ddycher Posted 30 November , 2008 Share Posted 30 November , 2008 Can anybody give a simple overview of what the / a "3rd Echelon" was ? I understand these were troops that remained in the rear of the fighting lines but does anyone have any recommendations on how to get a quick understanding of the structure ? Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhifle Posted 30 November , 2008 Share Posted 30 November , 2008 Hi, The 3rd Echelon provided the services which kept the combat troops in the field. These units and transport remained more or less permanently to the rear of the fighting lines, such as base camps, depots, most hospitals, etc. The units were not part of a Divisional Command in the Army Corps, but took their instructions from the Army Head Quarters. Regards mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 30 November , 2008 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2008 Thanks Mark.. Would they have stayed effectively with their original units or would they have been att'd to particular depots etc ? Little confused as sometimes this is specifically stated on MIC etc but elsewhere seems to be ignored. Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 30 November , 2008 Share Posted 30 November , 2008 Strictly speaking, units did not have a 3rd echelon - they had "base details" who were reinforcements and returning wounded/sick who were usually at Etaples or one of the other coastal bases. GHQ 3rd Ecxhelon was otherwise known as the Adjutant-General's Office at the Base, and was at Rouen throughout the war under Maj-Gen E R C Graham, the Deputy Adjutant-General. Its role was to maintain all personnel and other records - War Diaries were sent there every month and these are the set which now form class WO95 at Kew. Each infantry battalion or similar unit left its orderly-room sergeant as part of 3rd Echelon, dealing with the records of the men of their own units. These included the casualty returns which were forwarded to the War Office. The units Mark refers to are the Lines of Communication (L of C) Troops. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinaMoffitt Posted 5 September , 2012 Share Posted 5 September , 2012 Ron, one of the doctors I am researching it says on his medal card: "ASST: Adjt-Gen 3 Echelon GHQ Brit Salonika force forwards roll of off's eligible for the 1914-15 Star". Please translate. Who was the AG in Salonika do you know and what was his role? thanks Lina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 5 September , 2012 Share Posted 5 September , 2012 Hello Lina ASST is simply Assistant. There wasn't a separate AG in Salonika: the senior admin officer from 22 Dec 1915 to 20 Feb 1917 was Brig-Gen (later Maj-Gen) Travers E Clarke, as Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General. The post was split on the latter date, Clarke remaining as DQMG and Maj-Gen W H Rycroft became DAG. On 1 Aug 1917 Rycroft moved to succeed Clarke (who went to France and became QMG in Dec 1917) and was succeeded as DAG by May-Gen H J Everett. All these officers would have been at GHQ 1st Echelon, Salonika, but there would have been an Assistant AG (a lt-col) at the Base, in charge of the force's personnel records. My sources don't go that far down the rank chain but in any case he would have been the officer responsible for forwarding official lists of medal entitlements. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKM1111 Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 Hello,sorry for thread resurrecting but this seems the place. My own Great Grandfathers record card also suggests he spent time as an A A G with 3rd Echelon British HQ Salonika. Would the suggestions here indicate that he may have spent some time in this duty as he recuperated from Malaria as he was a front line infantry ranker turned officer who got his MC during that campaign? Im just trying to fill in a few gaps in the family history here and I have never heard reference to him having spent much prolonged time out of the line for the entire war so to read here that 3rd ech' suggests rear area troops was a surprise though thankfully not a sign of tall family stories as I have the full MOD records somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 I don't think it means he served there, just that the AAG 3rd Echelon Salonika submitted the claim on behalf of Salonika troops. The Gas School may be a different story. Rgds Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 6 January , 2014 Share Posted 6 January , 2014 The Gas School seems to have been at Gullane in East Lothian,Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 I think "emblem" refers to the oakleaf worn on the ribbon of the Victory Medal to indicate a Mention in Despatches. It may have been this, rather than the Military Cross, which he won, and a search of the London Gazette online may give further info. However, be aware that MiD do not have citations - they are just names on a list - and not every MC has a citation either. