need information on two? soldiers
 

Hi, I was very fortunate to pick up this little package over the weekend. It would be of great assistance if someone could give me details of the owners of the two dog-tags. Are they the same person? what regiments did they serve in etc.? Thank you in advance Mike

First Name:
Albert
Surname:
Thompson
Regiments served with:
Unit Rank Service Number
Durham Light Infantry Private 82853
King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Private 63856
Archive Reference:
WO 372/19/217288
(Can be found at The National Archives in Kew, and contains First World War, War Office: Service Medal and Award Rolls Index)

I think that they are most likely father and son. 63856 Albert Thompson served with the 9/KOYLI during the Great War.

The second tag with the number 7957978 is in the block of numbers allocated to the Royal Armoured Corps. (7891869-8230000).

Hi, thank you both for the replies, it makes it a little clearer. Would son have served in any other regiments? best wishes Mike

This collection of badges tells an interesting story.

The ID discs, cap badge and tank arm badge suggest original enlistment into the RTR but the presence of the Duke of Wellington's Regt cap badge, the cloth mailed fist sign of 50th Indian Armoured Brigade and the Indian pattern RAC slip-on title would seem to suggest that he was later posted to 146 Regiment RAC which was converted from 9th Bn of The Duke of Wellington's which, like many converted regiments, retained their former cap badge. 146 served with 50th Indian Armoured Bde from 1942-1945.

Jon

Hi Jon, thank you. The confusion was that the 2nd reg. of the 50th Indian Tank Brigade was 149th RAC which were formed from the 7th Bn. KOYLI. As he appears to have an RAC number, I can only assume he was RAC trained, transferred to 146th RAC and when they were disbanded moved on to an RTR Bn.? Total conjecture but fits the bits. Maybe I should take up writing fairy tales, best wishes Mike

Mike,

Your best bet is to obtain a copy of his RAC Tracer Card from Bovington: https://tankmuseum.org/services/archive-and-library/:

You will receive a scan similar to the one pictured and any other relevant information discovered too.

Best,

Marcus

Hi Marcus, that's brilliant! I was just going to ask how one goes about finding a person's records. It's not something I usually need as I don't collect medals and I very rarely get the dog-tags. Thank you again and best wishes Mike

Very nice set Mike, would you be able to post a photo of the rear of the tank arm badge? Looks unusual with much finer sponson lines, perhaps an Indian area produced type?
All ranks in the infantry converted regiments were transferred to the RAC en-bloc, or in blocks, I’ve seen separate dates for the officers and ORs, I should note down these date transfers as I’m sure most fall into a single period when such a diktat was issued.
John

Hi John, here are the photo's. It certainly is distinctive, I have included a couple of others that I have. The one with a brown background material I believe to be of S. African manufacture. An SRAC group on this forum had a similar arm badge. So, purely conjecture, maybe they were picked up on route around the Cape. That would explain the normal khaki finish on the other arm badge.
As to which regiments he served in, I'm still waiting for a reply from Bovington though I don't know how long they take. Maybe Marcus could give me a clue.Hope the photo's help and maybe you have some ideas? best wishes Mike

Thanks Mike, that's a good theory and seeing three together, one with pretty good SA provenance lends credence. Keep our eyes peeled for further evidence of a SA link.

I think your theory on his path through RAC - 146RAC - RTR is perfectly valid. Interestingly 146RAC carried on well after the war and was the last converted RAC regiment in existence, being disbanded in Feb 1947 at Ahmednagar.

It would be wonderful if Capt Tom's imminent autobiography shed some light on this kind of stuff...;)
John

Mike,
Update - I'd lay a fair wager now that he was definitely 146RAC. Just been going back through some research I've been doing on RAC regiments and their cap badges and all three in 50 Ind TB wore the RAC cap badge - at various times through the war!

This was in line with the WO instruction that these war raised regiments had to wear the badge of the RAC and not their parent infantry badge. Machinations in the background went on with various COs and various regiments meaning that some succeeded in getting WO permission to wear their infantry badge. Just to muddy the waters completely some such regiments allowed the wear of both RAC and infantry badges within the regiment.

As to 50 Ind TB:
146RAC - RAC cap badge > mid 1944 (likely Sept as other two regiments?) then DWR cap badge. They also wore RAC shoulder titles so yours is almost certainly from then and not RAC training.
149RAC - RAC cap badge > approx Sept 44 then KOYLI cap badge.
150RAC - Y&L cap badge > late 1942 then RAC cap badge > approx 1944 then both RAC and Y&L in use.

John

Hi John, thanks for all the information, hopefully Bovington will turn up with something, best wishes Mike