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Remembered Today:

Help deciphering some of my great grandfathers WW1 records


HollyC

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Hi all,

My cousin passed along some service records of my Great Grandfather from World War 1, since I have a bit of experience reading older handwriting (from my degree). However, some parts still stump me, even after much googling. I was wondering if people here had a bit more understanding of the acronyms/meanings than I do! 

 

If you could help me understand some of the following, that would be great. 

 

  • There's loads of references to hospital/CCS transfers that mention 'via SSD' or 'of SSD'. I found out about Station Supply Depots, but not sure how that would fit in with what they mean. Example: 
  • ssd.jpg.86cfa130f2a0bbfd92b170b5143950cc.jpg

 

  • 'Jd Depost (?) ex 4 bow D'. This makes literally no sense to me, and was wondering if any could decode it! Not sure if it even says Depost... (see pic attached)4 bow D.jpg

 

  • He appears to be posted to something called '2 ALS from M Corps Signal Corp', but I have no clue what ALS stands for, or really what 'M Corps' means.1735418305_2als.jpg.315f2c2f428f4693b274d6a8bdfddef7.jpg

 

 

All in all, if anyone can help with even one word of this, I'd be very grateful! My cousin sent me these in hope of understanding them better, but I realise that while I can read the majority of whats written, what it actually means is something else entirely. If you need anymore information, please let me know!

 

Thanks,

A Manuscript Nerd Trying to Figure Out WW1 Lexicon

Edited by HollyC
Added picture regarding SSD
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Quote

Fd(Pd) depot ex 4 Con. Dept

Forwarded/posted depot ex 4 convalescent depot.

 

Posted to 2 ??? from the Corps Signal Company.

 

 

 

Who was your great grandfather ?

 

Craig

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Thank you so much, ss! I've been using The Long Long Trail for a lot of the hospitals and CCS references, and should have looked further. 

 

He was my great grandfather, Edward Henry Horwood, and honestly, I don't know a lot besides what my cousin has given me. I'm aware he served in the Royal Signals for the latter part of WW1, and got injured several times. But the only information my cousin sent me appears to be medical-based records. 

 

My grandad passed away last year, so it's been a bit of a renewed effort by me and my cousin to understand more of our family history. Unfortunately, I never properly talked to him about it, including anything about his father serving, and I severely regret it now he's gone. I hope I can make some kind of understanding from these documents, and help out my cousin in digging a bit deeper into our family's military history. 

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Yep, that's him! Enlisted first in 1913. The document I'm currently working on is from 1917 - 18, but I have earlier documents about him.

Edited by HollyC
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That solves that one! Thank you so much. So my understanding is that he did signals work for the airline sections?

 

Any idea about SSD? That's the one that's really confusing me!

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43 minutes ago, HollyC said:

That solves that one! Thank you so much. So my understanding is that he did signals work for the airline sections?

 

Any idea about SSD? That's the one that's really confusing me!

The airline sections were staffed by signallers trained in installing overhead lines and signalling equipment.

 

 

Craig

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44 minutes ago, HollyC said:

Any idea about SSD? That's the one that's really confusing me!

Signal Service Depot

 

Craig

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3 hours ago, ss002d6252 said:

Forwarded/posted depot ex 4 convalescent depot

isn't the first word jd = joined ?ie joined Depot ex 4 convalescent depot

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3 hours ago, HollyC said:

'2 ALS from M Corps Signal Corp

It is indeed "M Corps Signal Company"

 

The M Corps seems effectively to mean the same as 12 or correctly XII Corps, who were in Salonika

Edited by charlie962
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On 06/01/2020 at 19:41, charlie962 said:

It is indeed "M Corps Signal Company"

 

The M Corps seems effectively to mean the same as 12 or correctly XII Corps, who were in Salonika

 

That makes a lot more sense. There are references to 31st CCS and 52 CCS, which I could find no reference to in the French CCS list at The Long Long Trail. But having a look, there were CCS's under those number in Greece, near Salonika, which makes more sense! Thank you for this! I'd come across the M Corps as being based in Salonika previously, but just assumed my Great Grandfather had stayed in France throughout the war!

 

Thanks again!

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15 minutes ago, HollyC said:

but just assumed my Great Grandfather had stayed in France throughout the war!

If you look at the service record (discharge papers) that you have already seen , I think, you will find this useful entry: (courtesy findmypast)

 

343947431_GWFHorwoodRESvcextract.JPG.3e7217633f996011937bcbff9a02aca9.JPG

at top right of the ArmyForm B103 it says very faintly     Embarked Marseille 2/1/16, Disembarked Salonika 9/1/16

 

charlie

Edited by charlie962
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55 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

If you look at the service record (discharge papers) that you have already seen , I think, you will find this useful entry: (courtesy findmypast)

 

My cousin never sent me that document, or maybe he didn't have it, but that is great, thank you! I might honestly just subscribe to FindMyPast or Ancestry now I'm so deep into this research...

 

Edit: Would this form have been filled out by himself? 

Edited by HollyC
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2 minutes ago, HollyC said:

My cousin never sent me that document,

The record is reasonably detailed and the medical bits can be very helpful. Beware, this research can get expensive with subs left right and centre !

 

If you have a good local library they may provide free access to Ancestry or FMP which will help you decide which suits you best.

 

Charlie

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21 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

If you have a good local library they may provide free access to Ancestry or FMP which will help you decide which suits you best.

 

My local library offers Ancestry Library Edition at their computers, so I might have to make a trip up there at some point!

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45 minutes ago, HollyC said:

Edit: Would this form have been filled out by himself? 

That part- yes, in theory but he may have had help. He will have signed it at the end.

Edited by charlie962
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You wouldn't happen to know what LCBD means? He was deemed unfit by a Medical Board (at No. 2 Convalescent Depot), and then transferred to LCBD until he shipped back to the UK. 

 

LCBD.jpg.5e5978a5598078824e996d402af4f476.jpg

 

I think it has something to do with the Labour Corps, but have no idea what the B.D. could stand for. (Maybe Base Depot?)

 

Thanks again for all your help!

Edited by HollyC
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Hi Holly

 

I think you are right with both.

regards

 

Robert

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22 hours ago, HollyC said:

There are references to 31st CCS and 52 CCS,

Hi Holly,

31st CCS was indeed in the XII Corps area at Janes (Yanesh) however I think you meant 52nd General Hospital not CCS which was near Salonika.  

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