RA, REME and service numbers

[Ayashi]

I knew that my grandfather was in REME, and I've now been told that he was in the Royal Artilliary at some point too...

I only have one service number for him. Someone said that his number would change when he got transferred and I wondered if there was any way of telling from the number if it is the one for the RA or REME?

[km1971]

Hi Ayashi

Not really my era as the REME was created during WW2. This was after the introduction of army numbers as opposed to regimental numbers. So my understanding is that a man transferring from the RA to the REME would keep his number.

His number would be in a block allocated to the RA, and there may be people on the forum who can say if it was allocated to a particular branch of the RA. So it would help if you posted the number.

Ken

[Ayashi]

Thank you.

His number was 833353.

If it REME was created in WW2, do you know if it was created before or after Dunkirk? (He was at Dunkirk...)

[deebel]

My dad was a workshop Sgt in the REME which had attached units to each RA regiment as the REME were basically the guys who kept the tanks and artillery rolling and repaired and hauled the tanks out of ditches when the tracks were blown off.(Have a picture of my dad standing in front of his Scammell truck with bullet holes through the windscreen). So your guy would have been in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers which was formed a couple of years after Dunkirk.

]Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers was formed in 1942. From the very beginning the newly formed Corps was designated Royal, a significant honour and indicative of the faith engendered in it's innate ability to deliver the goods as required. Many Tradesmen from the RAOC, RASC and the RE's were transferred to the newly minted REME, immediate steps were also taken to provide trade training and even Apprentice facilities for the new Corps.

The above is a snippet from a larger article from the www.rememuseum.org.uk site. You will find much info there.

[MaxD]

Ayashi

Your post from 2009 about service numbers doesn't seem to have been answered properly. You may have got the answer in the intervening years but if your grandfather was the splendidly named Victor Frederick Theophilus Jones then he joined the Royal Artillery on 1 Jan 1934 and appears to have served on after the war, transferring to REME on 1 Oct 1951.  His record though is incomplete so only his service record would give a complete picture.

Apologies if you have this already but it looked like a loose end!

MaxD

[Ayashi]

Hello.

Thanks both.

Yes, that's my grandfather. I have no idea where "Victor" came from but (John) Frederick and Theophilus were family names.

We have since got his military records, which took 11 months. I sneakily got my aunt to sign permission for them and gave them to my mother for Christmas, which took her completely by surprise. He did indeed continue serving, in Germany and Cyprus. He died the year before I was born in 1987- I was the only grandchild he never met. I'm curious where you found your information?

[MaxD]

Two sources.  The Royal Artillery maintained an Attestation Register which can be seen on Findmypast.  This has his entry and the note that he transferred to REME in 1951 and was discharged in 1959.

The RA Records office also maintained Tracer Cards which were quick reference index cards to a man's movements.  He has two, these are on Ancestry.

The two sources together do appear to have some gaps but as you now have his record hopefully his service is clear to you?

MaxD

[Ayashi]

I expect the dates are in there somewhere. There were a LOT of pages and it has been a while since I looked at them.

Thank you for your reply