my father Victor David Ivor Whitney- deciphering a document please....

[diana2646]

Hi, Could anyone explain what this document means please and any of the numbers along side my father's name.  He was called up in 1941 and went to Egypt, after that, he was in the Seige of Malta until around 1944, after which I think he went to Italy.  I know he was still in the War until after V.E. day on 8th May 1945.

It states that the document is Royal Artillery Attestations.

Thank you.

[MaxD]

The document is from the attestations (ie the joining up) into the Royal Artillery in 1940 (that is on the transcription not the document itself).  Only the original attestation book will tell us the date.  The large serial number, the 133/78 and the 6500 numbers are highly likely to have been administrative numbers with no real meaning to his service.  The dates are for transfers and discharges.  The 1944 date suggests he was transferred to the Field branch of the RA from one of the other branches (this link shows the different branches there were of the RA http://nigelef.tripod.com/regtsumm.htm) .  The other date is related to his discharge in March 1946.

maxD

[diana2646]

Thank you very much for all that information.  When you say 'his discharge in March 1946' does it say that on this document, as I thought my father was home in 1945?  My father wrote a war diary, although he doesn't say in it, the actual date he came home.  I remember him writing on 8th May 1945, he was so happy that the war was over and he also wrote a bit later on, that with his surname being 'Whitney' that he was going to be one of the last ones to be demobbed, but his C.O. said that they could send some men home early, if they were married etc., and so he didn't have to wait that long, but as I said - he doesn't give a date.  I was born in the September of 1946, so it would suggest that he was home by Christmas 1945?

[diana2646]

Could I also ask you what 'AGE LIMIT means.

My dad was born in November 1908.

[MaxD]

The little Z T marks next to the March 1946 date which you see on others on the page is the standard hieroglyphics for a man being released to the Class Z (T) Army Reserve. This meant he was released from his war service but retained a liability to be recalled if war broke out again within a certain time frame as long as they were under 45.  The March 1946 is therefore his formal date out of the service.  Depending on where he was serving at the end of the war, he would have been entitled to leave before this and thus could well have been at home, although still formally in the army, at the end of 1945.  Indeed he may well have been serving in UK?  (My father was home from India on 12 Dec 1945 but entitled to 56 days leave and thus ended his service on 11 March 1946.  My sister was born in December 1946).

The Disch Age Limit stamp does not relate to that 1946 date as I mistakenly said before, I'm sorry, too enthusiastic!  It was a stamp placed on the record when he reached the age of 45 to indicate he was now discharged from any liability to be recalled having reached the age of 45 .  It would have been placed there in his case in 1953 and a rather longer stamp version placed on his service papers.

Have you considered sending for his documents which will tell you where he served and when?

maxD

[diana2646]

Hi,  Thank you for taking the time and trouble to explain all that.  It's all very complicated, you must have a great knowledge of these things?

Coincidentally, I have just been looking at the forms online, to send for my dad's service records.  My brother and I have all my dad's war diaries and lots of photos which he took also, but I would like to have his records, as I have researched all his life and it would be nice to have the full story!  I think it costs £30, so not too bad.

I am his next of kin, my mother having died in 1972, and my dad in 1975, so I don't think I should have a problem.

I have found the details of my father's regiment which was:  11th City of London Yeomanry Royal Artillery, 196 Battery of 65th Light Armoured Artillery.

Thank you very much for all your help.

Diana

[MaxD]

You are very welcome. LAA is Light Anti Aircraft.

To clarify, the units are 11th City of London Yeomanry Light Anti Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery. Then comes 196 Light Anti Aircraft Battery which was part of 65th LAA Regiment RA.  There are papers relating to both in the Imperial War Museum, the second looks as if he served with your father at some time.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1500014885
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1030005662

Although until you get his records (unless his diaries are well dated!) we don't know what sequenc they came in.  Be prepared for a bit of a wait for the records, they can take months, but do go ahead and get them, they can form a solid basis for further research.

maxD
 

[diana2646]

Thank you for putting me right about the LAA. I have just had a look at Major Money's record and he was in Egypt, the Siege of Malta and also in Rome after that and I know my dad was in Rome as I have a photo of him there. I will have a better look tonight.

I will definitely get his records. It would be nice also to find out what information they have at the Imperial War Museum. They have helped me before. My granddad was a Sergeant in the Met in WW1. He rescued people from a basement which had been bombed in a raid near the Edgware Rd. We only knew from his obit that it happened in 1917 but no date. At the time there was a gas escape and my granddad's lungs were damaged and he died a few years later. The IWM deduced from where the bombs were dropped that it had to have been on the night of 4th/5th September!

Thank you so much for all your help

Diana