ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS ARMY NUMBERS

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by DAVE MARTIN, Sep 30, 2021.

  1. DAVE MARTIN

    DAVE MARTIN Active Member

    Hello members,
    I've recently bought a GVI GSM clasp Malaya to 7895610 Trooper H Layton of the 13th/18th Hussars.
    His number is fairly early in the number block allocation for the Royal Armoured Corps, so I would expect that he had WW2 service (Royal Armoured Corps 7891869 - 8230000 also 558471 - 558761).
    Could anyone please help me with an approximate enlistment date or any further information on him.
    Thanks
    Dave
     
  2. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    I'd say April 1939
     
  3. Gelert

    Gelert Active Member

    Closest noted 7895612 Tpr Thomas Macdonald enlisted 28th April 1939
     
    AB64 likes this.
  4. DAVE MARTIN

    DAVE MARTIN Active Member

    Thanks very much. He probably saw a lot of WW2 service, but I currently don't even know his first name. As he was still serving in the 1950s his papers won't be available for ages.
    I've found the fates of a few men who have numbers slightly after his:- 7895617 LCpl A E Whitwell wounded in Italy on 22/5/44 with the 51st Tank Regiment, 7895620 Tpr GS Bambury killed in action 7/8/41 in North Africa with the 11th Hussars and 7895621 Sgt CT Bamford killed in action 24/10/44 in Western Europe with the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry RAC.
     
  5. Paul Cuthbert

    Paul Cuthbert Member

    G'day Dave, just stumbled across your post and thought this might be of interest. My father Terrence Cuthbert enlisted at Chichester on 15/02/1937 as Robert Cuthbert (he never liked being called Terry preferred Bob) No.7887651 and joined the Royal Tank Corp.He was posted to Egypt on 25/05/1938.He spent most of his time with 6 RTR in North Africa and the Middle East and finally returned to Blighty on 7/01/1944. Back home he was involved in crew training and closer to D Day in moving tanks and other vehicles to ports.He was exempt from overseas deployment because of his long stay in North Africa so he missed out on the European theatre but the Army never gives a sucker an even break, they sent him to Germany during the 1945/46 winter (one of the coldest on record) and all he could do was dream about sitting under palm trees and fried eggs on tank. He had a few months at home then back to civvy street.
     
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  6. DAVE MARTIN

    DAVE MARTIN Active Member

    Thanks for sharing that Paul. Very interesting. Your father was away from Britain for so long. You must be very proud of his service.
     

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