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I have just found your posts. Hope you have managed to make sense of your Dad's record by now! I was searching "Emb NWE for UK. SOS of BAOR. Class A release" so I have found some answers. Did anyone get back to you regarding the NWE bit?

That was a fantastic find !! bet you couldnt believe it. I love this family history stuff. I've worked back as far as i can without going to the actual parishes and it has been really rewarding. But now i'm working forward and finding out about my own Dad, it's just fabulous.
I should have done it first really but it wasnt until i found my elderly Aunt in America that she told me of his army career. And then so i went forward. My big sis is going to be thrilled when i tell her about all of this...

Thank you Ann x Very much appreciated x

Rachel x

Rachel, if you use your image button on google for the 2nd gloucesters there is a web site with loads of photographs relating to the compnay and a lot taken in 1942, most of the people named.

Forgot to say.....the museum idea from George would be a good way to go, check if they have e=mail for their archivist and send him the details of your ancestor.

My grandfather was in theBlack Watch 1905/1919, I e-mailed the archivist and he found a photograph of him taken in 1906 aged 18.....we were stunned, as the earliest photograph my father had seen of him was taken in the early 30's.....enjoy your journey and getting to know your wonerful Pa!


Annx

Thats fantastic George.. I'll get onto it.. My dads name was also George ;o)

All of the reports i've read about him from the papers say he was an exemplorary soldier.. (hope thats spelt right) ...
..They all speak highly of him and say he was intelligent etc.. (obviously where i get mine from hah ha ha ha ) ......

From what i can gather so far in his army history is;.

He joined at 19 to the Royal Warks regiment.. in April 1939..
He was part of the BEF..
He served in France and then later transferred to the 2nd glosters..
It looks as if he was part of the Normandy landings..
He earned the 1939/45 star...
awarded the France and germany star...
The defence medal..
War medal... 1939-45..
Then he was put into the reserves for a bit..
And as if that wasnt enough, he was posted to Korea on 10th October 1950..
Then when he was back in november 1951 he was put on the army reserve again until his release in 1954..

There is a lot more to it on the paper but thats the jist so far.. How on earth he got out of those places amazes me.. I am extremely proud of him, and all of the other soldiers serving then and now... x

His dad also served in ww1 but his service career was a little tarnished in some peoples eyes. he deserted quite a few times for reasons unknown. But having seen letters written from him and his wife asking the army to release him it breaks my heart to think that he wasnt appreciated by those in control, for the time he did put in and risked his life.. It seems like he had troubles at home and his own family should have come first...
Needless to say i'm very proud of him too.. ;o) x

I'm going to go and google everything now and get onto the glosters site.. At least its a lot nearer to me than going to the national army archives.. ;o)

Thanks x nameslessone too x

Rachel

BAOR is the British Army of the Rhine (Germany) so I agree with George - you need to research the Glorious Glosters to see where they were on the dates you have.

I don't know how old it is but Purley War Menorial Hospital is about 5 or 6 miles away from Sutton.

Don't give up on your reaearch. It is fascinating to know what your parents were doing during the war.

Rachel

Glad to have been of some help.

Just had a look at the Gloucestershire regiment museum site, they do state they might have info on individuals.Worth a look

The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum
The Museum holds the Archives of the Gloucestershire Regiment. It has its own Reference Library containing many volumes which are completely unique, plus a very large number of documents and photographs relating to the Regiment. A minority of these are browsable via the Collections Section of the museums website at www.glosters.org.uk
Whilst the museum does not hold the full service records, they do often hold some unique information on individuals and can therefore help in genealogical research. If after a search of the Archives, they find that they cannot help, they will offer advice on the most fruitful alternative approaches available, if any.

George

Love it when i see story like this, these guys had a lot to contend with, and you are right to be proud of him

Thank you george x

This is amazing stuff..
My dad actually died in 1976 when i was only 6.. I didn't really know him too well as my mum and he were separated. All i have is a few stories from family members..
To find his army history and to make sense of it all makes him almost come alive . I'm really proud of him ... Its fab !!

