Top of the sheet shows he was posted to 56th Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment Royal Artillery at Devizes 30/5/1940 and once there it looks like he was posted to 168th LAA battery w.e.f (with effect from) 31/5/40.
On 17 June he marries Mary Ramsay.
In September he's penalised with 4 days' pay and awarded 28 days No1 Field Punishment for being AWOL while on active service. However, it looks like he was given 5 days' remission of sentence by the Regimental Commanding Officer because of good conduct.
At the beginning of October he is attached to another LAA battery. I'm not quite sure what the phrase "for all purposes w.e.f. 20/9/40" exactly means in the military sense. However, being "attached" to some unit/regiment means that it is not a permanent move; he is still part of his parent regiment but is 'on loan' to another unit.
"Posting" means that you are permanently moved to another unit which then becomes your parent unit, and this happens a week later when he goes to 178 Battery in 50th Regiment LAA.
He again goes AWOL - only a matter of hours this time! - and receives a forfeit of 1 day's pay and 3 days confined to barracks (= C.B., I think). The date is 20 Dec 1940, so maybe it was something to do with Christmas? He appears to be at Dinsdale(?) at this time.
He's finally granted a few days' leave in January 1941.
Page 2.
He embarks in February 1941 for Egypt, arriving there 22/4/41. He is attached to the Base Depot and is posted to the X list (iv). Its description is below:
THE X (iv) LIST comprises all unposted reinforcements and incoming reinforcement drafts. Personnel discharged from NZ Reception Depot (x(ii)) to Training Depots, fit for duty, are transferred to the X (iv) list of their corps, until posted to a unit, when they are struck off X (iv) and taken on unit strength. Reinforcements in transit between the Base and a unit remain on X (iv) (and the Base Depot strength) until they actually reach and are taken on the strength by the unit to which they are proceeding. Escaped PsW [Prisoners of War] who until such escape have been on the X (iii) list are transferred to X (iv) list on reaching their respective training depots.
He is posted to 138 LAA Battery RA and is embarked for Cyprus, where he arrives in July 1941. He is now posted to the X (ii) list on 22 August. The X (ii) list description is below:
THE X (ii) LIST comprises all ranks evacuated on medical grounds beyond RAP [Regimental Aid Post]. Personnel so evacuated cease to be on the effective strength of their units. Temporary or acting rank will be relinquished 28 days after being so transferred to X (ii) list. Personnel remain in X (ii) list until they are classified as fit for posting by NZ Reception Depot (when they are transferred to the X (iv) list of their corps and marched out to the appropriate training depot), or until discharged by a medical unit direct to their original units. Personnel who, after evacuation beyond RAP are medically graded 1A or lower remain on X (ii) list until they are either (a) placed on NZ Roll, or (b) posted to a Base establishment, or (c) transferred to X (i) list at the Base. Personnel of HQs, or extra-regimental units, may as a matter of convenience be posted direct from NZ Reception Depot and need not be marched through their appropriate training depot. Any extra-duty pay will cease 7 days after transfer to X (ii) list, subject to the proviso that if prior replacement is made ED pay will cease from such prior date.
Then we see him being reposted back to the 138th three days later on 25/8/41.
The stamp you see next is from Middle East Forces census, and someone has handwritten a confirmation that he is with his unit.
In December he is again noted as sick beyond the Regimental Aid Post and is placed again on the X (ii) list. 5 days' later he is back to the 138th!
In May 1942 he receives some leave, and when back from leave he embarks Cyprus on 16/5/42 for Palestine which he reaches the following day.
It appears that he does another AWOL for 16 hours this time, with a day's pay docked again.
In amongst all this is of course the mention of his being awarded the Africa Star.
And we're roughly at 1943.
Hope some of this helped, but I'm sure there are others who will have more to say than I have with explanations etc.
RRTB
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Topic: Joesph Lee service record (Read 615 times)