Which ASC unit please?

[Hinckmeister]

Hi folks. I am currently researching Territorial ASC Serjeant who is listed in the medal rolls as being with W.R.D.T&S. Col. ASC (TF).

I assume that this was a supply column, but which? His low service number is prefixed "T", which I understand denotes horse transport. 

Thanks in advance. 

 

[PRC]

Hi @Hinckmeister and welcome to the forum.

W.R.D will be the West Riding Division, or more formally the 49th (West Riding) Division.

Our parent site, the Long, Long Trail, has this note against the 49th Divisional Train - "retitled from the West Riding Divisional Transport and Supply Column, and the units also retitled as 463, 464, 465 and 466 Companies ASC" https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/49th-west-riding-division/

The West Riding Division was a Territorial Force unit, so a good chance that T stands for Territorial, rather than the T prefix used for New Army men.

A name for the Serjeant would probably help confirm that.

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 30 August , 2022 by PRC
Typo

[michaeldr]

Col. Michael Young's book 'Army Service Corps 1902-1918' on p.294/295 gives the file ref. for these companies as WO 95/2791 - Available here https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354655

Edited 30 August , 2022 by michaeldr

[Hinckmeister]

Thank you so much for your helpful advice.

23 hours ago, PRC said:

A name for the Serjeant would probably help confirm that.

Thanks, Peter. He is T-3122 Sjt Joseph Mangan ASC

[PRC]

6 minutes ago, Hinckmeister said:

He is T-3122 Sjt Joseph Mangan ASC

Both FindMyPast and Ancestry are showing surviving service records for him - I don't subscribe to either so can't check then out further. However the entry on FMP is indexed that he was born c1883, enlisted 1914 and is connected to Leeds (- it's most likely his birthplace!).

What I can see via a free account on Ancestry is his Medal Index Card.

Image courtesy Ancestry - there is no information on the reverse of the card.

He orginal served with the Army Service Corps Territorial Force with service number T/3122. ("A.S.C. (T.F.)")
He first landed in France on the 21st August 1915. The 49th Division moved to France between the 12th and 19th April 1915, so looks like he went out later as part of a replacement draft.
He was subsequently given what appears to be a Kitcheners Fourth Army number, T4/250786. Hopefully the surviving service record will explain why.
He was disembodied on the 29th April 1919. The peacetime TF was a part-time force, so when there units were mobilised to serve 24/7 as a body of men, the TF men were siad to be "embodied". When that was no longer required they were said to be "disembodied". While the 1916 Military Services Act did away with the distinctions between Regular Army, Territorial and War time only, once the Armistice was signed the old distinctions kicked in. Even if Joseph was then serving for a non-TF unit his personal underlying status was that he was a member of the Territorial Force. To be released he had to be disembodied.

Hope that helps,
Peter

[Hinckmeister]

31 minutes ago, PRC said:

Hope that helps,
Peter

Absolutely superb. Peter. Thank you so much. 

[Hinckmeister]

19 hours ago, michaeldr said:

Available here https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354655

Thanks, Michael. Duly downloaded, and I am currently reading the War Diary entries for August 1915, when my man arrived in France. Very grateful to you for providing this link - it really brings everything to life.