Thank you again.. Vera, Ann, Nameslessone and George.. War detectives united.. ;o) x

Rachel
Yes they were
D Day Landings

Glosters Return by David Griffin 2nd Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment on Gold Beach, D-Day, 6th June 1944.The allied invasion of Normandy 'Operation Overlord' was the greatest sea-bourne military operation in history. Key to its success and at the heart of the invasion were the Landings of the British 50th division on 'Gold' beach and the Canadian 3rd Division on 'Juno' beach. They provided a vital link between the landings of the British 3rd Division on 'Sword' beach and the Americans on Omaha and Utah beaches. They were also crucial in securing the beachhead and the drive inland to Bayeux and Caen.

George

Hi all , i'm just back from collecting the kiddlies from school ;o0.. x

Thank you for your information all of you..
I definately think that my Penley could be Purley.. It's old fashioned handwriting ;o).. The more i look at it i can see Purley.. Thank you..

I'll have a mooch on my tree and see what happened around 1942 for the special privelege pass... It could be this rather than stat sick pay..
I know his mum died in 1945 but she was injured during a oil lamp fire and was left disabled. ( i wonder if this was 1942?... there must be a newspaper it was in do you think?)

Do you know if the 2nd Glosters were involved in the normandy landings ? I know he served with Monty at some point but i guess i would need the war diaries for that info... The dates certainly tie up though don't they..

He was awarded a few stars and medals too for different things..

The last part of the records say 'proceeding uk for class A release.. Then SOS (or it could be SOE ) BAON or (BAOR) .. Embarked NWE 03/04/1946 (any idea what this means ? )...

Exciting isn't it.. well it is for me ;o) x

The Wellcome foundation have the hospital records. The old Sutton Emergency Hospital is now part of the South West Thames region (London/Surrey).
I think after the war it became a Mental hospital.

Could Penley be Purley? Not too far from Sutton.

I suspect MOE is a movement order .... D Day was the 6th June!!!

Just been looking at my old Army pay book

SPP i believe to be " Special Privelege Pass" usually granted if there was a family problem, therefore he had to go home.

George

NOE

Only guessing it could be "Normandy Overlord Embarkation", based on the fact that the invasion of Europe D Day took place on the sixth of June 1944 and that Overlord was the code name for the invasion.

It sounds plausible, but probably totally wrong.

Also i like Vera's "Statutory sick pay" i never received any when i was in the Army, perhaps i should make a claim

George

S.S.P could be Statutory Sick Pay

Regards Vera

There is reference to Sutton Emergency Hospital being in Surrey, the only Penley Hospital I know of is near Wrexham NE Wales, it was during the war an American hospital base, but thats a long way from Surrey!

Annx

There is a Penley Polish Hospital in Wales

Regards Vera

SSP ......could be special separation pay

Regards Vera

Just a thought there was a Netley....

Regards Vera

Hi all. I sent off for my dads papers and service history back in June-ish... Finally they have arrived. I had all but written them off..

It's exciting stuff but i'm baffled by a few of the abbreviations and war terms on there. Can anyone help at all? ... It doesn't help that i can't read the writing much.. ;o)..
They sent me a whole list of abbreviations but the following ones aren't in there...

on 04/04/1942 he was granted-SPP at somewhere called Penley or pinley. I'm guessing that this is in the uk .

Whats SPP? and where do you think penley is ? ...

The entry after that says he was admitted to Penley emergency hospital on 19/08/1942...
On the same day he was transferred to emergency hospital in Sutton.. (is this also in uk? must be close enough to be transferred)..
He was then granted leave @ S/L/R for a week and then discharged from the hospital.
It then says a part 11 order was cancelled.. (whats this too ? )..

Later on it says he transferred regiments and on the 5th june 1944 with the 2 Glosters he embarked the uk for NOE or Moe ??? (whats this too?)..

Thats all i'll put for now coz i'm getting confused lol..

If anyone can make any sense of that i'd be really grateful.. x