Hi all
I received my relative's service record earlier this year and I was really impressed with the speed of turn around of my request and also with the actual quantity of papers. Now that I have looked at them there seems to be duplicates in various forms. Never mind, I am beginning to make headway with understanding them. I have few questions to start with.
1. Laurence's service shows 1920 - 1928 UK, 1928- 1933 India, 1933-1938 UK and then 1938 - mid 1943 Egypt. Total length of service shown nearly 23 years. He was appointed an emergency commission as LT( Quarter-master) June 1943. My question is why doesn't the period from June 1943 to August 1945 show as part of the his total service? He was still in Egypt and didn't return to UK until Jan 1944 and was finally demobbed August 1945.
2. What does being awarded an emergency commission mean??
3. He was married in 1937 and his wife went out to join him in Egypt in 1938. Was this quite common for the regular soldiers? Two Children were born while in Egypt
4. His daughter told me they all moved to South Africa so he didn't see any action. Obviously the records show him in Egypt but I do have evidence that the wife and children were in SA as I have downloaded the record of the ship Orbita bringing hundreds of women and children from Durban to Liverpool in March 1944. On one of the pieces of paperwork he has home address as Durban. Would the Army be involved with shipping the families out to SA?
5. Laurence's trade was an electrical fitter. Can anyone tell me what sort of work he would be doing in the regular service and also in India.
As there is so much paperwork I have decide what to upload so that someone can assist with any queries about his service. That will be my next task.
Many thanks in advance
Pam
