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  1. #1
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    Default My dad's army service

    Hi all

    Hope this post is in the right place ... I'm after some help or guidance please.

    I have obtained my Dad's army records from the MoD but I'm really struggling to make any sense of them - trying to decipher the writing and all the codes and abreviations used is not easy! I want to find out more about where Dad went and what he did, but given I don't really understand what I'm trying to read, I'm not getting very far.

    If I were to hire a researcher over on FWR, would they be able to help or is there someone on here who'd be willing to take a look please? I think for someone who knew what they were looking at, it would probably be quite simple to transcribe his service into laymans terms like this for example:

    [date] - enlisted
    [date] - assigned to xx company, training at xxx barracks
    [date] - asigned to xx company, sent to [location]
    [date] - moved to xxx company, went to [location]
    [date - date] -served with xxx company in [location] and so on...

    If this was possible, it would be easier to know what I'm looking for or what war diaries I would need to read etc

    He was a driver in the RASC and like most, he never really spoke of his service but I have various 'snippets' in my head that I've obviously picked up on from when I was a child. I also have his medals and quite a few photos from his service and now I'd like to, if possible, put the pieces together to get the full picture.

    Thank you in advance for any assistance.
    Jackie

  2. #2
    Famous for offering help & advice simmo1's Avatar
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    Default

    Hi

    Try here before you spend money, or there are dedicated WW2 sites that will also help.
    There is a list of abbreviations here to get you started, just scroll down a bit - https://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/9614...=abbreviations
    regards

    Robert

  3. #3
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    Default

    If you scan the relevant sheets and make them available to us (eg on a photo sharing site or Google Drive or anything similar), you can have dozens of us helping you with it and all at no charge!

  4. #4
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    Default

    Thank you Peter. I do have the documents scanned in, so I'll upload them shortly.

  5. #5
    A fountain of knowledge
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    Default

    To be fair FWR support would do a quick check and explain terms and abbreviations for you happily, free of charge too.
    FWR are a commercial company but will always endeavour to assist whether a paid member or not.

  6. #6
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    Here's everything I received. Hope the link works:

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7m8y0mxht...p_O-lMLua?dl=0

    Sorry, some of the images are not the right way round.

    Sorry if this is a daft question ....... I thought my Dad was regular army - why would he have TA paperwork?

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jenaheldd View Post
    Here's everything I received. Hope the link works:

    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7m8y0mxht...p_O-lMLua?dl=0

    Sorry, some of the images are not the right way round.

    Sorry if this is a daft question ....... I thought my Dad was regular army - why would he have TA paperwork?
    Just to let you know that we have members from the Forces War Records team looking through the paperwork now. We will get back to you with any findings.

    If you need help with military abbreviations we have a list of over 9,000 and still adding every week..!!!

    Thanks for sharing the documents.

  8. #8
    Super Moderator - Completely bonkers and will never change.
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    Quote Originally Posted by WhiteFWR View Post
    Just to let you know that we have members from the Forces War Records team looking through the paperwork now. We will get back to you with any findings.

    If you need help with military abbreviations we have a list of over 9,000 and still adding every week..!!!

    Thanks for sharing the documents.
    You might be adding a few more after reading Jenaheldd's documents!

    Pam

  9. #9
    TomBen
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    Hi Jenaheldd,

    I took a crack at the first page of your Dad's papers:

    Fair amount of easily identifiable stuff at first.

    Army number T/14318450 = The T here means Territorial.

    RASC = Royal Army Service Corps

    Nationality: E = English

    Religion: CE = Church of England

    DVR = Driver

    Slightly more complex from here and anyone else looking in i'd appreciate corrections if I have mis-interpreted:

    Mustered DVR/Mech Gp D 15.3.46 Cl II = "Mustered Driver Mechanised Group D, 15th March 1946 Class 2(?)"

    BOAR = British Army on the Rhine (The British force occupying Germany)

    Medical Category A1 = Fit for dispatch overseas as regards physical health, fitness and training. Able to march, see to shoot, hear well and stand active service conditions.

    Location: 21AG = I think this refers to 21st Army Group, but it stopped being called that when BOAR came into being.

    There's a few pieces of Information I have no idea about:

    Industrial Group
    Occupation Classification

    And the Two Stamps PULERMS and ABHUC.

    I've not heard or seen these before.

    I'm still working through the Postings Page (2nd Page) will post when finished.

    Regards,

    Tom
    Forces War Records

  10. #10
    TomBen
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    Hi again Jenaheldd,

    I've "translated" as much of your Dad's postings as I can. The following is as it appears on the original.

    60/(Obscured) 50 PJW 5.11.42 = Still working on this abbreviation

    No. 6 TRNG BN = Number 6 Training Battalion based in Yeovil according to what I can find.

    91/42 RASC 16.12.42 = Royal Army Service Corps (This entry might be related to the previous entry)

    279/19 12/42 6 TRNG BN 16.12.42 = Number 6 Training Battalion

    14/19.2.43 917 AA TPT Coy. 17.2.43 = 917 Anti-Aircraft Transport Company

    29.22.43 917 AA(m) TPT Coy. 12.4.43 = As Above

    917 Anti-Aircraft Company eventually became 121 Transport Column RASC TA in the mid-50's

    299 G.T.Coy 15/26-244 299 Gen TPT Coy 11.2.44 = 299 General Transport Company

    83/24.6.44 Emil. NWE 31-5-44 = Emil I don't recognise but NWE is likely North West Europe.

    BOAR 13261/45 127 Coy (TPS) TPT 5-9-45 = British Army On the Rhine 127 Company (Troop) Transport

    BOAR 1525/46 'F' IND TPT PLTN 12.1.46 = 'F' Independent Transport Platoon

    BOAR 11 46/46 458 Coy INF DIV TPS 8.1.46 = 458 Company Infantry Division Troops (This is what the abbreviations directly translate to but they don't make any sense. It could be related to the next entry

    1765/46 BOAR CRASC 51 INF DIV 11.1.46 = Commander Royal Army Service Corps 51st Infantry Division (likely working for the commander of the RASC detachment to 51st Infantry division)

    BOAR 3049/46 NOW 1837 Indep TPT R 21-1-46 = Independent Transport (Still needs some work to identify what the last letter is; possible "R" for Reserve)

    BOAR 8454/46 780 Coy. HQ Corps DIST CDR 24.6.46 = (Best possible is 780 Company Headquarters Corps District Commander

    BOAR11680/46 721 Coy. GHQ _ _ _ 3.12.46 = 721 Company General Headquarters (Cannot identify last three letters)

    POSTED TO Y/7 LIST = Y Lists were I think categorisations for returning troops after the war Y4 for POWs for example. I can't find Y7 however. I will endevour to keep looking.

    CLASS A RELEASE = Released to Class A Reserve Service

    RELEASED TO CLASS Z (T) = Class Z Reserve is a previously enlsited soldier available for re-call if under 45 years of age.

    Again, If I've missed something or misinterpreted please anyone feel free to correct. Multiple sets of Mark 1 Eyeballs are better than one!

    Regards,

    Tom

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