Royal Welsh Fusiliers and Pioneers

[pritchardgeo]

I am looking for the records or where my uncle may have served or gone. i have his service number.and downloaded his records from the national archives. but it does not tell me where he served. i can post related info,but not sure its allowed. thank you.brian

[CaroleW]

Do you have his actual service record from the MoD?

[pritchardgeo]

thanks for the reply carol. yes its 4193634. i have found the record on the national archives and downloaded it. i can see he was with the t.a but called up ww2. from 1938 he was with the 4th battalion royal welsh fusiliers. as lance corporal, but i would like to know if he was in Ireland at that time.  i can copy that record. but done think i am allowed. thanks.brian

[Andy J2022]

Hi pritchardgeo,
I assume that what you already have is the RWF enlistment register for the period 1938-1946, which shows Victor in the 4th Battalion before he was transferred to the Pioneer Corps on 28 Aug 1943.
The 4th Battalion was part of the Territorial Army,which recruited mainly in Denbighshire. That is to say, they were parttimers, so they weren't stationed in Ireland prior to September 1939 because the TA was not mobilised until late August or early September 1939.
Along with the other RWF TA battalions, they formed part of the 158th (Royal Welch) Infantry Brigade, itself part of 53 Welsh Division. Before the war, the Brigade had its headquarters in Wrexham where Victor was born. In October 1939 the Brigade was indeed sent to Northern Ireland and remained there until November 1941 when they returned, briefly, to Wales and then moved to Kent and were deployed for home defence along the South coast. Later they would begin training for the Normandy landings.
If you want to find out more about Victor's service history, you need to get his service record from the MOD which is what Carole was talking about earlier. More details here: https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-records-of-service/apply-for-the-records-of-a-deceased-serviceperson

More details on the 4th Battalion RWF here: Wikipedia

[pritchardgeo]

thats a real breakthrough.thank you. the family story was that he was gassed in Ireland "maybe incorrect" i contacted the mod before,they in turn told me the records are with the national archives, and i have downloaded his service documents, is that the same thing?.please. he had a different number with the ta if correct 2096705 served from 39 to 46.copied are two cut ours not sure of what one says. thanks.brian

[pritchardgeo]

also

[Andy J2022]

I have no idea what that medical condition is supposed to be - we probably need a medical opinion on that. But whatever it was it was sufficient to get him downgraded to B1. That means that he was unfit for general service abroad and only fit for base or garrison service at home and abroad. That would probably mean that he didn't deploy to France with the first wave of Pioneers, but went over later (if at all) once he could be employed some distance from any fighting.

As for being given a new number, this would be very surprising as the 'new' army numbering system usually meant a soldier kept the same number throughout his career, irrespective of whether he was in the Regulars or the reserves. Where does the number 2096705 appear?

[pritchardgeo]

thank you. think the new number is the pioneers.

[pritchardgeo]

sorry its not a new number. struggling here. he was transferred to the pioneers in 1943. would records for the pioneers exist and would you know where to find them please. thanks.brian