Hi all, Have just received Grandad's service records in the mail today. I received 4 large pages (2 pages of information, an extra copy per page for words that were cut off with the scanner). Most of it fairly easy to read, as most of his postings were in pre-War regions such as India and Palestine. There's just a few things I'm stuck on and would greatly appreciate help in deciphering and determining what happened during his service. - On the 20/09/1940 there is an entry "Sudan 2nd Ech. Unit 1st (Essex). En route (to?) UK, S.O.S of this Unit." With the entry below, he is posted to the I.T.C (Infantry Training Centre). I assume he left/transferred from his Regiment to the I.T.C, would there be any particular reason for this? - In the next line; 17/12/1940 he was posted to "No. 1 S.S. Bn in Derwent Lodge, Devon." I'm not quite sure what Regiment this is and what he was doing there. - 20/05/1941 "Unit; I.T.C. Discharged, permanently unfit for any form of Military Service Para 390 (xvi) Kings Regs. - There is also an entry on the next page under "Promotions, Reductions, etc" which says "1/66 Overseas (slightly illegible) Service". Unsure of the meaning. - There are also abbreviations that I can't work out, from what I could make of the handwriting it looks like "Afftd" or perhaps "Apptd". On another note, it turns out he requested to be demoted back to Private almost two years after being promoted to Lance Corporal.. and then accepts the rank again 3 years later! Any help is appreciated, cheers. Edit: Apologies not being able to post scans of the records, my scanner died not two weeks ago.
Hi all, Have just received Grandad's service records in the mail today. I received 4 large pages (2 pages of information, an extra copy per page for words that were cut off with the scanner). Most of it fairly easy to read, as most of his postings were in pre-War regions such as India and Palestine. There's just a few things I'm stuck on and would greatly appreciate help in deciphering and determining what happened during his service. - On the 20/09/1940 there is an entry "Sudan 2nd Ech. Unit 1st (Essex). En route (to?) UK, S.O.S of this Unit." With the entry below, he is posted to the I.T.C (Infantry Training Centre). I assume he left/transferred from his Regiment to the I.T.C, would there be any particular reason for this? - In the next line; 17/12/1940 he was posted to "No. 1 S.S. Bn in Derwent Lodge, Devon." I'm not quite sure what Regiment this is and what he was doing there. - 20/05/1941 "Unit; I.T.C. Discharged, permanently unfit for any form of Military Service Para 390 (xvi) Kings Regs. - There is also an entry on the next page under "Promotions, Reductions, etc" which says "1/66 Overseas (slightly illegible) Service". Unsure of the meaning. - There are also abbreviations that I can't work out, from what I could make of the handwriting it looks like "Afftd" or perhaps "Apptd". On another note, it turns out he requested to be demoted back to Private almost two years after being promoted to Lance Corporal.. and then accepts the rank again 3 years later! Any help is appreciated, cheers. Edit: Apologies not being able to post scans of the records, my scanner died not two weeks ago. Aussie Nipper Look at the ITC as a holding camp or pool for the men ie to retrain or for them to go back to their own or another unit, in your uncles case unfit for duty?. I am sure some one in the forum would be able to inform you more and could be along soon. Once you have his unit the war diaries anr another goood source. Good luck. John
Can you scan the paperwork so we can see an uploaded version, then we can give you the appropriate assistance to the abbreviations and postings
Sorry for the delay, have been inactive from the forum for quite a while. Here is a section of his service record, any help will be greatly appreciated.
HI What don't you understand, it is easier for you to tell us then for us to go through the whole sheet, there is a lot there! regards Robert
Sorry if it has caused some confusion, but the questions from my first post still stand. I have not simply uploaded the record after months of inactivity, as if to say "please tell me what every single letter and number means". - On the 20/09/1940 there is an entry "Sudan 2nd Ech. Unit 1st (Essex). En route (to?) UK, S.O.S of this Unit." With the entry below, he is posted to the I.T.C (Infantry Training Centre). I assume he left/transferred from his Regiment to the I.T.C, would there be any particular reason for this? - In the next line; 17/12/1940 he was posted to "No. 1 S.S. Bn in Derwent Lodge, Devon." I'm not quite sure what Regiment this is and what he was doing there and for such a short period, 3 days? - 20/05/1941 "Unit; I.T.C. Discharged, permanently unfit for any form of Military Service Para 390 (xvi) Kings Regs? Under what medical grounds would constitute this discharge? - There are also abbreviations that I can't work out, from what I could make of the handwriting it looks like "Afftd" or perhaps "Apptd".
Hi, 'Sudan 2nd Ech' Ech possibly for Echelon is just the reference really. SOS means he was 'Struck off strength' has he had lefts 1st Bn Essex Regiment and was en-route to the UK. The ITC would be the Infantry Training Centre (like a Depot) for the Essex Regiment. At the time the Essex Regiment ITC was at Warley. He was an experienced soldier who would have been used to train new recruits. The Kings Regulation for his discharge is already on the record "Permanently unfit for any form of Military Service". I dont think you will find the actual condition. Apptd is short for appointed.
HI A few more things, with Appd is unpd and pd - unpaid and paid (for the rank at that time) •(xvi) No longer physically fit for war service. regards Robert
Thank you both so much for your help! Great, that confirms the family rumour that he was a rifle and/or firearms instructor during the War. That helps clear things up a bit in regards to KR. We're not sure if it was due to trauma from active service, or due to the onset of a hereditary medical condition that he suffered with for the remainder of his life. Would I be correct in assuming "No.1 SS Bn" is the Special Service Brigade? If so, why would he be posted there for 3 days? Would he have failed to qualify for the selection process, or to help train the potential volunteers?
