Service records

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Janis Howbrook, Oct 22, 2019.

  1. Hi. Just wondering if anyone can cast their eye over some service records. I have made an album with all the images in but not sure how to attach them to this post. I have just received them and a bit confused. I have grown up with my dad telling of his time in Dunkirk, and remember him having nightmares etc. We have his medals. But looking at these records, it seems to tell a completely different story. Just after another opinion please.

    Thank you so much x
     
  2. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I'd be happy to take a look, as I'm sure would others.

    The trick is to resize the images so that each is less than 2mb in size. Don't bundle them up into one large file.

    You should then be able to just drag and drop each file into the reply box like the one you just typed your post in.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2019
    Janis Howbrook likes this.
  3. Ok. Thank you. I just thought if I created an album people would see the images there? Sorry..... I'm not on a computer at the moment, just a phone x
     
  4. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,


    Whilst it’s usually the norm to post the Images within the post if members click on Janis user name/avatar the link to the album will be visible in her “profile”.

    ‘Steve
     
  5. Thank you. As you can tell, I don't really know what I'm doing haha x
     
  6. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Sorry, got the wrong end of the stick. I didn't realise Janis meant an album here, on site.
     
    Janis Howbrook likes this.
  7. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Janis,

    I’ve had a look over the records. I can’t see any Army Form B103? Did you receive any from Glasgow? They’re usually the most helpful forms from which to track a soldiers movements.

    I note he enlisted into 126 Field Ambulance RAMC in May 1939 at 18 years of age and served for 4 years before his discharge on medical grounds in 1943.

    His record shows only service at “home” and I can see he applied for his medals and was issued with the Defence Medal and the War Medal in 1948 - the norm for service in United Kingdom. You mention 1940 service with BEF and evacuation from Dunkirk. If he had served in that campaign he would also have been issued the 1939/45 Star but as there is no evidence on the file of overseas service I doubt he did serve overseas.

    I haven’t researched whether his unit served overseas 1939/40 but if it did he may have had to stay behind as I understand that soldiers under 19 years of age didn’t usually serve overseas in a theatre of war at that stage of the war.

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2019
  8. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Found the same as you, but see the notes (partially illegible) at the top of the B200B Form:

    IMG_20191022_150801.jpg

    'Attchd to 66th Med (?) 2nd AA Arty (?) Coy - 377 Searchlight Battery 6-4-41'
     
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  9. Hi. Thanks for the reply. The pictures in the album are the only forms I received. Should there be a form B103?

    I just know he has a 1939-45 star and a France & Germany star with his medals. I am now saddened to think he didn't serve where he said.
     
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  10. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    ‘Well spotted! I had noticed he was discharged from 5th A A Group in 1943.

    I was looking for confirmation that 126 Field Ambulance were part of 42nd East Lancs Division in BEF - likely the Field Ambulance for 126 Brigade - but can’t spot them in 42nd Order of Battle.

    Steve
     
  11. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Yes, there should be a form B103--and it's usually the most helpful of the bunch.

    I shouldn't jump to conclusions about the other point yet.
     
  12. The letter they sent with the forms say they are everything they have on record
     
  13. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Janis,

    You might want to phone Glasgow to seek confirmation of whether they have missed copying the B103 forms. It could be that the forms have simply been mislaid over the past 75 years.

    I wouldn’t be too saddened by what you have discovered. He was willing to do his bit before he was liable to conscription and to his credit voluntarily enlisted just after his 18th birthday. In the post war years it wasn’t unusual for men to embellish their service in stories to their children.

    Steve
     
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  14. Thank you for your answer Steve. I appreciate it.
     
  15. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I can't find a complete OOB to check!
     
  16. What is an OOB?
     
  17. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    An order of battle. A list of all the units in a formation. This is one that may be relevant:

    https://www.britishmilitaryhistory....tes/124/2019/05/42-Infantry-Division-1940.pdf

    42nd Division RAMC:
    Headquarters, 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Divisional Royal Army Medical Corps
    125th (East Lancashire) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
    126th (East Lancashire) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
    127th (East Lancashire) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
    20th Field Hygiene Section, Royal Army Medical Corps

    This suggests that 126th Field Ambulance were with 42nd Division--and 42nd Division were at Dunkirk.

    Now, we need to figure out whether he was with them at the time.
     
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  18. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    It’s shorthand for Order of Battle.

    It’s just a list of units that fought in a particular Division - includes infantry, artillery, Royal Engineers, RAMC etc.

    Steve
     
    Janis Howbrook likes this.

  19. How would I find that out though.? I really do appreciate all the help I am getting from both of you. It means a lot to me...... Thank you x
     
  20. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I'm not convinced that he wasn't overseas.

    The EMBODIED section (separate from HOME) could have been overseas.

    We could just be looking at shoddy record-keeping.

    But Janis says that he has a France & Germany Star--how on earth did he get that?

    (Eligibility was 6th June 1944 onwards)

    Janis, are you sure it was his and inherited from another relative?
     

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