5th Bn, King's Regt - Unusual Rank - L/L/Cpl

My cousin was in the 5th Bn, King's Regt and went ashore on Sword Beach on D-Day. His service record includes his promotions which include the unusual Subj rank. The details of his promotion progression are below for context:

5 July 1944 - Apptd L/L/Cpl
31 July 1944 - Apptd U/A/Cpl (NOTE: I believe this means Unpaid Acting Corporal)
31 July 1944 - Paid A/Cpl (NOTE: Pretty clearly means Paid Acting Corporal)
28 August 1944 - Relinq A/R on Posting (NOTE: Probably "Relinquished Acting Rank on Posting)

So...what of the "L/L/Cpl" rank? Is that a mistake for Acting Lance Corporal? Are there any other possibilities?

Many thanks,
Mark

 

Hi DBF. It's certainly possible...and no more or less likely than A/L/Cpl. However, the script definitely looks like "L/L/Cpl". I've uploaded a crop of my relative's promotion summary so everyone can see the same thing that I'm looking at:




The handwriting for the first 2 entries are the same (IMHO) so I think we're left with the "L/L/Cpl" being a data entry error or that it means something unusual. I'm leaning towards the former but other suggestions are most welcome.

 

There aren't any entries prior to these, at least not related to promotions. My relative joined up on 15 Jan 1940 and seems to have remained a Private from that time until this first promotion entry in his personal record.

 

Possible the 'L' means 'Local'.

My grandad had dated photos with him having sergeant stripes at a time when he was only listed as a paid acting corporal on his service records.
When i queried it, it was suggested that he might have just been a 'local sergeant' for that time. The explanation i was given was as follows:-

 

That's certainly a possibility...and as likely as anything else I can come up with. I'm intrigued to know why such a "local" promotion would be included in his personnel file, unless it was possibly to provide justification for the subsequent promotion to Acting Cpl...which may explain why the same person wrote both entries. By the time my relative was finally promoted above Private, the King's Regt's beach protection task had pretty much ended with personnel being syphoned off for casualty replacements in more front-line units. This may have resulted in such "local" promotions just to keep the leadership structure working for the remaining elements of the Bn.

 

Hi there...

LL/Cpl = Local L/Cpl...he held the rank but was not paid...
A/L/Cpl = Acting L/Cpl...he temp held the rank but was paid...

Roddy

 

Thanks ClankyPencil and Roddy1011. Local LCpl it is, then. Appreciate the advice and recommendations.

Cheers,
Mark

 

Hi !

I think Roddy has nailed it !

Ron, who went through the all the acting, unpaid versions of L/Cpl & Cpl.