Help to identify a definitive regiment please - RA

Page 3.

R.A. Depot Posted to X (ii) on admission to CIMH (Central Indian Military Hospital) 11/2/44.

X (ii) Embarked for UK Sos X (iib) (Struck off strength) Wef 25/3/44.

(No idea of why the b is added to X(IV) and X (ii). Letters are added to X(iii) and X(V) but can find no obvious connection to being used here).

R.A. Depot Joined UK 12/6/44.

Admonished 14/6/44. 3 day R.W. (Maybe Routine work ie Spud bashing) for AWOL (Absent with out leave) 10-12/6/44.

Looks as if, as soon as the ship had docked he snuck off home for three days.

Posted to 3 P. C. Battery R.A. 18/9/44.

Can’t find what P.C. is, can only suggest Pay. Clerk. Or Provost Corps.

3 PC Batt Medically examined at Erson AFW3149 Caterham 13/12/45.

Erson? Or should it be Epsom. Caterham or maybe Otterburn?

AFW 3149 = Army Form. W3149.

Medical. AB-64 Part 1 will be inspected to ensure that the soldier has had a medical inspection on AFW-3149 and that he has been vaccinated and inoculated within the time-limit. If necessary, he will be examined, vaccinated and inoculated.



Posted to Y (E) list WEF 16/1/46.

My interpretation of the Y list is that it is the list you are put on for when you are about to leave the Army, so avoids you being posted with your unit to where ever it is going.

Released to Class Z Royal Army Reserve 3/4/46 Class A release.

Class Z Reserve was a system to be able to quickly recall trained men in the eventuality of the resumption of hostilities. Time spent in reserve varied.

Walter Lampey Armin b. 13 Aug 1918 Grimsby – Nov 1993 Gateshead Durham.

No it does not matter where he signed on, he trained with 35th Signals Training Regiment then was posted to 18 Field Regiment, 94/95 Field Battery.

His regiment being, 18 Field Regiment. Your area of main search would then be

30/02/40 to 1/6/40. Time in France.

1/6/40 to 29/9/42. Time in UK.

26/11/42 to 21/9/43 Time in India.

Now as the Japanese Never got into India Where did he get wounded and suffer Battle Trauma, Has to be Burma.

Arakan Campaign 1942–43 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I Think you will find that it is the Burma Star.

 

Hi,

R W abbreviation in RCG's post is more likely standing for Royal Warrant - the authority for a CO to discipline a soldier.

His medical papers will still be on MOD file but they don't release them - unlike Canada & Australian service files available on internet.

Steve Y

 

Steve this is how its written on the records.
Admonished 14/6/44. 3 day R.W.
for AWOL 10-12/6/44.
So I am reading it as 3 day and the R.W. as some kind of punishment which he had to do 10/11/12th of June.
Should have gave him 3 days confined barracks would have been much easier for us.

 

Hi,

94/95 Battery, apart from a short spell, stayed with 18th Field Regiment RA throughout the war. From 3.9.39 to 1.2.40 the 18th was in the 2nd Infantry Division, going to France on 21.9.39.

On 1.2.40 18th Field Regiment RA was transferred to the 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division, as divisional troops, in Belgium. The unexpected surrender of the Belgian Forces on 27 May 1940 led to a gap between the division in action around Saint-Omer and the coast at Nieupoort and an improvised defence had to be speedily organised to prevent the Germans breaking through the Dunkirk perimeter; in that fierce action gunners of 48th Division fought as infantry.

After being evacuated from Dunkirk, on 14.2.41 18th Field Regiment RA was incorporated in the 24th (Guards) Infantry Brigade which had been evacuated from Norway on 8.6.40, remaining in the UK with them until 20.2.42. when 18th Field Regiment was posted to India.

On arrival at Bombay on 26.11.42 they were moved to Secunderbad and on 27.11.42 were under the command of 43rd Indian Armoured Division.

When your grandfather rejoined his unit on 10.7.45, 18th Field Regiment was at Palni, India, having returned from Burma on 26.6.45., under the command of 25 Indian Infantry Division.

 

good grief RCG! thanks so much for all of this- i completely missed the second page earlier when i posted a reply!!! and then everyone elses posts too!! cant thank you all enough... going to be on a while digesting it all!

 

i know he went awol a few times to go and see my nan he was born in grimsby and my nan was from newcastle they were pen pals.. and not sure if he got leave to marry or if that was awol too

thanks a lot Tullybrone and PeterG too

 

excuse the ignorance, but i was just looking at some of these places on google maps.. and the places you've mentioned in India alone are quite some distance apart- would they have gone by air, sea or land?

