RASC soldier movements info required - salonika

[cloughy1]

Hi, I am trying to piece together the movements of my great great grandad. These are the details I have as follows:

The name of the soldier is Virgil Bolton from Padiham, Lancs

Some new records have appeared on ancestry.com and i am flying out to Macedonia in May and would like to know more about his footsteps in this campaign, e.g. any information of the

64th General Hospital? Where was this? From disembarking at Salonica, where next? How far into present day Macedonia would he have got? Any pictures of the ASC in action in Salonica?

So far, what I have got is:

>Rank: Driver

>Regiment Corps: RASC HT

>Home 34th Res Pk 6/11/14 to 25/1/16

>Ex Force Salonika 26/1/16

>Treatment at 64th General Hospital salonica

>Emabrked H.T. "Cestrian" Devonport 26/1/16 (16/1/16??)

>disembarked Salonica 11/2/16 (21/2/16??)

34th Reserve Park

Each disability claimed:

>Left leg accident, left thigh

>Malaria

>Rheumitism???

>Proceeded to UK by train

>embarked back to Britain by train via port of Tarento, Italy

Any help appreciated

Stephen

[NCA]

Hi

Don't know if this might help but when I was researching Thessaloniki and medical services I looked in Major General Sir W G Macpherson's book on the history of the medical services in the Great War. Maps weren't brilliant. I've got a copy and happy to look if it helps, Nigel

[Phil Evans]

Hello Stephen,

There is a war diary for 34 Reserve Park, aka 21 Auxiliary Horse Transport Company (362 Company ASC).

It is held at the National Archives, Kew, under the reference WO 95/4809. It covers from September 1916 to March 1919.

Click here

Unfortunately it is not available via Documents Online, so would require a visit.

The Company was formed in the UK in May 1915 and disbanded in February 1919.

If my experience of ASC war diaries is anything to go by, it will tell you where and how many wagons / vehicles, but not who. I was recently researching a CSM in a Mechanical Transport Company in Mesopotamia, who had been with them since formation in the UK. He only got a mention on the day he left for demob!

Phil

[cloughy1]

Hi

Don't know if this might help but when I was researching Thessaloniki and medical services I looked in Major General Sir W G Macpherson's book on the history of the medical services in the Great War. Maps weren't brilliant. I've got a copy and happy to look if it helps, Nigel

hi Nigel, any help appreciated, sounds like a needle in a haystack job, I guess these were temporary hospitals. I would just like some bearings, follow in the footsteps as it were. Im going travelling in the region and If its anywhere near where im going then i will have a look

thanks

[cloughy1]

Hello Stephen,

There is a war diary for 34 Reserve Park, aka 21 Auxiliary Horse Transport Company (362 Company ASC).

It is held at the National Archives, Kew, under the reference WO 95/4809. It covers from September 1916 to March 1919.

Click here

Unfortunately it is not available via Documents Online, so would require a visit.

The Company was formed in the UK in May 1915 and disbanded in February 1919.

If my experience of ASC war diaries is anything to go by, it will tell you where and how many wagons / vehicles, but not who. I was recently researching a CSM in a Mechanical Transport Company in Mesopotamia, who had been with them since formation in the UK. He only got a mention on the day he left for demob!

Phil

cheers Phil, thats great, im planning a visit tomorrow so will use your info

much appreciated

[NCA]

Hi

I've got the 64th Gerneral Hospital at Akbunar in late 1917 having been transferred from Malta between July and August 1917. The location on the map/ plan is not that helpful but appears to indicate it was between AKBUNAR and another village called ARAPI VRYSI. The 64th appears to have been in that area until it was closed possibly in 1918/ 1919. If its any help I'm going to Kew to look at the 5th South Staffords war diary for a colleague so would be more that happy to look at the medical records (might even have a map/ plan!) if that helps, Nigel

[cloughy1]

Hi Nigel, no need to go out of your way, i think i included a date when he was treated, would the medical records reference a name and date?

I spent a day there this week looking at the war diary, got a lot of place names which im finding out dont exist anymore akbunkar being one of them. ive got the general sweep of the area above thessalonika so thats a start

thanks again

[NCA]

Hi Nigel, no need to go out of your way, i think i included a date when he was treated, would the medical records reference a name and date?

I spent a day there this week looking at the war diary, got a lot of place names which im finding out dont exist anymore akbunkar being one of them. ive got the general sweep of the area above thessalonika so thats a start

thanks again

Hi

No problem. I will check the local plans/ maps for akbunkar, etc. It is very unlikely that the 64th war diary would list an individual casualty. Those I saw for hospitals regarding the period around the great fire did not list those details, sorry!

Nigel

[NCA]

Hi Nigel, no need to go out of your way, i think i included a date when he was treated, would the medical records reference a name and date?

I spent a day there this week looking at the war diary, got a lot of place names which im finding out dont exist anymore akbunkar being one of them. ive got the general sweep of the area above thessalonika so thats a start

thanks again

Hi

No problem. I will check the local plans/ maps for akbunkar, etc. It is very unlikely that the 64th war diary would list an individual casualty. Those I saw for hospitals regarding the period around the great fire did not list those details, sorry!

Nigel