153586 Royal Engineers (?) L.Cpl Thomas McAlister

[DarrenMW]

Attested 31.8.15 Battersea, London (formerly spent 12 years in Royal Garrison Artillery, T/E 1905?.....not sure what T/E means)

I know McAlister (My Great Grandfather) sailed on the S.S. Viper 20.10.16 Southampton to Havre

I know he was injured in a depot accident 1916 near Rouen when on duty as 'train conductor', returned home, then went back to France.

I'd love to know a bit more about exactly what regiment he was attahced to & perhaps what locations/duties he would have seen.

Have to admit I am a bit of a newbie to this military research, and the numbers and abbrevations used are kind of confusing to me, especially with the RE as I understand they support other regiments.

Sincere thanks in advance for any help or pointing me in the right direction.

[grantowi]

Sure it's not TF = Territorial Force

Have you read the LLT (link at top left of main header) ?

Bit about TF here - http://www.1914-1918.net/renumbering.htm

Grant

[Stebie9173]

It may be Termination of Engagement - i.e. his 12 years (usually 7 on active service & 5 on Reserve) in the Army from 1893 to 1905.

Steve.

[DarrenMW]

Thanks Steve,...was it;

1) common place to have a 12 year period of service

2) If so, common to see it split 7/5 as you mention.

I'm a little confused, because his marriage cert in April 1900 lists him as a tailor? Yet it is without question the same man (the wife/children listed upon attestation are correct)

Also, any idea where I'd find a bit more about breaking down the RE assignments? He was a 'pioneer' initially in WW1.

[Terry_Reeves]

I suspect that this might be your ma from the National Archives:

Medal card of McAlister, Thomas

Corps Regiment No Rank

Royal Army Service Corps T4/129009 Private

Royal Engineers WR/254805 Private

Royal Engineers 153586 Private

The ASC T4 number indicates a New Army transport or supply unit I think . The 153 number was issued to the RE in the first quarter of 1916, and the WR number indicates a railway unit of some sort. The latter number was issued in 1918 when the reorganisation of RE transportation took place, and men with un-prefixed numbers received a different number prefixed with WR.

Don't let the rank of Private put you off either. There was no such rank in the RE during WW1, it had been dispensed with in 1856. Many men in RE during the war held the rank of pioneer though, the equivalent of private.

With regard to a particular unit, unless you can find his service record, it will be very difficult to find, and even then the specifics may have not been recorded.

TR

[DarrenMW]

Thank you Terry for that wonderfully detailed reply. Much appreciated.

That is the correct Thomas McAlister, yes.

I do indeed have his WW1 military service record, and it does list various unit numbers and acronyms 'postings' , I just cannot determine what they pertain to. The wonderful cursive handwriting of the day can prove troublesome to decifer.

If I can correctly read them , and list them here, might you be able to shed a little further light on matters?

I know he was at Quevilly, and Rouen.

Many thanks again to you Terry.

Darren

p.s. he is shown at one stage as a 'Train Conductor'....would that be exactly what is sounds like? Someone ensuring troops are correctly assigned trains etc?

I'll start tryng to list those numbers oin his service record in the hope you can kindly make sense of them.

[Tyrim]

Terry,

"Many men in RE during the war held the rank of pioneer though, the equivalent of private."

Do you know which infantry rank Sapper would match? Or was it just a technical rank?

Thanks,

Tyrim

[DarrenMW]

Ok, here's what I have from Ancestrys military records. Apologies if it is chronologically challenged!

Thomas McAlister

Home: 31.8.15 - 19.10.15

BEF: 20.10.15 - 28.11.16

Home: 29.11.16 - 18.3.17 (injured)

BEF: 19.3.17 - 6.5.19

Home: 7.5.19 - 7.6.19

Injured at oil depot 22.11.16, reports signed by Capt D.A.D.R.T. Rouen 6.12.16

31.8.15 Attested: Battersea, London

3.9.15 Depot post

20.10.15 w/BEF Sailed Southampton - Havre on S.S.Viper

21.10.15 Posted BHTD Havre T4 129009

10.11.15 BHTD Supply Personnel - Rouen (281 D?)

5.11.15 Posted to 5th (RSD?)

18.3.16 Transfered to RE Railway Transport Sec HDL 121/railways/68/QMG 2E

19.3.16 Railway Transport Sec, Pioneer,

25.3.16 AC11 O No.28 to L.Cpl

GHQ 3rd echelon???

26.11.16 to England after injury (Quevily/Rouen)

11.12.16 Transfered RTE to Longmoor (3rd Western 'unreadable' Cardiff)

4.5.18 Railway Traffic PIO 18

9.5.19. Despatched to England...Group #18.

Final Demob =

L.Cpl.

WR 254805

Regt: RE

Unit: RTE

Industrial group: #18

many thanks!