ShirlD Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 This is an enquiry for a friend who has been trying to find out details about Henry Alfred Hillman, without success. This is what he has established so far: he joined up in 1917 and was gassed he has a postcard stating "Private H.A.Hillman 205857 (or more likely W5857) Section 3, School of Cookery, Cavalry Barracks, York 1/9/17. He had served in Russia It appears he was psychologically damaged by his experiences. My friend has spent a decade trying to research this, so if anyone has any ideas I would be grateful Thanks Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 You need to give a few more details. When was he born, when did he die, where did he live, do you have him in censuses, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 11 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2015 Corisande, thanks for your interest. There are only a few more details known, though they have tried various Army records: He was born in 1894, and went to Australia in 1932, returning to UK 2 years later in 1934 and he died in Surrey. The postcard mentioned above is the most definite piece of information. Cheers Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 I have found a Henry Alfred HILLMAN who Enlisted on 09 / 06 / 1917. Transferred to Royal Flying Corps 12 / 01 / 1918 Transferred to Royal Air Force 01 / 04 / 1918 This will take some further care in reading but at first glance he was in Russia (Russian Exped. Force) from July to September 1919. Ah! confirmed 04 / 07 / 1919 until 14 / 09 / 1919. And his trade clssification was Cook. There is more in his record. Record on Findmypast CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 Using the NOK address from his records it's now possible to find him in the 1911 census. And Henry A finds him in 1901. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 Looks like him CGM The Aus shipping record in 1933 gives him as a shopkeeper of Elm Cottage, Burgh Heath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 The family home ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 11 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2015 That is excellent information, thank you so much. I will relay this immediately. Do you have any idea what he may have experienced in the Royal Air Force, and why he would have been gassed? I can feel another very late night coming on! Cheers Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 I don't know where he was between June 1917 and January 1918 although there may be more in his record. I just dashed off the information above. There is information about his R leg and foot being deformed but I can't tell if this was present in 1917, or as a result of his service. There is more to be found out, from his record, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 11 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 11 February , 2015 Thank you again, will find a way to access FMP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 11 February , 2015 Share Posted 11 February , 2015 I must stop coming back and get on ! It just occurred to me that maybe there is an Army record for his period between Enlisted on 09 / 06 / 1917 and Transferred to Royal Flying Corps 12 / 01 / 1918 because the FMP records are British Royal Air Force, Airmen's service records 1912-1939. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 12 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2015 As I understand it, the difficulty has been not being able to find army records, medal records etc, so the RAF news is a real breakthrough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 12 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2015 First of all thanks to you both for this breakthrough, it is much appreciated. I have looked briefly at the available records, and knowing very little about this area of operations, tried to do some rapid reading. Henry Alfred was in the North Russia Expeditionary Force and the record places him there from 4.7.1919 to 24.9.1919. That is barely 2 months. I wonder where he would have been stationed, Murmansk or Archangel? It was obviously a complex political time, and the Allied Forces faced a grim time. Any general information on this time would be appreciated. cheers Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShirlD Posted 13 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 13 February , 2015 I have found a little information in The Royal Flying Corps Handbook 1914-1818 which describes "General Poole dispatched to Russia with orders to set up his headquarters in Murmansk and set about the foundation of a North Russian Expeditionary Force. ........The subsequent events are among the lesser-known of those which marked the early days of the new RAF. Two detachments were dispatched to assist the White Russian forces 'Eklope' force being based at Archangel and 'Syren' at Murmansk.......the force consisted of de Havilland 4 bombers, together with Sopwith F1 Camels, five Fairey IIIC seaplanes and a pair of Sopwith Baby floatplanes, and its principal task was to support the Allied troops about 100 miles south of the main British airfield at Bereznik between August and September. Later these aircraft were augmented by a number of FaireyIIIcs, , Short 184s, DH9As and Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters, while some reports suggest that several Handley Page 0/400 bombers were completed at Murmansk". There is a bit more in the book I was able to read in the preview. Not quite sure what to concentrate on next! As I said above, I can see that this became a difficult political time, and one might have wondered just whose side you were fighting on Cheers Shirley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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