Tracer Cards - what's out there?

Discussion in 'Research Material' started by AB64, Jul 26, 2016.

  1. AB64

    AB64 Senior Member

    Over the years I've got hold of a few tracer cards to men whose paybooks I have, but I'm interested to know what units cards are out there - I've only seen mention of the following

    Royal Artillery - I got a few of these recently for a small donation to Firepower but the archivist said they were being scanned by FindMyPast so hopefully they will be available soon (but talk of FMP scanning seems to go back at least 3 years)

    RTR - Bovington seems to have these, I've seen them discussed on the forum a few years ago http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/39446-rtr-tracer-cards/

    Intelligence Corps - they get a mention on here http://www.militaryintelligencemuseum.org/museum-archive/

    CMP - again a mention on here http://www.rhqrmp.org/research_rmp.html

    Are any other units cards available that any members know of? and if so where and how can you get access - did all units (including the Infantry Regiments) have these cards?

    Thanks in advance

    Alistair
     
  2. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Alistair

    My understanding is that Bovington have the full set of Tracer Cards for the whole Royal Armoured Corps. Arranged by persons name and not unit.
     
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  3. mikky

    mikky Member

    Ancestry seem to have these available now Click

    Mike
     
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  4. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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  5. Misty1611

    Misty1611 Member

    Hi, I am new to this site and wondered if someone on here could help me with my Dad's WW2 Tracer Card. I finally found it on Ancestry after years of trying to find him Military wise. I could find his birth, marriage, death but nothing for his time on the Army. But that changed yesterday Yipppee!!. Now I don't understand what I am looking at:confused:. If someone who has the knowledge could break it don't for me or tell me where to look to be able to do it I would be very grateful. Also as being new to this site it's a bit trial and error re attaching pictures. So not sure if I should have done it as thumbnail or full image. Please accept my apologies and 'thickness' re this.
    Many thanks in advance

    [​IMG]
    WWII Tracer Card for Robert Samuel Jarvis 2086867 (2).png
     
  6. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi

    What you really need are his service records which cannot be found online but can be obtained by applying to the MOD via the forms in this link - Request records of deceased service personnel

    Ancestry (and other subscription web sites) do have some details like casualty lists, or as you have found Tracer Cards for those in the RA, but the real meat of his record is held solely by the MOD

    To me it looks like he enlisted in 1939 into the Royal Engineers (RE), then at some point he was in the 77th Searchlight Regiment, before being transferred to 140th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment in 1943, he was then with another LAA unit until, he was transferred into reserve after the war

    Example - 77th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery - Wikipedia

    Others are better at working out RA units than I

    His MOD service records will cover all this and more if you apply for them

    TD
     
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  7. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    He was conscripted into the Royal Engineers on 5th May 1939
    He transferred to the Royal Artillery serving with the 77th Search Light Regiment, R.A.
    77th Search Light Regiment, R.A. was converted to the 146th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 22nd March 1943
    He was transferred to 55 Battery 32nd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, R.A. 4th May 1944
    32nd Light A.A Regiment R.A.
     
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  8. Misty1611

    Misty1611 Member

    Thank you so much Tricky Dicky, you have been brilliant getting back to me so quickly. So glad I found this site and YOU. Dad rarely talked about his time in the Army, but he did mention the Searchlights and Ack Ack ( please excuse the bad abbreviation I have used) as he called it. He also said that he took part in D Day but his participation was D Day+ ??? day. We're not sure if this was his way of dealing with the horrors of it as one minute he said when they were on the boat leaving the docks they thought they were going to Sheerness and then suddenly thinking @&*^ I can't swim! Then his face darkened as he said he remembered walking up the beach past bodies and the debris of the attacks etc. Thank you also for the link to asking for his service records.
    I'll remember you when I need help again:salut:
     
  9. Misty1611

    Misty1611 Member

    Thank you Guy Hudson as well. Two wonderful people on this site. Perhaps because I was his 'little girl' he didn't tell me much. But I do remember that on a Sunday when All Our Yesterdays was on my Mum usually got to the telly before he did and turned it off. But he always encouraged me to read about the war and would buy books and the like for me. But really only told me the 'fun times' he had. Admittedly there wasn't may fun times but if anything he was the comic turn if he could be. Bless him. He made one mate who over the years after the war they would speak a couple of times a year and it was if they were seeing each other every day. True friends through thick and thin.

    Thank you both again:):cheers:
     
  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    If you obtain his service records they will tell you when he went to France in 1944 - nothing else will, apart from himself

    TD
     
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  11. Misty1611

    Misty1611 Member

    Thank you TD.
     

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