Suffolk kev Posted January 15, 2014 Posted January 15, 2014 Anyone amongst you gentleman have any knowledge of 7 / 73 Coy RASC from the period 1944 to 1948? I am trying to find out about the service career of a family member who I now believe to have been a member of that unit. I want to know if what I have found out or been led to believe can be confirmed or contradicted by another source How often did personnel move around from one unit to another at this time? My subject was a driver with a 'T' prefix to his number.
Tony Posted January 19, 2014 Posted January 19, 2014 Welcome to the forum Kev. I'm afraid I can't answer your question but have you applied for his service record? It might take a while to arrive however, it could answer your questions. The T prefix was for Horse Transport (I believe) during the Great War. Tony
Suffolk kev Posted January 21, 2014 Author Posted January 21, 2014 Tony Thanks for that. You are correct. I have done research into a few other relatives who served in the Great War and would you believe it some of them were in the Army Service Corps - it must be something about our family that attracted them to the ASC rather than a regiment. I have been able to research more about them than I have about this individual as he was in the RASC in World War 2 - hence the records are not yet as freely available. I have not applied for his service record as yet - to me it is to easy to pay £30 and get it all at once from one source, I'd much rather see what I can find out from other sources first, that's why I was just asking how often troops moved from one unit to another in the RASC. I thought my relative went into 101 GT Squadron as he was trained to drive the DUKW but see that he also went into 73 Squadron as well......confusing.
Tony Posted January 21, 2014 Posted January 21, 2014 Don't know if this is any help or if you know the site already but it might be worth having a look http://www.rlcarchive.org/Welcome.aspx Tony
Suffolk kev Posted January 22, 2014 Author Posted January 22, 2014 Tony Yes, I have a link to that site - but thanks. On another note, I see you are looking for a couple of SWB's - from The Great War I assume. Do people have much luck in finding them? I have a couple of relatives who were entitled to them but they have gone. It would be nice to re unite them with the medals I have.
Tony Posted January 22, 2014 Posted January 22, 2014 Kev, I don’t search lists or ebay on a daily basis for SWBs, if I do find B24317 and RN43673 it’ll be more luck than anything else. About 2 years ago I bought a certificate for the SWB to a Royal Marine, last year I saw his BWM and VM but I’m still missing his badge (RN43673) to complete the reunite. As for my great grandfather’s SWB (B24317) well, it probably went missing the same time as his QSA but I haven’t given up yet, at least I have his BWM. Tony
Suffolk kev Posted January 24, 2014 Author Posted January 24, 2014 Tony Yes, I understand. I am on the look out for one for one of my relatives, but I think I will just grab one off Ebay. I want to mount his medals and badges in a frame for my mother in law as a gift. It is a bit of a quandary sometimes, I want to do likewise for other family members for whom I don't have medals etc. I would love to have their medals but until I locate them I have a choice of copies - or someone else's medals.... If I use someone else's then that could put someone like me in the same position..... On a SWB. Does the RN prefix mean it's a naval award? I have seen one with an RN prefix, the genuine one I want has a B prefix, B245491 if you ever come across it.... It would be for my grand father, Frederick Charles ROWE. He too was in the ASC but in the great war, enlisted in June 1916 and was a driver in the ASC but was discharged in 20/06/1919 after he handled a detonator which went off in his hand - hence the SWB...... Honestly, you couldn't make some of this up!! Regards Kev
Tony Posted January 25, 2014 Posted January 25, 2014 Kev, If you have original medals you can always pass the on to whoever is searching for that particular name and who knows, maybe you'll reunite a split group one day. The SWB is a good thing to collect especially with the record of issue to the British army and navy being online. Yes RN is the prefix for Royal Navy but keep an eye out for I (India), NF (Newfoundland), O (British army I think) and the Mercantile Marine prefix which I can't remember at the mo. More common are RAF, A (Australia), C (Canada), NZ (New Zealand), and SA (South Africa) I'll keep a look out for your grandfather's ASC Badge. Tony
Suffolk kev Posted January 26, 2014 Author Posted January 26, 2014 Tony That is very kind of you, thank you. In return I will add your missing SWB numbers to my rather small hunting wish list. I take what you have to say into consideration. I think I will try to collect original medals where I can - like you say, If requested I could always pass them on to a family member who was searching for them. Shopping list prepared. I am going to be looking for quite a selection, from both wars and some nice extras to make them complete and personal to the individual whom they commemorate as well. Oh, and thanks for the info about the prefix letters on the SWB's. I like to try to learn as I go. I thought there had to be a master plan for all the letters, it would be highly unlikely for it to have been a matter of random selection Regards Kev
coldstream Posted February 21, 2017 Posted February 21, 2017 Kev, Not sure if you have access to Ancestry but the Silver War Badge Rolls are easily accessible on there site and give useful information to the Recipient if all you have is the Badge. Happy to look any up for you if you do not have access. All the best Simon.
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