Ally Slopey's Cavalrymen - worth a trip to London?

[Northerngirl]

Having spent some time going through all 42 pages of this forum I'm a little wiser but still more than a bit puzzled.

I found my grandfather's WW1 army number(s) quite by chance when looking at the (absentee's) Electoral Register.  On spending quite some considerable time trying to fathom out what the information on his Medal Index Card (MIC) meant and looking at information about the Army Service Corps (aka Ally Slopey's Cavalrymen) I feel I am no further forward in deciding whether or not it is worth the time and expense of going down to The National Archives (TNA) in London.

It has taken weeks and thanks to contributors to this forum to work out that the numbers on the MIC refer to the information at TNA. 

In further reading I have found that to make sense of the information on the MIC I must convert it to information held on a document called a WO 329/1 which is only available at the TNA.

My problem is how do I know if there is any information on my grandfather's records.  It seems an awfully long way down the country to use a file that gives me very basic information.  What I also don't understand is because there is a MIC for my grandfather does that mean that his whole file survived as an unburnt record?  As there is a MIC will it follow that there is also an attestation form for example?

As with most soldiers my grandfather had two numbers - one for when he was an ASC driver and another for when he was attached to a particular regiment (the MIC references for both can be found at the same place).  Ironically his number has been transcribed and copied for another individual who I think should have got the next number.  There are two 'unique' but identical numbers for each soldier.  I think though that the number is my grandfather's own as I found it by chance in the 1918 Electoral Register.

Another puzzlement regarding this is whether I would find any information at the TNA re his involvement in the war - again following a lot of reading around the subject it appears that because the ASC were so large and non specific not much information was kept - or even existed - about them. 

Sadly most of the information regarding the ASC is quite derogatory - it seems that there was little or no respect for this particular type of contributor to the British victory - the only thing they seemed to do was ensure that food (that most of them spent hard graft farming for before being conscripted into the ranks) and supplies was taken to the battle fronts ensuring that the soldiers were fed, clothed, they or their parcels and messages transported home as a freebie !  Again, from further reading (of this forum) I am aware that there is a book dedicated to the ASC by an author Michael Young - when looking for this I find that it appears to be for sale from America only with quite a hefty price tag.

So basically would someone be able to tell me if it is worth my time and expense to go down to London to be very disappointed at the amount - or lack of  - information I will find in the records kept at TNA.

Yours in hope of a positive reply.

JA.

[themonsstar]

Hi
Can you post his MIC on here so we can have a look at it. Cheers

[bernard_lewis]

Everyone's MIC survives (barring any they lost!) but it does not follow that the service record survives too. I'm pretty sure thay have all the MICs but only about 30% of the relevant files survive.

WO329 will (I think) take you to the medal rolls - this can yield some more info but not a huge amount - its just name, number, regiment/battalion,medal earned etc. Quite basic. Attestation form etc. will be on the file - if it survives. Files - even when found - are hit and miss: some contain little useful info, others have some remarkable stuff (I've seen attestation forms, letters from worried family, 'bad news' telegrams (officers only), statements from other soldiers on the fate of a missing officer etc.

If you can't visit you could try a researcher - there's a fee but its cheaper than travelling a lengthy distance. Still no guarantee of a file though...

Bernard

[Northerngirl]

Thanks Bernard.

It's the battalion information that I am particularly interested in.  If I can fathom that out I should have an idea of where he was posted to.

J.A.

[nanny jan]

Hi,

My gtgrandpa was in the ASC and I managed to contact their archivist through a website....but have lost the details; sorry. I just gave him name, rank and number and he found a few details of where gtgrandpa had been.  Try googling Army Service Corps.

I have managed to find 2 sets of papers about him in the records at Kew; could only see the films as they are part of the ones burnt in WW2.   Better than nothing and it was easy to get paper copies.

Happy hunting,

Nanny Jan

[Northerngirl]

Thanks for that information Nanny Jan.  If you find the information again it would be much appreciated. 

I have tried googling ASC and get lots of information but nothing so far in respect of an archivist for the ASC.

J.A

[nanny jan]

Will have a good look in my spare room which has now changed to weekend use by grandchild.

Nanny Jan

[nanny jan]

Found an email in a file!  It is from 2005 so might not be live:

LC1917@aol.com

Also found this address for help with ASC research:

Lt Col J Starling
Royal Pioneer Corps Assn,
51 St George's Drive,
Westminster,
London
SW1V 4DE

I'd try both of them with basic details (name, rank and number) and keep fingers crossed.

Good luck,

Nanny Jan

[themonsstar]

Hi
The post you have put up is for the Labour Corps, & Royal Pioneer Corps, The other poster is after the Army Service Corps/ Royal Army Service Corps, (ASC/RASC)

You would be better of getting the info from the RLC at:

The Royal Logistic Corps Museum
Princess Royal Barracks
Deepcut
Camberley
Surrey
GU16 6RW

Tel 01252 833371

E-mail information@rlcmuseum.com

Also if you post the MIC on here we may help you.