Hi! I was wondering if anyone with knowledge on the R.A.S.C could point me in the correct direction... I am guessing that I now need to contact/visit the National Archives to look through a war diary to try and find out a little more. I would like to try and find out more about my relatives death. Why was he was buried where he was buried. I have already had some help with the abbreviations as to Unit's, postings etc. Now I'm wondering what war diary I would need and is there any other avenues I can go down to find more. It seems that it was first reported that he was killed by a S/W and later revised as a Motorcycle Accident. Belguim was under our control at the time of his death... Any help would be greatly appreciated. Richard John Alecock... NAME: ALECOCK. Frederick Derrick, DATE OF BIRTH: 31st May 1924 PLACE OF BIRTH: Mildenhall, Suffolk DATE OF BAPTISM: 2nd Aug 1924 PLACE OF BAPTISM: St. Mary’s Parish Church, Mildenhall, Suffolk NAME OF FATHER: / (unknown) NAME OF MOTHER: Marion Evelyn (Alecock) Clark (1903 – 1981) MARRIED BEFORE OR DURING MILITARY SERVICE (YES OR NO): No NAME OF WIFE: / DATE OF MARRIAGE: / PLACE OF MARRIAGE: / --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIRST NAME(S): Frederick Derrick LAST NAME: ALECOCK SERVICE NUMBER: 14332949 RANK: Driver REGIMENT: Royal Army Service Corps BIRTH PLACE: Suffolk RESIDENCE: Ely, Isle of DEATH YEAR: 1944 DEATH DAY: 15 DEATH MONTH: 12 THEATRE OF WAR: Western Europe Campaign, 1944/45 RECORD SET: Army Roll Of Honour 1939-1945 CATEGORY: Military, armed forces & conflict SUBCATEGORY: Second World War COLLECTIONS FROM: Great Britain --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FULL NAME: Alecock, Frederick Derrick RANK: Driver SERVICE NO: T/14332949 DATE OF DEATH: 15/12/1944 AGE: 20 REGIMENT/SERVICE: Royal Army Service Corps GRAVE REFERENCE: X. 26. 36. CEMETERY: Brussels Town Cemetery, Evere, Brussels, Belguim --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S/T-49. / ARMY FORM B 200D. (REVISED). / TO BE PREPARED IN ORIGINAL ONLY / NATIONAL REGISTRATION IDENTITY NUMBER: TZIM/22.3. REGISTRATION NUMBER UNDER N.S. ACTS: ELZ 2633. TERRITORIAL ARMY RECORD OF SERVICE PAPER/ of a man deemed to have been enlisted into the Territorial Army or the duration of the emergency under the provisions of the National Service Acts, 1939 to 1941. ARMY NUMBER: 14332949 NAME: ALECOCK. Frederick Derrick, UNIT POSTED TO: General Service Corps WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME AND PERMANENT POSTAL ADDRESS (CHRISTIAN NAMES): Frederick Derrick, (SURNAME): Alecock ADDRESS: 4, Wilburton Road, Stretham, Cambridgeshire IN OR NEAR WHAT PARISH OR TOWN WERE YOU BORN, IN THE PARISH OF: Mildenhall IN OR NEAR THE TOWN OF: Mildenhall IN THE COUNTY OF: Suffolk ARE YOU A BRITISH SUBJECT: Yes (England) NATIONALITY OF PARENTS AT THEIR BIRTH (FATHER): EnglishAT THEIR BIRTH (MOTHER): English WHAT IS THE FULL DATE OF YOUR BIRTH: 31-05-24 ARE YOU MARRIED, WIDOWER, OR SINGLE: Single PREVIOUS MILITARY ENGAGEMENTS: No BELONG TO OR SERVED IN THE SENIOR TRAINING CORPS: No HAVE YOU TRULY STATED THE WHOLE, IF ANY, OF YOUR PREVIOUS SERVICE: Yes ARE YOU INSURED UNDER THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE ACT, NAME OF SOCIETY: Unknown ARE YOU INSURED UNDER THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT: Yes I, Frederick Derrick Alecock DO SOLEMNLY DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE ANSWERS MADE BY ME TO THE ABOVE QUESTIONS ARE TRUE / SIGNED: F. D. Alecock (Signature of Man) SIGNED: R. N. Duke (Signature of Witness) STATEMENT OF SERVICES OF NO: 14332949 NAME: F. D. Alecock TOTAL SERVICE TOWARDS ENGAGEMENT IN TERRITORIAL ARMY: 2 YEARS 41 DAYS DEATH ON (DATE): 15-12-44 27/03/44 268/44 299 GT COY GHQ21 NAME, ADDRESS AND RELATIONSHIP OF NEXT-OF-KIN: Mrs. R. Clark (Sister) ADDRESS OF NEXT-OF-KIN: Cage Lane, Stretham, Isle of Ely, Cambridge IDENTIFICATION OF F. D. Alecock ON JOINING: HEIGHT: 5ft. 8⅝ Ins. WEIGHT: 155 lbs. EYES: Brown HAIR: Brown CHEST MEASUREMENT, GIRTH WHEN FULLY EXTENDED: 38½ Ins. CHEST MEASUREMENT, RANGE OF EXPANSION: 3 Ins. RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION: C of E (Church of England) DISTINCTIVE MARKS ETC: Scar right eyelid, Mole left shoulder blade MEDICAL GRADE: One (1). EQUIVALENT ARMY MEDICAL CATEGORY: A. 3. OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION ON ENLISTMENT: 012/2 INDUSTRY GROUP: A. B. AS DETERMINED BY THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND NATIONAL SERVICE: Plumbers Labourer (94) MILITARY HISTORY SHEET: HOME: 05-11-1942 – 31-05-44, 1 Year, 208 Days. MILITARY HISTORY SHEET: NWE (NORTH WEST EUROPE): 01-06-1944 – 15-12-44, 0 Year, 198 Days. MILITARY HISTORY SHEET: TOTAL: 2 Years, 41 Days. CAMPAIGNS, MEDALS AND DECORATION: 1939/45 Star PT.II.0 93/47 RASC, RO 320/929 CAMPAIGNS, MEDALS AND DECORATION: Awarded War Medal 1939-45 CAMPAIGNS, MEDALS AND DECORATION: France/Germany Star RASC, RO 115/47, Letter STARS, CLASPS AND MEDALS: 16th Sep 1949 INJURIES IN OR BY THE SERVICE: Sustained slight injury 26-10-43 on duty not to blame army B117 STATEMENT OF SERVICES OF NO: 14332949 NAME: F. D. Alecock DEEMED TO HAVE ENLISTED: 5th Nov 1942, General Service Corps. