Help to translate grandads service record

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by wibs12, Oct 3, 2019.

  1. wibs12

    wibs12 Well-Known Member

    Hi all,

    After asking for details to chase up my grandads service records last week, they landed yesterday.

    Chuffed to bits as my dad had no idea at all about his own dads service. Can understand some of it, but really need help particularly with unit changes and locations, particularly on the Service and Casualty sheets x4.

    Been told before to upload the whole set of docs rather than bits and pieces so here goes. Any help for the fullest of translations much appreciated. Ta very much.

    Paul
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Thanks for posting your grandfather’s service record.

    As an older recruit - almost 40 years of age - it is not surprising that he was initially posted to a Royal Artillery Home Defence unit - 127 Battery, 530 Coast Regiment Royal Artillery based at Freshwater on the Isle of Wight.

    Google provides a link to the unit regimental history book held at the Imperial War Museum. It might be possible to obtain a copy via an inter library loan?

    Princess Beatrice's Isle of Wight Rifles a regimental history

    He is compulsorily transferred to RE Movement Control for training as a Checker in November 1943. You may need to start another topic to glean information about this specialised role if none is forthcoming in this thread.

    There is a December 1943 entry “reverts to NR for inefficiency’. I can’t interpret NR but would suggest it means he has failed his Checker trade course. The next entry mentions an attachment to ‘FWT” RE Training Centre in January 1944.

    In Feb1944 he is returned to Movement Control “T T & D’” Battalion RE - possibly MC Trade Training & Depot Battalion RE?

    His training as a Checker having been suspended he is posted as Pioneer (Trade?) to Movement Control South Coast in March 1944 in the lead up to the D Day landings.

    He is transferred to RE Port of London in January 1945 and then posted for Checker training again in February 1945 - this time with a successful outcome. He is reclassified in the RE trade of Checker (Docks) and posted to the RE Depot - likely pending a posting in his new trade which leads to his despatch overseas to British Liberation Army in late May 1945 - too late to be eligible for the France & Germany Star - for service with 1028 Port Operating Company until he returns to UK in October 1945 in advance of demobilisation leave commencing in Feb 1946 in the lead up to his discharge to the reserve in March 1946.

    He doesn’t appear to have applied for his British War Medal. He may be eligible for the Defence Medal on the basis of 3 years home service in areas subject to bombing although he may have narrowly missed the qualification date depending on the date of the last German bombing/V2 attacks on London or the precise locations where he served in 1945 prior to VE Day but it may be worth asking the question.

    There have been several topics on RE Movement Control recently so it may be worth using the forum search facility and or posting further queries.

    This previous topic gives an overview of 1028 Port Operating Company RE and you may wish to do further research and obtain the June/October 1945 War Diary.

    PORT and INLAND WATERWAY UNITS ROYAL ENGINEERS

    Good Luck

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Oct 4, 2019
  3. wibs12

    wibs12 Well-Known Member

    This forum is the absolute dogs............. Steve, cracking reply thank you. Learnt so much from this but still lots to understand. Will kick off own research and if I need to post additional threads after my own research I will.

    If anyone can add anything to Steve's work I'd be interested to hear it.

    Thanks,

    Paul
     
  4. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    You’re welcome Paul.

    Just had another look through the images and can now interpret the 1944 FWT acronym as Field Works Training. There is a stamp at the bottom left of the front page of the B103 stating he completed recruits Field Work Training 22nd Feb 1944 which ties in with his reclassification as a Sapper RE (Pioneer), as opposed to the usual Pioneer rank in the Pioneer Corps, the following day.

    I’ve also noticed that at the top of his statement of services form there is a handwritten note that he declined medical vaccination and inoculation shortly after his posting to the RE Depot 30th March 1945. It was likely a proposed revaccination after 3 years service as part of the overseas draft pre embarkation process. He would have been vaccinated etc as part of the reception process on conscription in April 1942. You can only speculate on the reasons for his refusal but I do not believe that it could lead to any military censure.

    Steve
     
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  5. wibs12

    wibs12 Well-Known Member

    Found this thread from the forum in 2017 that includes what a Checker was in the RE, useful stuff. Copy of the training schedule indicates what he would have got up to.
     

    Attached Files:

    timuk likes this.
  6. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Also:
    2/12/42 Admitted Military Hospital Totland Isle of Wight. Discharged 21/12/42.
    This hospital was the commandeered Totland Bay Hotel. More info and photos at the end of this link: Fort Warden Heights Now - A History of Warden Point.
    20/5/45 Emplaned BLA. BLA = British Liberation Army. Name later changed to British Army of the Rhine.

    Tim
     
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  7. wibs12

    wibs12 Well-Known Member

    Steve - I'm also unsure about reasons for him refusing the inoculation...?..... he was a deeply religious bloke so whether there was some basis in that I dunno.

    Tim - ta for the link to the hospital.... it's a good overall source for the various artillery points around the coast as well, so doubly useful!
     
  8. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Relevant War Diaries for 530 Coast Regiment are:
    WO 166/7152 - 1942
    WO 166/11430 - 1943

    Tim
     
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