The medical history sheet is part of his discharge medical with the note “Battle Neurosis Feb 43” now called PTSD or Combat Stress. (Probably related to the hospitalisation entry on the first clip and below).
There is almost nothing in the second clip that hasn’t been covered already. It is a perfect illustration of the idiosyncratic way the army documents a soldier’s service. Seemingly duplicated entries but the different parts of the document are used in the record offices for different purposes.
It records the authority for his various movements which went on a unit document called a Part 2 Order so the first column is for the number of the order. The entries are:
12 Aug 39 5th Seaforths – his first posting
The next dim lines record his going overseas in August 1942 and arriving in the Middle East with 5 Seaforths (you saw this in the very first clip)
He is in hospital 6 Mar 1943 (as first clip)
Struck off strength Middle East Forces 16 Dec 1943 (as first clip)
The next lines are his postings in different headquarters within Central Mediterranean Force (as first clip) up to August 1946 which may be near to when he returned home (you may find that on another set of dates on the record you aren’t showing)
In Feb 1947 he is released from service but still subject to recall (Class A) if the war broke out again or he had to go to the Japanese theatre. In May 1947 he is released Class Z which means he remained liable to recall until the age of 45.
In broad terms, he starts off in the infantry in 1939, he cooks while with them and in 1942 transfers to the Army Catering Corps. He is in North Africa and Italy cooking at various headquarter units until 1946 (you haven’t shown a sheet with that date) and leaves the army in 1947.
To make a chronological picture you have to meld toegther the various parts of the document to make a time line and note which entries relate to the same occurence. If you'll forgive me , I'll pass on doing that!
MaxD
Author
Topic: Difficulty Reading War Service Record (Read 1406 times)