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 60/1 05/11/42 UNIT: No. 1 ITC (Infantry Training Corps) PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: Posted No. 1 ITC (Infantry Training Corps) RANK: PTE (Private) FROM: 05/11/42 (Signature) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 91/42 UNIT: No. 57PTW PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: Transferred to R.A.S.C AuthWOWM112/MISC/3638 RANK: PTE (Private) (AGIP)P/ 06/12/42 FROM: 16/12/42 (Signature) 6 Tng Btn (Training Battalion) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 8845/44 UNIT: 96 D.I.D. (Detail Issue Depot) PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: Embarked RANK: / FROM: / -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: GHQ2ECH UNIT: 21. A.G. PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: UK RANK: DVR (Driver) FROM: 01/06/44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NR NIL 50 -/94 RG 03/11/44 RG 03/11/44 NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 279/ 19/12/42 UNIT: / PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: 6 Tng Btn (Training Battalion) RANK: PTE (Private) FROM: 16/12/42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 05/06/43 UNIT: 6 Tng Btn (Training Battalion) PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: DVR (Driver) I/C (In Command) Class III RANK: DVR (Driver) FROM: 05/06/43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 59/ 10/04/43 UNIT: / PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: 913(M)AA Coy (Mixed Anti-Aircraft Company) RANK: DVR (Driver) FROM: 08/04/43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 14/ 26/02/44 UNIT: 299 GT Coy (General Transport Company) PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: 399 Gen Tpt Coy (General Transport Company) RANK: DVR (Driver) FROM: 12/02/44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 22/ 15/06/44 UNIT: 96 DID (Detail Issue Depot) PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: 96 DID (Detail Issue Depot) RANK: DVR (Driver) FROM: 25/05/44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: 26/ 24/06/44 UNIT: Emb NWE (embarked for North West Europe) PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: Killed S.W. Head injury (Shell (or Shrapnel) Wound) RANK: DVR (Driver) FROM: 01/06/44 NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: HSG/923d/ 17/12/44 UNIT: 17/12/44 PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: Killed S.W. Head injury (Shell (or Shrapnel) Wound) RANK: DVR (Driver) FROM: 15/12/44 i/c R.A.S.C. (Royal Army Service Corps) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NO. OF PART II ORDER OF AUTHORITY: WE2ECas65474/41AD/ 01/01/45 UNIT: / PROMOTIONS, REDUCTIONS, CASUALTIES: Amend to read cause accidental injury RANK: DVR (Driver) whilst riding motor cycle FROM: 15/12/44 i/c R.A.S.C. (Royal Army Service Corps) V3336512 U.C. Prepared --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: 60/42 POSTINGS: 508JW 51142 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: / POSTINGS: no. 6 Tng Btn (Training Battalion) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: 91/42 POSTINGS: R.A.S.C 16/12/42 (Royal Army Service Corps) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: 279/ 19/12/42 POSTINGS: 6 Tng B.N 16/12/42 (Training Battalion) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: 59/ 10/04/43 POSTINGS: 913(M) AA Coy 08/04/43 (Mixed Anti-Aircraft Company) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: 299 G.T.COY 14/ 26/02/44 (General Transport Company) POSTINGS: 299 Gen Tpt Coy 12/02/44 (General Transport Company) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: 96 DID 22/ 15/06/44 (Detail Issue Depot) POSTINGS: 96 DID 25/05/44 (Detail Issue Depot) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART II ORDER: 26/ 24/06/44 POSTINGS: Emb NWE 01/06/44 (Embarked North West Europe) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENTRY