I have just received my late father's Service Records. He never spoke much about it, just a few snippets. He served in the RASC after an initial period in the RAMC. He said he was shipped back to the UK before Dunkirk, due to injury and later served in 5Coy, 7th Arm. Brgd. (although I cannot find any reference to 7th), 8th Army, in N. Africa and later, just after D-Day, Europe. I think I have sorted most of his records, but I may be confusing myself. If any of you knowledgeable folks could look at them and give me your opinions, I would be very grateful. Some of the writing is difficult to read, so I will enter what I can decipher. The dates shown are as written. The (?) denotes an illegible word. RAMC TA Pte 6/12/38 Transferred to 44th Group Coy RASC TA Pte 21/2/39 44AA Bde Coy. Transferred from 12th Gen Hosp RAMC (T) Further Service 22/2/39 RASC 44AA Embodied 44AA Bde Coy 4AA 26/8.39 914AA Coy Posted 26/9/39 911AA Coy Remustered as Letter (?) Class 1 Future(?) Rank Pte 3/9/39 (Authy:- CRASC letter 9/5/39-1/11/39 1st Armoured Div Appointed A/Cpl 5/5/40 1st armoured div Embarked A/Cpl 22/5/40 ? Hospital West Lothian Ex BEF A/Cpl 16/6/40 1st Armoured Div Confirmed A/Cpl 5/5/40 Y List Ex BEF A/Cpl 16/6/40 1 Holding Coy 3RR&TC Posted A/Cpl 28/6/40 3RR&TC Posted A/Cpl 29/6/40 AMM Sub Pk 1st Armoured Div Confirmed War Subst. Rank Cpl 5/8/40 1 Holding Coy Posted to Amm Sub Pk 1 Arm.Div Cpl 9/8/40 1Arm Div Promoted A/U/S A/U/Sgt 20/8/40 1Amm Sub Pk 1 Arm Div Granted pay of Appointment A/Sgt 20/8/40 1Arm Div 1Amm Sub Pk Promoted War Sub rank of Sgt 20/2/41 911 Gen Trans Coy 1st Arm Div Appointed unpaid A/MSS 27/8/41 911 Gen Trans Coy 1st Arm Div appointment confirmed A/MSS 27/8/41 911 Gen Trans Coy Embarked Mid E Sgt 28/9/41 911 Gen Trans Coy Disembarked ME MSS 5/12/41 5 Armd Coy (?) S.O.S. MEF To BNAF MSS 28/8/43 5 Armd Coy Bde (?) Coy Embarked for UK MSS 22/1/44 5 Armd Coy Bde(?) Coy Disembarked UK MSS 9/2/44 5 Coy Embarked UK MSS 9/6/44 He was then rather naughty and borrowed an MOD motorbike for a few days. He was Court Marshalled back to Corporal. The next entries are difficult to read, but I will try. BAOR Embark (?) for UK Cpl 5/10/45 No.2 Holding Bin D/Emb UK granted LILOP w.e.f.(?) Cpl 11/10/45 2 Hld Bin RASC CTBA EX(LILOP) Cpl 7/12/45 That's about it, apart from TA Service, on and off up to 1964 I suppose what I need are the War Diaries to work it all out, but I am not that good. Any help would be appreciated, or a pointer in the right direction. Thanks in advance.
At the top of the page is a tab called "Databases". A lot of your question can be answered by looking at the drop down under "Abbreviations and Acronyms".
Hi if it helps, at the top line under forum are headings click Databases then abbreviations. Good luck
Ronecc Something far wrong as of "embarked Me 28/8/41 - DIS embarked 5/12/41"..only six weeks for that trip…….where was he in that period- 1st Armoured never left North Africa (Tunisia ) until 1944 when they were finally disbanded in Dec '44 after a poor showing at the Gothic Line…? 5th Division went off to the UK ( for France / Germany )in Jan '45…! All very odd… Cheers
Hi Coy - Company Bde - Brigade RASC - Royal Army Service Corps 44th AA Brigade part of 4th AA Division, headquarters Chester. If he joined the TA, does that make geographical sense? 44th Anti-Aircraft Brigade: Manchester - East Lancashire Area, Western Command (Raised 29 September 1938 at Manchester) 65th (The Manchester Regiment) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - East Lancashire Area, Western Command HQ, 181st-183rd, 196th Btys: Hulme, Manchester 15 39th (The Lancashire Fusiliers) Anti-Aircraft Battalion, R.E. (T.A.) - East Lancashire Area, Western Command HQ, 354th-357th Coys: Salford 71st (East Lancashire) Searchlight Regiment, R.A. (T.A.) - East Lancashire Area, Western Command HQ, 462nd-464th Btys: Manchester My guess is that 914 and 911 Coy were this brigades RASC support. Distributing rations, ammunition and helping move static gun sites, AA regiments, battery personnel etc If 2283 is as detailed as some other AA Brigade RASC diaries it will tell you exactly where they were operating from. Try the following at Kew for 44th AA Brigade. Nothing for 941 or 911 Coy jumped out unfortunately. WO 166/2282 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: ANTI-AIRCRAFT BRIGADES: Headquarters 44 Anti-Aircraft Brigade WO166/2283 ANTI-AIRCRAFT COMMAND: ANTI-AIRCRAFT BRIGADES: Headquarters 44 Anti-Aircraft Brigade, Royal Army Service Corps (HQ RASC). 1939 Aug.- Oct., Dec A couple of members offer an excellent diary copying service for a fraction of the National Archive rate! Cant help beyond there but good luck.
