Service Records - Royal Army Medical Corps

[cavegirl]

Hi everyone

I recently got my late Grandfather's WWII service records sent to me, and have been finding them really interesting reading.  He was in the Royal Army Medical Corps and started out in 1941 in Edinburgh - it looks like 'posted to 13 Coy, RAMC Edinburgh' and then to Scalloway, Shetland.  He was then sent to Sumburgh (?) also on Shetland to a Military Hospital - I think as a cook and also as a nurse orderly, but am not sure.  It says he was posted to 'HQ7/Black Watch for R+P' but I'm ashamed to say I don't know what any of that means!

I can't seem to find anything online about a  military hospital in Scalloway or Sumburgh at all, I've seen loads about the Shetland Bus, but I don't think my Grandfather had anything to do with that as he was only in Scalloway for 48 hours.  He spent most of his time in Sumburgh.

Thereafter he was in Lanark, Edinburgh and then sent to Leeds to the Seacroft Hospital as I think he was poorly for a time.  He eventually was involved in the D-Day Landings - according to what he told my father he was in the ambulances 'clearing up dead bodies and helping the injured soldiers' .  From what I can see after D-Day he stayed in France for a while and then went to Bensberg in Germany for a few months, but again can find very little about this. 

Does anyone know anything about Sumburgh, Scalloway or indeed Bensberg (if that's the right spelling?).  I'd really appreciate any pointers - these records are incredibly detailed and fascinating to read, but hard work!! Sorry for all the rambling!

Thank you for reading
Love from cavey
xxxx

[scrimnet]

HQ companies of Regiments contained the med assets, including the Medical Officer and various stretcher bearers and medical orderlies.

7th bn The Black Watch were part of 51st Highland Division. They landed on D-Day + 1 (7th June).

From the 18th - 23 July they were at Bourguebus Ridge, and from Aug 7th-22nd involved in the Battle of Falaise.

In 1945 from Feb to March they were in the Rhineland, and from 23rd March- 01 Apr they were also involved in the Rhine Crossings

RAMC assets attached to the Div included 174 Fd Amb, 175 Fd Amb, 176 Fd Amb, 5 Fd Dressing Station and 6th Fd Dressing Station.

Is the RP actually RD? As in Regimental Duties?

[cavegirl]

Hiya - thank you for getting back to me. 

It is definitely R&P on the sheet and not RD...(well, as far as I can see )

There's so much info on the sheets, it's quite mesmerising tbh!

It says on the sheet for 1945 though:

25/05/45 Posted to 53 RHU (X4A) Auth (indecipherable) 70055/224/476 left 18 May 45 SOS North West Europe
05/06/45 TOS 31 RHU From 53 RHU WEF 5th June
07/07/45 TOS from 31 RHU WEF 7.07.45 awd 1939-45 Star and France and Germany Star.

I'm guessing North West Europe does mean France, and 5th June does relate to D-Day though?

Thank you so much for your time and input!

Cheers
cavey
xxx

[TessieWessie]

Hi, I too am looking for a WW2 army medic attached to R.A.M.C Coy 31 who served in Cocanada in India.  I have never heard of this place and have no idea of its relevance in the war.  Can anyone help with any info re Cocanada?

T/wessie

[BorderReiver]

My father also served with RAMC, 31 Company in WWII. I have his army service record but , as you know, there were no place-names mentioned in their records. My father died in 1962 when I was 14 and, although he told me stories of his time in India I'm afraid I only remember a few anecdotes.

