Guys I need your help and advice - I am trying to establish what my grandfather was doing and where he was in WW2. I have his brief service record and I was hoping that some of you can shed some light on this for me and explain what it all means! Major Frank William Purvis P/113629 - Reconnaissance Corps Enlisted as 6970645 at London into the Rife Brigade TA - 05.09.39 Posted to 164th Officer Cadet Training Unit - 15.9.39 Discharged to a commission - 13.1.40 Appointed to an Emergency Commission as 2nd Lieutenant into the Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment - 14.1.40 Joined Infantry Training Centre - 29.1.40 Embarked for BEF - 5.2.40 Joined No1 Infantry Base Depot (France) - 8.2.40 Returned UK from BEF - 3.6.40 Posted to 1st Battalion - 29.6.40 Posted to Anti-Tank Company 12th Infantry Brigade 7.9.40 Posted to 6th Battalion Black Watch and appointed Acting Captain 24.11.40 Posted to 4th Battalion Reconnaisance Corps - 8.141 Transferred to Reconnaissance Corps 14.1.41 To be temporary Captain War Substantive Lieutenant with 4th Battalion - 24.2.41 To be adjutant 4th Recc Corps - 12.2.43 Embarked for overseas - 13.3.43 Disembarked North Africa - 23.2.43 Moved from British North Africa Force to Middle East Force - 15.12.43 Moved from Middle East Force to British North Africa Force 28.2.44 Permanently attached to HQ Indian Division to be Deputy Assistant Adjutant General (Malaria) 10 Indian Division with rank of Lt Colonel - 5.12.44 Relinquished appointment of DAAG (Malaria) 10 Indian Division 15.7.45 Attached to 65 Transit Camp on Disembarkation - 23.7.45 Released - 22.1.46 Relinquished commissio and granted the honorary rank of Major - 30.06.57 Medals - 1939-45 Star, Africa Sra with 1st Army Clasp; Italy Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Mentioned in Despatched London Gazette 23.5.46; Bronze Star 1945 I think that's about it - I just would like to know what this all means and if any of you can shed some light on where yoi think he was and what he could have been doing. Any help great appreciated. Spero
Here's some info on 4th Div. 4th Division I assume he was with 1st Bn West Kents. 12th Bde AT Coy was 4th Div . 4 Recce was also 4th Div. So it looks like he spent most of the war in 4th Div until going to 10th Indian Div at end of 1944. Good luck with the trail.
Thanks Owen - I appreciate it. From his service record does it mean that his transfer to the 10th Indian Division would mean he was still with the Recce? Or would he have had to be integrated into another regiment. It's all a bit odd - as he came home so late after war finished. Any thoughts/ideas? Spero
Er umm, would he have kept his cap badge you mean ? Not sure, he was on the Divisional Staff , I suspect he would. I've seen photos of Staff officers with various cap badges. They're still part of their Regiment just working somewhere else.
