Desperately seeking Grandad. James Harold Prichard

[Eric Denyer]

Hi all im looking to find my grandfathers service record if its at all possible, i have very few details which i will add here. He died when my mother was only 7, she is now very frail and talking about him daily (mostly questions that we cant give her the answers to) any help anybody can give would be vastly appreciated thanks.

James Harold Prichard no DOB sadly as he was of mixed race and we don`t know when he arrived in the uk with my Great Grand parents from South Africa but i have a DOD of the 17th November 1949.

This is a Christmas communication he received im not sure how to decode its various numbers and letters.
W/M Prichard J H
P/a X270109 mess 31 New Barraks Gosport Hants England


This is a Pick of his Training Class i guess. we was always told he was in the Merchant Navy but i am unsure of training given to Merchant Seaman.
H.M.S Royal Arthor class 228


This Was him with my Mother she is around 4 here as he was demobbed around 3 years before he died. im not sure if anybody knows anything about
the insignia on his right arm. He is darker in colour than this pick shows but im told it was common in these times for coloured people in mixed marriages to wear some kind of makeup??
uniform


There are some other picks in my album where is looks more natural with his colour. Any friends he may have had would be very old now, most gone.
i so wish i had started this quest 30 years ago
Thanks again for any help.
Eric

[Chris Allman]

Definitely Royal Navy - Eric not Merchant Navy - in which case I am sure that Royal Navy Records will have his details, ships served on etc. I think I have found details of him HERE

I am no longer a member of Ancestry.co.uk but it would appear that they have access to all Royal Navy records also you can request a copy of your Grandfather's official military records via the National Personnel Records Center. Those records would include all of his service deployments. Note that in the latter case, you will have to find a relative who qualifies as “next of kin”, because grandchildren are not on the list.

[Eric Denyer]

Thankyou so much i did wonder about his uniform. but when i quizzed my mum she insisted he was in the merchant navy.. am i ok to leave this post up for a few days as i guess its now completly in the wrong place?

[Chris Allman]

Dont worry Eric I have moved it to our Royal Navy Forum and it will stay on site. Some of our members may still be able to help you with access to records etc.

[Eric Denyer]

Dont worry Eric I have moved it to our Royal Navy Forum and it will stay on site. Some of our members may still be able to help you with access to records etc.

many many thanks.

[Doc Vernon]

Possibly the same one




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First name(s)	James Harold
Last name	Prichard
Death year	1949
Death date	17 Nov 1949
Probate year	1950
Probate date	21 Feb 1950
Residence town	-
Registry	London
County	Essex
Linked persons	Emma Florence Prichard
Country	England
Record set	England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019
Category	Life Events (BDMs)
Subcategory	Civil Deaths & Burials
Collections from	Great Britain, England

First name(s)	James Harold
Last name	Prichard
Residence	1 Cleveland Road Ilford
Marriage year	1935
Marriage date	20 Apr 1935
Place	Great Ilford, St Clement
County	Essex
Spouse's first name(s)	Emma Florence
Spouse's last name	Perryman
Spouse's marital status	S
Spouse's residence	1 Cleveland Road Ilford
Father's first name(s)	Harold James
Father's last name	Prichard
Father's occupation	Electrician
Spouse's father's first name(s)	George Henry
Spouse's father's last name	Perryman
Country	England
Event type	Marriages
Archive	Essex Record Office
Archive reference	D/P 623/1/13
Page number	69
Record set	Essex Marriages And Banns 1537-1935
Category	Life Events (BDMs)
Subcategory	Parish Marriages
Collections from	England, Great Britain

Report an Error

First name(s)	James Harold
Last name	Prichard
Death year	1949
Death date	17 Nov 1949
Probate year	1950
Probate date	21 Feb 1950
Residence town	-
Registry	London
County	Essex
Linked persons	Emma Florence Prichard
Country	England
Record set	England & Wales Government Probate Death Index 1858-2019
Category	Life Events (BDMs)
Subcategory	Civil Deaths & Burials
Collections from	Great Britain, England

HMS Royal Arthur shore establishment for RN Training
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ro...establishment)

received_205038010599784.jpg

[Eric Denyer]

Many thanks Doc yes this is my Grandad i have found that its not easy to find navy records online sadly hopefully mu mum will be looking at the forms today to send off for his records. as to when they arrive who knows under these current conditions.
kind regards Eric

[Maureen Knight]

Hi Eric, the birth date given on the death record was 1905. I will see if I can find any other info but as already mentioned the Royal Navy records are only available through them.
Who was the sender of the card, hard to read.

Hope you can find your Grandfather's records

Maureen

[Maureen Knight]

Eric, a little info on Gosport Baracks


During the Second World War the barracks were used by the Royal Navy as a training facility for new recruits, initially under the name of HMS Victory IV and then as HMS St George.[5] After the War the barracks were occupied by the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment and were renamed St George Barracks

Maureen

[Eric Denyer]

Hi Eric, the birth date given on the death record was 1905. I will see if I can find any other info but as already mentioned the Royal Navy records are only available through them.
Who was the sender of the card, hard to read.

Hope you can find your Grandfather's records

Maureen[



Thank you Sir i have been allowed to work for a few days and im not getting any notifications which i will check now.