Signaler on India Unattached List

[Jane Bowden]

I'm trying to determine where my grandfather served. Can anyone help me decipher his medal card and/or help me find out anything at all about where or indeed if he served in a theatre of war.
He was a Signaler in the Royal Signals (Engineers) on the India Unattached List, and his medal card reads:
Regimental nos. 2313525 and 3009
IGS/W/R SIGNALS/2-87
Cl.Way(?) 1921-24
Then separately:
IVB 1442 19 Nov 1945
p/191310/1
I know he was in the cavalry and he slept with his horse to keep warm, but I'm not aware that he ever went to India. He took a trip to the Belgian battlefields in 1938 but I don't know if this was because it was where he served or simply out of interest. He never talked about his time in the army and afterwards he just came home and got on with life. In WW2 I believe he served as a fireman.

I'd be very grateful. Many thanks.

[Terry Reeves]

Jane

His first regimental number is a post WW1 number. the second four figure number is almost certainly his original WW1 number. The Royal Corps of Signals was created in June 1920 from the Royal Engineers Signals Service and it looks like he may well have transferred to this new corps. I can't be certain, but it may well have been that he was serving in a Territorial Force signals unit during WW1 and perhaps transferred to Regular Army service at the end of the war.

If this is the case, his service records may well still be held by the Ministry of Defence at this address;

Army Personnel Centre,
Historical Disclosures,
Mail Point 400,
Kentigern House,
65 Brown Street,
Glasgow,
G2 8EX

Terry Reeves

[Jane Bowden]

Many, many thanks for making contact. I've been getting nowhere with the countless other websites I've tried, and I've got very dispirited till now.
However, you speculated that my grandfather might have transferred to the regular army after the war, but I don't think he did - as far as I know, he went back to work at the GPO in Sheffield straightaway. The "Cl" I believe indicates 'clasp'? and he was entitled to the Victory Medal which I believe means he "served on the establishment of a unit in an operational theatre"? but do you know how I find out which unit he was attached to, and what does the "IUL" (Indian unattached list) mean?

I'm counting on you!
Jane

[Shadrack]

I think being on the "India Unattached List" means a soldier serving away from his regiment on secondment to the indian Army , while his unit was part of the British Army serving in India.

[Terry Reeves]

Jane

I'm sure he was serving after WW1.

IGS stands for India General Service Medal and "Cl Way 1921-24" in your post is actually Cl Waz which stands for Clasp Waziristan. This clasp to the Indian General Service medal was authorized for all who served in North and South Waziristan, Bannu, the Dera Ismail Khan Civil Districts and that part of Mianwali District lying to the West of the River Indus. It also included the military posts of Mari Indus and Darya Khan east of the River Indus between 21st December 1921 and 31st March 1924. Amongst those serving in that campaign were Royal Signals personnel.

Terry Reeves

[Jane Bowden]

Thank you so much for all your help. I'm absolutely delighted to have this information and my mother and I are intrigued that he must have gone to India after WW1. I've since spoken to my cousin who remembers something like 'Indian Silacox cavalry' in connection with my grandfather so will try to follow this up. Any ideas? I'm going to contact the Historical Disclosures in the hope that they may still have his India army record.
Sadly I still don't know if or where he served in Belgium/France. He was away from home during the war and my mother thinks he was in Belgium. Could he have been there in the territorial army? Perhaps this information will be on the army record held by Historical Disclosures?
Anyway, I can't thank you enough.
Jane