Decipher document
 

Hello Gents,
I need some direction to decipher the bottom half of this notification. Can anyone please help?

'Taken on Strength' I get the date but it is rather the written words that follow.
'REMARKS' Was this a pre enlistment occupation or something allocated after?
'MISSING' I understand the date 24.3.18 but what does the last annotation Rept'd 17.10.18 refer to?

Thanks in advance. Tony

Repatriated on 17/10/1918?

Taken on strength I believe should be the unit he was posted to.

Mick

Could the word before 17.10.18 be 'Repat'd' i.e., 'Repatriated'?

W

Thanks William. He went missing at Marrieres Wood and is commemorated at Pozieres. I thought it may be reported and a date but then there would be a number of months between being declared missing and reporting.

My thoughts :

Taken on strength 12.3.17 & D/a (EA D/a 2.12.15)
- D/a might stand for "daily allowance". EA suggests East Africa, where the first SA forces arrived in December 1915. Did he have previous service with one of those units?

Postman Posts & Telegraphs
- Looks like his civilian occupation. Postmen were employed by the General Post Office, which was under the Dept of Posts & Telegraphs.

Reptd 17.10.18
- As he was missing, presumed dead, "repatriated" doesn't really fit. "Reported" seems more likely. There may have been a rule that they waited a while to see if a missing man turned up before officially reporting him.

The fact that he was missing and then commemorated on a memorial means it is unlikely that he or his remains would have been repatriated. Likely 'reported' I think?
Cheers,
Alex

Thanks gents, all very helpful.
Tony.