Hi everyone. I have receive my uncle's service records. However, I think there is at least a page missing and would like to know what you think. I have transcribed the page and also attach the copy I received. There are no entries after 21/8/44 I must add that my brother in the UK applied for the records and has sent me photos of the documents. He commented that there was very litle paper work. he applied as next of kin as Harry didn't have children. 3387971 H Rossiter deemed to have enlisted 16/10/39 in the East Lancashire Regiment Unit Details Rank Date No 4 H.B Posted to 4th H Batt Heyton? Pte 13/02/40 1st Posted East Lancs Regiment “ 05/03/40 Proceeded Overseas “ 18/04/40 Y List Admitted to Hospital & Placed on Y List “ 01/06/40 ITC Disembarked in UK from BEF & admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Edgbaston Birmingham “ 02/06/40 Posted to Y List “ 15/06/40 Y List Posted to ITC “ 04/11/40 ITC Posted to 7th Btn “ 08/01/41 Transferred to RA & posted to 103 Light AA “ 01/12/41 390/119 LAA Regt ? Trans R Scots Fusiliers L/BDR 21/08/44 (ITC-Infantry Training Centre Y List Unable to be posted to a regiment as he was recovering from wounds. ) He was wounded whilst serving with the Royal Scots Fusiliers as per casualty record. I have a copy of the War Diary for the period he was wounded,courtesy of a member of the forum. Diane
Hi, It’s very difficult to pass an opinion on whether anything is missing unless you confirm you’ve post all the material your brother received from MOD. You’ve posted his Statement of Service form but the most helpful form(s) are the Army Forms B103 - Casualty Forms - which usually record a soldier’s movements in more detail than the Statement of Service form. Steve
Hi, Thanks for the copy of the reverse side of the B102 form - there is also detail recorded on the obverse side. Unfortunately my eyes are not good enough to make out much of the detail - a much sharper and focussed image would be helpful. I’d have struggled with the copy Statement of service form without your helpful transcription. I can make out he was posted to xii list while serving with RSF - which suggests another incident of illness/injury/wound which may be recorded on a Casualty List. If you turn that up you’ll likely identify his RSF Battalion. The Casualty list you’ve attached appears to be in relation to his wound sustained whilst serving with 1st ELR in France 1940. It wasn’t unusual for infantry to be transferred to a (newly created) Light Anit Aircraft Regiment in the early years of the war and conversely a lot of LAA units were disbanded in 1944 to reinforce infantry units. Steve
Hi, Thanks for your reply. A total of 7 pages were received and I will check with my brother that he hasn't missed something. I live in Cape Town and he lives in the UK so it was easier for him to apply for the records. At the same time he applied for the records of another uncle who served with the 2nd Recce Regiment and received 16 pages. I have attached some more pages. My intention was to attach all the pages and somehow I deleted them. Very clever of me. 2 pages are personal details and the 3rd is another statement of service which shows no details of postings. Thanks for your help Diane
Hi, Thanks for posting the documents. Once again the MOD documents are too blurred for me to read closely. I’d suggest that if you compare the numbered documents “ticked” in the “Discharge Documents” stamp to the documents you’ve received you will identify the missing items. Whilst some of those documents may not be “releasable” you ought to ask MOD to search for them - principally the B103’s - as other members have received more documents when contacting MOD Glasgow again - although it may simply be the case that they’ve been mislaid from his file over the past 70 odd years. Steve
Hi Steve, Thanks for pointing out the Discharge Documents stamp. I hadn't noticed it. Form B103 is ticked and form W3040 which is the Casualty Card. Only reason I know that is because there is a card is in my Uncle Levi's records. I have asked my brother to contact the MOD. I also have problems reading the documents. Fortunately they are on my computer and I can zoom in. Thanks again Diane
Hi Diane, Wonder if your Heyton is Layton, near Blackpool? I doubt it is Huyton near Liverpool. Steve
Hi Steve, I have tried enlarging and enhancing the document and it looks like Huyton. I have been unable to find anything about 4th H Batt (Battery or Battalion) However to muddy the waters there is Haighton which according to Wikipedia-------- "Haighton is a civil parish in the City of Preston, Lancashire, England. It is a rural area north east of the urban city of Preston, beyond Fulwood and Brookfield." Perhaps it is just spelt wrong. I doubt if we will ever know. Diane
I realise now that the pages I uploaded should have had a higher resolution so I have downloaded 2 of them again. The service records we received are not complete. Forms B103 are missing. I phoned the MOD and they said they would recall the file and double check.... I now know that the 7th Battalion East Lancs Regiment became 103 LAA Regiment. He was with them from 1/12/41 until they disbanded in 1944. He was then posted to 390/119 LAA Embarked o'seas 16/7/44 He was posted to the Royal Scots Fusiliers 4/5 Battalion 8/11/44 He was wounded in action and returned home 11/3/45 and was discharged Dec 1945 I now have to find out more about 103 LAA and 119 LAA Diane
Hi Diane, Thanks for the better quality images. I can now make out he was posted to 4th Holding Battalion ELR at Huyton - a post war housing estate built on the outskirts of Liverpool - in 1940 it was a much smaller place and mostly green fields so loads of space for temporary camps to be built. In WW1 Canadian forces camped there on arrival from Canada. I can make out his posting to 119 LAA Regiment but can’t see mention of 390 Battery - perhaps it is on one of the other difficult to read documents. Steve
Hi Steve, If you look at the Record of Service, where it says transferred to Royal Scots Fusiliers, in the unit column it says 390/119. Life would have been so much simpler if all the records had been received. Regards Diane
Update. Still no word from MOD re missing records.(B103) I emailed the Veterans Agency and have received a reply stating that they have referred the matter to the Subject Access Request Team. Sounds very grand. At least I received a reply from them. I live in hope as I can't get much further without the missing records
Thanks for the update. I appreciate youve said yiu are receiving the material from your brother but all the material I’ve received always had a covering letter attached signed by the MOD clerk who dealt with the enquiry plus the individuals extension. Other members in your position phoned the named individual and received a speedy response. Steve
Hi Steve, I have a copy of the letter and I decided to phone the MOD. Gave them the reference number etc. That was in September and as yet no response. I did ask them to reply to my brother who requested the records. Perhaps I am being impatient. Regards Diane
Far from it Diane. Other members spoke of getting replies within days of their telephone calls. I’d be chasing it up once again by phone and following it up with an email. Steve
Hi Steve, Thank you for your advice. I phoned the MOD and I gather that the chap I spoke to didn't retrieve the file. (I could hear the conversatin between him and the lady I was speaking too) So hopefully now I will get somewhere. Perhaps I will get lucky. I really need the B103 as I have picked up something odd regarding his postings. Diane
