Royal Engineers Service Number Enquiry

[apt50]

Among the few documents of my grandfather relating to his WWI service are written details of a Sapper T Hill, said to be of 459 Field Company, Royal Engineers. My grandfather noted the details three times. In the first record after the field company comes 'WRD Royal Engineers', in the second 'WR Royal Engineers', in the third only Royal Engineers. In one case 6th Division is added before BEF, France. So there is more than enough for me to try to find out where and when the unit served. My grandfather was not in that division and I have yet to work out if he could have come into contact with Sapper Hill while in France, or if they might perhaps have met in hospital. I tried to see if there was more information about Sapper Hill, but searches on the NA website and FMP of the Medal Index Cards produced no results when I put in the two service numbers recorded by my grandfather. One was 2884, the other 478480. A further search on FMP against name and rank only, has produced a result (fairly high up the list fortunately). The transcript gave numbers of T/2884incomplete and 478480incomplete. I presume the incomplete attached to the numbers was why earlier searches produced no results. Having looked at relevant threads on the forum I take it that the second longer number will have come after a renumbering.My question is why are the numbers I have said to be incomplete - as I take it  Sapper Hill must have thought them to be his full numbers? What would be needed to make them complete, to be sure no further information may be found? Apologies in advance if the answer to my query is simple and obvious.

[ss002d6252]

The 4 then 6 digit number is suggestive of a territorial.

 

#478480 falls in to the 1917 range given to 2nd West Riding Field Company.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/renumbering-of-the-territorial-force-in-1917/renumbering-of-the-territorial-force-royal-engineers-in-1917/

 

 

Craig

[brianmorris547]

Thomas Hill is confirmed as T2884 and later 478480. His Medal Index card shows no 1914-15 Star so he would have gone to France after 01/01/1916. The War Diary of 2/2 West Riding Field Company (later 459 FC) records that the Company disembarked at Havre on 10/10/1915 and joined RE 6 Division. The WD does not name other ranks in 1916 but you can see where the Company served. On Ancestry in War Diaries use the Browse box and search under Royal Engineers - 6 Div - Piece 1599. The WD starts on p 326. You can also read the WD of the Commander Royal Engineers 6 Div. 

Ignore the bit on FMP about the numbers being incomplete.

Brian