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKM1111 Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Thanks for all the replies. Yes, he received an MiD and the MC,they are on his records. I also know he was at Gullane, family holidays to the area continued into my own childhood Rather sweetly (but a bit worryingly) the site of the Gas School is now a kiddies nursery with some of the old buildings remaining Having come up through the ranks he did find it impossible to stay on in the army after the war as the mess bills were more than his pay ,but he did join the 6 HLI TA battalion and later served with them in the post Dunkirk campaign. It was the 3rd echelon part that's been a gap in my knowledge,maybe,with his record being that of a soldier who joined the 1st A and S highlanders in 08,was a Sgt in '14 and an officer(in the 2nd A.S.H) by '16 then some time spent in the 3rd echelon would have been the hands on training he would need to move on to command and logistic positions? His role as a Major in the next war started as the QM MT for the 6th HLI and then onto various AG and command positions with Combined Operations in the Highlands. Id always suspected this must have come from some experience in the last war rather than just his age . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackblue Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 I do not think the Medal Index Card entry means he served as AAG 3rd Echelon in Salonika. It simply means that his details were submitted on a roll for the award the 1914/15 Star by the AAG. Rgds Tim D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKM1111 Posted 7 January , 2014 Share Posted 7 January , 2014 Ok, Thanks Tim. Its humbling and fun to try to put the pieces of his service record together. He died of his wounds in 1950 so I never had the honour of meeting him,thankfully though there were lots of photos and even his (illegal?) diary from 14/15 in France and Flanders. But I also only had my Grandmas,his daughters, rather garbled accounts of his rare stories of his service. One prime example was being surprised to find on his records that he had NOT served at Gallipoli despite my Grandmothers insistence that he had. With a little more digging we figured out his Horse in Salonika had been called Gallipoli On to the Salonika front pages for a bit more info regarding the Argylls then, thanks again everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 1 January , 2019 Share Posted 1 January , 2019 Just come across this chat. One of my distant cousins, Major Richard Peacock Birchenough, served with the Derbyshire Yeomanry in Egypt, Gallipoli, Egypt again then posted to GHQ Macedonia at Salonica. His medal roll index card reads; "AAG 3rd Echelon General Headquarters B Salonica Forces Subts. Claims for 1914-15 Star 31.1.19 Application for Emblem from Major R Birchenough 19.1.20 Major R Birchenough applies for BW medal 28.8.19 EF9 28.8.20" He also appears in the London Gazette 19.8.19 Gazette issue 31514. Military Cross 2nd Class. Decoration conferred by His Majesty the King of the Hellenes for distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign. It turns out that this was the Greek Military Cross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 1 January , 2019 Share Posted 1 January , 2019 9 minutes ago, Keith Littlewood said: Just come across this chat. One of my distant cousins, Major Richard Peacock Birchenough, served with the Derbyshire Yeomanry in Egypt, Gallipoli, Egypt again then posted to GHQ Macedonia at Salonica. Presumably you are aware that The Derbyshire Yeomanry War History, 1914-1919 has a photograph of him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 1 January , 2019 Share Posted 1 January , 2019 Hi Steven I didn't know that. Is it on the internet or is it in a book? Thanks Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted 6 April , 2019 Share Posted 6 April , 2019 Does anyone know what this means......"ANZAC Section, 3rd Echelon, G.H.Q., B.E.F. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddell Posted 6 April , 2019 Share Posted 6 April , 2019 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Ruby said: Does anyone know what this means......"ANZAC Section, 3rd Echelon, G.H.Q., B.E.F. " Basically they were the records keeping section of the AIF to whom weekly returns and forms were sent from AIF units on the Western Front. G.H.Q is General headquarters. B.E.F is British Expeditionary Forces. Is your question to do with an AIF service record? Scott Edited 6 April , 2019 by Waddell Added more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted 8 April , 2019 Share Posted 8 April , 2019 Yes it is. It says the "ANZAC....B.E.F" on his service record, above where it says he was buried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted 8 April , 2019 Share Posted 8 April , 2019 Does anyone know what "Boonah" means? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Underdown Posted 8 April , 2019 Share Posted 8 April , 2019 Boonah would probably be the ship the effects were transported back to Australia on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted 8 April , 2019 Share Posted 8 April , 2019 Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddell Posted 8 April , 2019 Share Posted 8 April , 2019 1 hour ago, Ruby said: Yes it is. It says the "ANZAC....B.E.F" on his service record, above where it says he was buried. I believe that is acknowledgement that they have a record of his burial. Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 8 April , 2019 Share Posted 8 April , 2019 3 hours ago, Ruby said: Does anyone know what "Boonah" means? 2 hours ago, David_Underdown said: Boonah would probably be the ship the effects were transported back to Australia on More about the Boonah https://www.samhs.org.au/Virtual Museum/Notable-individuals/Gilbert Brown/Gilbert_Brown.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boonah_crisis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Posted 8 April , 2019 Share Posted 8 April , 2019 Thanks, much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now