 

Troops never went by air (except airborne fighting troops, of course); when I went to Hong Kong in 1949 it was a 5 week journey by troopship, in hammocks on a troop deck. On land, infantry went by train, truck, and foot-slogging.

 

oh sorry to keep posting.. i noticed you said he mustve had the Burma star... i just went in the loft to check and he definitely has the Africa star.. buuuut i think they may have given him the wrong one!? the box has three medals in and a checklist- they have ticked off 1939-45 star, defence medal and war medal 1939-45. but in the box is the defence medal with green and orange ribbon, war medal with red white and blue striped ribbon and the africa star with a mustard red and two different blue stripes.

there are two entries on the checklist one for a pacific star for Burma, and one called a Burma star- neither of which he had.

my cousin took the dunkirk medal, leaving me three if he could have that one!

 

Yes must have been a mix up somewhere, as he went nowhere to qualify for Africa star.

Nor did he go into the Pacific area, even if he did he would not be award them both. It would be Burma star and Pacific Clasp or other way round.

 

ah no...so he shouldn't even have had the 39-45 star they ticked but didn't give him?

I was just about to try and source a replica or something.. dont suppose it matters now he didnt even tell us about his medals when he was alive- which is why i'm grateful for everyones help!

actually to be pushing my luck here- do any of you know how i can find out why my great grandfather got the MM? i think this is a specific RA forum isnt it? and he was DLI- so maybe a whole different forum? i know he had a military funeral and hes in an unmarked grave in the local cemetery. i have the write up from our local paper and his picture was in our local library display of DLI but i noticed on your page about ribbons PeterG, that in 1916 when he was awarded it, i think if i read it correctly, it was the first year they were awarded?? i looked in the london gazette where it is allegedly announced but couldnt see anything..

shall i take this query to another forum?

 

Yes he should have the 1939-45 star, defence medal and war medal 1939-45 and Burma Star but not the Africa star.
This is your thread, put your Great Grandfathers name up and see what happens.

 

haha ok, sorry i thought i had put it among some RA banter.. anyway my great grandfather was called William Farrage. born 1888 died 1932 (we believe of lung issues as he was also a miner). his nickname was diddler wardhaugh.

military details- 9-2507-325268 Corporal William Farrage, 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry territorial force. was awarded military medal as notified in the London Gazette on 27th October 1916 issue 29805 page 4 of 16

The military decoration was awarded to W Farrage for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty under fire or for individual or associated acts of bravery which were insufficient to merit the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

was any more specific information ever given anywhere?

 

Hi,

Your best bet re your grandfather would be to post on Great War Forum - see below link

Great War Forum

There are DLI experts there who should be able to give you chapter and verse on his service.

His MM award will be in the LG but the actual citations no longer exist.

Good Luck

Steve Y

 

Deleted this as it was about the wrong man.

 

This is his funeral write up which his daughter kept

 

and his picture wearing his medal from the library display. shame to have had such a funeral- to be buried in an unmarked grave and no one knowing why he got his medal really.

 

Reappraisal of earlier post which I deleted.

William Farrage.

Birth: July 1888 (Jul 1888) - Durham, England

Marriage: Gateshead, Durham

Death: Sep 1932 - Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England

Parents: James Dobson Farrage, Margaret A Wardhaugh

Spouse: Mary Annie Bell.
1911. lived at 68 Fort Street South Shields with his parents was single and a fitter apprentice.
Joined the Army 7th Sept 1914.
Went to France.



Although this document is dated 1st of Oct 1920. it lists the men's rank of when they earned the decoration which it refers to, Army order 20. 1919. which was the award of the 1914- 15 star for men who fought in the first year of the war. Everyone else was awarded the 1914 - 18 star.

1916. He was a Cpl and was awarded the MM as stated in the London Gazette 27th Oct 1916.

Perhaps when entering medal details they went by the soldiers number and not rank, this could be why he is still listed as private. Or did they make a new one out?


And no mention of MM on medal card.

I am now pretty sure this is the same man here.
W Farrage - WW1 Memorial and Life Story

1918 He is now a Sgt, but is invalided out of the Army. 26/4/1918.
And is on the list to receive the silver war badge.
Silver War Badge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


(Note he was 28 but by his birth year he should be 30).

Some Time in 1918 he was with others presented with his MM and £3.3s by the Gateshead War Honours Committee.
War honours Scrapbook 1914-1920 Gateshead Durham. page 44.
Gateshead Libraries and Arts Department.

Sept 1932 his funeral.

 

Hi,

Rank shown as Private on his 14/15 Star - rank on arrival in France.

Sergeant rank shown on his BWM & VM.

Not sure what RCG means by 1914/18 Star?

The British campaign medals for the Great War - The Long, Long Trail


Steve Y

 

Neither do I, now.
Surprising, what you can see with fresh eyes.