The attached barely readable clip from a Service and Casualty Form records the final moves/postings in and from Malta at the end of 1943. I know what the acronyms and their translations mean, it is the units in bold and their whereabouts that I would much appreciate help with. As background, the man transferred from 2 RWK to RASC when the former left Malta, the top line recording him taken on strength by the Base Supply Depot RASC from 2 RWK - no problem so far. The next line records him taken on strength on 20 12 43 X (iv) (I know what that is) by Mixed Reinforcement Camp from X (iv) Malta Supply Depot (aka Base Supply). I find mention of 101 and 50 Mixed Reinforcement Camps in the Middle East theatre. The query here is which one (were there any more?) Mxd RF Camp was it and where. If it was in N Africa could he be TOS but still be in Malta (later entries suggest he hasn't left physically yet). The next line records him being TOS 21 12 43 No 5 Adv ORE or O2E or ORF (my reading advanced something) from the Mxd Rf Camp. No ideas for that outfit, although army units tend not to use "No 5" in a title preferring simple "5" so I wonder whether it is an army unit? Again what and where? The final line has him SOS Malta for UK 21 1 44 - no problem there. The next entry is in UK. Assistance with the queried units would indeed be gratefully received. Max
THE X (iv) LIST comprises all unposted reinforcements and incoming reinforcement drafts. Personnel discharged from (x(ii)) to Training Depots, fit for duty, are transferred to the X (iv) list of their corps, until posted to a unit, when they are struck off X (iv) and taken on unit strength. Reinforcements in transit between the Base and a unit remain on X (iv) (and the Base Depot strength) until they actually reach and are taken on the strength by the unit to which they are proceeding. Escaped PoWs [Prisoners of War] who until such escape have been on the X (iii) list are transferred to X (iv) list on reaching their respective training depots. TD 50 Mixed Reinforcement Camp (Rft) | The National Archives Reference: WO 169/17969 Description: 50 Mixed Reinforcement Camp (Rft) Date: 1944 Jan.- Dec. Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Access conditions: Closed For 29 years Camps: 101 Mixed Reinforcement Camp | The National Archives Reference: WO 169/13501 Description: Camps: 101 Mixed Reinforcement Camp Date: 1943 Mar.- Dec. Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Access conditions: Closed For 29 years 101 Mixed Reinforcement Camp (Rft) | The National Archives Reference: WO 169/17970 Description: 101 Mixed Reinforcement Camp (Rft) Date: 1944 Jan.- Feb. Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Access conditions: Closed For 29 years
Thank you. I didn't make clear enough that I know what the X lists are (and Y and Z) and that I had seen the war diaries. X (iv) (I know what that is) - I find mention of 101 and 50 Mixed Reinforcement Camps in the Middle East theatre. I had hoped to make clear that it was the queries in bold I was hoping for help with - which Mixed Rft unit was likely and where was it and what was the other unit. Max
The only other Mixed Reinforcement Camps I can find appear to be in Sudan, Malaya and Ceylon - do the WD's above provide no clue as to their location? TD
I am sure they would but going to the lengths required to obtain two war diaries to fill in the location of one day's service in a 7 year career seems a bit excessive so, as many folk do, I turned to this forum first in the hope that someone had specific knowledge that would help. Max
