Army Service Corps

[Janice Jones]

Can anyone help with when/where my Grandad may have enlisted?

His name is Martin Collins
He was born in Loughrea, Co. Galway in 1895 and family rumour has it he signed up to get free passage to England and that he was in his teens.

I have so far found his RASC Roll of Individuals entitled to the Victory and British war Medals (page 6166)
It shows him as a Driver and his RASC No as T4/088619
while his 2/8 London Regt. Rifle. Bde. No as B/201877
& notes
RASC 9.1.16-25.9.17
2/8 London Regt. Rifle Brigade. 26.9.17 - 22.11.18
Retransferred RASC 23.11.18

written beneath that in red ink is something I can't read plus RASC/101B61

I can find no information about where and when he actually enlisted. Nor where and when he was demobbed

Any ideas would be welcomed please
Thank you

[CaroleW]

Over 60% of WW1 service records were burnt during the WW2 blitz

[MaxD]

The T4 prefix to his number yields a couple of clues.  T means he was involved in the horse transport element of the Army Service Corps.  Their depot was in Woolwich and there were a number of horse transport units around that area of south east London. 
The T4 indicates a man in most cases who volunteered under the Derby scheme in 1915 and who were brought into the service in January 1916.  Not entirely foolproof but the man above him on the medal roll enlisted on 4 January 1916.  Ireland of course belonged to the UK at that time so one can imagine him volunteering in late 1915 at an office in Ireland and being given the fare to (perhaps) Woolwich in January.

As to when he finished, he seems to have continued beyond November 1918 so a possible discharge in early 1919 would make sense although the loss of the records that CaroleW refers to makes that speculation.

The bit in red ink is an administrative note referring to another medal roll page and can, I suggest, be safely ignore, in any event, it does not provide any useful information.

MaxD

[Janice Jones]

you're a gem MaxD, thank you