I would appreciate a little help on some lingo in the diary me and the wife are trying to write up. He started off in the Somerset L.I. and transferred as the diary starts, to the 183rd F.A. and went to North Africa. First off, in the diary's. We had FFI, free from infection, I think? Full battle order? Difference between, Compo rations and Haversack rations? Tin box food A, B, C, D, and E ? Pup tents? Tin pits? Blancoed ? Kd'S Any help will be appreciate. Keith.
Tin box food A, B, C, D, and E ? Different menu's Comp = Composite rations that come in a box. Containing tins and dried food etc. Haversack = Fresh food type rations that have a sell by date I maybe wrong but I'd suspect thats what you'd get today ish.
Full Battle Order - listed as FBO or FSMO full service marching order. Compo (sition) rations tinned and boxed, A,B etc each box contained a different menu - rotation of letter - where possible was supposed to vary the diet! Haversack rations- usually cook prepared - sandwiches etc KD Khaki Drill - work uniform Blanco - a webbing preserver (supposedly) as cadets we used Blanco, KG103 Khaki Green!
FFI= generally refers to french forces of the interior, however im not sure why any of them would have been in north africa.
For me,FFL and not FFI.FFL are forces francaises libres,wich were involved in fights besides the British army in north Africa.
Thanks for all your help and did some digging myself. FFI, we think is more likely to be free from infection, inspection, it seems to be in the right context and French forces of the interior comes up a lot on the net, but don't think its anything to do with that. Full battle order, - full battle dress. Difference between, Compo rations and Haversack rations, thanks for that info. The Tin box food,sounds right. Pup tents, will look more into them. Tin pits, maybe cooking area? Blancoed, should have known that. Kd'S, working uniform, sounds right also As these words are just pulled from the diary, they are out of context, but when we get the meaning of a word right, it slots into place. Thanks again.
I would just like to say that the diaries we are writing up, are non-military personal diaries he kept from 1942-1944, in the Royal Army Medical Corp, with all his experiences good and bad.