Interpreting medal index cards

[William Bryce]

Hi,

First of all, I hope this attachment of the MC comes through.

Can anyone tell me what the numbers mean under Class Z reserve mean, i.e. "22/7/60" and "20/1/60"? Also, there is another notation in the "Remarks" section which reads, "??? to Records, 2/17/42".

I've also heard that service numbers of the RE's from 70000 to about 78000 indicate that a man served as a signaler. Any comments on this?

Thank you for any help,

Bill Medal_Card_1.pdf

[Stebie9173]

They are probably dates, though their meaning may never be known.

I can't make out the other remark.

If you read the 70000 to 78000 bit on here, it was probably me starting that rumour. I have catalogued a few of the numbers of RE men in a vain attempt to narrow down the service of my great-grandfather in the RE (71127), and a lot of the numbers do appear to be allocated to Signallers probably sometime in early 1915. That said, it is certainly no proof.

The number 1130 would be his number in the Territorial Force Royal Engineers, which he was probably in first.

Excuse the long list, but here are what I have, so you can make your own mind up.

Number / Unit / Source.

70003 GG Cable Sect Reubique

70007 11 Airline Sect 3-6-1919

70024 E (IX) CSC 7-7-1919

70039 28 M Airline Sect 7-7-1919

70054 LZ Cable Sect ?

70096 F (VI) CSC 7-7-1919

70140 3rd ASC 7-7-1919

70161 E (IX) CSC 7-7-1919

70167 Sig Serv 5-6-1919

70170 3rd ASC 7-7-1919

70171 ? ASC MIC

70173 3rd ASC 7-7-1919

70208 X (X) CSC 7-7-1919

70310 1 DSC 14-5-1919

70332 LZ Cable Sect 14-1-1916

70364 4th Sig Sqdn 12-1-1920

70393 32 M Airline Sect 22-1-1916

70484 37 DSC 23-7-1919

70505 N (XIII) CSC 20-8-1919

70553 21 Airline Sect 12-1-1920

70569 GY Cable Sect 12-1-1920

70599 16 DSC 3-6-1919

70678 2 DSC 17-6-1919

70690 LC Cable Sect 3-6-1919

70743 E (IX) CSC Reubique

70857 32 M Airline Sect 22-1-1916

70918 3rd ASC 23-12-1918

70919 RR Cable Sect 24-1-1919

70932 32 M Airline Sect -1895

70952 2nd ASC 7-7-1919

71000 AU Cable Sect 20-8-1919

71002 AU Cable Sect SDGW 30-7-1916

71039 37 DSC SDGW

71041 35 DSC 14-5-1919

71045 2 DSC 17-6-1919

71052 ? - 5-6-1919

71063 Thetford Command Depot SDSGW 2-7-1917

71072 3rd ASC 7-7-1919

71085 42 Airline Sect SDGW

71089 L (XI) CSC 7-7-1919

71105 30 Motor Airline Sect SDGW 31-10-1916

71117 1st ASC 26-8-1918

71127 ? ? MIC

71154 AO Cable Sect SDGW 20-5-1916

71175 39 M Airline Sect SDGW 6-4-1918

71310 A. 7. Cable Sect 3-6-1919

71359 5th ASC 7-7-1919

71403 * - 7-7-1919

71446 18 DSC 23-7-1919

71452 GHQ Sig Coy 5-6-1919

71470 I CSC 12-1-1920

71564 15 DSC 7-7-1919

71587 95 M Airline Sect 23-12-1918

71651 Gds DSC 23-7-1919

71687 11 DSC Reubique

71802 Base Sig Depot SDGW 8-1-1918

71823 S (XIII) CSC 23-12-1918

71848 E (IX) CSC SDGW 15-11-1917

71948 Haynes Park Sig Depot SDGW 2-3-1916

72003 GHQ Sig Sect 29-11-1915

72019 GHQ Sig Sect 29-11-1915

72021 45th M Airline Sect 7-7-1919

72034 GHQ Sig Sect 6-1-1919

72059 L (XI) CSC 7-7-1919

72088 18 DSC 23-7-1919

72225 15 M Airline Sect SDGW 27-7-1916

72292 EE Cable Sect 7-7-1919

