R.A.S.C North Africa WW2 photos

[kevthompson13]

Got his service record somewhere will scan it in.
Thanks for looking.

[kevthompson13]

Service Records

[kevthompson13]

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[kevthompson13]

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[paulcheall]

Thanks for sharing this with us - really nice set of pics! My Dad's are all at http://www.grimdetermination.co.uk/#/photos/4537082636 for anyone who is interested. Paul

[Jean McGurn]

Hi Paul
Great pics and also a great web site.

You have answered a number of puzzles I have had. I have a photo of a relation in uniform wearing a side cap but there are no badges. I knew he was a driver who was in North Africa. There is a tale that when he went to get a drink at the NAAFI his sister was there to serve him. I also know he was in Sicily/Italy and as a driver as it was said if he could get through with his lorry then the rest could. Your photo's are the first ones I found with men wearing side caps.

He had been promoted to Corporal but kept taking his stripes off as he wanted to be as the rest of the lads.

I found a Desert Rat badge behind a photo in a frame that I was given which confirmed his area of war service.

Also your Dad's voyage on the Queen Mary is interesting as another relative who was Merchant Seaman before the war started and was employed as a  Bedroom Steward on the QM during the war. So he may well have met your dad. It probably made a great change from ferrying the Americans to Scotland.

The photo of Winston Churchill would have most likely have been taken during the voyage to America travelling under the name of Colonel Watkins (I think) certainly not under his own name.

Jean 

[paulcheall]

Thanks for that interesting bit of backgound Jean - some nice anecdotes. I'm not however sure my Dad would have met up with your bedroon steward relative - the troops did not have bedrooms - my Dad records "We each had a hammock and were rather crowded, but there was plenty of room on other parts of the ship. " I guess this chap loooked after officers. Anyway, glad Dad's photos and site helped you out.
Bye for now
Paul

Hi Paul
Great pics and also a great web site.

You have answered a number of puzzles I have had. I have a photo of a relation in uniform wearing a side cap but there are no badges. I knew he was a driver who was in North Africa. There is a tale that when  he went to get a drink at the NAAFI his sister was there to serve him. I also know he was in Sicily/Italy and as a driver as it was said if he could get through with his lorry then the rest could. Your photo's are the first ones I found with men wearing side caps.

He had been promoted to Corporal but kept taking his stripes off as he wanted to be as the rest of the lads.

I found a Desert Rat badge behind a photo in a frame that I was given which confirmed his area of war service.

Also your Dad's voyage on the Queen Mary is interesting as another relative who was Merchant Seaman before the war started and was employed as a  Bedroom Steward on the QM during the war. So he may well have met your dad. It probably made a great change from ferrying the Americans to Scotland.

The photo of Winston Churchill would have most likely have been taken during the voyage to America travelling under the name of Colonel Watkins (I think) certainly not under his own name.

Jean 

[paulcheall]

Judging by the number of replies to this post, this is a popular subject so here is a very short extract from my dad's diary about the RASC ...

What lay ahead of us, nobody knew, but we were most surprised to learn that we were going by road back to Egypt, [From Tunisia, after the battle of Wadi Akarit] a journey of about two thousand miles taken in easy stages to minimise wear and tear on the vehicles, especially for the benefit of those conscientious chaps of the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), whom I don't believe ever received the credit they deserved for the demanding work they did during the war years.

Paul

[ScouseBoy]

Please allow me to add this photo to your thread  as it also shows another unit of RASC,    but also shows   ATS/EFI    girls or ladies in Alexandria.

Ask  your fathers  if they have ever heard of two sergeants getting married to each other during WW2.