ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS

Looking for help.

Using documents, photographs and artefacts left by my father(Sgt James Thornton Brigham service number T/165850) I have been compiling a spread sheet timeline of his service with the R.A.S.C through the UK, North Africa, Italy and Austria 1940 - 46.

In order to fill in some gaps I applied for his service record some 6 months ago and having now received this, while it has answered some questions it has also thrown up a couple of surprises.

I already knew that he had reported for duty to the R.A.S.C. No 3 Training Centre Margate on 21/02/1940 and that he attended Paddington Technical Institute between the middle of March and beginning of Sept that year on some type of Fitters course (I have his exercise books from that period). His service record shows that on the 17/09/1940 he was "Posted to 24 Res M.T. Coy from No 11 Training Battn? (Articifer) at Swindon, he then stayed with this unit at Hampstead until joining No 347 Gen Tpt Coy (later 347 Inv Div Coy) at Kirkintilloch on 01/11/1941. He remained with 347 Coy throughout North Africa & Italy until 21/11/1945 when following leave in the UK his unit is then recorded as being 2 C.R.U. until demob in March 46. All of his personal Army documents for this 4 month period are however stamped 934 Coy R.A.S.C. although his service record makes no mention of this unit.

I have located records at Kew for 347 Coy & 934 Coy and intend paying them a visit over the next few months but I have been unable to locate any records for any of the other units.

Does anyone have any information or know where I can look on any of the following -:
1. R.A.S.C. No 3 Training Centre
2. No 11 Training Battn?
3. No 24 Res M.T. Coy.
4. No 2 C.R.U. (believed to be Civilian Resettlement Unit)

I apologise for this being a bit long winded but thought it necessary in order to get it to make some sense. If anyone can help me with information on any of the above or point me in the right direction I would very much appreciate it, even the smallest snippets would be well received.

Many thanks,

David.

 

David.

347 Gen Tpt Coy were part of 46 British Division. Your father would have landed at Salerno in Sep 43 and then been part of the Div's move up towards Rome. The Div was involved in the First Battle of Monte Cassino on 19 Jan 44 when it was tasked with seizing the hilltop village of San Ambrogio. The attack failed.

Regards

FdeP

 

Hi,
Many thanks for the response.

I had wondered what Div. my Fathers unit was attached to as I had not been able to find any references anywhere so that is very useful information for me, his documents however make no reference to Salerno.

Among my Fathers wartime documents and photographs of which there are many, from his initial medical appointment in York to his discharge papers there is a small notebook in which he recorded his movements from leaving the UK on the night of 6/7th Jan 1943 in convoy KMF7 to returning home in March 46.

The note book records that he left Bone docks at 10.00 hrs on the 10/10/43 aboard LCI (L) 103 calling at Catania and landing at Taranto at 08.00 on the 14/10. His route then took him pretty much up the East coast of Italy via Brindisi, Bari etc. as far as Scerni and Larino which he reached on the 18/03/44. I do recall him telling us many years ago that his unit was moved toward Cassino at some point and this is borne in the book as the next entries after Larino are Vairano on the 19/04 and then Roccasecca which is north of Cassino on the 18/06. He then moved on past Rome and took a route via Florence back to the Adriatic coast arriving at Fano on the 06/09 and then on to Cattolica 21/09 and Rimini 13/11.

I now pretty much have his movements pinned down for the duration and will hopefully be looking at some of the 347 Coy war dairies over the next few months to provide final confirmation and detail. The real grey areas are the units that he served under at the beginning and end of his service (noted in my original post)as to date I have been unable to locate any records for any of them.

Again, many thanks for your reply, I will pursue the 46 Div. line of enquiry to see where it leads,

David.

 

Hello David and welcome.

My father's war service started not unlike yours joining on 1 February 1940 in Leeds and being posted to 10 Driver Training Centre in Cromer until joining 13 Res MT Coy in Leatherhead 28 March 1940 and then sailing for the middle east 6 January 1941.

I have been unable to find any information on 10 DTC Cromer either from war diaries or local Cromer historic societies. His time with the 13 RMT Coy was spent moving new recruits, troops and transport etc from location to location.

His final months in 1946 before discharge in September are a bit patchy but he ended up as part of the British Army on the Rhine, continuing to look. I find the more you find the more there is to look for.

Good luck with your search - sorry cannot assist.

Brian

 

David.

You might find some more information in the 46th Infantry Division History.

It is hard to come by but full of really good stuff.

Regards

FdeP

 

Guys,

Many thanks for your replies, it's all fascinating stuff and every little helps.

I sat up late last night further trawling the Kew records and found a reference for the War Diary of 24 Res MT Coy for the period 1st Sept 40 to 31st Oct 41 which covers the period that my father served with that particular unit. I now have War diary references for his entire service period excluding the first 6 months or so from his enlistment date of 21st Feb 40 most of which he spent training and at Paddington Technical College.

