Hi All, I have just received my late Grandad's service records and would love to learn a little bit more about what he did in WW2 as he did not really talk about it when I was little apart from driving tanks. There was also talk in the family of him being badly injured too. I have attached his service record and wondered if anyone on here could help me work out what was going on as it seems full of codes - or suggest where I could go for further insights. Thanks Paul
The Army used lots of abbreviations and this forum has quite a lot to help, have a look at these to get you started: Abbreviations in Service Records (UK/ Army/ WWII) : For ref. Updated Resource - Abbreviations & Acronyms Second World War Abbreviations and Acronyms - Researching WW2 X lists (Service Records)
Hi Paul, If its a but much to decipher you can always contact the REME museum, for a fee, they will interpret the records for you, Research - REME Museum
Hi Paul, I've taken a stab at a quick run through the main bits to get you started. Some of it is really tough to read but this is my best guess: In May 1943 he was initially posted to No. 27 Primary Training Centre with the rank of Private. After basic training he was transferred to the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and sent to No. 14 Technical Training Centre with the rank of Craftsman. In September he qualified as a Driver, Internal Combustion (Class B?), his rank now being classed as 'Driver'. Shortly afterwards he was posted to 15 AA (Anti-Aircraft?) Workshops in Hemel Hempstead. In November he was posted to the REME Mobilisation & Holding Centre, then Taken on Strength of (what looks like) the Line of Communication Recovery Company attached to the Holding Centre. In January 1944 he 'Proceeded with unit to new location and ceased to be attached to the Mobilisation & Holding Centre REME for Pay, Rationing & Administration'. In March 1944 he is 'Struck Off Strength' of that unit and posted to (crikey this is hard to read...) HQ Static Workshops REME, then very quickly Taken On Strength of No. 3 Armoured Fighting Vehicle Servicing Unit. He embarked for service in North West Europe with that unit on 7th August, and landed in NW Europe on the 11th. Big gap in the record here - about a year later, 26th August 1945, it looks like he was wounded or ill, as he is on the X(ii) List (evacuated from his unit) at No. 32 General Hospital. He's then on to the X (iv) List (the reinforcement pool after recovering) with No. 54 Reinforcement Holding Unit. In October he's Taken On Strength of (getting ever harder to read...) 3 Army Tps Workshop. In November he's ill/injured again, on the X (ii) List at 23 General Hospital. This looks fairly serious as it seems he's then Struck Off Strength of the British Army of the Rhine and sent to a hospital in the UK in December. He's out of action until March 1946, when he is again Taken On Strength of HQ Static Workshops REME and then posted to No. 3 Central Workshops in April. Medal awards (39/45 Star and France & Germany Star) noted in June 46. In April 1947 he is promoted to Unpaid Acting Lance Corporal, then immediately 'Granted the paid appointment of Lance Corporal'. Last entry I can see is 'TOS Y List 7' in July 1947, which should relate to his demob from the forces. Next step is finding the war diaries of the specific units he served with to see what they got up to. 'No. 3 Armoured Fighting Vehicle Servicing Unit' may prove the most fruitful, as it looks like he was in NW Europe with them from August 44 to August 45, and may have been injured in service with them. Hope that's of some help. Edit: These might be the diaries you want: 3 A.F.V. Inspectorate Servicing Unit | The National Archives Reference: WO 171/2965 Description: 3 A.F.V. Inspectorate Servicing Unit Date: 1944 June - Dec. 3 A.F.V. Servicing Unit | The National Archives Reference: WO 171/7003 Description: 3 A.F.V. Servicing Unit Date: 1945 Jan.- Dec.