Help needed tofind my grandfather and fathers war recrds

[cookingfat50]

hi can anyone help me find the war records of my grandfather and father. my grandfather was born Charles henry belk, born in 1896, I know he served in WW1 some of the time in Russia I have seen photo's of him. ad may have served in WW2. my father was born in 1921, his name was Charles verdon belk. he was in Africa, Italy, and france may have been elsewhere too my grad dad died in 1968 and my dad died 1999. both were born in Sheffield down the cliffe I think hope someone can help me I am disabled and house bound and can't get out to go to the archive library thank Steve Belk

[Hopman]

Anything on Ancestry.co.uk ?

[TORONTONY]

hi can anyone help me find the war records of my grandfather and father. my grandfather was born Charles henry belk, born in 1896, I know he served in WW1 some of the time in Russia I have seen photo's of him. ad may have served in WW2. my father was born in 1921, his name was Charles verdon belk. he was in Africa, Italy, and france may have been elsewhere too my grad dad died in 1968 and my dad died 1999. both were born in Sheffield down the cliffe I think hope someone can help me I am disabled and house bound and can't get out to go to the archive library thank Steve Belk

 

Try http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

[stpetre]

hi can anyone help me find the war records of my grandfather and father. my grandfather was born Charles henry belk, born in 1896, I know he served in WW1 some of the time in Russia I have seen photo's of him. ad may have served in WW2. my father was born in 1921, his name was Charles verdon belk. he was in Africa, Italy, and france may have been elsewhere too my grad dad died in 1968 and my dad died 1999. both were born in Sheffield down the cliffe I think hope someone can help me I am disabled and house bound and can't get out to go to the archive library thank Steve Belk

 

Don't know about war records, but someone from 'Attercliffe Lads' or 'Anyone from Attercliffe' on here will jump on this, as Belk is a re-memorable and not a common name. Attercliffe has it's own Facebook site too, however, best wishes and luck to you.

Edited August 6, 2015 by stpetre
Edit

[harvey19]

Contact. Army Personnel Centre, Support Division, Historical Disclosures, Mail Point 555, Kentigern House, 65 brown Street, Glasgow, G2 8ex.

Tel. 0141 2242670

The above hold service records but many were destroyed in 1940.

War diaries can be obtained from the National Archives.

Edited August 6, 2015 by harvey19

[Daven]

Do you have access to ancestry.co.uk ?

It shows Charles Henry Belk - son of Robert Belk and Ann Wardley - Robert Belk was a railway train driver.

There are some service records and discharge papers on there but no specific details of which campaigns he served in.

As has been suggested in the previous post - contact the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow - they will be able to trace them for you.

Good luck !

[hillsbro]

Hi cookingfat50 - as Daven noted there are some First World War records visible online via ancestry.co.uk for Charles Henry Belk (of 51 New Road, Blackburn, near Sheffield). Discharged in October 1919 as a corporal in the Royal Engineers, he had served in the Railway Operating Division of the RE and for a time was also with the Lancashire Fusiliers, though as Daven mentioned there are no details of which campaigns he served in. He had been wounded in April 1918 (sustaining a broken elbow) and, being assessed as having 5% disability, was given a gratuity of £48.15s. Here is the relevant Medal Roll Index Card which evidently related to Charles' Victory Medal - this is an example. I've also downloaded the discharge papers - PM me an email address if you think this is your grandfather and you would like the JPEG scans.

 

The General Register Office indexes do not actually show a Charles Henry Belk born in 1896. There are records of Charles Henry Belk who was born in Sheffield on 25 October 1894, and who died in Jan-Mar 1970. This is evidently the Charles Henry Belk shown in the 1901 census return living with his family at 102 Leigh Street, Attercliffe, and in the 1911 census as an "Office Boy, Great Central Railway" (his father Robert Belk was an engine driver for the Midland Railway). By 1911 the Belks had moved to 24 Ellis Street, Brinsworth, Rotherham. This Charles Henry Belk is evidently the one to whom the army discharge papers refer as they indicate that he was born at Attercliffe, enlisted at Rotherham in 1915 and his occupation as of that time is given as "signalman".

[lobster]

The discharge papers do actually give quite a bit of info , he was shot in the elbow by a machine gun bullet whist serving in france with the Lancs Fusiliers . He spent a total of 12 months in France before being transferred to the R E and sent to Russia where he spent about 7 months

[hillsbro]

The discharge papers do actually give quite a bit of info...

Yes indeed - in fact I just found some papers that I somehow hadn't seen earlier, including this account of the machine gun bullet injury, which also mentions Charles' service in France and Russia. Charles evidently served in "N.W. Russia" - this campaign was part of the abortive "Allied Intervention" after the Russian revolutions of 1917. Railway communications were of course especially important in this campaign, in view of the long distances that troops had to travel, and so the Royal Engineers would have been kept busy.

[Steph-Kailey]

Hi, my uncle started this thread and has since past away. If possible can any information be sent to me? Struggling to find anything in regards to my great grandfather Charles Henry Belk. Thanks!