It is interesting that this is the only diary I can find for this unit and as his Service Record shows him on leave at the end of Oct 41 and then joining 347 GT Coy from 1st Nov 41 it begs the question, was 24 Res MT Coy re-numbered as 347 GT Coy from that date?, guess I need to view the diary but any thoughts on the subject would be appreciated.

Thanks again,

David

 

Further to my earlier posts on this subject, following 28 days Blighty leave my Fathers diary for this period reads as follows -:

14/10/45 - left York
16/10/45 - left Calais
17/10/45 - arrived Novarra (via Switzerland) at midnight
27/10/45 - left Novarra
28/10/45 - arrived CRU Treviso
30/10/45 - left Treviso
30/10/45 - arrived Udine T/Camp
31/10/45 - arrived Villach (2 CRU)
07/11/45 - arrived Bruck
09/11/45 - arrived Vienna (Shon Bks)
21/11/45 - Struck off strength to 2 CRU (this is taken from his service record)
25/02/46 - let Vienna

As he seems to have spent 10 days in Novarra before moving on can anyone confirm what unit was based there, he was still on the strength of 347 coy R.A.S.C. at the time.
I am also looking to understand the role of the CRU,s based in Treviso & Villach in late 1945. The list of abbreviations supplied with his service record quotes CRU as being "Civilian Resettlement Unit" but I have recently seen a reference in a book that I was reading referring to a CRU in Italy as a "Corps Replacement Unit" so in relation to these 2 units which is correct? and what was their role?.
From the 21/11/45 to demob his service record shows his unit as being 2 CRU although all of his documentation for this period including his release paperwork is stamped by 934 coy R.A.S.C. What would be the relationship between these 2 units?

Any information or pointers would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

David.

 

Owen.

I found that info on the internet and did wonder at the time because the Coy movements did not always follow the 46 BR Inf div.

thank you for clearing that one up.

F

 

Hi David

I may go to Kew on Friday. If you send me the reference for 347 GT Coy I can have a look-see, since it covers a time period of interest to me.

All the best

Andreas

 

Andeas,

If you do go to Kew and have time I would very much appreciate it.

The relevant reference for 347 coy is WO170/5746, this covers the period 01/01/45 to 30/11/45.

I am curious to know the whereabouts of this unit from the middle of October 45 through to the end of Nov and what happened to it on 30/11/45 i.e. did it disband on that date?

Many thanks,

David.

 

Owen - Minden - Brigsy

Some confusion here regarding units attached to etc....e.g his unit MAY have landed in Algiers in Jan '43 - but not necessarily with 46th Div....thus both were in 1st Army..BUT..46th Div landed at Salerno on 9/9/43 whereas his unit then

landed at TARANTO in October '43 and went up the EAST side - Brindisi - Bari etc with 8th Army until moving CLOSE TO CASSINO - possibly with 46th Div in X corps in US 5th Army on the Garigliano NEAR CASSINO as the first battle of

Cassino was fought by the three Divs of French/African and 34th US Division - which failed....after ROME - they might have been floating as 46th Div took off for Egypt ..returning in Aug for the Gothic Line..whereas his unit went off to Florence

etc with US 5th Army- before returning to 8th Army at Cattolica / Rimini and before the last battles at the Argenta gap......he was obviously one of the first for LIAP shortly after it's inception in the autumn of '45 - returning tp

to Austria to deal with zillions of displaced persons...

Cheers

 

Tom,

Many thanks for your response, I think that the link with 46th Div was somewhat tenuous and has not been proved. Dads personal diary whilst recording his own movements with 347 coy does not make reference to any higher echelon unit that it may have been attached to so for the moment this will have to remain a mystery.

For the record, I know from conversations with him many years ago that during his time in Vienna his workshop was based in the stable block situated in the grounds of the Schonbrunn Palace, the block is to the right as you approach the Palace from the front gates. The unit based there (934 coy?) was apparently servicing and returning requisitioned vehicles to their rightful owners amongst other duties. I have a couple of photos from his time there over Christmas 45 and judging by the number of ladies present he seemed to have enjoyed his time there.

Many thanks,

David.

 

David

When we were in Vienna for the Tattoo we were lodged in the Barracks on the LEFT side of the Palace - and we took great care to remove the door knob from the corridor side of the door in order not to be disturbed by people looking of

volunteers - for anything - this caused a problem for my brother who had flown up from Malta in a Bomber to see me for the day - he landed in the Russian sector who didn't take to kindly to that - then the trouble finding me behind an

unoppenable door..but then Vienna was always fun - have been back there three times since the war..and after ROME - it's my favourite city

Cheers

 

My father driver Buckley.W. 14449117. joined the RASC during the war, we do not have his enlistment details or medals as he remarried and his wife got rid of them. He came out of the corps and went back in again. At the end of his service I believe he was out in Aden during the Suez crisis. I know he was in Sicily and Italy in 1944 but at the moment that is all the info I have and as my mum recently passed have no way of finding anything else with many thanks if any one can help.

 

Margaret
Link here to apply for his service records, the only definite way to find out his units and where he was
https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records

30 quid and around 6 months wait.

Lesley