X lists (Service Records)

Hi
I asked for a copy of my grandfather's war record, as I'm researching my family tree and there was some family folklore around his WII war service. He was meant to have fought in Burma and been lost for a while in the jungle. The record I've received doesn't suggest he was ever in Burma, but I'm puzzled by some of the X, Y and Z list entries and I wondered if anyone could help. I've put together the following table to try to summarise it all. Any help anyone can give would be most appreciated.


Date


Description


Cat


Explanation


15.01.44


Arrives in India at Base Reinforcement Camp


XivB


Waiting to be deployed to a post


30.03.44


Posted to 2nd Bn Suffolk Regiment








01.05.44


Awarded 7 days field punishment for not “standing to” at 04:45 on 30.04.44








03.06.44


To Xii List


Xii


Taken ill


06.06.44


Posted to 2nd Bn Suffolk Regiment








25.06.44


Posted x(ii) list


X(ii)


Taken ill


05.09.44


To xiv list


Xiv


Waiting to be deployed


18.12.44


To Base Reinforcement Camp


Ziv





22.01.45


To Zii list


Zii





28.02.45


To Z4 list


Z4





21.04.45


To X(i) list


X(i)


Posted to fill a vacancy


26.04.45


To Reinforcement Camp remains Xi


Xi


Posted to fill a vacancy


11.05.45


At Army Service Corps x(i) to x(ii)a


X(i)


Posted to fill a vacancy


20.05.45


Posted to South East Asia BAPO from x(iv)a to x(i)


X(i)


Posted to fill a vacancy


16.10.45


Leave in UK - leave in addition to python








16.11.45


Posted AWOL, but cancelled as extension of leave granted








26.02.46


To x(i) list. Rejoined HQ303 C of C & India Command


Xi


Posted to fill a vacancy


03.01.46


Ceased to be attached on proceeding to London District Assembly Centre








09.07.46


Posted to Y4 list


Y4


Home


10.07.46


From 10.07.46 to 03.10.46, spends 86 days at a place which is unreadable on record








04.10.46


Class 2 (T)





Joins Reserve List

 

This topic has been really useful as it has sorted a couple of issues in my fathers service record. However, I am still confused by a couple of things and so regret not asking him whilst he was alive.
He joined the Glosters and went to Gravesend for 2 years. At the end of that time, his battalion of the Glosters were reformed into 118 LAA Royal Artillery and posted out to India. At the end of the war he was awarded The Burma Star, but I can see nothing in his record that shows he was actually in Burma. He did not get back to England until 1946 as for the last year or so he was on the staff of the Homeward Bound Trooping Station at Deolali.
The first part of his service in India is clear as is his time at Deolali. In between that there is a record of posting to B.B.R.C. Does anyone have any idea what that was? I have wondered if it is a Reconnaissance Company.

 

Hi John
I think BBRC is British Base Reinforcement Camp

From here
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/44312-my-grandfathers-recordhelp-required/

See post #8

Lesley

 

Hi Lesley.
Thank you for this. I can go back to his service record now and see how that makes sense.
John

 

Dear Board members

I have a few remaining abbreviations and acronyms from my father's war record with the 24oth Field Company RE I would like some help with. I have managed to decipher most of it but am stumped by the following, which are not listed by the Army Personnel Centre:

• "Granted RA and RW"
• "Granted leave RALRRW"
• "Granted leave RALR"
• "Granted leave SLR"
• I think he was wounded/injured in Ireland while posted to Bessbrook Camp, near Newry. The query is "Admitted to Dromores? CRS". Then, "Discharged from Dromores? CRS". Was this a military hospital?
• "Attached to SMR"
• "Granted leave LSR"
• "Wounded ?.S.W. Comp, Frac L Arm Pelv/ W.L." It's "S.W. (possibly ?.S.W.)" as there is a black line just before the S. This was a Wuustwezel, just outside Antwerp in the Battle of the Schelde.
• "S.O.S. 21 A.Gp on evacuation to hospital in UK". What's ""S.O.S. 21 A.Gp"?
• "Posted to H (R) DPSn"

Any assistance or new information greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Best wishes

John

 

I think SOS 21 A.Gp- is Struck off Strength (of the unit) 21 Army Group

RALRRW is maybe just a draft code for leave

 

SOS is definitely Struck off strength, in other words, posted to another unit.

Dave

 

Many thanks, 4jonboy and Dave. The 21st Army Group certainly works as this entry occurs in my father's record just after he was wounded outside Antwerp in the Battle of the Schelde in October 1944.

Best

John

 

A bit late to the party, but am fairly certain that SW is "shrapnel (shell) wound". GSW would be "gun shot wound".
From a list of abbreviations I received when researching some WWI service records.

 

Many thanks. SW works. My father was wounded at Wuustwezel as a product of a shell fired from a Jadpanther, which killed the guy he was talking with who was standing in front of him.

Best

John

 

I didn't mean to strike this down??? How do I change that?

I thought it was a funny comment.

 

Very late with this but just re-reading service record for Dad, on 13.5.46 he was noted as X8A which is the day he embarked for the UK and was Struck of Strength BAOR, so fits well with in transit.

Brian

 

Hi Diane !

Giving this thread a bump to raise a point about it's apparent importance in translating service men/women's recoirds.

It occured to me that the x & y lists that are constantly referred to by would be researchers and forever responsible for the query "I'm sure I saw this thread before" should be given more prominence on the site and made more accessible.

Not at all sure how this should be done and where it should be placed but I am sure that a more prominent placing would be beneficial.

Any thoughts ?

Ron

 

I can never remember where to find the x and y lists. (mind you I have trouble where to find most things at times :wink: )

I usually just google " x lists on a ww2 service record" and it takes me to the following on ww2talk: (the actual thread we are on now)
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/15663-x-lists-service-records/

A coincidence you mention it Ron, as today I pointed someone to the x and y lists with the link above today
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/52906-help-with-military-records-of-great-uncle/#entry619563

 

Lesley

It was probably seeing your posting that prompted me to raise the matter with Diane

On thinking the matter over, I'm inclined to agree with Diane that Abreviations is the logical place for it.

Like yourself, I am reasonably adept at finding links for folk but it is doubly nice to have a central place on the forum where you know that regular enquiries are catered for.

Ron

 

(If it's not already there why not tell Owen to move it; bet he's dead bored right now.)

Come on O, you still awake?