14431426 Driver George Henry ROCKINGHAM, REME

Hello everyone,

As promised, an opening thread looking in to some details about my late grandfather. I am lucky to have his Service medals, as well as his Soldier's release Book and his Service and Pay book, although the details are quite scant! It would seem he did his basic training in late 1943, before he "Attended Driver I.C. Course at 14 T.T.C. R.E.M.E.", dated 22 Dec 43. It's difficult to interpret, but the next lines read:
Qualified Dvr I.C. 4/4/44
Awarded three service chevrons w.e.f. 12 Aug 43
EXPOSED "I2M" 10.12.44

The "I2M" is a guess - it is difficult to read. I will try and upload picture.

Elsewhere in the Service book is a list of leave, amongst it is a line:
AD 24 Nov - 8 Dec 44 Embarkation

I'm guessing this was when he was shipped out to Burma. I spoke briefly with my Mother about it - she knows he drove Scammell Explorer recovery tractors, and had driven from Chittagong to Rangoon before he was stricken with malaria and a mystery skin infection. He was flown out of Rangoon to somewhere in India to recover and convalesce.

I'd really like to know a bit more about the units he was with and where he operated, and where he may have been sent to hospital. I recall him saying that it was in the mountains in India, so the climate was quite pleasant and a relief to his itchy skin! It looks like he may have been sent back to the UK in early 1946 - "Disembarkation 8.1.46-24.1.46"

Any tips on where to go next would be gratefully received!

J

 

Hopefully the record scans will be visible

 

Those scans are from his AB64 and are not the same as his service records. If you want to know which units he was in, you should apply for his (hopefully) full service records.

 

As per the above post you will need his official records which can be applied for Get a copy of military records of service: Overview - GOV.UK

You will need a copy of his death certificate which, if you haven't got you can apply for online from the gov.gro site. Looks like his death was registered in Derby Q2 2004?