Army Service Corps Company No. 244

[Peter Huitson]

I have just started researching my great grandfather's World War One military service. His name was John Joseph Raine and I have a reference number M2/176415 and attached to Company No. 244. I obtained this information from the Durham At War website and I think this information related to 1918, perhaps at the time he was demobbed. My mother thinks that he was a driver during the war. Any guidance as to where I might try to obtain further information about his service would be most appreciated. As indicated, he did survive the war though my mother thinks he may have been gassed at some stage and he was a changed man on his return, as I suspect so many were.

Edited 8 November , 2019 by Peter Huitson
Correct spelling

[sadbrewer]

Where exactly was he from and when was he born?

[Gardenerbill]

Hi Peter, if you go to the parent site 'The Long Long Trail' you will find a section on researching a soldier, this is a good place to start.

I did a quick search on Ancestry and there is a medal index card, but I couldn't find a service record. The medal index cards shows he was entitled to a Victory Medal and British War Medal, this indicates that he didn't go overseas until January 1916 at the earliest. His number M2/176415 was probably allocated around December 1915 or early 1916 which ties in with MIC information and could indicate that he enlisted under the Derby scheme. The prefix M2 indicates Mechanical Transport so could have been a lorry or van driver. His unit 244 was an MT Company. In 'Army Service Corps 1902 1918' by Michael Young 244 are listed as formed - 19th January 1915, theatre - Salonika, 29th Division, 10th Division Army Troops, role - Division Supply Company, 89th Auxiliary (MT) Coy. 29th Division did not serve in Salonika, so the company may have initially been attached to 29th but transferred to the 10th Division who did serve in Salonika. If there is a 244 MT Coy war diary it is unlikely to have been digitised, so a trip to Kew would be required where you could view the orginal document at the National Archives.

[Ron Clifton]

... where you will find it here:

WO 95/4810 89 Auxiliary Mechanical Transport Company (244 Company ASC) 1916 Jan. - 1919 Mar. 

 

I suspect that the transfer from 29 Div to 10 Div took place in Gallipoli.

 

Ron

[Peter Huitson]

John Joseph Raine was born on 25 November 1891 in Mickleton, Yorkshire and in 1918 was residing at 7 York Terrace, Barnard Castle, County Durham.

[Peter Huitson]

Many thanks for all the information provided - this will give me a good start with my search.

 

[sadbrewer]

It may be unrelated but the  Hewitson and Raine surnames crop up in the same article from the North Easter Gazette 1912, courtesy of British Newspaper Archive .

[Peter Huitson]

Many thanks for posting this. I don't think that it relates to my Raine side but will do a little more research, just to check.