I found the below photo of my uncle in North Africa and it had a sort of official looking tag attached to it ( also below) and wondered what information I can glean from the tag. I know that Python refers to leave given to troops who had been oversees for 4 years or longer but that’s all. I also have his record ( extract below) and I am confused because it seems to show his leave occurring in May ‘45 which is before he left Egypt! Any thoughts would be appreciated. Note that elsewhere in his record it states that Repatriation to count from 21/3/41
Hi, Steve, Really sorry, but had to change the title around a little. We have a ridiculous bug where the system sometimes blocks replies to threads if it appears to think there's 'coding' language in the first word of the title. Seemed to be triggered by python, another multi meaning tech/snake/acronym word... Apologies again. Should be fine now. ~A
I expect after VE-Day Middle East Forces (MEF) started Python leave locally and then he loitered in a base camp before embarking on a ship to return to the UK. SOS means taken off strength. DBRE is Depot Battalion Royal Engineers See: DBRE Locations in '45/'46 (Depot Battalion Royal Engineers) TBRE is: Training Battalion Royal Engineers See: 3 TBRE
Thanks. That explains the out of sequence leave. I think the tag that was attached to the the photo is a red herring. It looks more like an amendment slip from something like his paybook that may have been stored in the same envelope as the photo at some point in time.
No problem. I will try to bear that in mind for future posts although it might be difficult for me to spot code related words
Hi, I tried to post earlier but kept getting a Security breach message alluded to by VP. The short leave in May 1945 was not Python leave rather local leave in Egypt. Python was an entitlement for men who had served overseas for 4 years to be returned to UK. As he had been overseas since March 1941 he was rightly able to return to UK under the Python scheme in July 1945. Leave - Python and Lilop A & S 26 means Age & Service Group 26. There was a matrix used to determine a fair and equitable demobilisation process based on age and length of wartime service. A & S 26 group were largely demobilised in May & June 1946. Steve
Please excuse the pedantry, but having had to do such returns in the more modern era, SOS is not taken off strength, but struck off strength. Means the same thing but, might as well indicate it.
Thanks for the reply. He was transferred to Class Z in June 46 so that fits with your reply. Thanks for decoding A&S 26. I get a bit obsessed with finding out every detail that I can as I am preparing a summary of my uncle’s service for the benefit of family members so every bit of information is of interest.
