Help to identify a definitive regiment please - RA

Hi everyone- i've been trying to find out what regiment my grandfather served in. i have his full service records- but there are so many numbers on them. I know from him, and some pictures i found that he was in the RA. i remember him saying he was somekind of either cable layer or radio operator and he knew morse code. it also states on his records that he was qualified signaller.
The most commonly mentioned on his records is 3 PC BTY RA but it also says 35th Sig rgt. and 18FLD evacuated from BEF 6/6/44
there is also a card which states RA FIELD 260

there is a record of service paper which says army reserve militia unit posted to 1st reg 6 RHA militia cadre

i know he joined up in either Grimsby or Cleethorpes in 1939 if that helps identify a regiment. but the records show a few different locations in the UK such as DEPOT, KENT and Catterick.

He seems to have been in India an awful lot, Dedali and Bombay. He had the war medal, Africa star and the Dunkirk medal. theres a lot of mention of X list (ii) too

I would just like to trace his regiment but all the numbers which look like fractions are so confusing and then i cant trace anything back to his roots in Grimsby.

any help much appreciated thanks

 

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

I'm sure members will be able to assist once you are able to upload the documents to the forum.

Unfortunately there is a temporary hold on posting new images as there is an upgrade pending. Some work has already started in the background.

Just keep an eye on the forum and I'm sure you'll be able to make some progress in the near future.

Good Luck.


Steve Y

 

18th Field Regiment RA were with the BEF (Transferred from 2nd Infantry Division to 48th Division in February 1940).

The best thing would be to post a copy of his service records. It's quite difficult to interpret them without all the clues.

 

Hi Welcome to ww2 talk.
Yes records are hard to work out, but once we can see the actual record it is slightly easier and is surprising how much information can be gained from them.

Take a look here might give you some help until you can post the pics up.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/61659-interpreting-service-casualty-form-b-103/

 

Thanks for the warm welcome and fast response! as soon as the hold is lifted i will look to get the main pages uploaded. There are a number of sheets- i could just pick out the main ones?- i assume i could leave out medical cards etc or do they hold clues too?

 

Hi,

Unless a document holds "private/sensitive" information that you wouldn't want to be on the internet IMHO you should put all the documents provided by MOD on the forum so members have the best chance of interpreting his military service and movements.

Regards

Steve Y

 

The 'Service and Casualty Form' - usually Army form B103 is the most important and useful in terms of units and postings. Medical records can be useful if there are gaps etc. No need to post dental charts etc. and records of innoculations might only help if the main card didn't mention overseas postings but that's unlikely.

 

Ok, good evening people! if you wouldn't mind taking a look at my Grandad's records and giving me your best educated guess at his main regiment? as i mentioned i have been unable to determine a definitive- so any pointers or expertise welcome???

i hope you can see the images though?? they're in my media but would not up load on this message as they were 'too large'

 

I believe the images are restricted to 1mb, but stand to be corrected.
Try downloading the Microsoft resize programme or similar.
This way you can post photographs etc without going over the limit and the quality is still good.
Regards
Tom

 

I appear to have uploaded them to some mass media area? I can see that 7 people have looked at them but don't quite know how to link them to this thread? any ideas?

 

Can a Moderator please move the service record images from the media section to the above post and perhaps members can then comment.
Regards
Tom

 

This is going to be a hard one.
The records really need to be scanned as complete pages. I managed to look at then but seem to be too distorted to make any sense.

Still am getting new glasses tomorrow see what happens then.
This is what I can make out so far.

9 (not sure if its a 9 or 01) 232082 Walter Lamfrey Armin. Born 13/8/18.
signed up for four years on 15/7/39.
Trade on enlistment; Fish packer.
With R.A. as Gunner/signaller
Married 22/9/42.
Qualified as a signaller 6/8/42.

Unable to see where he was first as in /4/45 a label has been pasted over where the information should be. on label looks to be 3 P C Batt RFI

 

yep thats all true, his name is walter lampey armin
the sticker over says 3 PC BTY RA

 

ive trid to reattach the service and casualty form-

 

its four pages I think

 

sorry its three...

