At a guess Beryl, I'd say it stands for Royal Fleet Auxiliary - the arm of the navy that supplied the fleets, and known by the initials RFA. It would also make sense that he had become a bootmaker at the beginning of the motor age, if he had previously been a saddler back when it would all have relied on horses to move freight. More can be found here: http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.5045 Val ----- Original Message ----- From: "Beryl Hayes" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]>; "hampshire" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 10:19 AM Subject: [ENG-WILTSHIRE] 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 > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1925 - Release Date: 30/01/2009 7:37 AM

After looking at the Royal Field Artillery emails, I concede to them! Looks much more likely :-) Val ----- Original Message ----- From: "Val Burge" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 10:35 AM Subject: Re: [ENG-WILTSHIRE] Occupation > At a guess Beryl, I'd say it stands for Royal Fleet Auxiliary - the arm of > the navy that supplied the fleets, and known by the initials RFA. It would > also make sense that he had become a bootmaker at the beginning of the > motor > age, if he had previously been a saddler back when it would all have > relied > on horses to move freight. More can be found here: > http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.5045 > > Val > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Beryl Hayes" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]>; "hampshire" > <[email protected]>; > <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 10:19 AM > Subject: [ENG-WILTSHIRE] 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 >> >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to >> [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without >> the >> quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1925 - Release Date: > 30/01/2009 > 7:37 AM > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.16/1925 - Release Date: 30/01/2009 7:37 AM

Val Burge wrote: > At a guess Beryl, I'd say it stands for Royal Fleet Auxiliary - the arm of > the navy that supplied the fleets, and known by the initials RFA. It would > also make sense that he had become a bootmaker at the beginning of the motor > age, if he had previously been a saddler back when it would all have relied > on horses to move freight. More can be found here: > http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.5045 Not likely to be the Royal Fleet Auxiliary since he was a saddler and had previously been a bootmaker. It's more likely that his skills as a bootmaker enabled him to transfer to being a saddler which, as others have said, fits with the Royal Field Artillery.