drjimbo Posted 11 November , 2015 Share Posted 11 November , 2015 (edited) Hopefully someone can help decipher some of these abbreviations (in red) found in the No 2 Reserve Park (ASC 30 Coy) War Diary (1918-1919) I'm having difficulty in understanding the structure/manning of the Reserve Park as I thought it was just an ASC organisational structure for managing reserve supplies. Examples and context: 10 CTS proceeded to NOORDPEENE for attachment to VIIIth Corps. 10 G.S.C.TOS under Sgt. Wood proceeded to 39th Divisional Train for duty. A similar number proceeded to work for the 706 Labour Coy. Drew 10 H.Ws and 3 riders from No 2 Field Remount Section. H.Ws are probably some type of horse, but I've only come across H.D, Heavy Draft, before. What does CHT signify before a soldier's #? TIA, JS Edited 11 November , 2015 by drjimbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drjimbo Posted 11 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 11 November , 2015 In case requested, attached extracts of text. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 11 November , 2015 Share Posted 11 November , 2015 It isn't 10 HWs, it is in fact 16 HDs. The 'D' is written in old fashion loop handwriting. I'm still trying to figure out the others. Edit: GSCTOs GS possibly General Service (The common type of open horse waggon used by HT companies.) I still reckon "T" is Transport "O" not officers then if they're under charge of a sergeant. "Operatives" maybe. Not a sequence of letters I've come across before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 11 November , 2015 Share Posted 11 November , 2015 Could it be CMT before a number? From the LLT http://www.1914-1918.net/soldiers/letterprefixes.html GSC TOS - General Service Corps taken on strength Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 11 November , 2015 Share Posted 11 November , 2015 GSC TOS - General Service Corps taken on strength Yes. That could be it. Could it be CMT before a number? Not sure about that in this instance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waggoner Posted 11 November , 2015 Share Posted 11 November , 2015 "GSC" could be something like General Service Carts. Basically, it looks like ten vehicles were sent on a tasking. "CTS" seems to refer to ten vehicles of some description bring sent on a tasking. "CHT" refers to "C" class reserve members who were horse transport. N this case, the Wold Wagoners. All the best, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drjimbo Posted 11 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 11 November , 2015 I can confirm the CHT association with Waggoners. I've traced CHT/634 Dvr Brett G in the medal rolls and his rank was 'waggoner'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drjimbo Posted 11 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 11 November , 2015 GSC TOS - General Service Corps taken on strength Interesting suggestion. However, I haven't yet come across the use of TOS in other cases where an identified officer or replacements from Base was taken on strength. JS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 12 November , 2015 Share Posted 12 November , 2015 Irrespective of what GSC TOS stands for they are obviously human, a cart or an animal would not "proceed for work" or "duty". Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 12 November , 2015 Share Posted 12 November , 2015 Irrespective of what GSC TOS stands for they are obviously human, a cart or an animal would not "proceed for work" or "duty". Charlie I have several entries in 604MT Coy ASC ( XV Corps Siege Park) diary for June/July 1917 where the word "duty " is directly linked to lorries: "25/6/1917 Lorries out on duty:- 48 26/6/1917 Lorries out on duty:- 32 " and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie2 Posted 12 November , 2015 Share Posted 12 November , 2015 I have several entries in 604MT Coy ASC ( XV Corps Siege Park) diary for June/July 1917 where the word "duty " is directly linked to lorries: "25/6/1917 Lorries out on duty:- 48 26/6/1917 Lorries out on duty:- 32 " and so on. I stand corrected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 12 November , 2015 Share Posted 12 November , 2015 I stand corrected No problem. Lots of diaries are written in the writer's own individual style, and without seeing the whole diary, it is often quite hard to get the big picture. Each writer would often use their own abbreviations which were often non-standard, and I have seen somewhere, a list of Official Abbreviations that had to be used in the correct approved way, or else. (I think though those may have related to wireless telegraphy?) OK we can all make a stab at interpreting the handwriting, but with this diary, seeing a bit more, seeing the above image in a larger context could well help us interpret what the writer is attempting to convey. Somewhere in the diary he might have a cast iron reference to men: ORs, Men, NCOs , Drivers or whatever, so that we could then say with more confidence that this image refers to vehicles, or otherwise, people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drjimbo Posted 12 November , 2015 Author Share Posted 12 November , 2015 Thanks for persevering. Per the original post the context is the ASC 30 Coy, a Horse Transport Coy. Individuals are referred to by rank e.g. Dvr, but they are subsumed into what they are driving e.g. wagons. I attached full sentences in which the abbreviations occur. Elsewhere in the diary a distinction is made between wagons, carts and vehicles. Hope this helps. JS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 13 November , 2015 Share Posted 13 November , 2015 He writes "Corps Troops" a lot, and the initials "CT" . Could they mean the same thing? SC- Supply Column? "One Wagon GS"- General Service? Puzzling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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