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World War Two / Re: Info about military career
« on: Monday 17 October 22 17:51 BST (UK) »I think that is going to be quite difficult to find out his unit based just on a geographical reference. Bulford Camp was from a very early part of the twentieth century up to the present day the home the UK 3rd Division, along with a number of its supporting units, such as Gunners, Sappers, Signals and RAOC (now RLC) to name but four capbages. Today Kiwi Barracks is home to 3rd Regiment RMP, although only 158 Provost Company is actually based there (see link below). The current Kiwi Barracks is fairly small and probably not more than 40 years old so it's difficult to know what kind of unit might have been stationed there in the 1930s.
There may be a clue in this caption from a photograph in the Imperial War Museum archive which says "Formal group study of the Officers of 9th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, taken in front of the Officers' Mess, Kiwi Barracks, Bulford Camp, February 1944. The reverse is annotated the names of all officers depicted and their fate in connection with the assault on the Merville Battery, 6 June 1944". That suggests that the old barracks may have been an infantry barracks.
Another thing to consider is how married quarters were allocated in the 1930s. Today this is done on a garrison wide basis meaning that the occupants of a married quarter adjacent a barracks may not necessarily have belonged to a unit which was housed in that barracks. Whether that was so in 1939 I do not know.
I've done a quick newspaper search for the period, but nothing comes up specifically relating to Kiwi Barracks ( or Kiwi Lines as it would have been known in the 1930s). I think we can rule out 48th Coy RASC as they were based in Somme Lines (where ever that was).
If for any reason, you decide not to get his service record, your best bet is to go through any regimental histories (such as the Parachute Regiment mentioned above) for the immediate pre-war period to see if any mention Kiwi Barracks.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.1928792,-1.732985,3a,75y,146.49h,91.34t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sWPKy_rBVKXTaVHz2pMWUFw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en
Andy J2022,
Thankyou so much for your detailed response. I will have a look at the regimental histories. There is a P DRUGAN on Forces War Records described as War Substantive Sergeant Major in 1944 and earlier in 1942 as a Warrant Officer 1st Class both for the Pioneer Corps. Would that be a possibility?
I will have a talk with my friend about requesting the service records as i dont think he knows anything about his grandfather.
Thanks again,
Pendlelad
