Unit abreviation help needed; B S D No 6.

[high wood]

I have a trench art matchbox cover given to a British soldier by German POWs and I am trying to identify the British soldier that it was given to. Both sides of the matchbox cover have inscriptions.

[generalist]

I have a trench art matchbox cover given to a British soldier by German POWs and I am trying to identify the British soldier that it was given to. Both sides of the matchbox cover have inscriptions. The first says:

To their (sic) Cpl. H.E. Johnson. Calais, August 1919. The opposite side reads; E. Roth, W. Wilke, W.Konekamp, Hennig Bartmann. Clerks of B.S.D. No 6.

I am assuming that because of the date of August 1919 the German PoWs were engaged in battlefield clearance work. Could B. S. D. stand for Battlefield Salvage Depot? If so what is the most likely unit that Cpl H.E. Johnson would have served with? I am thinking that the Army Ordnance Corps or the Royal Engineers are the most likely.

No. 6 Base Supply Depot was in Calais: http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/54000/CALAIS%20SOUTHERN%20CEMETERY - so this is probably what you're after.

For salvage, http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/history_main2.htm suggests most salvage work in 1918-19 was done by the Labour Corps, which makes sense. The WWII terminology was "base salvage depot"; don't know what the WWI ones were called.

Andrew.

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Simon

Yes, Base Supply Depots were ASC units.

Ron

[michaeldr]

It might be an idea to check with Ivor Lee to see if Johnson was in the Labour Corps.

Even if the German PoWs worked at an ASC Base Supply Depot, I don't think that they themselves would be ASC, rather they would fall under the Labour Corps wouldn't they?

And their British NCO would, like as not, also be LC

regards

Michael