Tracing Somebody

If I wanted to trace the family an ex soldier not from Wigan how would I go about it ? I have his name: Lieutenant James Clark Military ID number 2974241 and his regiment was the Argyll and Sunderland highlanders. He was in the army in the late 1940s in Palestine - I have no date of birth or additional information.

You can try -FORCES WAR RECORDS-
There are at least two records showing -
J CLARK 2974241 Company Sergeant Major 1940
J CLARK 2974241 Warrant Officer 2nd Class 1941
Both Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
I dont know what they will charge to let you have the records but it maybe worth asking , they may have more records but these are the two that show up with a quick search
Good Luck
I have just googled his name and there is a newspaper article (dated 3rd January this year) about a Lt. James Clark whos ID Bracelet as just been found , but the ID number is different the number is 202637, and I have looked at that on the Forces Records site and is as the following
J CLARK 202637 Quartermaster Lieutenant 1944 Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders
It seems strange that he is not on the war dead site, even if his body and not been found he would have been presumed dead and commemorated as such??? The ID Bracelet just as the initial J , how would they know that means James??
But it looks like there are proffessional people looking into it so I dont think we have much chance, but good luck all the same and it would be interesting to know the out come

thank you JAMB i am trying to find out for the people looking into the ID Bracelet for J CLARK from the news paper. And they have hit a wall trying to find the right J CLARK to get his DOB to then trace his family.... So any tips i could pass on to them would be great

Lieutenant James Clark Military ID number 2974241 (please note that the number on the ID bracelet we found is his officer's number and not his original military ID number so any information about him should be done with the above number. Does this help

Forgive me peter but am I misunderstanding something
From the bracelet found how do you know it is JAMES
and were did the number 2974241 come from??
Sorry if I am missing something obvious????
I assume they have tried the Military Archives Centres
Surely the correct thing to do would be to hand it over to the Regiments Headquarters

Hi - I have asked the questions you raise and will forward the response. Its not clear to me off hand. Also for my personal knowledge he keeps telling that one number is the officer nu. which is on the tog tag and the other his id number - does this makes sense to you...? I think the 2974241 no. came from the A&SH Museum but maybe its a mistake?

They replied - "we are 200 percent sure that 2974241 James Clark is our man he was discharged in 1941 and then commissioned as an officer the next day, this was a common thing back then, and this was confirmed by the A&SH museum."

That is why he has both numbers. Here is the text from the Museum:
CSM 2974241 James Clark: Joined the Regimen at Clydebank in 1925 aged 18. Born Kelvin, Glasgow. Civilian Trade noted as Pantry Boy. Discharged at Perth 12/7/1941 Kings Regs 390 (xvii) appointment on Commission.

Maybe from this we can find the right person ?

Seems strange that the A&SH Museum cant throw any light on his family background, the info you have says he was born in Kelvin and joined in 1925 age 18 , that puts his birth at 1907? looking on the Scottish records there are 3 one is James Young Clark born 1908 , his mothers maiden name was Young, James Kennedy Clark born 1907 (mother maiden name not given ) and James Clark born 1907 mothers maiden name Stevenson, all born in Kelvin
I think the c/e on the bracelet was his religion i.e Church of England??
but if the museum cant throw any light on it then it is way beyond me, but if by any chance something does turn up then i will let you know

Hi This is what they have found out up to now - you are absolutely right - it turns out that exactly like us they managed to get this far and even contacted the family of the J. Clark with maiden name Stevenson - but the family (nieces) didn't recognise the photo and were unsure. So they are stuck and think the only way forward to confirm which one it is - is by getting the exact date of birth to the dog collar id and the right J. Clark through that. They have written to the MOD with no response yet and tried the Museum. Their info doesn't for some reason include that and shared all they had. Basically they need the commission appointment or any other military doc or related news or something that would have date of birth, or any other way to confirm which one it is.

Peter you started this thread by saying the only thing you knew was the no 2974241, then it turned out another number was known 202637, then it is known when he enlisted where he enlisted and his age , that would mean someone has seen his enlistment papers, now you say they knew of the POSSIBLE Stevenson connection, and have even contacted the nieces , that means his siblings and parents are known , on the Scottish records the only person born in Kelvin who's mothers maiden name was Stevenson , was James , and there is no marriage in Kelvin between a man with the name of Clark and a woman by the name of Stevenson , so I cant see how they have traced nieces without knowing even more than they have already divulged, next they will be saying who he married and when he died??
So taking everything into account I believe this is one big HOAX

Hi JAMB - I am passing on information as I am getting it - back and forth to the person who found the dog tag on the beach in Israel and has been searching for the owner's family. You are right that each time I find something or get info/questions from you or anyone else and share it with him - he explains he already has that info and is stuck because he doesn't know if its the right person - I will say this - he is serious and has reached out to a lot of people on many forums and to the local papers in Israel and in Scotland - he wants to see it through and give the dog tag back to Clark's true relatives, which he thinks he can only get with the DOB of the right Clark or from the MOD. It is my understanding the information he received was from the Museum and that they shared everything they had, or could. Regarding what he is saying about the nieces of the J. Clark and how he got there I honestly don't know - the issue in his mind was that they knew nothing. In the end I believe he genuinely wants to get on a plane and give the tags in person to the family. He says its all speculation and guesswork, without the correct info from the MOD.

Good luck peter if the A&SH Regiment cant help then I dont think anyone can, still doesnt sit right with me , I assume the c/e was his religion Church of England? but IF he was born and bred and raised in the Scottish church would it not have said c/s Church of Scotland ? I dont know how the military worked in defining religion on their tags
any way good luck

"Tracing Somebody"

You'll need a large sheet of see-through paper and ask them to lie very still !

IF he was born and bred and raised in the Scottish church would it not have said c/s Church of Scotland ? very interesting !!