Hello folks! I'm sending this out to a few Lists in the hope that someone can give me a pointer, so please reply off-topic if you think it isn't going to be relevant for anyone else on the list I have a Death Certificate for a 'relly' who died in London in 1921. His occupation is given as ' Bootmaker ex Saddler 28473 R.F.A.' Does anyone have a clue about what the letters refer to? Given the preceding numerals it sounds like either an Army number with the initials of the regiment or perhaps a Trade Guild membership. I haven't had much luck with Google - but then I don't relly know where to start looking. The lists are such wonderful sources for material, that I thought someone was bound to know something In hope and thanks, Beryl in Tassie - hot and humid

Beryl, try Royal Field Artillery. They used horses to draw guns at least until 1918 as far as I know. It would have been logical for him to become a bootmaker as mechanisation came in. See http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_units.htm for starters. Best wishes. Tony, Petersfield On 30/01/2009, Beryl Hayes <hayes38@bigpond.com> wrote: > Hello folks! > > I'm sending this out to a few Lists in the hope that someone can give me a pointer, so please reply off-topic if you think it isn't going to be relevant for anyone else on the list > > I have a Death Certificate for a 'relly' who died in London in 1921. His occupation is given as ' Bootmaker ex Saddler 28473 R.F.A.' Does anyone have a clue about what the letters refer to? Given the preceding numerals it sounds like either an Army number with the initials of the regiment or perhaps a Trade Guild membership.

He was a saddler in the Royal Field Artillery and the figures probably relates to his army number. Chris SOUTHERN LIFE(UK) History of the villages of Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight http://southernlife.org.uk ----- Original Message ----- From: "Beryl Hayes" <hayes38@bigpond.com> To: <ENG-WILTSHIRE@rootsweb.com>; "hampshire" <ENG-HAMPSHIRE@rootsweb.com>; <MARINERS@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 11:19 PM Subject: [ENG-HANTS] Occupation > Hello folks! > > I'm sending this out to a few Lists in the hope that someone can give me a > pointer, so please reply off-topic if you think it isn't going to be > relevant for anyone else on the list > > I have a Death Certificate for a 'relly' who died in London in 1921. His > occupation is given as ' Bootmaker ex Saddler 28473 R.F.A.' Does anyone > have a clue about what the letters refer to? Given the preceding numerals > it sounds like either an Army number with the initials of the regiment or > perhaps a Trade Guild membership. > > I haven't had much luck with Google - but then I don't relly know where to > start looking. > > The lists are such wonderful sources for material, that I thought someone > was bound to know something > In hope and thanks, > Beryl in Tassie - hot and humid > > ............................................. > Want to contact the local community? > Please visit Hampshire Parish Jottings > http://hants.parishjottings.org.uk > ............................................. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ENG-HAMPSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message