How would soldiers receive instructions at end of period of leave?

[Brewins girl]

Apologies if I've asked this before (I thought I had, but can't find it here, nor can I find any notes I would have made). The soldier in question had left his REME unit in Eastbourne just before Christmas 1943, and travelled to his home in Newton Abbot, Devon. He then travelled to his girl-friend's home in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, and then left Birmingham at the end of his leave to join his Unit which had moved to Grove Ferry, near Canterbury. In the absence of emails and text messaging (& as far `s I know, the telephone), how would he have known that the location of his Unit had changed?

[majm]

  OHMS telegram to first address that was redirected several times ?     That was the usual practice in NSW during WWII. 

JM
 

[ThrelfallYorky]

Telegram? They were frequently used for communication as not everyone had a 'phone. A lad on a bike would cycle to the house to deliver it.

[Brewins girl]

JM - NSW? If you mean New South Wales in Australia, I should have made it clear that my soldier was in UK

I did wonder about telegram, but I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that there would be instructions at places like railway stations.

[medpat]

Local police could be used as well if urgent and he had to be found.

[majm]

JM - NSW? If you mean New South Wales in Australia, I should have made it clear that my soldier was in UK

I did wonder about telegram, but I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that there would be instructions at places like railway stations.

Yes,  NSW is one of 8 jurisdictions in Australia, and of course our soldiers were part of the British Empire, serving under allegience to the King, and Australia was only a Dominion and our Army regulations were based on English regs. 

 

JM.

[majm]

I should add, an OHMS telegram in NSW had highest priority, and telegram boys (all employed by PMG department)  had to wait to check if any reply  was needed, hence it could quickly be redirected etc...

JM

OHMS telegram to first address that was redirected several times ?     That was the usual practice in NSW during WWII. 

JM
 

[Brewins girl]

To JM - one of our sons lives in Sydney, NSW, so I’m familiar with it. Although I know your Army regs were based on UK regs, I need to find evidence (anecdotal or in documentary form) of the actual practice where my soldier was, as I am writing a non-fiction book [yes MaxD and others - I’m still writing my book, although I’ve finished volume 1 (1943 letters) and am editing vol 2 (1944). I’m currently trying to find an agent willing to represent me]

[majm]

Well, may I please be added to your list of people interested in buying copies of your book. 

I wonder if your PMG or royal mail or the Railways  etc may have  archived their own regulations  from that era....

JM