his death certificate (and it can take a couple of months for processing).

Of course, with the small amount of information you have, it might be worth trying other lines of research to pinpoint which John Smith you want.... If you're sure he was at Montecasino, a little background research will tell you which regiments were there, cutting the sheer volume of possible records a little (but be careful, sometimes family memories are not completely accurate). It might be worth checking the newspapers of the time for anything about his boxing. Checking on the details you have can sometimes be very helpful.

Good luck!

[Peter Goodey]

I know he was born in 1922.

His exact date of birth will be invaluable when you apply for his service record.

[Elwyn Soutter]

I only see 1 John Smith born in Co. Monaghan in 1922. Birth was registered in Clones Jan – Mar 1922 Vol 3, page 82. You can order a photocopy of the civil certificate from GRO Roscommon for €4 (euros).

https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Apply...tificates.aspx

You have to download and print off the form. Then either post or fax it. You can’t e-mail your order to them. However if you want them to e-mail the cert to back to you, they will do that, so tick the relevant box.

I understand what you say about John possibly wishing to be reticent about having fought for the British Army but it’s worth pointing out that he wasn’t alone. Huge numbers of Irish people volunteered to fight in the British army in the second world war. In addition, about a quarter of the Irish Defence Forces (army) went AWOL from their bases in Ireland and joined the British Army. In effect they deserted the Irish army to join the British army. Quite a brave and controversial thing to do, given the country’s recent history, and they didn’t get a great welcome on their return. A bit of background here:

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/iris...85472-Jun2012/

Complex and blurred allegiances.