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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: TonyJames on Monday 22 November 10 08:25 GMT (UK)
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The attached photo is of my mother in laws father Sidney Capel and three friends. It is believed to have been taken in 1939 - 40. Can anyone confirm the uniforms are the RASC or comment on the badges? He was apparently in France in May 1940 and his unit returned to England after Dunkirk, but we have not got to the bottom of that yet.
Names and addresses of the others are written on the back of the photo - hope they may be of interest to someone - G W Stone, Brighton (sitting RH side), G G Lewis, Swansea (sitting LH side) and John Yugor (difficult to read), Jesmond, Newcastle (standing RH side). Welcome any comments or queries.
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They probably got out of France through St. Nazaire, Brest or Cherbourg.
Many RASC and RAF technical as well as civilians got ou through those ports up to the 17th June 1940 or the day after.
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They havent got RASC badges at the top of their arms have they.
I wonder whether this photograph was taken in June or July 1940, shortly after they had returned from France.
My dad was in RASC/ EFI and he was evacuated from St Nazaire on 17th June 1940.
I spoke last year to an ex RASC gentleman who had been in St Nazaire in June 1940, one of the tasks they had to perform was smashing up Motorcycles with sledgehammers on the dock side. If you read the book Dunkirk, you will see that the last couple of chapters deal with those troops still in France after Dunkirk evacuation.
Also look at the HMT Lancastria thread either on this page or page two of this WW2 forum.
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Your mans badge isnt clear, but it could well be RASC, on his left forearm is the circular MT drivers badge - although this in itself doesnt mean he was RASC.
The other three....not at all convinced they are RASC, the badge appears hollow with an emblem in the middle (horse?), a disinct crown and scroll underneath.
Its possible he was an RASC man attached as a driver to a completely differnt unit, and these were his 'crew-mates'.
His service history may help.
Pete
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Tony James, Do you know the date of birth of your relative or do you know his date of marriage?
Lines of Communication soldiers (such as RASC) made up a large proportion of those servicemen who were evacuated from France via the ports such as Brest, Cherbourg and St. Nazaire. My father told me that they travelled in Cattle Trucks on the railway to St Nazaire. The british Army was in adminstrative chaos after the evacuations. The parents of many men got "Missing" letters in June 1940 even when the troops had already returned back home.
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There are a number of RASC and RCT and RLC Forums if you google you will see some of those, I reccommend Bristol Branch of RASC association. Ask on there.
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I'm thinking RAOC for the other three - which could make him a driver for one of the ammunition park companies or similar.
Hmmm. Or possibly Royal Corps of Signals. Certainly the central figure, surround and crown would work, but not sure about the bit at the bottom, the scroll.
Pete
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Dear all,
Many thanks for your comments - too fast for me to keep up with them.
I know he was a driver but have not yet got his service record - requested it a few months back but they wrote saying it could be a while. Later he was in Iceland then back into Europe after D day.
I know his birth & marriage dates - how do they help?
Cheers
James
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As regards the date of marriage, My dad was in St Nazaire on 17th June 1940, his marriage date was 23rd June 1940. The wedding date may give a clue as to when he was back in the UK.
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Thanks for the suggestion ScouseBoy - he was married in 1929. My mother in law cannot recall when he returned home - I keep trying clues that may jog her memory - problem is not much was talked about it when he was alive.
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My Father Jack Lee RASC T/99927 also got out at St Nazaire on the day after the Lancastria was sunk but He said he was on the "Ben MY Chree", an Isle of Man packet steamer and landed on the 20th June in Plymouth but there is no record of this ship, The Lancastria and Orondsey were load by ferry being too large to enter habour and he was definetly loaded by gangplank onto a small ship as was Wilfred Oldham and Neville Chesterton according to their memoirs but they don't identify their ship. anyone got any thing on this mystery ship?
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There are daily Royal Navy diary entries which summarise events during WW2.
But if you look at convoyweb you may be able to type in the port and the date and it will show ship arrivals.
"Floristan" was one ship leaving st Nazaire on the night of 17/18 June 1940.