Sorry for the late response to all your replies, I have been away. I cannot figure out the AA part as he was a motor mechanic before the war, and told a couple of stories about running repairs on trucks in the desert. So the Anti Aircraft bit seems odd. I know he was in Naples, because when our daughter said she had been to Naples (Florida) he mistook where she meant and wondered why she had gone to a 'S..T Hole' for her holidays. When I told him my wife and I were going to visit Arromanches, during our French holiday he told us he landed there and remembered a large house. So I think he was in these places, so as Tom Canning states, very odd. He did also mention staying in Durban, in Africa, so maybe it was not classed as disembarking until he reached where he was heading. I think I will have to delve further. Thanks again.
ronecc The best thing to do is post the actual records up. It should help us to decipher them a bit more Lesley
As advised, his actual records will help here if you can post the originals The Anti Aircraft brigade part is perfectly possible, the RASC unit was attached to it, or its constituent Anti Aircraft Regiments as their source of supply. A Motor mechanic would have a perfect skill set for maintaining and driving trucks etc. I've done a bit more digging at Kew WO166/4904 RASC companies. 914 Anti Aircraft Company. Aug 39 to Apr 40 then Jun 41 - Dec 41. Unfortunately 911 coy draws a blank I have a small section from the 44th AA Brigade diary for 1942 and they were still in the north west of England but in the couple of sheets I needed to cross reference with the movements of another HAA regiment, there are no references to any RASC units. Sheet showing some battery locations attached. Where you have put Class 1 Future, I suspect it will be 'Fitter', again post the records and others may be able to give a better interpretation of the handwriting.
Thanks hutt. Maybe the 911 should be 914 all the way down. Will be back shortly, maybe I will try and photograph the pages rather than scan them.
Hello again. Hopefully I have attached four sheets of my fathers records. I have cropped a few irrelevant details, mainly his court marshall. Hope you can decipher them.
Hi My fathers service record entries from around August - September 1939 are rather similar! Part of it is even signed by the same officer! Out of interest, did your father come from NW England in the vicinity of Manchester?
Hello hutt. Yes, my father was from Manchester. I think, at the time of joining up he lived in Chorlton, at least, that was where he was born. I see the Colonel was the same, and my Father was 'Embodied' two days after yours. Who knows maybe they served together for a while.
I am also looking for some help with my Grandfather's records. Overall I have the gist of what he was doing as part of RAMC, but wonder if anyone can shed some light on the following: He was listed as receiving a severe reprimand under Section II AA, but he was no demoted and there doesn't seem to have been any consequences I can find, however, I have no idea what this is about, can anyone help? He was posted to 1 Beach Medical Unit in July 1945, but I can't find any details of such a unit. He was admitted briefly to 28 IGH but the only Indian General Hospital in Hong Kong was not listed as '28 IGH'. He was attached to several Companies (Coy) - C, 20, 21 but I have no idea what regiments those were. I have tried my best to track his actions on an excel, but would welcome a second look from anyone with experience to catch what I may have missed. My grandfather never discussed much about what he did and my father is in the dark so i would love to share these details with my Dad. Thanks!
Hi, Sorry but can’t help with any of your queries other than to suggest checking the U.K. National Archives for the various RAMC company war diaries? Do you release there is an almost 12 month gap in his B103 - unless you’ve not attached it on purpose - so I’d suggest a page is missing. You may want to contact MOD Glasgow and ask if they’ve forgotten to copy it. Steve
Thanks Steve, yes between Aug 44 and Jun 45 there are details missing and have asked my Dad to check as he is the one who obtained these. Cheers!
Hi, I was thinking of the gap Oct 42 (bottom of a page) until Nov 43 (top of a new page). I can see the gap Aug 44 until June 45 but as it is in the middle of a page it’s likely that there was nothing to record over that period - it may well be that there was also nil to record on his B103 Oct 42 until Nov 43 but it might be worth asking the question. Steve
