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Mystery man

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

nelly67

nelly67 Report 16 Aug 2015 23:41

Hi I'm looking for help on how I can find the service records of my gramp .
Every time I try he seems to be no where
His name was Cyril Stanley bond I believe he served in the Gloucestershire regiment but the only clue I have of the area he serves is a photo of him in uniform by a palm tree , so somewhere hot .
Any info on where to look would be great

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 16 Aug 2015 23:54

Was he in WW1 or WW2 ?

WW2 records are still with the MOD and are not online.

Check here to see how to apply for them.. They cost £30 and take several months to arrive:-

https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

If he was in WW1 a lot of the records were destroyed during WW2 so they may not exist any more.

Kath. x

KathleenBell

KathleenBell Report 16 Aug 2015 23:58

There is this attestation record on Findmypast which could be him but no other record:-

First name(s) Cyril Stanley
Last name Bond
Age -
Birth year -
Birth place -
Attestation year 1939
Service number 965151
Former service number -
Record set Royal Artillery attestations 1883-1942
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Subcategory Regimental & service records
Collections from Great Britain

Kath. x

MarieCeleste

MarieCeleste Report 17 Aug 2015 08:06

Have just seen a photo on an Ancestry tree of a Cyril Stanley Bond 1917-1969. Born Stroud, Gloucestershire. In the photo he's in uniform in a garden that has large fan palms so highly likely the same man.

The Royal Artillery attestation that Kath posted above also has the information that he "formerly served as A/No 5183312". It also states he transferred on 01/05/1946 to "Z" (T) Reserves. He later transferred on 10/11/1953 to the Royal Army Service Corps.

This information is just from an attestation card and, as Kath says above, his full service records would still be with the MoD.

Worth bearing in mind that many men served in regiments that weren't associated with where they lived - many of my Tyneside men served with regiments of other counties, e.g. West Yorks, East Lancs, etc

The photo on Ancestry doesn't clearly show any insignia that may identify the regiment.

nelly67

nelly67 Report 17 Aug 2015 08:18

Wow you guys are so good
I do apologise it was ww2 that he served in and because he was from Gloucestershire the family assumed it was the Gloucestershire regiment he served in .
So how exciting to uncover some good news . So would you suggest that I send to the MOD for more information ?
Thanks again

+++DetEcTive+++

+++DetEcTive+++ Report 17 Aug 2015 10:22

If you've £30*** to spare and don't mind waiting for anything up to 9 months, go for it! He is your grandfather and records such as this will be invaluable to your own descendents in years to come.

*** on the off-chance that your grandmother (his widow) is still living and can sign the forms, the records will be free.

was plain ann now annielaurie

was plain ann now annielaurie Report 17 Aug 2015 23:50

Have applied for a few WW2 service records recently and they seem to be much quicker. Waited about 1 month and 2 months for the most recent ones