DATE: 2nd Jan 1943 REGISTRATION NUMBER: 3335612 SURNAME: Alecock CHRISTIAN NAME(S): Frederick Derrick ARMY NUMBER: T/14,332,949 REGIMENT OR CORPS: G.S.C. R.A.S.C. NATURE OF ENGAGEMENT: A.C. DATE JOINING/ENLISTING: 05/11/1942 DATE OF BIRTH: 31 May 1924 NATIONALITY: English RELIGION: CofE (Church of England) INDUSTRY GROUP: A.B. OCCUPATIONAL CLASSIFICATION: 012-02 CAUSE OF BECOMING NON-EFFECTIVE: Died S.W. Head Injury DATE OF DEATH: 15/12/1944 SINGLE OR MARRIED: Single HOMETOWN AND COUNTY: Ely, Cambridgeshire (SG 3 Plus) RANK: Driver SERVICE, TRADE AND CLASSIFICATION: DVR1/CCLIII 11/43 6 TNG BAT 05//06/43 MEDICAL CATEGORY: A.3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your next step will indeed probably have to be looking at the War Diary for 96 D.I.D. There doesn't seem to be any subsequent unit mentioned and his embarkation date of 1st June would suggest that he was indeed with them. The diary for 1944 is WO 171/2117 - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4442225 I'd suspect that there is a reasonable chance of an accidental death being mentioned at this period. It may just be that January 1945 is worth looking at too. WO 171/6497 - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4446603 Riding a motorcycle in winter blackout conditions in a country with pavé roads would have been extremely hazardous and the out-riding and convoy marshalling duties of RASC motorcyclists were dangerous at the best of times. If you can't easily get to NA then ask on here as the diaries can be copied for a reasonable charge.
Hi, Having looked at a few Canadian service files online where cause of death was a motor accident in NWE I would suggest there would have been a court of enquiry in relation to this serviceman. The court of enquiry papers are included with the Canadian files. It may be worth asking MOD if there are court of enquiry papers with his service file. However it may be a different matter to get MOD to release them though! I would consider a FOI request if they say they have the papers but won't release them. Good Luck Steve Y
Hi Richard, welcome A great first posting giving all the details, concise and detailed. <Why was he was buried where he was buried.> It was because it was the area in which he died. It was only in the 1960s, the concept of bringing bodies back home was considered. Firstly it was a choice. You could either have the body of a loved one repatriated or two members of the family could go and attend a funeral in the foreign clime where the body was to be buried. The Falklands War hinted at the changing moods towards repatriation. In 2003, government policy officially changed in the UK. From that date all servicemen killed in the line of action were to be repatriated to the UK at the government's expense. Brussels Town Cemetery. Most of the Second World War casualties buried in the town cemetery died on lines of communication duties after the liberation of Brussels at the beginning of September 1944, but a few date from the brief period that the BEF spent in Belgium in May 1940. Brussels Town Cemetery contains 54 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and a further 587 from the Second World War, 4 of which are unidentified. There are also 35 Foreign National burials here and 5 Non world war Service burials.
Thank You all above for the wonderful posts. I am delighted with the feedback. I have to confess. I am really naive when it comes to any kind of Military History. I reaserached Family and Social history for 20 years now. I'm in a kind of a Pigeon Hole situation with my surname and where I live. But. I am learning most about our past soilders just by touching on individual characters that I have been led to from Family History reasearch. I visited Brussels Town Cem in Feb last year with my brother and cousin. It was truly a very moving experience. I am sure I will never really understand how lucky I am in life. But. I am trying to learn. I watched a good film the other night. Private Peaceful. It was a good insight into the life of war for WW1 and also the build up to war. If you have anything that helps tells the story about Derrick, the RASC, Brussel's during that time etc. please post. I am most interested. Thank You very much Richard John Alecock I have attached two pictures of our father's cousin Dvr Frederick Derrick Alecock and a picture of Me, my brother and cousin when we visited his grave in Evere, Belgium. Put a picture of him on his grave and a reef in the colours of the RASC... I'm sitting on the right as you look at the picture...
