Military Chat

Top tip - using the Genes Reunited community

Welcome to the Genes Reunited community boards!

  • The Genes Reunited community is made up of millions of people with similar interests. Discover your family history and make life long friends along the way.
  • You will find a close knit but welcoming group of keen genealogists all prepared to offer advice and help to new members.
  • And it's not all serious business. The boards are often a place to relax and be entertained by all kinds of subjects.
  • The Genes community will go out of their way to help you, so don’t be shy about asking for help.

Boards

Quick Search

Single word search

Tools

Findmypast DNA Banner

Icons

  • New posts
  • No new posts
  • Thread closed
  • Stickied, new posts
  • Stickied, no new posts

WW2-Royal Navy

Login to Add Reply Watch This
ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Veronica

Veronica Report 28 Aug 2013 21:45

I'm getting very frustrated as my Dad served in the Royal Navy in WW2 and I can find no record.
He travelled extensively and served on HMS ILLUSTRIOUS amongst others.
His name was Terence Finnegan and he was born on 4th November 1920.

My Grandad Stephen Cranney was also in the Army in WW 1.
He was born in 1886.
He served in France.
I can find no record of him either.
Any thoughts please?

Veronica

Porkie_Pie

Porkie_Pie Report 28 Aug 2013 22:00

Stephen is listed on the medal card index for WW1 you could ask for a look up on ancestry to see what medals he was awarded and also if his Army record survived it should also be on ancestry but sadly only abt 30% survived due to bombing in WW2


Reference:
WO 372/5/76418
Description:

Medal card of Cranney, Stephen
Corps Regiment No Rank
Royal Army Service Corps DM2/221546 Private

Date: 1914-1920
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status:
Public Record

Roy

Jonesey

Jonesey Report 28 Aug 2013 22:08

Veronica,

Your father would have been given his service record when he was discharged from the Royal Navy.

Prior to 1972 all RN personnel were given their service record when they discharged. For pension purposes the RN retained pay details. Therefore the only information held on RN personnel who served prior to 1972 are their Service details (number, rank, name etc) and a list of dates and ships/shore bases.

Stephen Cranney: There are 4 pages of his WW1 service record on Ancestry. Unfortunately they do not contain a great deal of information that you are unlikely to know already such as the names of his wife and children and their birth dates.

EDIT Although on Ancestry it shows only 4 pages of service records for Stephen Cranny there are in fact several more pages (18 in total) giving quite a lot of detail including his application for his military record to support his intended enlistment into the Irish Constabulary in 1921.

Researching:
Don't put off until tomorrow doing what you can do today. If you like doing it today you can do it again tomorrow. Be kind to your children for it is they who will decide which care home you end up in.

Porkie_Pie

Porkie_Pie Report 28 Aug 2013 22:14

As Jonesey says you will only get a summary of his service record but it is worth looking at these links just for help and info on how and where to apply

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/ratingroyalnavy1923.htm

http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

Roy