r g a

[Medalface]

gentlemen , would any member know when service number,of 2000056 william h thomas rga, enlisted. any help is most welcome.many thanks medalface.

[Rockdoc]

There's no medal index card for anyone with that service number so the first questions are where did you get the information from and do you have any more information about him? Sometimes even the smallest detail matters.

There are a couple of possibilities that I can think of, based on it being a high-ish number:

1) He was called up late in the War and never served overseas, although there are similar, higher numbers in the MIC index so I'm not sure how likely this is.

2) He may, like my Grandfather, have been transferred from the RHA or RFA to the RGA after being wounded. Shortly after the War, men with RFA or RHA experience were transferred back and resumed their original service numbers. My Grandfather's medals all have his RFA number on the rim because he was with them up to 1917 and again from November 1918 until he was demobbed in early 1919.

Kevrowe is the expert in this field and I'm sure he'll be along soon to put me straight!

Keith

[ororkep]

I suspect medalface has typed one to many zeros for THOMAS William H (for Henry)

Rgds Paul

[Hywyn]

Is it one digit too many?

NA search for 200000*, 200001* etc to capture any near it all come back with no seven digit

And there is a 200056 William H Thomas in RGA.

Hywyn

[Rockdoc]

Darn! I thought I'd checked for the number of digits......

Keith

[kevinrowlinson]

If it is 200056 William H Thomas, and as Keith said he wasn't transferred, then 200056 would indicate someone joining early April 1918. If he was a transfer then he could have joined at any time, but he obviously did not go abroad before having this number.

Kevin

[Rockdoc]

Kevin, a silly question: once the RGA renumbering had begun, were all RHA/RFA men posted to the RGA renumbered immediately?

Keith

[kevinrowlinson]

Keith,

Quote, "were all RHA/RFA men posted to the RGA renumbered immediately? "

Easy answer, no.

The extreme examples would be the RFA gunners who went out with the early RGA batteries and were not transferred until your grandfathers transfer. Even later many seem to have been particularly slow in getting their new number. For example the authority for transfer may have been dated Nov 1917 but was not completed until March, April or even May 1918. In your grandfathers case he was officially transferred 14-12-1917 (not 14-2-1917), but those in 73 AA Sect had to wait until 9-3-1918. The authority for transfer would have most certainly been at the same time. One reason why deciding on the date of transfer, let alone posting, very difficult to pin point.

Kevin

[Rockdoc]

Thanks, Kevin. It really surprises me that 73rd delayed that much. They were the HQ Section so you'd tend to think they'd be in the vanguard, if anything. I'm also surprised because the new numbers that do appear in the Diaries - not that many I'll grant you - seem to be in a continuous block in the 197*** series, which would support your thought that the order was given to all the Sections at the same time.

Keith