Frank Astill RE

[edwin astill]

I'm starting to research my Grandfather's WW1 career. From his army papers I see the following:

24296 F Astill

29/3/13 Attested Pioneer

“ Reposted Sapper, Clerk

27/4/14 Transferred Sapper 7th Field Coy

28/11/15 Raised to skill rate

28/3/17 Appointed PIIO No. 18 La Corpl Other establishments

23/8/17 Appointed with EinC RE/6266/C.C d/-24/8/17 a/E.C Corpl Cavalry Corps Bridge Pk No 24

24/8/17 Appointed a/E.C. Sergt paid Cavalry Corps Bridge Pk No 24

28/3/18 Promoted E.C. II Cpl

……

Notts Royal Horse Artillery (T) Gunner Feb. 11 28/3/13

Training Bn RE 29/3/13

7th Field Coy RE 27/4/14

“ Exp. Force France 23/8/14

175 Tunnelling Coy RE May 1915

96 Field Coy June 1916

Cavalry Corps March 1917

Chief Engineer IV Army March 1919

Home Establishment 1/12/19

I'm not sure of the meanings of the items in bold. Also, garteful for any pointers as to info on the units mentioned.

Thanks for any help

Edwin Astill

[Terry_Reeves]

Edwin

Acting Engineer Clerk-Sergeant and Engineer Clerk 2nd Corporal. Engineer clerks were sometimes draghtsmen as well. If they had a qualification, they received extra pay.

Terry Reeves.

[edwin astill]

Thank you, Terry. Did Engineer Clerks do anything other than what I suppose would be routine clerical work.... filing orders, responding to queries, making sure pay and ration accounts were kept up?

Edwin Astill

[Terry_Reeves]

Edwin

Looking at his service record, my guess that he would have been confined to unit clerical duties for a while at least. However his posting with Chief Engineer 4th Army appears to mark him out as a man whose skill was appreciated. Clerks with a draughtsmam qualification were often employed by Engineer Works Services. EWs were responsible for design and construction projects. Men selected for posts as Engineer Clerks though, had to be well educated.

Terry Reeves

[edwin astill]

Once again, thanks. My Grandfather did not have a particularly spectacular education, but did work in a solicitor's ofice (his leaving due to lack of interest in the work (employer's reference) was not considered an impediment by the army! He was awarded the MSM during the war.

In the 30's he joined the Ministry of Labour and set up and ran Buckingham Labour Exchange. He was commissioned for WW2 and rescued an officer in a dead-end job by putting him onto something better. The officer went on to be a General, and wrote every Christmas (forgotten his name).

I have a nice picture of Granfather and other Old Contemptibles at the OC Standing Down parade of the Bournemouth branch - but it's over 700kb, so won't fit in here.

Again, thanks for the information