A Gunner's card
 

What was the purpose of this card? From formation to VE Day, 166 (Newfoundland) Fd Regt RA served in UK, Tunisia and Italy - in the operational theatres the card will not have been carried - it identifies the holder's unit. So what can it have been for? All ideas welcome. Mike
Attachment 181829

Hi Mike

Could it have been on piece of luggage for a troop ship?

Rob

Could it have been pinned above the soldier's bed space as a wartime equivalent/replacement of a bed plate? It has pin holes so must have been pinned somewhere.

Jon

What is the actual size of the card? Measurements or in comparison to something else.


The gunner identified on the card is listed among the first contingent to Africa, however is not in the full nominal roll of Nflders in the RA (at least I wasn't able to find him there) but the site does have the caveat that there could be errors. Of note, Gnr Harrison's number begins "90 . . ." whereas those identified as the "first four hundred" begin with "97 . . . ".

Thank to those who have responded. I'll try and get hold of the dimensions of the card, but based on the size of the impressed head of the drawing pin I would say c 6 x 4 in. Gnr Harrison started his military career in 71 (West Riding) Fd Regt RA(TA) (46 Inf Div (TA)). He was then posted to 57 (Newfoundland) Hvy Regt RA (Formed 8 Apr 40) and later transferred to 166 (Newfoundland) Fd Regt RA. Served with 166 (Newfoundland) Fd Regt RA throughout the Tunisian and Italian Campaigns until finally transferred (because he was British?) to 31 Fd Regt RA (13 Inf Div) in Greece 1945/46. He was demobilised in 1946. More details may come to light. Mike

Jon, On the bottom right of the card - is 7032-R an Army Form number? Mike

Mike,

I would have thought it was more likely to be the printer's job code.

Jon

A Battery might signify earlier rather than later too Mike, by 1943 all those batteries would have been numbered, and from about 1942 the P Q R S was allocated to newly forming batteries rather than early war A B C.
Keith

Thanks Keith. Absolutely correct. Reference to the history reveals that 166 Fd Regt on formation on 15 Nov 41 inherited its Battery designations A, B, C from 57 Hvy Regt RA, but by late March or early April 1942 the "tactical designations" (P, Q, R) had been adopted. There is no precise date in the history for the third change , but the first mention of 135, 136, 137 Fd Btys is in December 1943. So the card must be dated in that narrow window mid-November 1941 to March 1942. Mike

I forgot about Fredericks (Vol 2), p537, he quotes 1 Jan 43 as the date the numbers 135, 136, 137 were allocated to batteries.

With few exceptions he shows the date of change from P Q and R to numbered batteries for 166 to 194 Fd Regts as 1 Jan 43.

Change from A B C to P Q R is stated as 11 Mar 42, but these (and the above) are probably the effective dates of the WO Letter, rather than actual.

Keith

Many thanks. That's most helpful, Mike