Query re Casualty Form/Service Record

[kentishkiwi]

Hi
Hope somone can help me with what is probably very basic questions regarding this relatives service record. This chap was in the Royal Marines and served with the East African Exp force. I have attached his casualty form and it is relatively straight forward however it is the last few lines I have queries with.
On the 18/12/16 he goes to the hospital ship Oxfordshire and is invalided to South Africa. The next entry is on 17/05/17 saying he is embarking for England. I have tried to identify the place but struggled with it - Simonstown ?? Can someone help with that. The next column has the date 29/1/17. How does this date fit in with the 17/5/17 in the first column. Also do these entries mean he was in hospital in South Africa from December 16 until 17 May 1917. For Malaria that seems quite a long time. I have also attached the part of his service record that covers that time period as I find it hard to make sense of how the two records fit together. Does a posting happen even when you are still invalided out??? Hope this makes sense to someone.
Any help would be great
Regards
KK

[MaxD]

The date in the first column is the date the entry was made in his record.  The date the thing actually occurred is in the middle column so he left hospital bound for UK in the January.  The date in the last column is the date the letter was received from the RN Hospital saying he had left in January and thus the entry in the first column could be made.  Not unusual for events to occur and not be recorded until later - this interval suggests a very late letter!  The January date, give or take, accords with the end of his service with the E African Exped Force recorded on scan 2.  The place is Simonstown SA (South Africa).

MaxD

[kentishkiwi]

Hi Max

Thank for your help once again. Makes sense now!!!
Regards
KK