I have just received my late fathers service records, After serving in the TA he was in the Royal Engineers, 936 P.C. & R. COY. and was posted to No 1 Railway Training Centre, units 155 & 199 and 1011 docks Op. Coy. from 7/6/39 as an Oxy-Acetylene Welder. His Military History Sheet has the following:- Home...British..7/6/39..30/8/39...86...Days. " 1/9/39..7/5/40....249..Days. Field Force 8/5/40..17/6/40...41..Days Home 18/6/40..29/9/41..1yr -104 days. Oversea's Iraq 30/9/41..8/10/43..2yr - 9 days Home 9/10/43..18/8/44..314 days. N.W Europe 10349/44..19/8/44..3/4/46..1yr - 228 days. Home 4/4/46..14/7/46. Disch. 3/4/1946 There is a Release sticker stuck right across the unit info from 8/10/43 before his posting to N.W.Europe 19/8/43 !!!!! Any suggestions on how i can get the info which is under the Sticker for the time he spent in N.W Europe.
Hello and welcome-any ideas who he went to France with in 1940? Ref the sticker-contact Glasgow by phone and ask if they can help.
Just checked my records and I don't have a 251 Company RE with the BEF. He may have gone over attached or the unit may have gone for a short period but their diary stayed in the UK Forces series at the National Archives.
Sorry, I'm not used to these forces abbreviations, Seems he was posted to several different units, from No 1 RMW to w/shop Paiforce 52077, then 7 RMW also TNTC ?. Hope this makes sense.
Paiforce is Middle East/Africa somewhere hot anyway. Field Force 8/5/40..17/6/40...41..Days This bit had me thinking BEF and France
Attached are my fathers Service records i have received, Would somebody help me decipher them please. i had to split one page into two as it would not upload, so here goes. Many Thanks. View attachment 96282
I sent for and received his medals, and the posting records are clear enough, I would like to know where he was by the other records, As he never let on too much, He did tell me jokingly that he welded the interior of the landing barges and then he was sent over on one of them on D Day !!
These records don't give you specific locations for your father, they do give the units and the dates he was posted to them etc. I would suggest to flesh out this information that you use the search engine provided on the Arcre website to see if there are any War Diaries for that time. Then go to TNA, Kew, or ask one of the chaps on here who provide a copying service to copy for you. I have used the service of both Drew5233 and PsyWar.Org, both provide excellent service for reasonable rates. The War Diaries will provide information on the location of the unit and the activities at the times your father was with them. They may even mention your father by name, not always likely, but it does happen. Mark
155 Railway Coy would have been in France between 8 May 1940 to 17 Jun 1940, Drew5233 may already have their War Diary as he is the 1940 BEF expert on here.
Threads amalgamated - thanks Admin It looks like there are other discussions regarding the terms Railway Mobile Workshop (RMW) & Persia and Iraq Force (PAIFORCE) on here. Is it PAIFORCE that had the Pink Elephant unit insignia (in honour of their CO - nicknamed Jumbo)?
Here you go: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/1940/52503-155-railway-workshop-company-royal-engineers.html#post573090 I've got a BEF book on Royal Engineers and Trains in France during 1940 upstairs. I'm going out so I'll check that later for you. Cheers Andy
