5 digit service number? Royal Engineers WW11

[ScouseBoy]

I have a feeling that RE  Royal Engineers is a red herring or a Blind Alley.

I suggest that you Google for Royal Army Ordnance Corps FORUM    and ask  on a specialist ROC  forum.

I remember reading  other threads about Ammunition  Supply Dumps  in France in 1939/40   and they were situated next to RASC   supply depots.           

I have just been studying a casualty list from 1940.     I am definite that  IF   that 5digit  number IS  an Army service serial number then it is an RASC   service number.  Secondly, I would guess that  it denotes that  he had joined the Army before  september   1939.

[trenance]

Thanks so much for all your replies.
Sorry about confusion, it wasn't a year, he thought this person was in the 51st/52nd/53rd  Royal engineer corps.  Uncle was with a group who searched out possible river crossings.  That day he drove 2 men who then went in a boat to check a boom. It was there to stop mines going further up river somewhere not too far from Arnhem in 1944.  An aeroplane killed them both with gunfire while he remained on the  bank.  The artfact just has scrathed on it G.(C.)W.   RE  44899
I'll have to try all your suggestions and hopefully find him a name.

[reman]

Although numbers 1 to 294000 were issued to the RASC, that does not mean that the person holding that number was in the RASC.  My uncle (2032517) was called up for WW2 to join the RE, after a short time later he joined the Essex Regt, he then transferred to the Corps of Military Police (later the RMP) and became their RSM.  He retained his RE number throughout his long career.

I doubt that GW was RASC; river crossings and mine warfare was then, and still is, the province of the RE.

I have many, many examples of RE soldiers with 5 digit numbers.

By and large, officers serving during WW2 had 6 digit numbers.

Hope this is useful.

[mmm45]

http://www.hut-six.co.uk/cgi-bin/search39-47.php

Geoffs serach engine doesnt give any hits with that number for 1944

Ady

[trenance]

Thanks to everyone for trying to help.  Uncle is now late 80's and would dearly loved to have known the name of the person in question.  Thought it sounded simple having his service number (ha, ha). Think I'll have to call it a day now. 

[ScouseBoy]

Trenance,    How about looking at the problem from another angle?

Find out whether  there is a CWGC  cemetery in or near to Arnhem,   then see if you can search the index of that cemetery  for the initials.

[Jebber]

There is a huge cemetery at  Arnhem.

Jebber

[jomac1963]

Hi, I received your message today re my interest in Hoyte/Bonython. I too haven't used this site for many years so I'm unsure what my initial enquiry was...lol.  For some reason I got an error message saying I couldn't send personal messages and was unable to reply to your email.
My main interest is in George Hoyte's brother John b. Oct 11 1811 (married Elizabeth Mitchell) and in particular his son Philip Mitchell Hoyte. I simply cannot find Philip or his wife Jane on any UK census in 1871 and then Philip left his wife and children in Cornwall in 1878 and came to Australia on board the Durham and never returned to Cornwall. Philips father and brothers appear to have done well for themselves, so I'm abit perplexed as to why Philip left.  I noticed that many Bonython's and Langdons  came to Australia (South Australia) and wondered if Philip followed them. Did any of your Bonython's arrive in Australia in the 1870's?
Philip had 3 children in Australia and I'm a descendant from this line.

Regards Jo

[trenance]

Hi Jo

I tried to reply before but couldn't through the system

If you get this my email address is     angiehawker AT hotmail.com

I can then send you my little bit of info,

Cheers