Northengeezer Posted 27 February Share Posted 27 February I'm trying to find the potential war record of my great grandfather. Kenneth was born in the USA in 1891 but moved to the UK aged 4. At the outbreak of war he was aged 23, living in Barrow in Furness and working as an electrician. Research has drawn a blank but in 1920 I've found him working on ships, plying his trade between Barrow and New York. At this point I'm not sure whether Kenneth was actually in the merchant navy during the conflict and carried on after hostilities ended so a search here may be a moot point. Any help or pointing me in the right direction would be gratefully appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 27 February Share Posted 27 February He is on uk 1901 census He is on 1939 register FmP has his seaman’s card, complete with photos, and two voyages as a seaman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northengeezer Posted 27 February Author Share Posted 27 February Thanks Corisande He's on the 1911 census too, working as an electrician for the council in Barrow in Furness. FmP.......................whats that?? I've found evidence of multiple voyages between Barrow and New York in 1921/22 which in the absence of any military/service records led me to believe he may have served in the merchant navy and not in the military, but I'm just assuming that really. He was 23 when war started and I cant come up with any evidence of why he didn't join up. Was there a reserved occupation in WW1? although I cant see an electrician being exempt, I thought at that age he would have joined a PALS regiment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corisande Posted 27 February Share Posted 27 February FmP is Find my Past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnmelling1979 Posted 27 February Share Posted 27 February Might be him Ward, Kenneth Alderson Born1891— Year 1918 Britain, Merchant Seamen, 1918-1941 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 28 February Share Posted 28 February Corisande's id from FMP George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Rayner Posted 28 February Share Posted 28 February From Ancestry George Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northengeezer Posted 28 February Author Share Posted 28 February Thanks for that guys, the information you've provided I already have, I've got quite a bit of info on him up to 1914 and after 1920, its that 6 year gap I'm looking to fill, well certainly the war years. In 1912 he was still working as an electrician for the council in Barrow and I kind of assume as a 23 year old he would have joined up straight away.........................no evidence of that it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matlock1418 Posted 28 February Share Posted 28 February Just a thought - for those who know where to look ... As an electrician ... might he have gone into the Vickers shipyard ??? M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northengeezer Posted 28 February Author Share Posted 28 February I had that thought too Matlock but why would he leave a cushy number with the council to work in a war factory, other than him thinking he was doing his bit. Were there reserved occupations in WW1, is this maybe a reason to move to Vickers?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now