L/Sgt George Alan Harrison RE - Help with postings

Hi All,

I have been researching my wife's grandfather for sometime and think I am almost there but I could really do with some help over the final part of his story which is his postings at the end of the war.

He joined up in Feb 1940 and was posted to 712 General Construction Company Royal Engineers. He was a clerk in civilian life and seems to have carried that on in his military career.

He stayed with that same small unit for almost the entire war and I have managed to get the war diary from Kew for them and found they were involved in building POW cages and airfields.

According to his service record on the 3rd of March 1945 he was posted to 40 RHU which from doing searches on the forum I know is a Reinforcement Holding Unit.

12 days later, on the 25th of March 1945 he was posted back to his original unit, 712 GC Coy RE.

6 days later on the 31st of March 1945 he was posted to 50 RHU.

On the 5th June 1945 he was posted to 788 Engineer Stores Park Coy before moving again to 786 Engineers Stores Park Coy on the 15th of November 1945 where he was discharged from a month later.

Can anyone tell me where 40 RHU and 50 RHU were at the relevant times in 1945?

The other thing I found on the forum is that RHU's were for new recruits, men recovered from wounds or men who's units had been disbanded but he doesn't fall into any of those categories, could he have been going to them as permanent staff? or in the case of 40 RHU covering for someone?

I'm just at a bit of a loss as to why they started moving him all over in the last 7 months of his service when he had been with the same unit right through the war and that unit was still existence when he was discharged.

Thanks for the help,

Michael

 

50 RHU – Ripon Barracks Bielefeld formed Bordon Mar 44

Have you tried the site search engine?

TD

 

Thanks a lot TD, I did and I found 50 RHU but not as early as you have. The one I found was after his discharge so I had wondered if it had moved, obviously not.

Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it.

Michael

 

War establishments | The National Archives
Reference: WO 215/40
Description:
War establishments
Date: 1944 May - Sept.
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: 7D
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

Includes Training & Holding Units (not sure if its all of them, but obviously only those activate during those dates)


Of greater possibilities are:
40 Unit | The National Archives
Reference: WO 171/8214
Description:
40 Unit
Date: 1945 Jan.- Nov.
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

40 Unit | The National Archives
Reference: WO 171/3701
Description:
40 Unit
Date: 1944 Feb.- Dec.
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

TD

 

Brilliant, thanks a lot TD.

I did look on the NA website but couldn't find the right dates. Hopefully I'll get a copy of the diary now.

Thanks,

Michael