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World War Two / Rank and regiment/corps
« on: Saturday 11 November 23 22:35 GMT (UK) »
Can anyone provide any information from this poor quality photograph dating back to March 1945 please
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World War Two / RAF cloth badges
« on: Sunday 12 March 23 20:55 GMT (UK) »
Can anyone tell me what these insignia are? They were seen on the sleeves of two 1940s re-enacters who were unable to explain them
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World War Two / Travel warrants
« on: Thursday 12 January 23 21:49 GMT (UK) »
Im trying to understand a situation that I only have limited information about. My REME soldier spent the first part of his leave shortly before Christmas 1943 at his family home in Newton Abbot, Devon. He then travelled to his girlfriend's family home in Stourbridge, Worcestershire. At the end of his leave on 31 December he travelled from there to Birmingham. He then caught a train to Paddington, London and then departed from Charing Cross to Grove Ferry, near Upstreet, nr Canterbury to rejoin his Unit.
When he began his leave he was expecting to return to his Unit which had been based in Eastbourne at that time. At some point he discovered that his unit had moved to Upstreet/Grove Ferry.
Can anyone explain how he would have learned about the change? (His girlfriend's parents didn't have a phone).
And about Travel Warrants - did they specify destinations and maybe via points? at what stage would he have been issued with the Travel warrant(s) and how would he get it/them?
I'd be grateful for any help
When he began his leave he was expecting to return to his Unit which had been based in Eastbourne at that time. At some point he discovered that his unit had moved to Upstreet/Grove Ferry.
Can anyone explain how he would have learned about the change? (His girlfriend's parents didn't have a phone).
And about Travel Warrants - did they specify destinations and maybe via points? at what stage would he have been issued with the Travel warrant(s) and how would he get it/them?
I'd be grateful for any help
4
World War Two / Locating Unit war diaries on TNA/Ancestry site
« on: Tuesday 18 October 22 16:46 BST (UK) »
Ancestry have added WW2 war diaries to their collections, and the search fields ask for
Keyword (e.g. teacher or "Tower of London")
Arena of War;
Regiment or Unit
Division
and Commanding Officer's Rank.
I want to search for my uncle's Unit war diaries but as he was with REME (so attached to different regiments?) I am not sure what to put in some of these fields. For example, up until censorship imposed a generic Army Post Office address in April 1944 he gave his address as 342/109 HAA Regt Wksp; or 109 HAA Wksp REME c/o 109 HAA Regt RA. When the Unit moved to France as part of the British Liberation Army in August 1944 his address was 109HAA Wksp REME but he also said he was 'with the Pioneer Corps now'. He was Clerk Technical with his REME unit doubling up as Clerk General when necessary. Am I right in assuming that his unit war diaries would have been REME not 109HAA or Pioneer Corps?
I've tried entering Diary End Dates: 1944
Arena of War: British Liberation Army
Regiment or Unit: REME
Division: 109 HAA
but it keeps coming up with pages of Field Ambulances
Any help gratefully received
Keyword (e.g. teacher or "Tower of London")
Arena of War;
Regiment or Unit
Division
and Commanding Officer's Rank.
I want to search for my uncle's Unit war diaries but as he was with REME (so attached to different regiments?) I am not sure what to put in some of these fields. For example, up until censorship imposed a generic Army Post Office address in April 1944 he gave his address as 342/109 HAA Regt Wksp; or 109 HAA Wksp REME c/o 109 HAA Regt RA. When the Unit moved to France as part of the British Liberation Army in August 1944 his address was 109HAA Wksp REME but he also said he was 'with the Pioneer Corps now'. He was Clerk Technical with his REME unit doubling up as Clerk General when necessary. Am I right in assuming that his unit war diaries would have been REME not 109HAA or Pioneer Corps?
I've tried entering Diary End Dates: 1944
Arena of War: British Liberation Army
Regiment or Unit: REME
Division: 109 HAA
but it keeps coming up with pages of Field Ambulances
Any help gratefully received
5
World War Two / ARP duty times in WW2
« on: Tuesday 26 April 22 14:33 BST (UK) »
Can anyone tell me anything about the ways in which ARP wardens were allocated duty times? In some newspapers I have seen 'Code G' (and other code letters) which I think might be codes for duty shifts, but I have been unable to verify (or challenge!) my theory
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World War Two / HMS Daedalus II - Newcastle under Lyme 1944
« on: Sunday 10 April 22 16:39 BST (UK) »
Can anyone help me with understanding an apprentice artificer's time at HMS Daedalus II in Newcastle under Lyme (Staffordshire) please. I know that it was 'shore based' and I've hear the term 'stone frigate' (presumably to describe a 'ship' that comprised a collection of buildings rather than a sea-worthy vessel) and I've also read that "ground beyond the boundaries of the establishment..." (based at Clayton Hall) "...were considered to be the sea." [https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/history/ww2-newcastle-navy-daedalus-2-4230836 Accessed 10 April 2022]
My questions are: Is 'stone frigate' a correct term, and what other naval terms were used to describe land-based areas or buildings. Thank you
My questions are: Is 'stone frigate' a correct term, and what other naval terms were used to describe land-based areas or buildings. Thank you
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World War Two / Meaning of abbreviation 'BUP'?
« on: Thursday 17 February 22 17:21 GMT (UK) »
I've been reading some reports in British newspapers in 1944 where quotations are attibuted to "BUP', "BUP War Correspondent", 'BUP correspondent' and 'Reuter and BUP'. Can anyone tell me what BUP was?
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World War Two / Happy New Year
« on: Friday 31 December 21 20:55 GMT (UK) »
Wishing all a happy, peaceful and healthy year in 2022. Thank you for being such a valuable resource
9
World War Two / Censoring of soldiers' letters home
« on: Wednesday 29 September 21 18:06 BST (UK) »
I have a collection of letters written by a soldier on Active Service in WW2, some in plain brown envelopes others are in Active Service Army Privilege Envelopes. I believe that the former would be read by an appointed officer (?) and then stamped (often 'Released by Base Censor) and signed or initialled by that person. The latter are, I think, self-censored, with the soldier signing a declaration on the front of the envelope that reads "I certify on my honour that the contents of this envelope refer to nothing but private and family affairs". They then have a 'Passed by Censor No ....' (the number varies). The same Censor stamp seems to have been used on the ordinary envelopes as well as the Privilege ones. Am I right in thinking that the person appointed as the Base Censor would stamp both of these types, but just not read the Privilege ones?
Does anyone know if it is possible to identify who the Censor was by the number on the stamp? Would the stamp number be allocated to an individual who would carry it for the duration, or could the person using that numbered stamp change?
Sorry if this is somewhat garbled - I've struggled to explain myself, having limited knowledge of military terms and structures
Does anyone know if it is possible to identify who the Censor was by the number on the stamp? Would the stamp number be allocated to an individual who would carry it for the duration, or could the person using that numbered stamp change?
Sorry if this is somewhat garbled - I've struggled to explain myself, having limited knowledge of military terms and structures