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Remembered Today:

Petrol prefix - ASC


Waggoner

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One of my medal collecting themes is First World War medals to the Army Service Corps. My goal is to have a group of medals that represents each of the 46 or so prefixes that were used. So far, I am about half way there. One of the more obscure prefixes is PETROL. According to the Medal Index Cards at the National Archives, there were only about 300 (+/-) of them and many were ranked as "Cadets". Clearly, far too many to be responsible for the entire supply of petrol to the British and Commonwealth armies on the Western Front. This is about the current limit of my research into the group. I was wondering if any other Forum members have done any research into this organization that they could share with me? If so, I would certainly appreciate it.

All the best,

Gary

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Hi Gay, and welcome. I'm not sure if this is going to help or mislead but 1057 ASC (an auxiliary petrol company) formed at Bulford on March 1, 1918 under Captain D H Harris. It moved to Lark Hill on March 5, leaving for Portsmouth on the 12th, from where it embarked for Egypt. I only have a list of ASC companies linked to Wiltshire and there may have been other petrol companies.

Hopefully a more expert member will come along and put this into perspective, or say it's irrelevant.

Moonraker

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Hi Gay,

Have you read the Long Long Trail section on the ASC? If not perhaps this http://www.1914-1918.net/asc.htm will help with the general information and this page which details the Mechanical transport companies of the ASC http://www.1914-1918.net/ASC_MT.htm will further enlighten you especially if you scroll down to the section on the page entitled "The ASC MT Auxiliary (Petrol) Companies" Maybe this will help.

regards

ian

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I have the British War Medal and Victory Medal named to Petrol 210151 Cadet John Brooks, Army Service Corps.

I have been led to believe that these Cadets were civilian specialists from the petroleum industry who were given a nominal military title whilst they were assisting the Armed Forces. Unfortunately, I do not know whether this is actually correct. Equally, as I know very little about John Brookes, due to his common name, I have not been able to discover any details about his civilian employment. All I have discovered was that he was discharged on 10th May,1918.

It would be quite interesting to discover how many medals to Petrol Cadets have survived.

Cheers

Sepoy

NB Sorry Waggoner, Mr Brooks Medals are staying in my collection for the time being, but if I do decide to part with them I will let you know!

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Welcome to the forum Gay,

Michael Young's 'ASC 1902-1918' lists this prefix as 'PET' and other than listing the petrol companies of which there were a few, there's little else on offer. Looking at what is available on ancestry with just 'petrol' as the search we have 126 MICs and 4 service/pension papers, searching with just 'pet' reveals ziltch. It would appear that this prefix was seldom issued as many of the men serving with petrol units are listed with various other prefixes, just a thought but perhaps it was issued at or to a specific training depot/unit, the surviving records may reveal something.

Jon

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In 'The Royal Army Service Corps – A history of Transport & Supply in the British Army', Vol. II, by Col R H Beadon CBE., psc., the supply of Petrol is covered on pages 440-446

Quote from Sepoy: I have been led to believe that these Cadets were civilian specialists from the petroleum industry who were given a nominal military title whilst they were assisting the Armed Forces.

If Sepoy is correct then this may perhaps (?) be a ref. to such a group:

"The Directorate of Supply having obtained the consent of the Finance Board at the War Office, the sanction of the French Government and the local Port Authorities, the Shell Company leased the necessary tank storage from the French Refining Companies on behalf of the War Department and undertook the purchase, delivery and setting up of the plant for the manufacture of the cans and cases and for their filling. The Shell Company also engaged the necessary expert personnel – all of whom had to be turned into a quasi-military body before being embarked.

It was not until the end of 1917 that these two installations which were set up at Calais and Rouen ………."

The above is clutching at straws you might say, however, the bibliography also offers the following lead which may be useful:

"Petrol Supply in the Field" by Lieutenant-Colonel J. C. M. Doran, CBE., DSO., from the Royal Army Service Corps Quarterly, July 1924.

Good Luck

Michael

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My pair of medals have the full prefix ie PETROL-234508 A.SJT. C.J. TONKIN. A.S.C. What is interesting is the high number. Other ASC units generally start at number one with exceptions seen by me as DM2, M2, NAC and RX4. Has anyone seen 3 or 4 digit service numners with any of these prefixes?

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Thank you all for your replies! Given that there were only about 300 +/- of these prefixes assigned, in three blocks of serial numbers, I am inclined to think that they were associated with the two petrol depots that were formed in France in 1916. Interestingly, one of the MIC actually has a cadet corps mentioned in reference to a man with a Petrol prefix. Just how this figures into the equation, I have absolutely no idea! However, I will keep searching.

All the best,

Gary

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Sepoy,

Have you looked up Cadet Brooks' service records at either the National Archives or Ancestry? If so, I was wondering if it gives any information about when/where he enlisted and served?

All the best,

Gary

PS: Sorry if I misled folks when I misspelled my name in the first post. Us frugal Scots, saving our "r" for later. And, now that I have achieved the "5 post" goal, I might be able to update my profile. Here's hoping!

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There is a Severn Cadet Corps for Fricker Joseph Henry 210160.

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Yes, the Severn Cadet Crops frequently pops up! I have a copy of the BWM & VM roll for the PETROL 210xxx series of names. Three are listed as having died:

PETROL 210053. Pte. William Edward Porter. ASC and Severn Cadet Corps. Died 30/1016 age 34 and buried in Rouen.

