I am trying to research my grandads time in ww2, I have his war records but I don't understand what alot of it means! I also have a few letters so I know he was based in the middle East. I am hoping that you lovely knowledgable people may be able to desipher it abit for me. This is what I can gather from his service records: Signed up to Rasc as a driver in May 1940. 150 coy Posted to 2nd arm div 309 company Then there is reference to 309 RES MT coy and XII (I've no idea what this means). I think is then says ambulance car coy but not sure if I'm reading the handwriting correctly. Then he transferred to Acc which I believe is the army catering corps where he trained in paiforce to be a chef with the 37 coy. On some of the letters I have he has written 19th company in 1942 but I cannot see references to that in his service records. If you have any ideas of what he may have done or where to continue my research that would be really helpful. Thanks in advance Carla
Hi Carla - it would be very useful if you could post scans/photos of his records. Most of the people here who can help with deciphering them find it a lot easier if they can see the original documents. Good luck.
It's that last sheet you need most of all. Mainly the large bottom left box with the various entries. I can see that he was with 2nd Echelon GHQ, Paiforce, that's "Persia and Iraq Force", but I can't read some of the dates and details.
Carla, some of my thoughts. 04/04/40 - Posted to 309 Company 13/11/40 - Embarked for overseas service with 2nd Armoured Division. Does it say ‘SOS 309 Coy’ ?. SOS stands for ‘Struck off Strength’, which means he left that unit. This is as opposed to TOS ‘Taken on Strength’ i.e. on joining a unit. 29/12/40 - Disembarked 23/01/41 - I assume 309 Reserve Motor Transport Company. Posted to X(ii) list. This means that he was evacuated on medical grounds. Have a look here: http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/x-lists-service-records.15663/ 25/1/41 - SO (? struck off) X(ii) list From other sources he was mentioned on British Army Casualty List No. 609 dated 5 September 1941, as being wounded: Expeditionary Forces/Middle East Royal Army Service Corps 202197 Rush Dvr T The date of the incident is “Date not reported” This does seem a long time after the January ‘incident’ and there is no corresponding note in his record.
Thank you for that. I will have a look into the casualty list. I'm regards to the SOS 13.11.40, I believe it is squashed in from the previous colomn. I think it says 2nd arm div, then underneath PET. SUB. PH. (I don't know what that stands for) then in the colomn next to it says (309 COY) EMBARKED FOR OVERSEAS. where can I find out where the specific companies were and what they did? ie 150 coy, 309 coy. I have tried to Google but haven't come up with anything. Thank you for assisting
Unfortunately the casualty lists do not give any more information that would help, just the information that I posted above. https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/results?soldiernumber=202197&sourcecategory=armed%20forces%20%26%20conflict&sourcecountry=great%20britain&lastname=rush
2 Arm Div PET. SUB. PH becomes 2 Armd Div PET SUB PK two entries down: that's 2nd Armoured Division Petrol Sub Park RASC. Probably an error in the first entry.
I note there is a Frederick Rush in the 1939 Register but his birth date is 5th Oct 1912, whereas the forms show him born 5th Oct 1911, wonder if its the same man?? - I also note that in the Register and on the forms his occupation on both is 'College Servant' Name: Frederick Rush Gender: Male Marital Status: Single Birth Date: 5 Oct 1912 Residence Year: 1939 Address: 119 Vinery Road Residence Place: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England Occupation: College Servant Schedule Number: 237 Sub Schedule Number: 3 Enumeration District: TAAL Registration district: 181-1 Inferred Father: Charles Rush Inferred Mother: Rose Rush Household Members: Name Charles Rush Rose Rush Frederick Rush Reg Rush Alice Parker This record is officially closed. This record is officially closed. John Rush TD Something you might need to check out on your Ancestry family tree for him
That is him. He worked at jesus College as a servant before the war, then returned as a cook after he had trained in paiforce. There seems to have been a typo on his records as he is listed as T Rush on all his army details, but the army number etc is all correct. He was in fact a Frederick. Thank you
I also found the 1939 entry, I think that Frederick's brother Reg also has an incorrect birth date of 2 Oct 1915, should be 2 October 1914 (baptised 12 Oct 1914, Cambridgeshire). If you are interested in expanding your research I think he was Reginald Kitchener Rush who attested in the Royal Artillery 1940, service No. 1715197.
