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I enjoy collecting old historical items and finding out about them.
As the second world war ended military service men thanked god for there lives and returned home to there families.
One group of twenty two men believed that they owed a large proportion of that thanks to there commanding officer Lt Col W.H. Binns because on returning home they purchased a solid silver tankard and (at what must of been a considerable expense) had all of there signatures engraved on it.
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Can You Help Me Find Lt Col W.H. Binns?
Can You Hell Me Find Lt Col W.H. Binns?
Hi
I enjoy collecting old historical items and finding out about them.
As the second world war ended milatery service men thanked god for there lives and returned home to there familys.
One group of twenty two men believed that they owed a large proportion of that thanks to there commanding officer Lt Col W.H. Binns because on returning home they purchased a solid silver tankard and (at what must of been a considerable expense) had all of there signatures engraved on it.
The engraving reads Lt Col W.H. Binns July 1945 in appreciation from…. It is then followed by the twenty two signatures engraved around the tankard. The tankard’s Hallmark Is Dated 1 Year Before For London And Was Made By
C J Vander Ltd I am sure that the signatures must be of the men from his battalion that he led in the second world war, which ended in May 1945. The problem is that I can only find one thing out about this Lt and that is that he was chairman of the Wolverhampton Aero club after the war.
So my question; where can I go to find out more about this Lt? For example he must of won more than one medal during the war. Is there a site that I can go to find out what battles he may have taken part in? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I can’t help thinking that there is a great story here waiting to be told.
Thanks John.
Re: Can You Hell Me Find Lt Col W.H. Binns?
Hi ACF
Thanks for the help I would never have found him.
He was a cook!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am amazed and a bit confused? He must have been quite a character.
As you say he was a commissioned officer but he transferred from the General List to the Army Catering Corps. Some how he won the aclaime of his men who gave him the tankard, and then went on to become the chairman of the Wolverhampton Airo Club. I thought that he must have had some sort of air force back ground during the war but apparently not.
Very odd, but thanks very much.
John
Re: Can You Hell Me Find Lt Col W.H. Binns?
Had a quick look at ther London Gazette which should track his promotions:
Gazette Issue 35140 published on the 18 April 1941 states Lance-Serjeant Wilfred Henry Binns of the Royal Artillery was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on the General List on 28 March 1941 with a number of 178359.
Gazette Issue 35207 published on the 1 July 1941 has 2n Lt W H Binns (178359) transferred from the General List to the Army Catering Corps.
Gazette Issue 38008 published on the 4 July 1947 - he relinquishes his commission.
It looks like he was a cook by trade. Unit cooks were transferred into the new Army Catering Corps in 1941 but most would not have been commissioned like Binns. The Gazette reveals his substantive (real) rank as Captain (two steps up from 2nd lieutenant) but he appears to have been an 'acting' Lieutenant Colonel (two steps up from captain)when he got his tankard. The Gazette ought to have his 'real' promotions from 2nd Lieutenant to Lieutenant to Captain but the search is not very reliable.
Like most Corps (support services), they were everywhere so it is likely to be very difficult to find out where he served (no catering pun intended). Second World War soldiers' records are not in the public domain but another avenue might be the museum for the Royal Logistics Corps (today's successors of the Army Catering Corps).