Can anybody throw any light on the medical codes/grades/acronyms used in WW2, I can't find them in any of the abbreviations posts? On my wife’s grandfather’s service records (see separate post: Northumberland Hussars - Ellis Race 1134883), the following codes are referred to: Class I Class IA Class B X(II) X(IV) X(VIII) X(VIII)(A) X(8) AI XL FD – might not be medical? The following acronyms are also used: GH – General Hospital? MRC - ? SOS – Struck Off Strength TOS – Taken On Strength BGH – British General Hospital? RHU - ? Cheers!
Belly X (ii) In war diaries, I've seen "to X(ii) list on admission to hospital" and "from X (ii) list on discharge from hospital. There is a thread somewhere on this Forum, where this sort of info was starting to be complied. I've looked, but can't find it. Maybe one of the other members can remember where or what the thread was called. Robert
Robert Last time round we called it Abbreviations: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-documents/13716-abbreviations.html And we also went on a bit about the Army Records themselves on this thread: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/16113-service-records.html Ron
Many thanks - Ron RobertRobert Last time round we called it Abbreviations: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/unit-documents/13716-abbreviations.html And we also went on a bit about the Army Records themselves on this thread: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/searching-someone-military-genealogy/16113-service-records.html Ron
MRC may be MRS - Medical Reception Station (Army equiv to Sickbay_ RHU - Rehab Unit (physio beating til fit to RTU) or it could be RTU Return to Unit
Some useful medical acronyms here: Glossary | NZETC Abbreviations - Scarlet Finders None I'm looking for though!
Maybe it would help to put these acronyms into context: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=71&pictureid=697 I know Ellis suffered from Diphtheria while in Egypt, I interpret the above as: Posted to XL II dispatched from unit – 14 Feb 1943 (i.e. admitted to hospital) In the 4th General Hospital (GH) until 15 Feb 1943. In the 22nd MRC until 28 Feb 1943. In the 63rd General Hospital (GH) until 7 Mar 1943 I think the last line is probably about troop movements rather than connected to the medical lines above, TC being Transit Camp I think? I’ve seen BGH used as British General Hospital so guess GH could be General Hospital. I’ve seen MRS as Medical Reception Station. Wild guess could be that MRC is Medical Reception Centre? Now after Normandy I know Ellis suffered from malaria (Picked up in Sicily) as per below: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=71&pictureid=696 Again I interpret the above as: Admitted to the 149th Field Ambulance. To X(ii) List – 9 Aug 1944 (i.e. admitted to hospital) Reverted to Unpaid Acting Lance Bombardier on admission to Hospital – 9 Aug 1944 Reclassified Class I – 9 Aug 1944 (No idea what this means?) Posted to this unit from X(IV) List and Took On Strength (TOS) 24 Aug 1944 – (What is X IV List?) Re-instated Paid Acting Bombardier on dispatch from hospital – 9 Aug 1944
Hi Belly, I've had a male moment-Have you thought about ringing AMS Museum - RAMC History I've rung them and they are very friendly and helpful. Cheers Andy
Thanks Andy I gave them a call and they said they'd be happy to look them up for me, requesting an email of the docs. I'll kep you posted of the outcome Cheers Paul
The medical museum drew a blank, however, I've now found the X List definitions on a NZ website, so assume they are the same as the British: NZDF - X Lists and Postings in WW2 Army Service Records Almost without exception, Second World War army service records contain numerous references to the ‘X Lists’. The X Lists recorded personnel who were absent from their regular units for one reason or another. Reproduced below is the definition of the various classes of X-List given in R. S. Wogan, A treatise on the pay and records procedure inaugurated, developed, and maintained for the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force and the Territorial Forces (Records) within New Zealand during the war years 1939-1945 and afterwards (Wellington: Army Dept, 1948), pp107-109: THE “X” LIST 12. All personnel of 2 NZEF are held on the posted strength of a unit or are carried on the “X” list. 13. The “X” list is maintained in 5 sections, and all transfers to and from it – or from one section of it to another – are carried out by 2 Ech*. Units will, of course, casualty movements within the sections of, or involving transfer to, or from the “X” list, but 2 Ech will be the deciding authority on all questions concerning the “X” list. 14. THE X (i) LIST comprises all ranks posted to fill vacancies in authorised WEs [War Establishments] of a 2 NZEF Headquarters or a 2 NZEF extra-regimental unit (such as a base depot, school etc.). An officer placed in X (i) list will be seconded. 15. THE X (ii) LIST comprises all ranks evacuated on medical grounds beyond RAP [Regimental Aid Post]. Personnel so evacuated cease to be on the effective strength of their units. Temporary or acting rank will be relinquished 28 days after being so transferred to X (ii) list. Personnel remain in X (ii) list until they are classified as fit for posting by NZ Reception Depot (when they are transferred to the X (iv) list of their corps and marched out to the appropriate training depot), or until discharged by a medical unit direct to their original units. Personnel who, after evacuation beyond RAP are medically graded 1A or lower remain on X (ii) list until they are either (a) placed on NZ Roll, or (b) posted to a Base establishment, or (c) transferred to X (i) list at the Base. Personnel of HQs, or extra-regimental units, may as a matter of convenience be posted direct from NZ Reception Depot and need not be marched through their appropriate training depot. Any extra-duty pay will cease 7 days after transfer to X (ii) list, subject to the proviso that if prior replacement is made ED pay will cease from such prior date. 16. THE X (iii) LIST comprises (a) Confirmed prisoners of war, (b) Personnel officially declared missing, (c) OR under un-suspended sentence of detention or imprisonment (personnel undergoing field punishment remain on unit strength), (d) Deserters Missing personnel will NOT be transferred to X (iii) list until the official notification is received from 2 Ech. Deserters are NOT struck off unit strength until [notification] is received by 2 Ech and personnel are declared deserters by 2 Ech through Part II Orders. Temporary or acting rank will be retained by, and extra-duty pay will continue to be payable to, personnel posted missing or PW [Prisoner of War]. 