barn found british kitbag BEF 1940 ww2

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Tommy4, May 2, 2017.

  1. Tommy4

    Tommy4 Junior Member

    I recently found this kitbag in a house on the border of France and Belgium.
    It's a british may 1940 kitbag with service number and a flash on it.
    It's marked DRV Dooley 10075143 BEF
    on the other side it's also marked, I can also notice a tricolor flash (red green red)

    Is there somebody that can identify the unit, and maybe the service records of this soldier? I'm very surprised to know something more about this soldier and his parcours during the france campaign

    Thanx to you
     
    Charley Fortnum likes this.
  2. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Driver Dooley would indicate that he was an RASC soldier...does not appear as a casualty on the CWGC website.

    Wonder if Driver Dooley was billetted at the house or was passing through on the withdrawal of the BEF
     
  3. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I've done the easy bit - he's not on the Commonwealth War Grave Commission database so he survived the war.
    That early in the war, his service number ought to tally with his regiment or corps.
    The 'tricolor' may be an embarkation code which others might be able to decipher.
     
  4. Tommy4

    Tommy4 Junior Member

    Ok , you might be right guys.
    I found this kitbag with an identique other one marked with name F. Amlôt RASC.
    Somebody who could find service records of this soldier?
     
  5. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The red / green / red marking is indeed the 'movement serial' and the serial itself is beneath - '1918'. Red indicated '1' and 'Service Colour' (Green) was '8'....The coloured stripes show the last two digits of the serial '18' but it is designed to be read upside down as well...Kit bags etc. could be thrown in any direction. In effect it shows '181' but those handling the equipment knew to only read the last two colours.

    There are a lot of 1900 series markings allocated to RASC units in the BEF lists but they are not complete (only starting in October 1939) and I cannot find 1918. The closest that I have is 1915 - No. 5 Ammunition sub-park and 1924 - 1 Corps Supply Column (both RASC).

    Whereabouts was the bag found ? If it was a billeting area then it may just be possible to track the unit that way.
     
  6. ClankyPencil

    ClankyPencil Senior Member

    On Dooley's bag what are the other numbers near the top? They appear to me something like 07514 and 62 Coy below that ?
     
  7. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    I thought it said 62 Coy as well. The only 62 Company that I'm aware of in the BEF listings was 62 Chemical Warfare Company. I don't know if they'd have had attached RASC drivers though.
     
  8. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    ignore


    Kyle
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2017
  9. Tommy4

    Tommy4 Junior Member

    Hi
    Bags are found during a cleanup of a house in the area of Hondschoote, near Belgium.
    I found a bunch of BEF items with names on it. Most of the items are vehicle/medical/engineers related...

    The whole markings on the back are:


    red stripe H. Dooley red stripe
    10075143
    62 COY
    weird marking
    red green red
    1918

    So first letter of first name is H
     
  10. Tommy4

    Tommy4 Junior Member

    I also found this p08 belt there. It seems to be marked 55 18 COY. So also a COY marking? Is it related and/or could it help identify better the kitbag?
     

    Attached Files:

  11. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Four RASC drivers in Cemetery all 27/5/40.

    hondschoote
     
  12. ClankyPencil

    ClankyPencil Senior Member

    i would read the markings on the belt as possibly 55 Coy 18.

    If this were so then there is another thread here regarding another soldier in 55 Coy RASC.
    From that
    If the 55 Coy & 290 Coy were closely linked and part of the same larger unit, its possible the belt belonged to someone in the 55 Coy of the 18th Division, which could be one explanation of the markings on the belt
     
  13. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    Note also
    HINTON LEONARD CHARLES
    United Kingdom Lance Corporal Royal Engineers 1 Boring Coy. Age: 25 Date of Death: 27/06/1940 Service No: 2183358 C.6.
    (Suspect an error and should be 05 not 06, CWGC also have 06).
    Then.
    WAR DIARY OF: No: 1 BORING SECTION, RE, BEF.
    27th, 28th, 29th, of May 1940
    Re: WO95/167/901

    27/05/1940: LES MORES

    Commenced infantry training programme,
    07.00: Received new instructions to place vehicles in position for ditching so this could be carried out quickly on receipt of first orders.
    Remained at LES MORES until 08:30 hrs, on 27th. During this time, made several reconnaissance’s into DUNKIRK to obtain supplies and find out about shipping. Five killed and four wounded in airplane bombing raid at 08:00 hrs, 27th. Received instructions from Major Bond at 08:30 hrs, to move immediately to the outskirts of DUNKIRK and await further orders. Previous to this, the only Scammell and trailer with the detachment had been taken for use of R.A.S.C.
    Burnt official documents except Company Accounts and left at LES MORES all equipment except that carried on the march to DUNKIRK. Continued to use reconnaissance truck, which carried the wounded into C.C.S. HONDSCHOOTE and then carried those men unable to march.
    During the afternoon obtained instructions from Commandants Office that evacuation from the beach might be carried out during the night somewhere between DUNKIRK and LA PANNE and that the unit should not move until after dark.

    Arrived at a small village 3 miles from DUNKIRK at 11:00 hrs and made further reconnaissance of ST. MALO, LA PANNE and DUNKIRK. 18 men of the original detachment at LES MORES become lost on route to DUNKIRK and could not be found with the reconnaissance truck. Including, CSM Chapman and CQMS Jarvis.

    Arrived on beach between ST. MALO and LA PANNE at 23:30 hrs, on 27th, Considerable bombing and machine-gunning commenced on arrival and continued all night. No embarkations carried out from this part of the beach during the night, but embarkation was carried out further south.
    BBC - WW2 People's War - Teddy at Dunkirk
     
    CL1 likes this.
  14. Tommy4

    Tommy4 Junior Member

    So if I understand correctly, both kitbags are RASC related
    H. Dooley was a driver for the RASC , 62 company (62 coy)
    The webbing belt is alsor RASC related 55 company (55 coy) 18th division probably? or not sure?

    Maybe an additional help, The kitbags are not found in the center of Hondschoote, but on the border nearby the village of Leisele/leysele (belgium). Maybe there is something known of which units went through this village in may 1940?

    Thanx to all of you.
     
  15. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    There were no British units stationed near Hondschoote during the phoney war as the 'Gort Line' did not extend that close to the coast so the answer will not lie with positions prior to 10th May.

    The belt certainly looks to be in BEF blanco colour but the 18th Division did not serve in France in 1940. It could perhaps be a WW1 belt retained by a Territorial unit and re-issued ? The number on the left looks more like '53' to me. 53 Company RASC are co-listed as 2 GHQ Artillery Company RASC. Other than that they displayed an '81' on their vehicles, I can't tell you much about them.

    The difficulty here is that all war diaries are catalogued under their BEF title and not the pre-war unit identifier that they would have used when marking their equipment.
     
  16. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    We know that these kit bags were lost in France/ Belgium, prior the evacuation of the BEF at Dunkirk.

    They belonged to soldiers serving with the RASC. Namely F Amlot, and H. Dooley.

    Not listed as died.

    F. Amlot. Not found as POW.

    H. Dooley’s as POWs, but none with same number or with RASC.
    dooley.jpg

    Forces war records list 6 F Amlot’s but could be same one as different ranks and years. None RASC.

    15 H dooley’s but no numbers match and none RASC.

    We know that RASC soldiers were in the area, where the bags were found as four are in the cemetery. 27/05/40.

    The bags were found in a house in Leisele Belgium. 2017.

    Now as it appears that no RASC units were billeted in that area.

    So this must raise the question as to when these kitbags were put in this house, as it would seem to be very dangerous to have any British equipment in your house during the German occupation?
     

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