Coldstream Guards Shield - WW2

**Danger** · 06-21-2017, 02:09 AM

Hi Guys,

I really need help on this please.
It's a bit of a story and this is for myself and my Father.

This shield is the only thing that we have left from my Granddad.
He left and went back to S.A while my dad was at sea and was never seen again.
I don't even know what he looked like or who he was.

For years all I knew was he was a Bombardier in North Africa during WWII.
And other war stories passed on from my grandmother and father.
There was even a story that he taught the Queen how to drive, which I thought was just a bit of a joke, even though it was told with a straight face.

So in all those years, before google etc... I never knew what the shield was or what he did.

It's not until this week that I was sorting out my war room and I was hanging up the shield, that it dawned on me to google it.

What came up is - The Coldstream Guards.

I can see they saw action in North Africa and I'm starting to think he did teach the queen to drive!! ha ha.

This is where I need help guys.
I wanted to see his service record but it's not a free service.
If anyone has access to these records, can you please help me out?

Granddads name is - Peterus Jacobus Mostert. P J Mostert.
Coldstream Guards. WWII period.

Thanks guys,

**rbminis** · 06-21-2017, 02:27 AM

I have oriented your photo for you.
Good luck in your search.

Ralph.

**Danger** · 06-21-2017, 05:30 AM

Cheers rbminis, it does look better right way up!

I should add, while dad was in the army in the early 70's.
He was called in and given a new hat and 2 stripes and told he was going to guard the queen.
He was told he had been requested.
He didn't understand what was going on but did what he was told.
Dad was artillery, Java 137 and it didn't make sense to him.
When asked if he wanted to do it, he said no, so after 1 day he was sent back to Germany.
He said he didn't like serving sandwiches to the queen.
A week later they sent him to Belfast, Northern Ireland. 1973.
should've stayed in London I think?

**Jerry B** · 06-21-2017, 08:45 AM

The only access to WWII service records is from the ministry of defence, there us a fee and lots of forms to fill and documents needed to do it. It is the only way, though contacting the regimental museum might give you some info.

There is a recent thread on applying for the records.

Grandfather's service history

**Wagriff** · 06-21-2017, 09:13 AM

Well...if he taught the Queen to drive, it must have been Before she became Queen. She would have been a teenager during WWII. Her father George held the throne until 1952. Interesting, though and just possible.