Ist Batt REME -Mill Hill 1943

Discussion in 'REME/RAOC' started by stephenmyall, Mar 9, 2011.

  1. stephenmyall

    stephenmyall Member

    Before my Gt Uncle was posted to India in Sept 43, he spent the summer in at 1st batt HQ at Mill Hill. I am really struggling with some of meanings of the text highlighted in blue from his MSR. Any help would be appreciated.:huh:

    26/6/43
    Mill Hill
    T.O.S of HQ Ist Bn REME, Mill Hill NW7 from KINEMA w/s N.I.D DET
    10/7/43
    Mill Hill
    S.O.S of HQ Ist Bn REME, Mill Hill posted M of Centre Arnold REME for Draft R.D.Y.H.H
    14/07/43
    Arnold, Nottingham
    Proceeded to Field Force
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  3. idler

    idler GeneralList

    If it's handwritten, could the 'M of' be Holding or Hldg?

    RDYHH is simply a code for a particular draft going overseas.
     
  4. RosyRedd

    RosyRedd Senior Member

    The draft code is when they were sailing - this forum link has lots of abbreviation info - including about drafts.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/research-material/13716-abbreviations.html

    This is the address posted by someone on forces reunited...then posted to...Workshops Bittacy Hill, Mill Hill London NW7. . If you do a Google search for mill hill reme there are quite a few references.

    This oil painting at the REME museum is supposed to have been of a Churchill tank being repaired there too. REME Museum of Technology

    Jules.
     
  5. RemeDesertRat

    RemeDesertRat Very Senior Member

    M of Centre Arnold looks like mob centre to me, short for mobilisation centre?
     
  6. RosyRedd

    RosyRedd Senior Member

    M of Centre Arnold looks like mob centre to me, short for mobilisation centre?

    Looks like Mob Centre to me too - and Arnold was a mobilisation centre ;)
     
  7. stephenmyall

    stephenmyall Member

    That makes sense ref: Mob Centre

    I reviewed the links posted earlier and no luck with the RDYHH (acronym) suggested as simply a code for a particular draft going overseas.
     
  8. RosyRedd

    RosyRedd Senior Member

    The entry for my grandad's draft is something like "Mob & Hldng Centre draft DLJMN." From what I have learned here, it was like an ID code for those in that group.
     
  9. Mick S

    Mick S Junior Member

    Hi

    I'm new on here so this is my first go at trying to help and I am by no means an expert!

    Two things spring out from the word Kinema to me.

    1. SKC, Services Kinema Corperation, fore runner to the modern day SSVC. Producing training films and the like for the services. What trade was he, could he have been attached repairing equipment?? Not sure if they had military personnel working in the organisation.

    2. An ingredient in Curries from the border regions of Northern India, Bhutan and Nepal. May be there is a place of that name?

    DET is most likely short for detachment. I know of a couple of incidents where unit acronyms have been extended by "soldier slang" Hyperthetical; North India Detachment becomes N I D Det soldiers forgetting that the D already stands for Det.

    Also M Of again if hand written could be Mov - movements centre. Assuming he would have been Mobilised before getting to Mill Hill or the unit he was Taken On Strength from?

    Could all be red herrings but hope it is food for thought, good luck.

    Rgds Mick
     
  10. stephenmyall

    stephenmyall Member

    Hi

    I'm new on here so this is my first go at trying to help and I am by no means an expert!

    Two things spring out from the word Kinema to me.

    1. SKC, Services Kinema Corperation, fore runner to the modern day SSVC. Producing training films and the like for the services. What trade was he, could he have been attached repairing equipment?? Not sure if they had military personnel working in the organisation.

    2. An ingredient in Curries from the border regions of Northern India, Bhutan and Nepal. May be there is a place of that name?

    DET is most likely short for detachment. I know of a couple of incidents where unit acronyms have been extended by "soldier slang" Hyperthetical; North India Detachment becomes N I D Det soldiers forgetting that the D already stands for Det.

    Also M Of again if hand written could be Mov - movements centre. Assuming he would have been Mobilised before getting to Mill Hill or the unit he was Taken On Strength from?

    Could all be red herrings but hope it is food for thought, good luck.

    Rgds Mick

    Hello Mick, welcome on board and thank you for letting me be your fist person to help. Im a relative newbie here myself, seeking help but hope to be more of a contributor in the near future. Your comments regarding Kinema are interesting and i will follow up with more reseach and i think your right about DET. My Gt uncle before the war, had[FONT=&quot] been managing Director of Limited Company for seven years, combined the design and manufacture of cinema sound equipment, projectors, rare rectifiers with this pos.[/FONT] So you may be correct he was responsible for repairs at Kinema. You may have been at a disadvantage by reading my note out of context butAs I learn more I have been transcribing my Gt Uncles MSR on a word processor clarifying some the the illegible written text and the abbreviations. I have attached what I have transcribed to date. Feel free to have a look at my query in the full context of the full record as i am only glad of any help

    Thanks again
    Stephen
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Mick S

    Mick S Junior Member

    Stephen

    Only too glad to try and help. I was thinking the Cinematic link was the real RED HERRING!!!

    OME and the possible C in front? Optical Mechanical Engineer. Or have you confirmed it as Ordnance?

    Optronics is certainly a word used when I was serving in REME late 70s. If it had glass in it or you looked through it the Optronic/Instruments Technitions dealt with it (all things Optical)?

    A couple of what might be useful links, the first has a bit on ENSA to AKC to SKC to SSVC

    http://baor-locations.co.uk/AKC.aspx

    and todays SSVC. Might be worth a call or letter to see if they have any archives that might be of Use.

    http://www.ssvc.com/ssvc/aboutus/aboutus.htm

    Of course he may have had nothing to do with the Cinemas and just served as an "engineering" officer given his technical background.

    REME Museum at Arborfiled?

    Rgds Mick
     
  12. stephenmyall

    stephenmyall Member

    Stephen

    Only too glad to try and help. I was thinking the Cinematic link was the real RED HERRING!!!

    OME and the possible C in front? Optical Mechanical Engineer. Or have you confirmed it as Ordnance?

    Optronics is certainly a word used when I was serving in REME late 70s. If it had glass in it or you looked through it the Optronic/Instruments Techninitions dealt with it (all things Optical)?

    A couple of what might be useful links, the first has a bit on ENSA to AKC to SKC to SSVC

    http://baor-locations.co.uk/AKC.aspx

    and todays SSVC. Might be worth a call or letter to see if they have any archives that might be of Use.

    http://www.ssvc.com/ssvc/aboutus/aboutus.htm

    Of course he may have had nothing to do with the Cinemas and just served as an "engineering" officer given his technical background.

    REME Museum at Arborfiled?

    Rgds Mick

    Thanks Mick
    I took your advise and called SSVC then sent the Archivist an email, so I will see what come out of that. You have presented me with a a dilema. I had automatically assumed OME was Ordnance, given the fact my Gt Uncle was RAOC and I was totally unaware if the existance of Optical MEs. While I will stick with my assumption, I will also keep this knowledge in my back pocket until it is proven beyond doubt. Thanks for surfacing this possible option.
     
  13. Mick S

    Mick S Junior Member

    Stephen

    In my excitement I missed the obvious RAOC! Yes, I would stick with Ordnance but of course Pre formation of REME someone had to fix the optical equipment!

    Mick
     

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