I do however have a collection of photos that he sent home at the time. Some of them were taken at the Silver Cascade Waterfall at Kodaikanal  Tamil Nadu, India. I'm sure this is the "Cocanada" you are looking for.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=kodaikanal%20india&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

My father's postings:

1 May 1942   Milit-Ser:   Posted.  12 Holding Depot. 
29 May 1942   Milit-Ser:   Posted.  India. 
30 Jul 1942   Milit-Ser:   Posted.  31 Company. 
1 Oct 1942   Milit-Ser:   Appointed Lance Corporal. 
26 Mar 1943   Milit-Ser:   Posted.  127 Base General Hospital. 
12 Feb 1945   Milit-Ser:   Appointed Unpaid Acting Corporal. 
13 May 1945   Milit-Ser:   Promoted War Substantive Corporal. 
26 Nov 1945   Milit-Ser:   Posted.  United Kingdom. 
26 Nov 1945   Milit-Ser:   Posted.  Depot. 
11 Jan 1946   Milit-Ser:   Posted.  22nd Company. 
8 Jun 1946   Milit-End:   Released To Army Reserve. 

These are my father's postings during WWII. I don't suppose they coincide with your grandfathers but I would be interested to know if they did.

[TessieWessie]

Thanks so much for replying to my message.
The person (Ernest James Jones) I am researching is my ex-father-in law, whom I never met.
My ex-husband knew nothing of his father after the age of 8, just after the war.  His parents divorced and that was that.
The reason for my researching is that my children want to know more about their grandfather, now that their father has past away too.
All I know of Ernests army life is his army number from his Soldiers release book, and his rank of A/P Sargent in the 31 COY R.A.M.C., in COCANADA C.M.H.
The officers signature  in this book looks like P.M Kemp.
This book also has various date stamps throughout 1946 in ABERTILLERY Monmouthshire.  I also have Certificate of Transfer to the army reserve in June 1946 which is stamped Hammersmith.

I would love to see any photos you have as Ernest would be quite noticeable as he only had 1 eye due to an accident as a child.  I believe he had his eyelid stitched down.  My e-mail address is: tessajones.theresa@googlemail.com
if you wish to contact me
with photo

[Pete Keane]

Tessie

I wonder if it means c/o Canada, Canadian Military Hospital

A British military hospital use the acronym BMH, and an Indian hospital either IMH or IGH

The only thing I can think CMH stands for would be Canadian Military Hospital, but I cant imagine there was one in India, I dont even know if canadian troops were in India!

I dont think Cocanada is a town, I think its an abbreviation or acronym for a unit location.


Cavegirl,


25/05/45 Posted to 53 RHU (X4A) Auth (indecipherable) 70055/224/476 left 18 May 45 SOS North West Europe
05/06/45 TOS 31 RHU From 53 RHU WEF 5th June
07/07/45 TOS from 31 RHU WEF 7.07.45 awd 1939-45 Star and France and Germany Star.


25 May 45 he was posted from the X-list (X list is the place unattached soldiers were attached to for record purposes ie between postings, or following a hospital stay - soldiers were signed on and off the unit strength when they were not there, so the x-list is an 'admin unit' for continuity of records.  The order authorising his transfer to 53 RHU is the long series of numbers, he left 18 May - SOS means Signed Off Strength ie taken off one unit.   In this case he left the European Theatre of War, probably to return to the UK (53 RHU possibly in Wales?)

05 June 45 TOS means Taken On Strength, he was transferred from 53 RHU to 31 RHU.

07 July 45 Taken On Strength from 31 RHU - this is slightly incorrect - it should say 'SOS 31 RHU' and then 'TOS xxxxxx unit' - it doesnt say what unit he was taken on by.   he was at that time awarded the 39-45 Star (do you know what happened to his medals?)


I'm getting a bit confused by all these threads on one post - maybe each one could be a seperate thread?

There is an RAMC museum in Hampshire, sure they can help out with the numbers for the Hospitals ie 53, 31 etc.

Pete

[BorderReiver]

I've replied to TessieWessie.

Cocanada is indeed in India. It is now known as Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. It once had a heavy British presence. I believe that CMH stood for Combined Military Hospital.   

[Pete Keane]

BorderReiver,

That sounds about right - I wonder if 127 BGH was the same as CMH (combined works for me! - didnt think there were too many canadian hospitals..)

There is a current Indian Military Hospital at Dalhousie Cantonment, which was previously a British Military Hospital (a sanatorium I think?). Thats not far away at all.

British built a military road fron Kokanaida to Munnar.

Regards

Pete