MANCHESTERS IN MALAYA

[rir179]

I have the following GSM's GVI to the Manchesters any idea of how I can research them?

CULLEN  J.   PTE   22388459   GSM - GVI MALAYA
CULLEN T.   PTE   22459150   GSM - GVI MALAYA
DONOGHUE  M   PTE   22814424   GSM - GVI MALAYA
ELLIS  J.                PTE   22753393   GSM - GVI MALAYA
HILL  William         PTE   22681318   GSM - GVI MALAYA    Known as (Neddy)
KNOWLES  M.A.   PTE   22700819   GSM - GVI MALAYA
SLATER  T   PTE   22851675   GSM - GVI MALAYA
WILLIAMS  G.   PTE   22287186   GSM - GVI MALAYA

[george.theshed197]

As there is the strong possibility that most if not all these persons are still alive, their eldest would only be in his early seventies I would put your chances of being able to research them in any way at all at being between slim and non-existent. As they may still be alive you could be guilty of breaching the Data Protection Laws if you attempted to research them without their written consent or in the event of their death by the written consent of their NOK.
As the first Treasurer of the Manchester Regiment Malayan Veterans Association I do not recall any of these names but that does not prove they were not members, the fact that they obviously got rid of their medals would suggest to me that they were not interested in joining any such organisation.
As I stated earlier I would believe that you are on a hiding to nothing.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
George.

[rir179]

Hi George,   They were my first thoughts but I decided to give it a whirl.  I know that Hill is dead as I have his AB 64 & some photos in Malaya from his brother.  But I'll leave the thread going as someone might be able to provide something without infringing the Data Protection Act.

[rafboy]

Robert Bonner's book "Jungle Bashers" covers the period the 1st Battalion were in Malaya, my copy came from the Regimental Museum in Ashton Under Lyne.  It is a very good account of that period and has a lot of photographs in it, in one group photo there is a Pte Knowles (D Company) and in another there is a L/Cpl Donohue (B Company).  There is no way of telling if these are the ones in your list.
A visit to the Museum Archive may turn up some information on your men, if you are going to go give them a ring first and let them know what you are interested in.  The Archive is located some distance from the Museum.
This is the Museum web site http://www.tameside.gov.uk/museumsgalleries/mom 
The Museum phone number is 0161 3422254
The Archive phone number is 0161 3424242
Cliff

[rafboy]

Does anyone know why these men have Service Numbers with 8 digits starting with 22?
The information I have is at the bottom of the picture below.
Cliff 

[urdygurdy]

It's possible the infantry had different given number's at the time,the ones on your list at the bottom are corp's

[george.theshed197]

From my recollections with my Platoon Roll Book, I think these were about standard numbers for many of the N.S. men who joined us at various periods during our tour there. The L/Cpl Donohue to whom you refer Cliff was in my Platoon in B Coy  in 1951 but if I remember rightly he was a regular because three years later he was stiil with the Bn at the time of the return home in 1954 with the rank of A/Sgt in somewhat strained circumstances on which there will be no further comments.
Cheers,
George.

[Fritz Bayer]

Does anyone know why these men have Service Numbers with 8 digits starting with 22?
The information I have is at the bottom of the picture below.
Cliff 

The numbers on your list ("22"s apart) are all "Army numbers" and date from before the change to "Service numbers" in 1950. From 1950 they became service numbers starting with 22000000 and allocated in line with enlistment date...

22000000 to 22199408 Until October 1950
22199409 to 22460786 Until February 1951
22460787 to 22562759 Until July 1951
22562760 to 23052500 Until June 1955
23052501 to 23188252 Until October 1955
23188253 to 23479123 Until May 1956
23479124 to 23845071 Until October 1960
23845072 to 23969619 Until April 1964
23969620 to 24033484 Until October 1964
24033485 to 24057159 Until April 1965
24057160 to 24076468 Until December 1966
24076469 to 24182226 Until April 1969
24182227 to 24262662 Until September 1971
24262663 to 24302033 Until September 1972
24302034 to 24315610 Until January 1973
24315611 to 24322198 Until February 1973
24322199 to 24355527 Until August 1974
24355528 to 24369281 Until September 1975
24369282 to 24475540 Until May 1978
24475541 to 24520161 Until March 1979
24520162 to 24579860 Until August 1980
24579861 to 24587118 Until March 1981
24587119 to 24753060 Until December 1985
24753061 to 24854044 Until November 1988
24854045 to 25012465 Until January 1992
25012466 to 25027818 Until July 1993
25027819 to 25065603 Until July 1997
25065604 to 25130600 Until February 2001
25130601 to 25136865 Until August 2001
25136866 to 25139703 August 2001
25139704 onwards Still being issued


(First bold block includes my dad's number (King's Own) - he enlisted in dec 1950,  and the second bold block covers my number (QLR -Jan 1989), so it seems accurate enough)

[rafboy]

Thanks for that, I understand now.  I had not realised that the system had changed and the list I posted did not make it clear.  That list is page 6 of 6 that I have.
Cliff

[Fritz Bayer]

There were several changes throughout time. In it's most basic form...Regimental Numbers were introduced in 1829. In 1873 they became Brigade numbers, then back to Regimental in 1881. For the army, numbers were Army numbers between 1920 and 1950 (slight modifications to some in 1941 and 1943 and a rather odd experimental system in some units in 1918/19), with Service numbers only being introduced in mid(?) 1950.

[liverpool annie]

Off topic a minute ... but can I just say ... Dave you're just a young 'un  - if you were in QLR -Jan 1989 !! 

[kingo]

Mines "somewhere" in between the two  ! (But closer to Fritz's)