Looking for information on my great uncle

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 30/01/2019 22:34:09

Josh & Nick,

The brothers :

Albert Robert FENN
29th April 1912 Bethnal Green - 1987 Waltham Forest, Essex

Alfred Harold FENN
27th March 1914 Bethnal Green
In 1939 Alfred was a french polisher residing at 26 Birbank Road, Leyton, Essex

William Adam FENN
5th February 1917 Hackney - 1979 Waltham Forest, Essex

Albert and William were living with their mother Mary Ann Fenn at 10 Wilman Grove, Hackney in 1939.

Royal Artillery enlistment record, this may be for the brother Albert? :

1580048 Gunner Albert Robert FENN Royal Artillery (Searchlight)
enlisted in 1938
Released to Z/T Reserve 25th March 1946

Lost Legion No.4 March 1974

Gunner FENN A.H. 5 Commando Leytonstone London E11

There was a Fenn casualty in Burma in 1944 (not a Commando) :

14548603 Pte. William Robert FENN 2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment
1920 Hackney - Killed in action 29.4.1944 Kohima War Cemetery, India
Son of Robert William and Lilian Ann FENN of Bow, London

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2601382/fenn,-william-robert/

William Robert Fenn was born in Hackney and resided in Bow, I wondered if he could be a cousin?

As Nick has advised, the service records will confirm Royal Artillery, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment and Commando service.

Good luck with your research

Guy

Hi Guy,

Yes that's Alfie alright! birbank road, french polisher!! (one of the best i've ever seen, i still have a table of his in storage) is there any other info on him?

Thank you so much all, you've really given me some great places to look & great information to go on. time for me to go onto the MOD with his death certificate etc see if i can get the full record. fills me with pride, he was extremely proud of his commando days & had many stories that i will never forget. so much given & sacrificed.

Nick if i get all the service records etc, will Alfreds picture be on this site with his details etc? i would love for him to be forever remembered not just in my heart but for anyone else to see should they wish.

Once i've got all that i will then work on Albert.

I'm sure they will give me Alfreds though as all the info i have plus my mothers relation.

Regards

Josh

Hi Josh,

Just in case, here are the two forms you'll need to apply to the MoD

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/711147/20180524-request_service_details_NOK_part1_v6.2.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545060/request_for_service_details_army_application_part2_1_.pdf

The NoK (Part 1) will identify your relationship with Alfie so it is probably best to get your mother to sign it as NoK - unless there are closer relatives still alive...
The Service Specific (Pt 2 ) needs Alfie's full name and date of birth

Any Death Certs you may need for research into Albert's service can be applied for here...
https://www.gov.uk/order-copy-birth-death-marriage-certificate

But now we've got to think about the great information that Guy gave us.

The Lost Legions was a supplement to the old Commando Association's Newsletter. The CA published lists of members who had lost touch with the Association

Because they have an entry listed as Gunner A [b]H Fenn[/b], I feel that, as you suggested, it is likely both Albert & Alfred were in No.5 Commando and, because their names were so similar, someone got a bit confused and put Albert's rank ( Gunner) but Alfie's initials (A.H.) on the entry...

Ideally, we'd love to know if both were in No.5 Commando, which hopefully you'll be able to confirm, Josh.

But what about the story that brother Albert was Killed in Action?
According to Guy's research, Albert survived the war and passed away in 1987

Nick

Thanks for the forms Nick - much appreciated.

Yes you are right, we have something we can build on, I've looked a little further into it & the story that went was that Albert was killed in the war or so we always thought as Alfie never spoke about him much after the war apart from the stories of him while they were to war in the commandos. now I've managed to find Alberts birth certificate. he was born 1912 in bethnal green, mothers maiden name was " Payne" and I've crossed reference with alfies birth certificate & it confirms that the birth certificate I've found of Alberts is definitely him.

Albert Robert Fenn , although i cannot find a death certificate on the GRO index which is puzzling me.

Regards

Josh

Yes this one is a puzzle!

Have you had a look through the No.5 Cdo Album in the Gallery for Alfie ( and Albert?)
Click on each thumbnail to open then again to enlarge!
Thumbnails with grey surrounds are sub-albums and contain a number of images...

Let us know if you spot him/them

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/5/

Nick

Hi Nick,

very puzzling! maybe it was just Alfie in the commandos & Albert couldn't of died in the war.

2 troop first pic 1941 bottom row - 2nd in from the left, crouching next to the gentleman with glasses but i could be wrong, as I'm looking through my phone. but there is a resemblance

Regards

josh

Should add that the resemblance is to Alfie not Albert as I've never even seen a picture of Albert.

http://gallery.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/units/5/2+Troop_+No_5+Cdo_+1941.jpg.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1