I've just managed to get my wife's grandfathers ww2 service records.there are quite a few codes/abreviations that i can't work out though.don't know if i could scan them and post them on here for help? also he moved around several regiments,was this normal? started in 9th south staffs,then 2/9th,then 16th btn,then 31st btn.then posted to south wales borderers 30th btn,a month later he was posted to royal irish fusiliers,then back to 30th south wales borderers.then onto 6th btn devonshire regiment and then 30th btn devonshire. this is my first effort at posting for help,and any help would be gladly appreciated.
Steveofadown, Hello and welcome to the forum. Most people only possess an A4 scan, so just divide the larger non A4 sheets and scan them with an overlap. This way members can piece them together to read the whole content and hopefully provide you with answers. Regards Tom
To help everyone, can you go through each page, type out what you do know and ask what you dont know, saves us all a bit of work. Some of the code things are just clerical references, dont make any difference to his service. regards Robert
right,here goes.on his service and casualty form at the top it states 9th [HD] Bn s.s.r joined 20/6/40 at i think Burton.then forfeits one days pay R.W for absence 3/9/40. 14/10/40 trans to 2/9th Bn south staffs regt. 5/11/40 for absence 7 days R.W at Barthomley.granted W.I.P.P wes 19/11/40.for absence forfeits 4 days pay[2 days RW] 19/5/41 at Barthomley.granted 4 days leave[comp 4 days] 21/2/41.appointed U/P/A Lcpl 1/1/42 at Holmes Chapel.appointed paid L/cpl wes 1/1/42. 31st s s r granted 7 days leave LRRA 6/1/42.granted 2 days leave LRRA 28/1/42.deprived of lance app for misconduct 20/2/42.for absence 1 day 2 days RW for misconduct 1 days pay. 4/3/42.for absence 1 day 1 days pay RW at sandbach 25/5/42.3/7/42 at newport,transferred RSWB and posted 30th Bn.transferred to R.I.F posted to 30th Bn 17/8/42.at Rockport transferred to SWB 23/10/42.Transferred to Devonshire Regt and posted to 6th Bn at Londonderry 29/3/43,posted 30th Devon 31/1/44. reclassified as a class 1a soldier 15/may/44.SOS on posting 14 Holding Bn 8/nov/45.posted to 14 Hld Bn from 30 devons TOS 9/11/45.SOS on proceeding for release &? to Y list E.W.F 22/1/46. Thats the bits of that i can make out on that form,but why all the moving?and i can't find any info on any of those battalions,not sure if Rockport was a POW camp in Craigavon in N.I.
I've also tried to decipher his tesimonial;"He is of smart appearance,loyal,hardworking and willing.He is an honest, and likeable type of man with ??? habits.capable of controlling men,and a first class infantryman" I think thats what it says.
Staff duties - everything on military documents as confusing as they sometimes appear - fall into one of three categories - why, when and what (for) - much stock is put on 'authority' who gave the authority for why this man is going to and how he gets there - what he will be doing there. That is why there are references AGIs -ACIs, Pt II orders and on and on - all have a meaning to pay clerks, rations, clothing and so on. A screw up by a clerk and then compounded by an officer signing the occurrence off without checking could cost a man a pay scale maybe a medal if his documents do not confirm he was in theatre. I can remember a man on commanding officers being dismissed from a charge because of a failure to record something on his conduct sheet that a company clerk had not entered.
still a bit confused over why he moved around so much Not really.......... You are talking about a period between 1940 and 1946 I would guess that most of us who served during that period could show similar erratic movements, as a glance at my own signature will show. Ron
Hi wes is actually wef - with effect from U/P/A LCpl - unpaid acting Lance Corporal P ditto- paid regards Robert class 1a - fit to fight I think sos - struck off strength
