Infantry Brigade Companies of the Royal Army Service Corps, Italy 1943-1945

I'm researching a Great Uncle whose Service Record states that he was with No.519 Infantry Brigade Company, RASC, joining them on 27/06/1943 after the end of the Tunisia Campaign, and was with them through the 46th Division campaigns in Italy (with a respite in the Middle East in 1944) until being sent for demob leave when they were in Villach, Austria.

I've got the 46th Division order of battle under X Corps & US Fifth Army and a pdf of their 1946 history, so I'm about to set off on a journey up Italy from Salerno with them which will probably throw up more questions, but it would be really useful to know:

Was 519 Inf Bde Coy attached to a specific Infantry Brigade within 46th Div (and if so which one), the options being 128, 138 & 139 Inf Bdes - as I suspect they were meant to be - or whether the three IBCs (519,520,570 along with 521 Inf Div transport) acted more as Divisional troops working for whichever of the Infantry Brigades happened to be in the line?

Was every 'Driver' in the RASC actually a driver, or was it just the rank used for Private?

Cornelius Montague ENRIGHT DoB 12/06/1910
Pte 6026971 30th Bn Essex Regt 18/07/1940 - 28/01/1943
Dvr T/6026971 519th Infantry Brigade Company, Royal Army Service Corps 30/01/1940 - 23/01/1946

 

Welcome,

An online search with: "519 Infantry Brigade Company" site:ww2talk.com did not identify any threads, but did show that there were other, possibly relevant threads:

a) 520 Company Royal Army Service Corps
b) 521 division tps coy, rasc

This thread shows the organization of such a company (amidst many other RASC unit) so Control F with infantry brigade. See: Motor transport units rasc

There are many threads id'd with: "Infantry Brigade Company" site:ww2talk.com the one above appeared to help.

I expect each RASC company was "married" to a brigade, like RA field regiments were. You could try an online search for each brigade you have id'd. So for example "XXth or minus th" + "RASC"

Note: author has another thread on his subject' service records: Service Record decryption experts

 

Thanks
Those two were in the Order of Battle for the 46th but I was hoping to find an association with a fighting brigade, so I'd have a better idea of which bit of 46Div they were acting with as their war diary is not online at the NA. The last link is great to get an idea of the establishment
Jim

 

There was indeed normally a direct allotment of RASC Coys to Bdes within Divisions however the RASC were determined to utilise available transport to the maximum, which could see Coys serving different formations than the ones they were nominally expected to. I did have a check of the OOB for 46 Inf Div in Italy but while it lists the component RASC units they aren't paired with specific Bdes.

I can't profess to know the exact policy, but certainly on WE Tables for RASC units, Driver, IC, did appear under the Personnel section of the Table, which showed all unit personnel by rank. Dependent upon the WE in question, it could be in addition to Privates, so was not a replacement for the term. A very quick look at a few WEs would suggest that Private was used for tradesmen who were not required to be drivers, such as clerks and storemen, and some non-tradesmen roles (Admin Corporal being the only one I can see offhand from the WEs); all other non-tradesmen look to have come under the Driver, IC, heading.

Gary

 

Thanks Gary
I'm getting the distinct impression they were used as fit by the division. At the Salerno landings it looks like they were on normal supply duties for 138 Bde, with 520 on special ammo supply, but not sure that this means that was their normal role. What you've added somewhat firms up that he might have been an actual driver, though as I research Italy I'm probably about to discover that a lot of frontline supply in the he stickier phases of the Italian campaign was by foot and mule...
Jim

 

The RASC Coys were allocated by military precedence. The lowest numbered Coy went to the lowest numbered Inf Bde - and so on.

Regards

Frank

 

That would make sense, Frank - 128th Hampshires Inf Bde in this case. I'll see if I can pick up any references in the few war diaries that I can find. J

 

Hi,
If you can get to Kew they have these three War Diaries there that might have the information that you are looking for in them.

There are a some members on the forum who can copy them for you, Gary Tankard, Drew5233, if you cannot get there yourself. Anyone require War Diaries or other files from the National Archives?

WO 169/11940 - War Office: British Forces, Middle East: War Diaries, Second World War. Royal Army Service Corps. Companies. | Royal Army Service Corps: 519 Company (RASC
01/04/1943 - 31/12/1943

WO 170/2550 - War Office: Central Mediterranean Forces, (British Element): War Diaries, Second World War. Italy. Royal Army Service Corps. | Companies: 519 Coy.
01/01/1944 - 31/12/1944

WO 170/5791 - War Office: Central Mediterranean Forces, (British Element): War Diaries, Second World War. Italy 1945. Royal Army Service Corps. | Companies: 519 Coy.
01/01/1945 - 31/12/1945

Regards

Danny

 

I have some WDs for 128 Inf Bde which includes Operation Orders. I will see if they are on the Distribution List on the documents.

That will confirm if they came under 128 Inf Bde

Regards

Frank

 

Frank - That's kind of you, Would love copies if possible as I'll probably be following them up Italy for a while.

There's a mangled Op Order for Avalanche (Salerno landing) in the HQ X Corps file WO-228-25 at the National Archive, but it's in terrible condition (or the scan is). Worryingly the full Order of Battle for 5th Army in WO-228-18 which gives each unit a Serial Number puts them in sequence 570, 519, 520, 521 but doesn't associate them with the brigades.