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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: diamond lady on Sunday 21 January 07 15:22 GMT (UK)
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How can I find out by fathers service records for ww2 if i don't know which regiment he served in. I know he was stationed at Berwick Barracks, but don't know any dates. He was a driver and spent time in France and Belgium. My family have a couple of old photographs of him in his uniform but there is nothing written on them. Can anyone give me any ideas as how to proceed ?
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Hi Diamond Lady
The records for WW2 service personnel are still with the MOD.
From what I have heard, his full name, date and place of birth (+ everything else you know) would now probably be enough for them to locate his records
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,154824.0.html
Casalguidi
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Hi Casalguidi
Thanks for your quick reply. Do you think if I post the photographs on here someone may be able to identify the regiment.
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It's always worth a try!
Casalguidi :)
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Hi Diamond lady
Discharge between 1921 and 1997:
Army Personnel Centre
HQ Secretariat
Historical Disclosures
Mail Point 400
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow G2 8EX
United Kingdom
Email disc4.civsec[at]apc.army.mod.uk
Discharge after 1997:
Army Personnel Centre
HQ Secretariat
Disclosures Section 1
Mail Point 520
Kentigern House
65 Brown Street
Glasgow G2 8EX
United Kingdom
Email discl1eojs2.civsec[at]apc.army.mod.uk
Help Desk : 0845 600 9663
Fax : 0141 224 2144
Help Desk : 0845 600 9663
Fax : 0141 224 3422
The above addresses are ideal if you want to get a copy of service records. I am in the process of getting several of my families records.
Hope it helps. Email them and ask for help and they will direct you.
Tony Quinn
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I said I would try to post a photograph of my dad in his uniform to see if anyone can identify the regiment. Here goes, hope this works, first time I have done this.
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This one shows the whole regiment
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have you taken his photo as a detail from the group shoot? ( btw thats probably a company rather than a regiment)
i think you would have more luck if you could choose a soldier who is looking to his right and is showing his cap badge better
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I would agree with harribobs with regards to trying to find someone in the group with abetter view of the badge on the forage cap as the one shown does not give anything away in clues as to which regiment it is.
old rowley
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Hello,
The caps look very similar to my late fathers General Sevice Corps, in which he trained prior to Royal Glosters and going to Burma with them.
Regards
Alan
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Re dads group photo, I have tried to get a better image of the cap badge but have not been very successful. When I was doing this I came across this face which I thought looked familiar, have a look and see what you think. Heres a clue, think older character in Eastenders
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I thought someone else may have seen the resemblance of this photo but maybe I was seeing something no-one else was.
I would like to say thanks for your help with my queries about my fathers service record. Although I still do not know which regiment he served in, I have received a pack from the MOD to apply for his service record. I will let you know what I find out, although it may be a while, as I was warned there was a six month backlog.
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Just received my dads service records today, some of it difficult to read. He was in several regiments, starting with the 1.KOSB when he enlisted on the 15th of March 1940 aged 24. In 1943 after being moved around a few different places he was transferred to the 2nd Middlesex Regiment, I don't know if that means the 2nd battalion. Then in march 1944 he was transferred to the South Lancashire Regiment, until July 1944 when he was transferred to the RASC. His rank was always down as private until he joined the RASC when it was written down as driver. I think it says he was posted to 51 rhu, then 712 coy, then 1614 arty. I think it says T O S this unit ------ S O S to 51 G.T.coy, SOS this unit to 378GT coy, not sure what this means. That was in 1945, then from November that year until his release in 1946 it says EMBARKED and SOS B A O R, Class "A" Release. Does anyone know what that means. That was on his service and casualty form but on his record of service paper it says he was released to Class 'Z' (T) Royal Army Reserve. It looks like he was finally released on 30/4/46.
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Hi :)
I'm thinking the photo is shows him in the Royal Army Service Corps.
He served with the Kings Own Scottish Borderers, then the 2nd Battalion The Middlesex Regiment.
His status as Driver with the RASC is the equivalent of a Private. Not sure if he went to 51 Highland Division!!!, maybe someone can explain what RHU means ??? as well as the G.T. Coy?
Then 1614 Artillery. Then the TOS would mean "Taken Off Strength" and the SOS would mean "Struck Off Strength" of the British Army of The Rhine (BAOR) and he was released as being class 'A', meaning he was "Fit" upon release from army.
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HI,
I came across your post as I was looking up the Kings Own Scottish Borderers.
My father, a derbyshire lad, ended up in this regiment in 1945 (went to India). He also spent some time in the RASC, after being in the Sherwood Foresters and Royal Artillery. They certainly seemed to move them around!
I've just been trying to work my way through his service record, and also came across thie term RHU, and I think it stands for Reinforcement Holding Unit. Does it give a date for when he was there? If it does it might explain what was happening, and why he was there.
