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Edward Poyser (born 1920)

Hello again all. Having today received a long letter from my friend, it's time to write again in the hope people can, once again, shed some light on things. My friend also asks me to thank you all for the invaluable information that I very much doubt I'd have found on my own but that aside, I'll start by saying Edward's army records *have* been applied for but I suspect the search may take a while and maybe this will also help explain that somewhat. I think it's probably best/easiest to simply quote his letter and if anyone can help/assist with any part or parts of it, that would be amazing!

The 1939 e-roll shows Richard Alfred Poyser and his 2nd wife, Mary Jane (nee Haddon/Marshall) living at 91 Albert Road, Aston. No other Poysers or Haddons of voting age are listed ... so where are they?! (Good question) The 1939 census lists them there with Ellen Poyser (Hickman) and Grace E Haddon (Wallis) plus 7 closed entries - all of which we know must be people who are now dead so the records should be open. (I totally agree and without knowing which names are blanked out, how are you supposed to provide death details and who to even if they did?)

The 1945 e-roll shows that Richard and Mary have moved next door to 93. The 1950 e-roll shows them still there with five Haddon relatives living with them:-

Eric W Haddon - Mary's son born 20/8/1923
Ruth Haddon - Eric's wife married 1947 nee Osbon
Ronald G Haddon - Mary's son born 21/2/1928
Frederick E Haddon - Mary's son born 15/9/1924
William E Haddon - Mary's son born 6/7/1920

So (he says), where are the Poyser and other Haddon offspring? Most would have been of voting age by then.

Interesting co-incidence, in 1939 at number 93 we have Samuel and Mary Ann Marshall, which was Mary Jane Poyser/Haddon's maiden name. So were they her relatives?

Finally I'm not 100% whether or not this is the right or best forum to ask in but you may all find it of interest so please bear with me ... referring to the later and larger newspaper article that was kindly posted earlier in this thread, he says -

The article [also] makes clear that he (Edward) wasn't actually located with the rest of his regiment for a large part of the war ... however the 'specialist unit' referred to in the article, along with the reference in the history to Lt General Bill Slim, immediately tells me (that's my friend of course) that my father was likely a member of the legendary Chindits (mostly Gurkha soldiers) and their predecessor origin units. It was always obvious he (Edward) knew a lot about Bill Slim and the Chindits ... it would also explain why he may have been in certain places he mentioned and battles that his parent regiment did not take part in. Also of interest from the first letter to the newspaper is that he's listed as Ordnance Branch, South-east Asia Command rather than giving his regiment. This could be another clue to his not being with the rest of the regiment at that time, which ties in with the reference to "specialist unit".

As the saying goes, the plot thickens. :)

Finally, I promise, at least for now, he asks if the lady with the Newspaper Archive access (forgive me for not scrolling back to check who it was), or anyone can find out anything on an Australian expedition that Uncle Arthur (reminds me of Pike in Dad's Army! lol) remembered seeing Edward was part of in 1952/3.

Also he says that if anyone else is researching Poyser, I'd be happy to help with other information or even access to my tree on Ancestry. Just let me know please.

Thank you everyone. Any help or guidance or information would be *extremely* and gratefully received. Comments also much appreciated so on that note, I'll leave it there. Cheers again, Nick
 
Hello again. Just thought people would be interested in a reply I received from the GRO on 21st January with regard to my trying to decypher Edward's profession on his marriage certificate to Dilys and this is what they told me -

'Private Royal Warwickshire Regiment (architect and designer)’.

So now we know. Whether this was prior to his signing up or during, it doesn't say. :)
 
It doesn't look like that Mary Poyser/Haddon/Marshall is related to Samuel Marshall or at least not closely.

Even though the 1911 census lists her birthplace as Bham I think she was born in Feckenham, the daughter of Edwin Marshall and Mary Jane Lacey.
 
Thank you for that insight, MWS. Appreciate it and I will pass on that information to my friend in due course along with anything else that may be forthcoming twixt now and then. :)
 
Wow it's gone so quiet in here of late. I've searched the newspaper archives and Google high and low for this expedition but can't find anything.

However I'd still be interested if at all possible, of seeing the full page of that e-roll for 1947 showing Edward Poyser living at 9 Sandford Road please, if anyone can help? 192.com only go from 2002 and FMP seem only to go to 1938 so I presume it was obtained locally? Having just scrolled back to page 3 of this thread, I notice it was MikeGee ... if you see this Mike, please could I see the whole page as my friend and I are very interested to see if there are any other Poysers or Haddons living close by. Thank you if you can. I've had a look on 192.com and FMP as I said above but have been unable to find anywhere with the e-rolls from the 40s online.

