I have a photograph of my late father who appears in a group photo entitled 'Heavy Armour Brigade Coy Supply Echelon 2 Royal Army Service Corps(T.A.) Bulford Camp, 1939. At the beginning of the war he was stationed at Heswall, Cheshire later moving to Bulford Camp. Could someone please advise if there is a war diary for this unit in 1939 or did war diaries only start when the unit served overseas? I would be grateful for any help. Many thanks, Nick.
War Diaries do start in the UK under WO166. Some start in late August 1939. Before that... I recommend you look into Territorial Army Association documentation at your local County Archives.
My father-in-law was in an RASC TA unit and I found the War Diaries at Kew and they start from 24 Aug 1939, while the unit was still in England, they embarked from Southampton to Cherbourg 10/11 Jan 1940, however there is a preface to the War Diaries saying that the unit was formed in May 1939 and the first attestations were on 20 May 1939 and lists officers and some NCO's and a brief description of the unit. I found the War Diaries in the WO 177 series, using the name of the unit which was 6th MAC an RAMC Motorised Ambulance Convoy made up with RAMC and RASC soldiers. So if you could find the unit he was attached to, you might find the war diaries that way and they will probably start while the unit was in England at Heswall. If you pay the £30 to get your late fathers service record it will show the units he served which in turn will help you find the relevant War Diaries see link for War Service Records applications: https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records It will take a long time.