If you do a search on National Archives putting in 51 reinforcement holding unit you will find some information. Also if you seach for RASC, and the company he was in, you will find war diaries. I've just asked the National Archives for an estimate on copying the one relevant to my dad's period with the Allied Expeditionary Force, to see if it's cheaper than visiting myself.
Anyway, hope this has been helpful - good luck.
Kind regards,
Paulene :)
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Just received my dads service records today, some of it difficult to read. He was in several regiments, starting with the 1.KOSB when he enlisted on the 15th of March 1940 aged 24. In 1943 after being moved around a few different places he was transferred to the 2nd Middlesex Regiment, I don't know if that means the 2nd battalion. Then in march 1944 he was transferred to the South Lancashire Regiment, until July 1944 when he was transferred to the RASC. His rank was always down as private until he joined the RASC when it was written down as driver. I think it says he was posted to 51 rhu, then 712 coy, then 1614 arty. I think it says T O S this unit ------ S O S to 51 G.T.coy, SOS this unit to 378GT coy, not sure what this means. That was in 1945, then from November that year until his release in 1946 it says EMBARKED and SOS B A O R, Class "A" Release. Does anyone know what that means. That was on his service and casualty form but on his record of service paper it says he was released to Class 'Z' (T) Royal Army Reserve. It looks like he was finally released on 30/4/46.
Diamond Lady, I know this is an 'oldish' thread and you may well have some of the answers by now. All of the Battalions of Regiments that you have listed upto 51 RHU were members of the British 3rd Infantry Division.
Given his date of enlistement, I dont think he would have seen service at Dunkirk but would have joined uo withthe Battalion in full on there return to the UK. Uoto 1943 he would have been involved in Home Defence dutues and training.
As plans for D-day were being made he transffered with the 2nd Bn Middlesex regt, whi were the 3rd Divisons Manchine Gun Battalion, but just prior to D-Day he transfrred again to the 1st South Lancs.
The 1st South Lancs were part of the Assualt Division and some of the first troops to land on Sword Beach.
Does his service record mention being wounded during Normandy, as it is surprising to see that he moved to the RASC at a time when renforcemengts were scarce. Assuming that he went to 51 RHU prior to the RASC this suggest that he was wounded, and was posted to RASC when fit.
Phil
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Hello diamond lady
Just for the record
I can see the likeness of the eastenders character you refer, spitting image I would say! however, the eastenders character would have to be a minimum of 86/87 if he was in at the start of the second world war
*I would like it noted that I wouldn't have a clue as to there cast names or profess to know any story line of any soap......but even I pick up faces and the odd line when passing or in a comatose state ;D
Bryant
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Hello Diamond Lady,
I may be very late to this post, but I also have been researching my father's miltary records and it appears that he too was in the 51 RHU (Reinforcement Holding Unit) in 1944. And might well be in your photo.
I have scrutinised the photo that you have uploaded but in a higher resolution the picture does not show identifieable features.
Do you know the names behind the faces?
Regards
TommyH
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Hello again,
My research indicates that 51 RHU in 1944 were part of the 253 Coy (Air Div. Comp).
If this helps.
Regards
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Final thought,
Would it be possible for you to forward a copy of your photo to my email address and I could get this blown up to see if my father is shown?
Thanks in advance.
Regards
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Yeah, a dead ringer for Dot Cotton's husband Jim Brannin, how sad am I? There, I know some of the characters' names
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Hi Tommy H
I think this photograph was taken at Berwick barracks when he passed out, was your father ever there.? I dont know the names of any of the other men in the photograph. My dad passed away many years ago so there is no-one to ask, sorry.
regards diamond lady.
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I have only recently received my father's military records so I am still deciphering where he served. But so far, he seems to have been in the 8th Army (BNAF) and wounded in Africa. He returned to the UK and recouperated at London hospital. In 1944 he was then designated as a driver in the 51 RHU (RASC) with a location specified as "home" (this might be Berwick) as he was from Paisley and originally served in the Seaforth Highlanders. He then was posted abroad (destination not specified) but he was awarded the Italy, French & Germany Stars (so he must have gone to Belgium/France) during 1944. He was certainly designated as a driver from 1944 until 1946.
Whilst in 51 RHU, his records show he was then transferred to 253 Coy, Air Div Comp in July 1944. He was then posted to a number of other units e.g 556 Coy, RASC, 172 Field Amb RAMC and 894 Coy Para etc.
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I know its been sometime since this thread was started but my grandfather was also in the 51 Reinforcement Holding Unit.
It was formed in March 1944 to supply recruits to various companies of the RASC. It was originally stationed at Borden Camp in Hampshire, but in September 1944 moved to Intraville, near Dieppe in France, where it remained until about December 1944, when it moved nearer to Germany. The war diaries are held by the National Archives at Kew (WO 171), but they mainly record the arrival and despatch of various reinforcements (un-named) but they do give several names of soldiers attached to the unit.