157th Railway Construction Company, R.E.

[Ady B-)]

Please would anyone help me to understand my father's service file.
I have attached a scan of part of the form 'Army Form B200B'.
Question 1:
Does line one of the written entry "Attested" simply mean he joined up on 24.11.39 and was sent to R Co.2.R.T.B Longmoor on the same day ?
Question 2:
What does "R Co.2.R.T.B" mean ?
Question 3:
On line four under 'Unit' it says "D" Coy " 2.R.T.B.R.E. then "Posted" then "27.11.39". Does this mean he joined "D" Coy on 24.11.39 and was posted on to 3rd Depot Batt. on 27.11.39 ?
(I'm quite confused at what order these postings took place)
Question 4:
On line six it says "Posted from 8th(Railway) Training Batt.
How does he get to  8th(Railway) Training Batt. ?
Question 5:
From line 8, what does "Serial No. R.M.J.H.D" mean ?
Question 6:
From line nine, what does "2nd Ech" signify and will it help me to find out  where he was and what he did in the B.E.F. ?
Question 7:
From line eleven, does this date make sense?
Finally but most importantly I would just like to ask how I will be able to find out where my father was in his time in the B.E.F. and what he did.
Many thanks in anticipation.
Ady B-)

[Redroger]

Regarding your question 1) I think it relevant to ask his pre-war occupation; if he had been previously in railway employment then I think it likely he went straight there after attestation.

Although railway employment particularly in the Operating Grades, dirver, guard, signalman etc. was a reserved occupation exempt from military service, I do not believe this applied immediately after the ouitbreak of war, but even if this is not so then the Railways Battalions of the RE would have needed some trained railwaymen to train their own recruits, this may account for his posting to a training unit.
If he had not previously been a rail worker, then frankly I have to give way to the military experts on this site.

[Ady B-)]

Thanks for your speedy response Redroger.
Having recently tried to trace the family tree it would appear that railway employment was always high on the agenda.
My father's Attestation papers show his Trade or Calling to be a Platelayer.
Do you happen to know what "R Co.2.R.T.B" means in plain English?
Many thanks for your early response.
If anyone one can help me with any more information I would be extremely grateful.

[Redroger]

Railway Co 2 Rail transport brigade?? The trade of platelayer is highly suggestive, he would have been drafted to the REs and then set on probably as an instructor training others in the trade of tracklaying. A vital skill in the circumstances.Do you know which railway he worked for? The service history MIGHT have survived and be available at Kew.

[Ady B-)]

I'm afraid I know very little of my father's early life.
He was at Llanrwst, North Wales on his Attestation papers and in Bangor, North Wales on another document dated between 1939 and 1945.
Unfortunately Kew is virtually impossible for me to get to.
Do you know if they have anything available on-line?
Many thanks for all your help Redroger.
It's looking like it's going to be a pretty lonely life as a WW2, R.E., 157th Rly Con Coy researcher:]

[percy porter]

RTB = Railway Training Batallion
BEF = British Expeditionary Force
2 Ech = 2nd Echelon

[Ady B-)]

Many thanks Percy Porter
Do you know if 2nd Echelon has any significance to where my father was or indeed how he got there and what he might have been involved in
I had heard that he once worked on a bridge on the Rhine but that might well have been later (44-46) with his NWE posting
Many thanks once again
Ady B-)

[Redroger]

My interest and therefore the books I have in my possession centres on locomotives in the main, however I would suggest that it might be helpful if you did some reading about the military railways, and the work of the REs during WW2.A google of military railways might be helpful, as might a visit to a military or railway book shop. The scope of such books is vast.

[Ady B-)]

Many thanks once again Redroger
I guess I ask too many questions