Hi. I've been trying to decifer my grandfather's military service record. It looks like he was in North Africa for around 14 months, 1942-1944. There isn't much recorded for this time and what there is is hard to read. Could anyone help me to understand what has been recorded please?
And from the address listed here, 996 D.O. Coy were in Gabes, Tunisia in July 1943., shortly before this man left the unit.
Good guess minden1759. The full title of the unit was 996th Docks Operating Company, Royal Engineers. It served in North Africa under 1st Army. That is all I know about the unit.
Thank you, that's helpful. I had worked the unit out. DOC and POC seem to be used interchangeably - is that correct, or was there a distinction between the two? In the rest of the service record the unit is listed as 996 POC. Can anyone help with the notes in the third column? (the widest column on the picture).
Thank you, that's very interesting. Can you tell me how you found the location from the service notes please?
Here is a list of GHQ and LOC Engineer units assigned to First Army on 22 July 1942, before the invasion of North Africa. As you can see, it is a quite complex organisation. Docks Operating Company and Port Operating Company, I believe, were interchangeable designations. Engineers Field Engineers HQ GHQ Troops Engineers 228th, 229th, 230th, 264th, 579th, 582nd, 583rd, 584th Field Companies, RE 297th Corps Field Park Company, RE HQ 5th Chemical Warfare Group HQ 7th Chemical Warfare Group 77th, 79th, 84th, 85th Chemical Warfare Companies, RE 83rd, 86th Chemical Warfare (Mortar) Company, RE 3rd Anti-Gas Lab, RE Survey 14th Corps Field Survey Company, RE 2nd Map Photo Section, RE 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th General Survey Sections, RE Bomb Disposal 8th, 15th, 19th, 20th Bomb Disposal Companies, RE 1st, 4th, 5th, 8th, 10th, 44th, 48th, 49th, 62nd, 90th, 95th, 96th, 105th, 108th, 136th, 141st, 147th, 156th, 157th, 158th, 159th, 160th, 161st, 162nd, 163rd, 172nd, 173rd, 174th, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 186th, 193rd, 194th, 195th, 196th, 217th, 219th, 220th, 227th Bomb Disposal Sections, RE Works Engineers 1st Chief Engineer (CE) Works 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th CRE Works 2nd, 3rd, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th CRE Aero Construction Group 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Stores Sections, RE 103rd, 110th, 212th, 568th Army Troops Companies, RE 541st Electrical and Mechanical Company, RE HQ 1st ESBD 1st Stores Section (9102nd FF Section attached) 2nd Stores Section (9104th FF Section attached) 653rd, 657th, 665th, 674th, 677th, 686th, 688th, 689th, 690th, 694th, 696th, 697th, 698th, 699th, 700th, 701st, 702nd, 706th, 707th, 709th, 713th, 714th, 725th Artizan Works Companies, RE HQ 135th, 136th (ex BTNI), 137th, 863rd Mechanical Equipment Companies, RE 3rd, 5th, 13th, 17th, 18th, 19th (ex BTNI), 20th (ex BTNI), 22nd, 32nd, 33rd, 38th, 39th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 54th, 55th Mechanical Equipment Sections, RE 862nd Mechanical Equipment Workshop and Park, RE 109th Workshop and Park Companies, RE (ex BTNI, 9156th, 9157th FF Sub-Sections attached) 594th Workshop and Park Companies, RE (9105th, 9049th FF Sub-Sections attached) 803rd, 805th, 807th, 809th Road Construction Companies, RE 851st, 854th Quarrying Companies, RE 2nd, 8th Boring Sections, RE Transport HQ 1st, 2nd, 5th Docks Group 991st, 992nd, 993rd, 994th, 996th, 997th, 998th, 999th, 1010th, 1013th, 1014th, 1015th Docks Operating Companies (9096th, 9041st, 9050th, 9147th (ex Orkneys), 9148th, 9149th, 9150th (ex Western Isles), 9151st, 9051st, 9152nd, 9153rd, 9154th FF Sections attached) 990th, 995th Port Maintenance Companies (9052nd, 9101st FF Sections attached) 945th, 947th Inland Water Transport Port Operating Companies HQ 1st Port Construction and Repair Group 930th, 931st Port Construction and Repair Companies 975th, 976th Floating Workshops HQ 1st Railway Workshop Group 163rd Railway Workshop Company 2nd, 4th, 5th Railway Mobile Workshops HQ 1st, 2nd Railway Construction and Maintenance Groups 150th, 152nd, 160th, 161st, 162nd, 607th Railway Construction Companies 29th, 165th Railway Survey Companies HQ 167th Railway Bridging Company 1st, 2nd Railway Bridging Sections HQ 1st, 3rd Railway Operating Groups 154th, 164th, 181st, 189th Railway Operating Companies HQ 186th, 187th Mechanical Equipment Companies (Transport) 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th Mechanical Equipment Sections (Transport) 156th Transport Stores Company (9103rd, 9107th FF Sections attached)(ex Home Depots) 197th Transport Stores Companies (9144th, 9145th FF Sections attached)(ex Home Depots)
Here's my attempt: 4th Battalion 1 General Base Depot. Embarked UK for service overseas. 21.12.42. 4th Battalion 1 General Base Depot. Disembarked North Africa. 3.1.43. 996 Dock Operating Company. Posted to this unit from 1 General Base Depot with effect from 28.1.43. (Arrived on 30.1.43) 996 Dock Operating Company. (Non Battle Casualty) Admitted 5 General Hospital and taken on strength of X (2) List [Evacuated on medical grounds beyond Regimental First Aid Post] 27.6.43. X (4) List [Personnel discharged from X (2) to Training Depots, fit for duty, are transferred to the X (4) list of their corps, until posted to a unit]. Discharged 5 General Hospital and taken on strength X (4) list on joining 1 General Reinforcement Training Depot with effect from 12.7.43. 996 Dock Operating Company. Posted in from 4th Battalion No. 1 General Reinforcement Training Depot and struck off strength X (4) List. 3.8.43. 996 Dock Operating Company. Passed Trade Test and reclassified Stevedore DII with effect from 24.11.43. 996 Dock Operating Company. Embarked for UK and struck off strength British North Africa Forces with effect from 28.1.44. 996 Dock Operating Company. Disembarked UK. 11.2.44.