Hi Richard Welcome! Have you seen this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beach_groups - scroll down to the table, where 96 Detail Issue Depot is listed as part of No. 5 Beach Group, landed on Sword Beach on D-Day. Also jsut found this on Google books - https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=X187AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT123&lpg=PT123&dq=rasc+96+Detail+issue+depot&source=bl&ots=6qVRmciAvH&sig=DUgQ8o7w4GMuYMLBOWSm4YTMUHU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjf9sSx0cjKAhVHVhQKHcTCBtcQ6AEIPjAF#v=onepage&q=rasc%2096%20Detail%20issue%20depot&f=false Hope this helps. Cheers Ian
The motorcycle in the photograph looks to have telescopic forks rather than 'girders' which in wartime British usage indicates a Matchless G3/L. They were indeed used in considerable numbers by RASC. The quicker Ovehead Valve 350s such as the Matchless were needed for convoy work and the side-valve 'plodders' were often issued to DRs. An RASC motorcyclist's duties frequently involved closing junctions and directing traffic until the convoy had passed and then inevitably going like the clappers down the outside in order to get to the front again. With columns of heavy transport to pass, any slip could have fatal consequences.
Thank You Rich.. You have painted a picture in my mind of what it was like by giving detail. It's amazing how much you can discover from a photograph. Especially when you know what your looking at. Thank You for your expertise knowledge. It's another piece of the puzzle sorted.. From your earlier post regarding the 96 D. I. D.. I see the 299 General Transport Comp. mentioned a fair bit. Would it be worth me looking at this diary too.. And was the No.ITC where he enlisted the place at Warley...
As Rich says <An RASC motorcyclist's duties frequently involved closing junctions and directing traffic until the convoy had passed and then inevitably going like the clappers down the outside in order to get to the front again. With columns of heavy transport to pass, any slip could have fatal consequences.> So although being behind the lines it was not a safe place to be in, Now if Frederick was working North of Brussels, he would also have to put up with possible incoming V2s. During the V-weapon onslaught, over a period of 175 days and nights, the German launching crews fired more than 4,000 V-1s and more than 1,700 V-2s at greater Antwerp. Of those, 106 V-1s and 107 V-2s hit the heart of the city. During that period more than 3,700 civilians were killed and some 6,000 injured in the provence of Antwerp. Only about 30 percent of the V-2s launched against Antwerp reached the city. The rockets that were off-target kept falling all around the Antwerp area and often very far away from the port area. The nearest I know of a V2 landing to Brussel is only 15 mls north of Brussels Cemetery. Antwerp to Brussel is 25 mls Antwerp to Hachenburg Germany 303 mls Brussels to Hachenburg 309 mls. So it is possible that one of those V2s listed below landed closer to Brussels and just before or just after Fredrick had had his accident then those who found him could have assumed that he had been hit by shrapnel. Only a theory. On December 14 Batt. 3./836 sets up operations near Hachenburg at Hillscheid and Gehlert. Only target was Antwerp. Friday Dec. 15, (01.21 hours) - Batt. 3./836, Hachenburg, Site 605 (Gehlert), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (04.04 hours) - Batt. 1./836, Hachenburg, Site 604 (Hillscheid), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (11.40 hours) - Batt. 3./836, Hachenburg, Site 605 (Gehlert), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (12.10 hours) - Batt. 1./836, Hachenburg, Site 604 (Hillscheid), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (15.05 hours) - Batt. 3./836, Hachenburg, Site 605 (Gehlert), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (17.25 hours) - Batt. 1./836, Hachenburg, Site 604 (Hillscheid), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (19.04 hours) - Batt. 3./836, Hachenburg, Site 605 (Gehlert), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (20.57 hours) - Batt. 1./836, Hachenburg, Site 604 (Hillscheid), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) Dec. 15, (23.31 hours) - Batt. 3./836, Hachenburg, Site 605 (Gehlert), V-2 rocket fired (impact unknown). (*JP) December the 16th The Rex Cinema in Antwerp was hit. http://www.v2rocket.com/start/chapters/antwerp.html
Thank You RCG.. It sounds like NWE was under complete chaos on and around the 15th of December. This would of undoubtedly have an effect. I'm now getting the jist of the conditions at the time. It sounds like WW2 was more horrific in many ways.. More transport, weapons, bombs etc. It's amazing how these cities like Brussels have rebuilt themselves since the war. Although, I'm sure many of the scars from the past are still there. I just wish I was taught more at school about it. But. I'm learning... Thank You...
Afternoon Coolbreeze, I was just going over some old posts and thought I would look into the Dvr DF Alecock. Obviously sometime has passed since the last post but I have found a newspaper article mentioning his death. Regards Bruneval