PETROL 210101 Pte. William George Smith. ASC and Severn Cadet Corps. Died 3/12/18 and buried in Rouen. No age provided on the CWGC site.

PETROL 210127. Pte. Frederick Charles James Weinling. ASC, Army Cadet Force and Severn Cadet Corps. Died 6/4/17 age 18 and buried in London.

Does anyone know anything about the Army Cadet Force and the Severn Cadet Corps? All in all, very intriguing!

All the best,

Gary

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  • 11 months later...

I am in the process of researching a man who served in the Petrol department of the ASC (and had a PETROL number prefix). He, and several other men I have found, were enlisted into this department from the Clevedon area of Bristol and went to France after just four days in the army in July 1916. None of them had any kind of connection with petrol or anything related, as far as I can see from service records. I shall follow up the "petrol supply" article mentioned above but if anyone has ever come across more information about these men I would be most interested. The poster above is quite right, these men while enlisted into the army were not paid from army funds ... all a bit weird. I shall let you know (probably by a page on LLT) if I find more.

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Chris,

Interesting information! What was your source for this - surviving service records? As you know, information about this organization is about as scarce as hes's teeth! I would appreciate it if you could keep me advise of any progress you make.

All the best,

Gary

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  • 9 months later...

Hi

i have a pair to PETROL-210188 CADET A.F.Turner, and i have been trying to find out some more information. so far i have found 137 MIC's with the Petrol prefix, as opposed to men who served in Aux Petrol companies. there are pension papers to 9 guys with Petrol prefix, they are all from the Bristol/South West area and as has been stated they were in the Severn Cadet Corps. of the 9 most of them were underage 15/16 and had consent forms signed by their parents/guardians. they came under the Army regulations but were not paid by the Army, they were paid by the Asiatic Petroleum Company, they seemed to have served in Rouen, on some of their papers they are discharged before the end of the war as 'being unsuitable for employment with the Asiatic Petroleum Company'

And that is all i have discovered so far, i still dont know what they actually did! It seems to point to them being recruited by the Army and loaned to the Asiatic Petroleum Company for training? does this seem to make sense?

Dave

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What a coincidence - have you read post #3 here - http://1914-1918.inv...topic=184342=

For the benefit of those who don't do "clickies", this is the relevant paragraph:

"One of the most remarkable Cadet Units ever raised in Somerset was at the special request of the War Office on June 10, 1916. It was named the Severn Cadet Corps and consisted of 115 boy employees of the Asiatic Petroleum Company. They were sent to France, and with headquarters in Rouen the Cadets were employed as working parties in connection with their trades. They were clothed and equipped by the War Office. In 1917 those classified in Category "A" and who were over 18 were released for service in fighting units whilst other boys were enrolled to take their place."

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  • 1 year later...

Guys, this forum NEVER ceases to amaze me. I thought I was going to be Billy no mates as regards to having an interest in the Petroleum Dept. of the ASC. The above threads have been of great interest and assistance, so thank you very much indeed.

But I have one question, I`m confused about the `cadet` rank aspect we`re these men civvies along the same lines as the tunnellers in the RE? I also see that some of the listed examples of medals have army ranks such as Sjt. Finally am I right in thinking that theres only 300 medals with the PET prefix? Am I going to be in search of the holy grail trailing to locate an example? :unsure:

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Yes, the Severn Cadet Crops frequently pops up! I have a copy of the BWM & VM roll for the PETROL 210xxx series of names. Three are listed as having died:

PETROL 210053. Pte. William Edward Porter. ASC and Severn Cadet Corps. Died 30/1016 age 34 and buried in Rouen.

PETROL 210101 Pte. William George Smith. ASC and Severn Cadet Corps. Died 3/12/18 and buried in Rouen. No age provided on the CWGC site.

PETROL 210127. Pte. Frederick Charles James Weinling. ASC, Army Cadet Force and Severn Cadet Corps. Died 6/4/17 age 18 and buried in London.

Does anyone know anything about the Army Cadet Force and the Severn Cadet Corps? All in all, very intriguing!

All the best,

Gary

Cadet is an odd choice.

Cadet has no official rank power. Officer cadets in Sandhurst for instance.

I agree, to me cadet corps suggests young lads. But I find it very hard to believe that even the army would leave petrol in the care of a bunch of young lads!!!!

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My understanding is that the "cadets" were civilian Shell workers who were speedily enrolled in the military. It would appear that they chose to create a fictional Cadet Corps for them to join and then added a leavening of some regular ASC personnel. There is more to the story that will come out in due course.

All the best,

Gary

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This is one of my longer term research projects. Of course, I need to be able to organize a visit to the National Archives. Lately, my visits to London haven't had time built in for this.

All the best,

Gary

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How many long term projects we have and so little time lol.

Going off subject slightly if I may. I had a relative who served in the ASC during WW1. His prefix being M-2 - which makes him part of the special reserve I believe. I was wondering what that actually means?

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I am away from my references at the moment but I believe that the prefixes "M 1 to 4 " were used to designate mechanical transport drivers in the New Armies. Have a look in the Long, Long Trail link to verify this.

All the best,

Gary

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