 

Work in progress may take some time.

 

9232082 Walter Lamfrey Armin. Born 13/8/18.
Signed up for four years on 15/7/39.
Trade on enlistment; Fish packer.
With R.A. as Gunner/signaller
Married 22/9/42.
Qualified as a signaler 6/8/42.

Medicals.

A1 27/8/40. Fit for general service at home and abroad.

C2 21/9/43. Fit for home service only.

C2 14/11/44. Fit for home service only.

Page 2.

5/9/39 to 20/2/40 He was with 35th Signals Training Regiment, at Sunnyvale Camp, Rhyl.

Now Sunnyvale Holiday camp.

http://www.sunnyvalecaravanpark.co.uk/the-park/about-us/

22/2/40. Disembarked France.

24/2/40. Posted to 16 B.D. 16 Base Depot.

30/2/40. Posted to 18 Field Regiment. 94/95 Field Battery.

1/6/40. Granted W.P.P. War-Time Proficiency Pay.

Was now at Hereford, must have come home via Dunkirk.

Leave in UK 24th to 31st July 40.

5/12/40. Granted leave 5 to 11/12/40 chart????

Granted leave 13 to 19/3/41 now at Croydon.

Embarked UK 29/9/42. Convoy WS23 A small convoy which was somewhat delayed in its final departure, so that ships had to water at Belfast Lough prior to final rendezvous on 4.10.42.

WS23B From 17.11.42 MAURITIUS escorted the remaining ships of WS 23 to Bombay, where they arrived 24.11.42.

Disembarked Bombay India 26/11/42.

WS (Winston Specials) Convoys in WW2 - 1942 Sailings.

Admitted to British military Hospital at Secunderabad 9/12/42.

Secunderabad twin city with Hyderabad 443 miles SE of Bombay.

Discharged from above 31/12/42.

Admitted to IBGH (BT) Tos of X list (ii) India 6/6/43.

Indian British General Hospital (Battle Trauma) Taken on strength of X list (ii).

Rejoined unit (18 Field Regt) X list(ii) WEF With effect from. 10/7/45.

<X (ii) list, means all ranks evacuated on medical grounds beyond Regimental first aid post. Personal so evacuated cease to be on the effective strength of their units.>

Recategorized to medical category C2 (Fit for home service only) by Medical board held at 6 hr Fei alian (Just can’t make that bit out.) 21/9/43

Posted to R.A. Depot Deolali India 29/9/43.

Deolali 165 miles east of Bombay.

Deolali also a transit camp for British troops,notorious for its unpleasant environment, boredom, and the psychological problems of soldiers that passed through it. Its name is the origin of the phrase "gone doolally".

R.A. Depot Posted to this unit and Tos X IV (b) then posted no3 Headquarters Battery WEF 30/9/43.

Forgot to add this last night.

X (IV) list of unposted men or reinforcements.

From this line above on the records it looks like a 10/7/45 but to tie in with the time line it should be 10/7/43

Rejoined unit (18 Field Regt) X list(ii) WEF With effect from. 10/7/45.

 

wow thanks very much for taking the time to write all that.. thats a lot for me to look into! My nan told me that he had been in such poor health when he returned he was hardly recognisable- his hair had all fallen out and he was painfully thin. i knew hed been in india but didnt realise the extent of the locations hed been in as he would never speak about any of it.
i just assumed hed been in burma when i tried to trace his regiment through their known movements during the war.
so would you say a safe bet for his regiment would be both the 35 signallers and the 18th field regiment? if i trace them back to their offices in grimsby where he signed up i may be able to find them?
thanks again

 

Hi,

RCG has done a good job for you. I doubt you will find anything else in the Grimsby area. He would have probably merely been "called up" locally and sent off to his training camp with a travel warrant.

He appears to have been called up for Militia service under the 1939 Military Training Act - see below link.

Steve Y


Military Training Act 1939 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia