My dad's army service

[Brian S]

That's Fine Jackie,
the page content of a War Diary is variable, both in size and quality of information.
Should a unit be in "Action" for an extended period the person appointed to keep the Diary could have been wounded, captured or even killed. This could mean that the Diaries were made up from different sources within the unit as a whole.
Said previously Companies in the RASC were broken up into smaller units as they were not usually needed in full Company Nos.

My Father went to the M.E. with 5th Res M.T Company which was one reconstituted after Dunkirk. As such it later became 97 G T Coy RASC which went to Syria to prevent the Vichy French giving the use of Syrian Airfields to the Germans.

On returning the Company H.Q. was eventually based at Halfaya, and they were engaged building the Huge supply dumps at Tobruk.

A statement in the War Diary for June 1942 tells of when and where he was last seen. What Vehicle he was in and who was with him.
Very fortunate to get this amount of detail on ORs.

[Jenaheldd]

Little update ..... I've now got 5 of the war diaries I needed (thank you again Brian for the recommendation - much appreicated). I have A LOT of reading to do!!

[Michael Duke]

PULHEEMS was and is still a quick medical check. The doctor would check your pulse,urine (for diabetes)l heart rate, eye test (for colourblindness), ears for deafness). Basically if your body was warm and you could stand up you were fit to fight, these were done at regular intervals of maybe 6 months or a year or whenever the medics were bored.

[Brian S]

Hi Michael,
the old phrases for the wartime medical were; " Drop em", turn left cough, turn tight cough.

Your In.

[Cliverea]

Hi Jackie,

I read your post about your father with great interest as my father also served in 299 Coy RASC on DUKWs. I see that you have managed to look at the war diaries for 299 and I wondered if you had copies of them I could look at to see if my father is mentioned in them at all? I also noticed that you mention photographs of some of the 299 Coy chaps messing about in "ducks" I unfortunatley do not have a photo of my father in a DUKW but again I would love the chance to look at them to see if Dad is in any of them. My father's name was George Rea, at the time of the D-Day landings he was a corporal. I know that his "Duck" training took him to Scotland and then the amphibious school at Towyn in Wales before the D-Day landings. He spoke with great affection about his "Duck" and remembers the visit by the King and General Montgomery He wouldn't say too much about the landings as they caused him nightmares up until his death and going through Falaise with the 51st Highland Division was again a horror etched upon his memory.If you can let me have any information I would be most grateful.

Clive

[Jenaheldd]

Hi Clive

Only a quick reply for now as I'm at work but yes, I have the 299 diaries for February-December 1944 and January-September 1945 and would be more than happy to share them. If you send me your email address by private message, I'll email them to you. The majority of names mentioned in the diaries are the officers - unfortunately, the ordinary ranks don't get many mentions at all, unless they've either been very naughty or very good!!

Jackie

[Oldbolter]

Interesting post. I've just started getting my Dads stuff together (after doing family tree). He was a driver RASC BLA - came off at dunkirk; then north africa; italy and up through Germany. Got various pictures of him with motor cycles, trucks, Bofors gun(?) and DUKS crossing the Rhine and some pictures of guy I'm fairly sure is Monty at airfield in Germany. As well as his badges, medals and army books I have also got his pass to Potsdam conference - family myth is that he was Monty's driver there (to be checked). Lots to research here as like many of his comrades he never spoke of it. Except that he got very ill eating too many bananas in North Africa and that after Potsdam he was sent back to England, put on a ship (Queen Mary or other liner) and sent off to fight the Japanese (much to his disgust!) - had just left Simonstown in South Africa when Hiroshima bomb was dropped and ship turned around and came to England. Never left UK again - always said he seen the World and didn't want to repeat it.

[Tencon]

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

My name is John and my Father was a Corporal – Sergeant in the 299th
I cannot find the piece of paper but he had a typewritten copy of the ‘song’ about the 229th, usual soldiers stuff..
Dad trained in Sedbergh, Lake District, as part of the pre D-Day fitness exercises. Running up snow covered Lakeland hills and so on. He met my Mother there! 😊
Dad was driving a DUCKW on D-Day itself and other vehicles for the rest of his time in the Army.
299th were following the leading edge of the battle front with supplies etc.
On one occasion someone jumped out in front of his convoy with instructions to get off the road and lay low as a Tiger Tank was positioned on the road, blowing any vehicle that approached to pieces. This was on the approach to Arnhem…
My Father had many other stories, but I think that you mainly want general 229th Co. stuff? I can forward more info if you are interested.
John Moss, Coventry.

My Father was Cecil Howard Moss. Promoted to ‘Acting Sergeant’ by the end of the war and made a full Sergeant by a Colonel at his veterans club in Coventry.
I hope this helps and am willing to forward more information if you so desire.