GenetB Posted 11 February , 2019 Share Posted 11 February , 2019 My great uncle James William Joseph Matthews was a Driver with the ASC companies under the 28th Division in Salonika/Macedonia. At the end of the war the division became the occupation force in the Dardanelles. Did all AsC companies go with it? Does anyone know when the ASC companies were demobbed? Any information gratefully received Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenetB Posted 12 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2019 I have looked for the War Diary of the Divisional Train 28th Division 120/121/122/123 Companies but it is not amongst the National Archives . Why is that? Also, reading other comments suggests that 120 Company was the Horsed Transport Company. There appears to have been a major repatriation of troops in May 1919 but all a bit vague. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 12 February , 2019 Share Posted 12 February , 2019 17 minutes ago, GenetB said: I have looked for the War Diary of the Divisional Train 28th Division 120/121/122/123 Companies but it is not amongst the National Archives . Why is that? Michael Young' book confirms that the diaries are not at the National Archives. Unfortunately the diaries of nearly 300 of the 1200 ASC companies are missing. A great shame. It looks as though the company was disbanded as you say in April 1919, but that doesn't necessarily mean that all the men were demobbed at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waggoner Posted 12 February , 2019 Share Posted 12 February , 2019 You should look at Michael Young’s book “The ASC 1903 - 1918”. There is an annex that kists all of the ASC companies - when they were formed, where they served and when they were disbanded. All the best, Gary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenetB Posted 12 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2019 Thank you for this. James was a Transport Special (shoeing Smith by trade) so I don’t know if that means that he might have en retained with the Army of Occupation. I know that he and his wife had a son in late 1922, which suggests he was home by the end of 1921 but perhaps not a lot earlier Thank you, Gary. I did read that the War Diary for the 28th Divn. Divisional Train companies might be held in Canadian archives? I will get hold of the book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 12 February , 2019 Share Posted 12 February , 2019 The following note is from A F Becke's Order of Battle of Divisions, relating to 28 Division: "Train (120, 121, 122 and 123 Cos) was raised as 13th Divisional Train. Embarked on 1/11/15, disembarked at Alexandria 16/11/15, joined 28th Div as its Train on 16/11/15, and reached Salonika on 10/12/15. Reorganised on 9/10/16 in pack and wheel echelons; and by 15/11/16, 856, 857, 858, 859 Cos were added to the Train." By April 1919 the Train consisted of 121, 122 and 123 Horse Transport Cos and 605 Mechanical Transport Company. A year later only 121 Company was left. The index to the War Diaries (class WO95 at Kew) has this entry: WO 95/4912 Divisional Train (856, 857, 858, 859 Companies ASC) 1915 Nov. - 1919 Oct. It is quite possible that the diaries relating to 120-123 Companies also appear in the actual file. I don't think that the diary has been digitised yet so you may have to visit Kew to consult it. Good luck! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenetB Posted 12 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2019 Thank you, Ron. I think a trip to Kew may prove cheaper than a copy of Michael Young’s book! I will check out the pack and wheel echelons. I have just read Under the Dragons Eye, about the Salonika Campaign, and much mention of animal transport. I checked out the 1939 Register and found that James had returned to his trade of Blaksmith/shoeing Smith so I assume that as a TS, he carried out this function when serving. I also found that 120 HT Company left April 1919 and discharged to Reserve at Woolwich for a year before demob in April 1920. But I have some family information to suggest that James might not have been among them and might have come home later, maybe only being demobbed in 1921. is there any way of getting the names of the individuals in a company? There is no Service Record for James, only a Medal Card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 12 February , 2019 Share Posted 12 February , 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, GenetB said: Is he TS/7271 ? Unfortunately there is no demob date ("Transferred to Class Z") on it. It does however confirm the date of arrival in War Theatre 3 on 7/11/1915. Edited 12 February , 2019 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 12 February , 2019 Admin Share Posted 12 February , 2019 (edited) 14 - 15 Star Roll shows TS/ 7271 Matthews discharged to Class 'Z' 27 September 1919 (not the last by any means). He is shown as 'Driver'. Ken Edited 12 February , 2019 by kenf48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardenerbill Posted 12 February , 2019 Share Posted 12 February , 2019 My Grandfather's ASC company (801 MT Coy) were XVI Corps (includes 28th Div) troop supply, demobolisation began in February 1919 based on age and years of service and finished in April 1919. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenetB Posted 12 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2019 Dear all, yes, he was TS/7271, originally 13th Divn. But reassigned to 28th, went via Alexandria to Salonika. i believe that many men were discharged but held on reserve for many months, even a year because of the situation in the Dardanelles so perhaps he was at Woolwich for a while before demob. I will have a look at the Star Roll. A new one for me! Getting there slowly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin kenf48 Posted 12 February , 2019 Admin Share Posted 12 February , 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, GenetB said: I will have a look at the Star Roll. A new one for me! Getting there slowly When you do you will see that 'Shoeing Smith' has been struck through and replaced with 'Driver', I don't know why but I'm guessing because Shoeing Smith was a trade rather than a rank. Looking at service records around his they were all blacksmiths/shoeing smiths as civilians and were recruited in April 1915. I know there were specific campaigns to attract men in the 'horse trades' around this time. You will find the advertisements in the newspaper archives. After attestation at Woolwich, and presumably an Army trade test at least two of the men were posted to the RHA. I think you can be confident in your original assumption he carried on his trade while serving in the Army. The Class Z Reserve was a post armistice reserve which effectively meant men returned to civilian life but could be recalled to the colours in the event of war. It was abolished and with it any further military commitment on 30 March 1920 See LLT https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/british-army-reserves-and-reservists/ Units were sent to the Dardanelles after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in October 1918 but these were basically engaged in clean up and garrison duties together with Graves Registration units similar to those on the Western Front post-Armistice not because of military necessity. Ken Edited 12 February , 2019 by kenf48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GenetB Posted 12 February , 2019 Author Share Posted 12 February , 2019 Thank you again. i did check some newspapers but the Hereford Times hasn’t been digitised beyond 1911, I think, so will try some others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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