No.2 (and Dad, No.4) at the Pimple.

Now that I know that dad was attached to No.2 during this time - does anybody know if those who had volunteered from other Units would have gone back home after Salerno or stayed with No.2 for a while?

Part of his records say 4 Cmdo Re-classified 1a wef 15th Nov '43 Uk Pte 18 1/44

Eileen this would be new to me. Can you scan and post the sections of his service record that refer to No2 and No 4 Cdo in 1943.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 17/02/2014 20:49:15

That's it.

It goes from Dieppe to Normandy to Belgium '44 via what's above.

I know he was at Salerno by what was said when I was young - he may well have been attached to other Units - mam said he volunteered for everything. I think he preferred fighting to training :)

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 17/02/2014 23:51:01

Eileen,

scan are always best when trying to decipher service records because, although you have, no doubt, transcribed the text accurately, you do not show the relevent columns and so your extract can be misleading.

From my experience, I would say that the extract is similar to the file attached.
[please note in columns three & four, for "casualty" read "occurance"]

In which case:

'4 Cmdo' is, at that time, his unit.

'Reclassified to Ia' - he has been 'upgraded' to Class Ia;
This is a proficiency grading, looking back at the time he completed his Commando Training he should have been reclassified to Class I.
Army Order 41 of 1938 was a particularly long-winded order setting out details of increases of pay for soldiers enlisted on or after October 1925.
The increases were in two parts, those granted early in a soldier's service and those granted later as a result of long service and good conduct.
Special Proficiency Pay was paid only to Privates and unpaid Lance Corporals, first as an increase of 3d per day, after the 1st & 2nd years' service then, subsequently, after 3 years for 'proficiency above average'. These increases, at the 3rd year point, were to be restricted to only two thirds of the strength of any unit, and were probably based, by most OCs, on the number of other qualifications already acquired by their eligible soldiers.

'wef' with effect from (relevent date).

'UK' where he was serving at that date.

'Pte' rank at that time - Private.

'18/1/44' date of occurance.

Hope this helps.

nick

He was awarded extra pay after being given L/Cpl rank in Normandy, 14th June.

Could the bit I included - I thought folk would know which columns they should be in ;) - be to do with the attachment?

Thank you.

Hi Eileen,

The proficiency pay was in respect of his getting more qualifications - as a Private.

His extra pay when he became a paid Lance Cpl (P/L/Cpl) was for his promotion.

The extract you posted was nothing to do with an attachment - he was in No4 Cdo and in the UK at the time.

Without seeing a scan of the records, it is very difficult to give you an accurate picture - often 'occurances' were entered in a commandos records out of sequence. This would mostly happened when the Commando was in theatre when 'occurances' would be written on slips of paper then sent back to the 2nd Echelon where they would be entered into an individual's records...

Nick

I see, clever dad for getting those qualifications!

I suppose it's possible that I'll never know, officially, that he was where I know he was. I have his Italy Star - that may have to suffice.

Or not. :wink:

Onwards ...

Thanks again.