17. THE X (iv) LIST comprises all unposted reinforcements and incoming reinforcement drafts. Personnel discharged from NZ Reception Depot (x(ii)) to Training Depots, fit for duty, are transferred to the X (iv) list of their corps, until posted to a unit, when they are struck off X (iv) and taken on unit strength. Reinforcements in transit between the Base and a unit remain on X (iv) (and the Base Depot strength) until they actually reach and are taken on the strength by the unit to which they are proceeding. Escaped PsW [Prisoners of War] who until such escape have been on the X (iii) list are transferred to X (iv) list on reaching their respective training depots. 18. THE X (v) LIST (a) When officer personnel attend as students at courses of instructions or schools, for more than twenty-eight days, they will, ONLY at the discretion of MS, 2 NZEF, be transferred to X (v) list. (b) When other rank personnel attend as students at courses of instruction for more then twenty-eight days, they will be transferred to X (v) list (and thus struck off the strength of their unit) unless the unit expressly states that they should remain detached. (c) All candidates for OCTU [Officer Cadet Training Unit] will immediately transferred to X (v) list; on commissioning they will be transferred to X (iv) list of their corps and subsequently posted to a unit. (d) All personnel acting as instructors at courses or schools outside the 2 NZEF, or struck off unit strength for duty with a unit outside the 2 NZEF, will be transferred to X (v) list. Although officers might in such circumstances be seconded, they will be placed on X (v) list. 19. Immediately an officer or other rank is transferred to the “x” list, he is “lost” to his unit, and is immediately replaceable by a reinforcement. Subject to ….2 NZEF Regulations, a vacancy for promotion is immediately created. It is in the interest of the unit to make immediate promotion or replacement as there is no guarantee that the individual will ever return to his unit. Return of specialist may, however, be requested …..Once personnel are transferred to X (iv) list from any other section of the “X” list, they are liable to be used as reinforcements for any unit within their own corps. Subject to certain conditions and exceptions as laid down in 2 NZEF Regulations, acting or temporary rank will be relinquished on transfer to the “X” list. Personnel temporarily detached from their units and not actually posted or transferred to other units or corps will NOT be transferred to the “X” list, neither will they be replaceable by reinforcements. * 2 Ech was ‘2nd Echelon’ 2 NZEF – this was the administrative body set up at 2 NZEF Base Camp in the Middle East and Italy to process personnel matters within the expeditionary force. A separate ‘Base Records’ establishment processed personnel records in New Zealand. Postings, Transfers, Attachments and Marching “In” or “Out” Wogan’s “treatise on the pay and records procedure” also specifies the precise meaning of these commonly used terms: ….the terms “posted”, “transferred”, “marched in” or “out” are used in 2 NZEF as under: POSTED: Any disposition of a soldier within his own corps or arm of the service; i.e., a soldier is “posted” to any unit of his own corps or to an HQ or extra-regimental unit, but not the “X” list. TRANSFERRED: Any disposition of a soldier to a corps or arm of the service other than that to which he was originally posted: i.e., a soldier is “transferred” if, being a soldier of the NZ Engineers, he is struck off the strength of NZE and taken on the strength of the NZ Corps of Signals. He is also “transferred” to the “X” list. (HQ 2 NZEF authority is required for all inter-corps transfers). ATTACHED: Used only to denote the temporary removal of a soldier from one unit to another. “Attaching” never removes a soldier from the strength of his original corps or takes him off the strength of a unit. MARCHED IN OR OUT: Used to indicate the actual arrival in or departure from a unit, except in the case of arrivals and departures of patients to and from hospitals, in which case the terms “admitted” and “discharged” will be used.
Also found a Nz explanation of the Medical fitness categories here: http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2PMed-pt7-c1-2.html In the Code of Instructions for Medical Boards four grades were laid down under which men were to be classified according to their physical and mental condition. These were later (on 2 December 1940) co-ordinated with the Army Department's classification of recruits according to fitness for the various types of military service, as follows: · Grade I: Men who attain the full normal standard of health and strength and are capable of enduring physical exertion suitable to their age. Classification: Fit for active service in any part of the world. · Grade IA: Men suitable for Grade I, but who have been degraded for minor disabilities easily and quickly remedied. · Grade II: Those who, while suffering from disabilities disqualifying them for Grade I, do not suffer from progressive organic disease, have fair hearing and vision, are of moderate muscular development, and are able to undergo a considerable amount of physical exertion not involving severe strain. Classification: Fit for active service in New Zealand. · Grade III: Those who present such marked physical disabilities or evidence of past disease that they are not fit for the amount of exertion required for Grade II; those who suffer from any of the diseases or disabilities specifically mentioned in the detailed instructions as indications for classification in Grade III. Classification: Fit only for clerical work or other sedentary military occupations in New Zealand. · Grade IV: Those who suffer from progressive organic disease or are for other reasons permanently incapable of the kind or degree of exertion required for Grade III. Classification: Permanently unfit for any military service whatever. Note: In the revised Code of Instructions published in 1942 slight amendments were made in the classifications, more particularly relating to ability to serve in New Zealand in a state of emergency. In June 1943 2 NZEF in the Middle East found it necessary to alter the terminology for medical grading, as what was originally drawn up for men being received into the Army in New Zealand could not be practically applied to an Expeditionary Force overseas.
