Service Record - 5506727 William Lewis

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Kevin Williamson, Aug 6, 2022.

  1. This is my father in law Army service records. Have a few more documents if needed, but was wondering if anybody would help me deciphering these? Think i have done most of it but would be grateful for any more information.

    Kind regards

    Kev.
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Yes, lots of confusing abbreviations used to save time and space. Might be worth having a look at:
    http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/abbreviations-in-service-records-uk-army-wwii-for-ref.57233

    and
    Second World War Abbreviations and Acronyms - Researching WW2

    and
    X lists (Service Records)

    Awarded Africa Star for service with the 1st Army:
    Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility

    Records state that he was wounded, but he did not get a mention in the casualty lists. EDIT. Casualty list record was incorrectly transcribed, he is there but with a wrong service number - FMP advised. See post #7 below.

    Admitted 48 General Hospital
    Hospitals WW2 - Scarlet Finders

    TOS = Taken on strength i.e. joined
    SOS = Struck off strength i.e. left
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2022
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  3. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Sorry to be a bit its bitsy Looking at the handwriting for Wounded in Action line below I think reads: TOS (Taken On Strength) 2/4 Hamps (21 Beach Group) 28.8.44

    See Royal Hampshire Regiment - Wikipedia
    2/4 Battalion 21Beach Group.

    I will take a further look in a while anyone else who wants a try please do so.
    Hope this helps as a clue to place where and what he was doing.
     
    Last edited: Aug 6, 2022
    Kevin Williamson likes this.
  4. Thank you Tony56 and Uncle Target. I have done a bit of research with the thanks to a few good people on here and managed to find a book on the history of the 2/4 Hampshires. Got some war diaries off this site which was amazing. Just hoping to find out if their is anything else that I might have missed.

    Regards

    Kev
     
  5. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Out of curiosity I would like to know where he was Wounded in Action on 29.7.43. Tunis fell in May 1943 and it seems their next action was at Salerno Italy in Sept 1943.
    Was he wounded in the fighting north of Medjez and released as a POW at the fall of Tunis or wounded and on the run.
    Or alternatively, "lost in transit" for a few months as a casualty..
     
    Kevin Williamson likes this.
  6. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    There is no mention of him on casualty lists on find my past with that army number.!!!
     
  7. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Just found an entry as being wounded 2/8/43. Theatre of war given as Sicily/North Africa. It gave his number as 5510873 on the introduction page but as you can see on the actual casualty list it is 5506727.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Aug 6, 2022
  8. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    People did get "lost in transit" for one reason or another. Usually to paperwork errors. Here is an example:

    BNAF 30th May 1943
    My Sergeant Major, a most excellent worthy by the name of Hawkins suddenly showed up.
    Having been missing since the day of Djebel Djaffa. Nobody knew where he had got to, though it seemed unlikely that he had been killed or captured.
    Our theory that he had got lost in medical services proved correct.
    On the night in question he had gone out to Banana Ridge with two of the guns. When they were surrounded he got separated from the main body and joined some infantry on a ridge. Here he took over a dead man’s Tommy Gun and grenades and fought with them until the Jerries got a mortar ranged onto them.
    After a while he was wounded in the head and right eye and managed to get back to an ADS.
    By this time he was blind and they sent him back for further treatment.
    Eventually he was flown to Algiers where they took the shrapnel from his eye and he recovered rapidly.
    But it took him a month to get back to us via many transit and training camps.
    In the meantime of course we had acquired a new TSM who was doing very well- this unfortunate has of course had to return to Sergeants rank.
    And below him a Sergeant has gone back to L/Sgt, a L/Sgt to Bdr a Bdr to L/Bdr and a L/Bdr to Gnr. That being one of the implications of “War Establishment”.
     
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  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Half of 2/4th Hampshires joined 20 Beach Group & went to Sicily in July.

    The other half joined 21 Beach Group & went to Salerno in Sept.
     
  10. Uncle Target

    Uncle Target Mist over Dartmoor

    Thanks Owen, just had a quick check on the Sicily Campaign.
     
    Kevin Williamson likes this.
  11. Thank you very much to all of you for your help and information. He definitely was wounded and received a war pension for the rest of his life. Lost the hearing in his left ear and had shrapnel removed form various parts of his body!
    On the other documents I have are about his service starting in 1940 joining the territorial Army in the 2/4 Hampshires. He did home service until being sent to North Africa.
    I can upload them documents If anybody is interested.
    Thanks again.

    Regards

    Kev.
     
    Uncle Target likes this.
  12. As an after thought would it be possible to upload my dad's service record for you to have a look at? It's not during the war but between 1947 and 1951. He served in the Korean War.

    Regards.

    Kev.
     

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