33rd General Hospital WW2

Discussion in 'User Introductions' started by Jim h, Jun 4, 2016.

  1. Jim h

    Jim h New Member

    AI am a complete newcomer to this site, trying to trace my Dad through WW2. He enlisted in the RAMC at Edinburgh on 5th Sept 1939, 13 Coy. He was posted to CRS Murrayfield in June 1941 and later to CRS Flotta in Feb 1942 before being posted to the 33rd General Hospital in Peebles during April 1942. His record shows that he embarked on 26 May 1942 but I cannot make out the port he left from, looks like Leith and he disembarked at Suez on 21 July.
    He embarked for Iraq on 16 Aug 1942 with PAIF and disembarked at Basrah on 27Aug.
    He spent some time in Malta and in Sicily but I dont know where or when and I am hoping that you can help fill in some of the blanks. Can anyone tell me what CRS stands for and any information on CRS Murrayfield and Flotta would be great.
    Dad was back home around March 1945 via Hatfield and posted to 2Coy RAMC.
    Hope to make progress with your help
     
  2. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Hi Jim h Welcome to ww2talk.

    33 British General Hospital
    Peebles 4/41 to 6/42 then overseas; Barjisita Camp (Iraq) 9/42 to 10/42 then to Musaitib; Musaitib 10/42 to 5/43 then to Malta; Malta 6/43 to 8/43 then to Syracuse; Syracuse 8/43 to 1/45 then to Catania; Catania 1/45 to 4/45 then to Hatfield; Hatfield House 4/45 to 5/45 then to Goodwood; Goodwood 5/45 to 7/45 then overseas; Coimbatore 8/45 to 12/12/45 then disbanded.

    CRS not sure what that is
    CCS is Casualty Clearing Station so might R be receiving.

    Embarking and disembarking dates may differ from times of ships sailing and getting into port.
    The closest I can find is Convey WS 19P leaving Liverpool 31st May 1942 and the Clyde 1st July 42.
    The balance of the ships from WS 19P (now WS 19PA) proceeded to Aden under this title, off which port they dispersed on 20.7.42 and sailed as independents to Suez where they arrived 23.7.42.

    Ships at Suez. was unable to check their port of departure as ran out of searches.
    http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/port/index.html?home.php~armain
    Sun Jul 19, 1942 MANCHESTER PROGRESS Independent
    Mon Jul 20, 1942 AFGHANISTAN Independent
    .. BENALDER Independent
    Tue Jul 21, 1942 BARON JEDBURGH Independent
    .. BEACONSFIELD Independent
    .. CAIRO CITY Independent
    .. CHR TH BOE Independent
    .. CRISTOBAL Independent
    .. J W MCANDREW Independent
    .. STRATHALLAN Independent
    Wed Jul 22, 1942 BELGIAN AIRMAN Independent
    .. CITY OF EDINBURGH Independent
    .. CITY OF LINCOLN Independent
    .. ORONTES Independent
    .. TALMA Independent
    Thu Jul 23, 1942 BRITISH FUSILIER Independent
    .. DIOMED Independent
    .. TORONTO Independent
    .. VICEROY OF INDIA Independent
    May help if you can post the records page as they usually give more clues.
     
  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    add the link please.
    http://www.scarletfinders.co.uk/112.html
     
  4. hutt

    hutt Member

    It also seems to be well covered by diaries at kew
     
    Jim h likes this.
  5. Jim h

    Jim h New Member

    Thank you all for the information, a great start. Can you help me get started at Kew? I have no idea where to begin!
     
  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Jim, welcome aboard.

    The best thing you can do to begin with is to photograph/scan and upload (large) images of your father's service records here. There's a chance that somebody will be able to spot facts or references from innocuous details that may have escaped you.

    As to Kew, the search engine is here, but it isn't always that good at turning up specifics as the abbreviations seem to differ from file to file.

    I suspect you want these for the 33 General Hospital part:

    http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_p=1925&_q=%2233+gen%22

    Most units have a War Diary completed daily and grouped monthly. Content is pot-luck: some are incredibly detailed and include a wealth of supplementary information and documentation, others are a skeleton of appointments, movements and numbers.

    If and when you find something you want, the best person to contact is Andy:
    http://ww2talk.com/forums/user/6786-drew5233/

    He'll be able to confirm that you have found the papers you want, visit the archive in person, and then copy them for you at a competitive rate.
    Unfortunately, the archive listings do not record how many pages are in each file. As a broad guideline, a whole year's diaries tends to have between 200-400 pages if it covers all twelve months. I speak here of infantry battalions; I can't vouch for the same being true of the RAMC paperwork.
     
  7. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Jim,Coimbatore was a Camp in India and in 1945 was a holding area for troops about to take part in Operation Zipper -retaking Malaya from the Japanese.I will look out a description of it from the diary below.
     
  8. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Jim,Not sure where the hospital was at Coimbatore, but the Camp I am aware of was 60 miles from that town.It was on a barren,dusty plain " where a 50mph gale blows, day and night". Describes as the peak of isolation.It was also terribly hot in August 45,opressive.The atomic bomb was dropped that month,and on 10th, soldiers in this camp,returning from a trip to the cinema found pandemonium raging as "news of Jap surrender has come through"
     
  9. Jim h

    Jim h New Member

    Hi Guys
    Thanks for the info so far....... Now I'm looking for dates.. When was the 33rd General hospital in Palestine......Sicily.....Egypt......Malta etc
     
  10. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

     

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