Harold George Jenkins - T3/025302 Army Service Corps

[Jacqui Jenkins]

I am researching my husband’s family tree. His grandfather Harold George Jenkins served with the RASC his service number was T3/025230 which I think meant he was in the horsed transport division of the RASC and based originally at Woolwich. My husband thinks he could have spent sometime in India and I believe he was medically discharged in early 1920. He returned to his family and died aged around 80. 
Does his service number give anymore clues about hIs service. Like so many he never spoke of his time in the armed forces. 

[RussT]

Welcome to the Forum !

I've changed the Title of your thread to something a little more informative and relevant.

Please check your sources - I think his number was actually T3/025302.

Regards

Russ

[RussT]

The T/ prefix to his number is normally interpreted to mean he was in a horse transport unit of the ASC.

The 3/ part of the prefix (i.e. T3/) is interpreted to mean he joined during the raising of Kitchener's Third New Army.

The number itself looks to have been allotted in late October 1914.

He was entitled to the 1914/1915 Star and the VM/BWM Medals.

His 14/15 Roll tells us he first went to Egypt on 08/12/1915.

Regards

Russ

[RussT]

Just for your interest, here is the first page of the Attestation form of the man (Alfred Jenkins !!) who joined the ASC at the same time as Harold George Jenkins and was allotted the near-number of T3/025305.

Regards

Russ

 

[Gunner 87]

A Pension Ledger and Index Card records Harold being discharged on the 26/12/19 with his address being Freelands, Kempsey, Near Worcester. The record lists Harold suffering from Rheumatism and Malaria.

[Jacqui Jenkins]

10 hours ago, RussT said:

The T/ prefix to his number is normally interpreted to mean he was in a horse transport unit of the ASC.

The 3/ part of the prefix (i.e. T3/) is interpreted to mean he joined during the raising of Kitchener's Third New Army.

The number itself looks to have been allotted in late October 1914.

He was entitled to the 1914/1915 Star and the VM/BWM Medals.

His 14/15 Roll tells us he first went to Egypt on 08/12/1915.

Regards

Russ

 

[Jacqui Jenkins]

Thank you so much. The new information you’ve given us about Egypt is so unexpected. Fascinating. 

9 hours ago, Gunner 87 said:

A Pension Ledger and Index Card records Harold being discharged on the 26/12/19 with his address being Freelands, Kempsey, Near Worcester. The record lists Harold suffering from Rheumatism and Malaria.

 

[Jacqui Jenkins]

Thank you Gunner 87 for your information too. So Harold enlisted in 1914 and survived the war being discharged at Christmas 1919. What an amazing feat. My husband remembers his grandfather as ‘being a hard man who used to pull his own teeth’ . Sadly I never met him.  

[Gunner 87]

2 hours ago, Jacqui Jenkins said:

Thank you Gunner 87 for your information too. So Harold enlisted in 1914 and survived the war being discharged at Christmas 1919. What an amazing feat. My husband remembers his grandfather as ‘being a hard man who used to pull his own teeth’ . Sadly I never met him.  

There was a high prevalence of Malaria in Egypt which is likely where Harold contracted it. Attached is his Pension Ledger and Index Card which appears to record a decision that his disabilities were non attributable to his service which I don't understand with respect of Malaria. Maybe one of our more experienced members can explain that. 

[kenf48]

4 hours ago, Jacqui Jenkins said:

The new information you’ve given us about Egypt is so unexpected. Fascinating. 

An observation concerning the incidence of malaria in the Great War, in 1916 Egypt recorded less than 1,000 cases mainly in the Canal Zone Defences, it became more prevalent in this theatre as the armies moved into Palestine in 1917.  On the other hand malaria became a real problem in Macedonia or the Salonica Campaign. The army first occupied the country in the winter of 1915 when the number of mosquitoes was low, but in 1916 especially in the Struma Valley it became a real issue for the British Army and was the one theatre where the traditional ratio of disease casualties exceeded those in battle.  In 1916 there were 30,000 cases; in 1917, 70,000 and in 1918, 60,000 requiring hospital admission.

This is relevant because near number sampling shows his number T3/025302 is 'bracketed' by T3/025300 Imms and T3/025316 Robinson Mechan.  The latter embarked on the Cardiganshire at Southampton on the 1st November 1915 and disembarked at Alexandria on the 15th November.  At the Base he was posted to 123 Company ASC and the 28th Divisional Train embarking for Salonica on the 1st December 1915. His Medal Roll entry shows date of medal entitlement as date of embarkation.

(See LLT 28th Division https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/28th-division/)

From the Medal Roll we can see he did not serve with the Division in France but in all likelihood was posted in Egypt which is correctly noted as 'first theatre of war' though I suspect he did not remain there long.  Pte Imms embarked on the Campanello on the 1st November (Cardiganshire is struck through) arriving Alexandria  on the 17th November. He embarked for Salonica on the 30th December 1915.  His Medal Roll entry shows the date of disembarkation in Egypt.

Jenkins is not on the same14-15 Star Roll as the above men, and in fact appears to be an outlier on the Roll on which he appears. I can't explain that but he is on the same Roll as them for the "war medals".

In the absence of a service record any assumptions are always speculative.  Nevertheless I suggest he was posted in Egypt to the 28th Divisional Train and Salonica which is most likely to have been the theatre in which he contracted malaria. Whether or not he went with the original contingent, we can't be certain but on the balance of probability it does seem the most likely rather than a later reinforcement. We just need to find a record for men in the same draft to Egypt but that is not easy and time consuming.  Family stories and photographs may help if any survive. 

 

[Mrs WB]

Fascinating read - Great work Gunner87