354 General Transport Company

[Stangat]

Hi All

I've just received my Grandad's WW2 Army records and as thought he was a driver with the above company. The records say he was in Scotland for 2 years and then on 12 Dec 1942 embarked in the UK and landed in N Africa 9 days later. He was SOS for a while in 1944 after a battle accident but presumeably this was in Italy. He always said he was in Africa, Sicily and Italy but would anyone know which army he was with and the likely route he would have taken.

Thanks

Ian

[Buzancy18]

He was certainly in Tunisia as there are three members of the Transport  Company RASC buried there from the final push in Tunisia.
I think 354 were with 1st Army.
Buzancy18

[Stangat]

Buzancy18

Thanks for the reply I'll have a look into the Tunisia angle.

I've just sent an e-mail to the National Archives to see if they have any war diaries for the 354th. I can't find any using their search engine but I know you have to get the wording just right.

Cheers

Ian

[gortonboy]

hi my grandad was with the royal engineers,,,his timeline was

: Oct 1939 to June 1940 France (42nd Division and 46th Division); 1940 to 1942 in Scotland - training; 1942 to 1943 (1st Army) in North Africa; 1943 to 1943 - Invasion of Sicily (8th Army); 1943 to 1944 - Invasion of Italy (8th Army and the 5th Army); 1944 to 1945 - Liberation of Greece and Salonika - 4th Indian Dvision; 1945 - Occupation of Austria. 

so if you research the landings in north africa ,you may find some details.

[gortonboy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch

[ADM199]

This is probably what you are looking for.:-

WO 169/6010        1942:-       WO 169/11838      1943.

WO 170/2498        1944:-       WO 170/5745        1945


Brian

[Stangat]

Hi All

Sorry for the late reply but my computer had an accident and has only just been returned!

Thanks for all the help and info.

I went to Kew a few days ago to look at the diaries. He was with the 1st Army to begin with. They ferried from Greenock to Algiers in Dec 42 and then drove all over NW Africa delivering troops, fuel and ammo etc slowly moving eastwards. The records for some of 43 were missing and this would no doubt cover the Sicilly invasion.

He next turns up in Italy and moved north through Naples, Anzio, Monte Casino, Rome and ended up in Rimini befored being demobbed via Milan.

The diaries make very interesting reading, as they are pretty detailed, I ended up photographing the pages to read at home because it would have taken all day to take notes!

Thanks for all the help

Ian

[ADM199]

Glad you got back to us Ian and great you found what you wanted


I always use a Digital Camera to copy Files at Kew as it allows you to gather much more information. It helps greatly when you have a 150ml drive to get there in the first place.

[Stangat]

I know what you mean, although it's only 30 miles for me it usually takes just under two hours

Cheers

Ian