Genealogy Forum UK

Hi

My father, who dies over a decade ago, always told us that he volunteered for the Navy as soon as he could after war was declared in 1939. He was categoric about this, telling us that he and 3 of his friends from the Adventure Scouts volunteered on the same day.
Dad's Naval Service record, however, only starts at 13th October 1941 - see attachment His NSR does, does, however, contain a note “?????? under NS (AF) Act 1939”

Dad was 18 at the start of the war, having been born 6th May 1921.

Could anyone shed any light on this? How might I find what my father was up to in 1939-412?

All help gratefully received!

His NSR does, does, however, contain a note “?????? under NS (AF) Act 1939”

Can you post this ???? bit?

Here it is: :

That is puzzling, isn't it?

It says "Entered under NS (AF) Act 1939", so that was the Act passed as soon as war was declared. So if your father was 18 and volunteered, I don't know why his service does not start until volunteering 13 October 1941.

How is he listed in the 1939 register?

My father was about 18 months younger, and by the time he was old enough he was stuck in a reserved occupation. Here https://culturenl.co.uk/wp-content/uplo ... ations.pdf is a provisional list for reserved occupations. Most have an age against them, so only those with no age limit could have applied to your father. There are not many, but I wondered if he tried to enlist but could not, and then restrictions changed and he did. Dad was accepted for the Merchant Navy later, but still his boss would not release him.

Or could your father have had a time-limited medical reason for not being able to enlist?

Other than that I'm out of ideas.

Anyone else?

"Plans for limited conscription applying to single men aged between 20 and 22 were given parliamentary approval in the Military Training Act in May 1939. This required men to undertake six months' military training, and some 240,000 registered for service."

maybe he was under training until he reached the age of 20?


https://www.parliament.uk/about/living- ... 20of%20Men

Thank - sounds very plausible