Thank you kindly. Nick.
 
Thank you very much indeed, Mike. Really appreciate that.

Just out of curiousity, do you mind if I ask where you got this from please? I tried to find it online, as I said, but without success.

Cheers muchly, Nick
 
hi nick you will find the electoral rolls on ancestry but you do need to subscribe to it

lyn
 
Hi guys n gals ... Thank you all for your feedback. I already have an Ancestry sub for UK but nothing was coming up for some reason in my searches or hints for Edward. I will definitely take a look at midlandshistoricaldata though as many of my friend's ancestors were from this neck of the woods - Staffs, Warwickshire, Worcestershire etc.

Oh whilst I'm here, just for everyone's interest and because I'd promised to let you all know, I've been in touch again with the forces personnel people in Glasgow with regard to Edward's service record(s), medals awarded etc and the bad news is they currently have a 6 month waiting list! The gentleman I spoke to on the phone a week or so ago told me they have applications from Christmas still unopened! So I guess it's going to a while until we have more information to work with but as you can guess, it's quite frustrating despite how understanding and patient we're trying to be. :)

OK thank you all again. Be back when I have more info ... or another problemette. :D
 
Wow was that really last February I wrote that last message above? Well as of today, we are still waiting for Edward's war records. So much for 6 months. I know Covid can be blamed in part but it's still very frustrating - more so that Glasgow couldn't even contact the people already waiting to apologise and explain. Calling them gets you nowhere. They're not accepting phone calls either so anyone thinking of applying, to be honest for the time being, I really wouldn't bother. :(
 
Hello again. Well you may like to know that finally, on Friday (17th), I received Edward's records applied for in January 2020! I'm still going through them but I don't think they mention anything about any secret unit(s) or missions and nothing about his medals awarded either, mostly just different attestation records of when he signed up, seemingly starting with the Royal Corps of Signals - 48th (SM) Divisional Signals TA in June 1937. They are all photocopied on A3 sheets so unfortunately too big for my A4 scanner. I don't yet know what the SM refers to so I need to check with Google and WarForces website. If I find anything of interest, I'll naturally report back. He was living at 24 Hart Road, Erdington at this time and was single.

Just checked the long, long trail website which informs me the SM is South Midlands, although only gives information on WW1 rather than WW2, so I'll keep looking.

Ok for anyone interested - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/48th_(South_Midland)_Division#Second_World_War
 
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PLEASE Forgive me if I'm writing this part in the wrong area but following on from my last post, I have an interesting looking dilemma or query which I'm hoping someone smarter than I can assist me with please? :)

OK starting off with what I know. Firstly the newspaper clipping from the Evening Dispatch in October 1944, notice it says near the end that he was posted to Burma and who was *supposed* to be unfit he has had activities enough and then becoming later one of a few British members of a specialist unit etc. Certainly very intriguing.

So then moving on and as I said in my post above, I've received Edward's war records although, I strongly suspect, not all of them! But please take a look at this snip I've made of one of the pages ... firstly there's something feint written across the top in what looks like pencil. I've tried a few image 'tricks' to try to decypher it but the best I can get is 'not to proceed overseas something (until?) 17.12.46.' but the fascinating bit for me is top right! PYTHON 17.9.44 and below that, again not that easy to read but is it SOE 31.3.46? I know about the SOE from reading Airey Neave's excellent book about it many years ago. I have Googled Python and it appears to have been an operation largely by the Australians but with others involved ... but I'm itching to try to find out more about what he/they did, particularly with regard to the SOE if I'm reading it correctly. I suspect that as he was in the Royal Corps of Signals for a time before joining the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and so could have been used as a radio operator perhaps? I know I'm doing a lot of supposing so does anyone with more knowledge than me have any other suggestions or knowledge about where I can find out more about these operations or operation? I'd dearly love to find out more about Edward's part!

Another intriguing thing is that I know Edward received at some point a Burma Star yet neither this, or any other medal(s) for that matter, is mentioned in the papers/records I've received from Glasgow!

edward poyser python SOE.jpg

Thanks - appreciate any/all input. Thank you kindly. Nick
 

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