72300 EE Cable Sect 28-1-1916

72303 EE Cable Sect 3-6-1919

72309 * - 5-6-1919

72329 IV Corps CSC CWGC

72357 81 Airline Sect Reubique

72402 EE Cable Sect 7-7-1919

72432 12th M Airline Sect 5-6-1919

72435 B (II) CSC 7-7-1919

72457 EE Cable Sect CWGC 24-6-1917

72471 28-1-1916

72479 2nd Signal Troop 13-3-1919

72501 86 M Airline Sect 7-7-1919

72542 GHQ Sig Coy 5-6-1919

72553 5th ASC

72575 GHQ Sig - 29-11-1915

72620 * - 5-6-1919

72679 3rd ASC 7-7-1919

72770 NB Cable Sect 5-6-1919

72815 ? - 5-6-1919

72855 ? - 19-7-1919

73044 Sig Sec Sect 20-8-1919

73140 3 DSC 3-6-1919

73143 3 DSC 17-6-1919

73149 1st ASC 7-7-1919

73332 AS Cable Sect 7-7-1919

73382 X (X) CSC 7-7-1919

73392 X (X) CSC 7-7-1919

73402 Sig Serv 5-6-1919

73593 ? - 7-7-1919

73788 BJ Cable Sect Reubique

73792 X (X) CSC 17-6-1919

73837 Y (XII) CSC 18-1-1919

73870 2nd ASC 7-7-1919

73871 2nd ASC 7-7-1919

73890 R (XVII) CSC 7-7-1919

73952 33 DSC SDGW 13-5-17

73997 * 5-6-1919

74043 S (XIII) CSC 23-12-1918

74101 Sig Serv 5-6-1919

74114 BB Cable Sect MM LG 3-6-1916

74135 13 CSC 23-7-1919

74142 ? CSC 17-6-1919

74147 E (IX) CSC 18-1-1919

74149 SV Cable Sect MM LG 3-6-1916

74207 4 DSC 23-7-1919

74211 56 DSC 24-1-1919

74223 SD Cable Sect

74295 HQ E (IX) CSC SDGW 16-8-1918

74300 87 M Airline Sect 7-7-1919

74394 36 M Airline Sect 7-7-1919

74404 SX Cable Sect RoH

74444 17 DSC 17-6-1919

74468 Cable Sect 20-8-1919

74732 Sth Motor W'less Sect 5-6-1919

74956 19 DSC 23-7-1919

74961 B (II) CSC 23-12-1918

74995 21 DSC 17-6-1919

75005 X (X) CSC 4-9-1919

75063 N (XIII) CSC 20-8-1919

75065 Base Sig Depot SDGW 24-9-1915

75089 * - 5-6-1919

75116 74 DSC 23-7-1919

75164 Y (XII) CSC 18-1-1919

75171 B (II) CSC 4-9-1919

75228 Y (XII) CSC 7-7-1919

75317 M CSC 5-6-1919

75349 16 DSC 23-12-1918

75480 VV Cable Sect 7-7-1919

75489 O (V) CSC 18-1-1919

75586 O (V) CSC 20-8-1919

75610 GHQ Sig Coy 5-6-1919

75634 64 Lt Rlwy Sect 5-6-1919

75754 Base Sig Depot 5-6-1919

75830 AU Cable Sect 22-11-1919

75836 2nd ASC 7-7-1919

75866 AP Cable Sect, "B" CSC 4-9-1919

75938 Sig Serv 5-6-1919

75943 4th ASC 7-7-1919

75970 18 DSC 7-7-1919

75980 AT Cable Sect SDGW 9-9-1917

76064 2nd ASC 7-7-1919

76087 8 DSC 17-6-1919

76112 8 DSC MIC

76118 8 DSC MIC

76132 8 DSC MIC

76157 D (IV) CSC 7-7-1919

76180 D (IV) CSC 23-12-1918

76191 Sig Sec - 18-1-1919

76193 D (IV) CSC 18-1-1919

76248 K CSC CWGC 19-3-1918

76268 VI CSC 14-1-1916

76269 22 Airline Sect Medal site

76321 O (V) CSC 18-1-1919

76406 F (VI) CSC 20-8-1919

76447 GQ Cable Sect 20-8-1919

76648 KK Cable Sect Reubique

76653 S (XIII) CSC 20-8-1919

76654 OO Cable Sect 20-8-1919

76669 4th ASC 7-7-1919

76742 VI CSC 14-1-1916

76771 Y (XII) CSC 7-7-1919

76781 30 DSC 19-7-1919

76788 61 M Airline Sect 5-6-1919

76795 HQ G CSC CWGC 24-10-1918

76957 Sig Serv 5-6-1919

77004 4th ASC 7-7-1919

77005 1 ? 18-1-1919

77078 37 DSC 4-9-1919

77251 6 DSC 20-8-1919

77254 A (I) CSC 6-1-1919

77286 Y (XII) CSC 7-7-1919

77685 1 DSC 20-8-1919

77796 23 DSC 29-3-1919

77949 * - 5-6-1919

77995 GHQ Sig - 6-1-1919

78009 III CSC 7-7-1919

78014 Cable Sect 6-9-1915

78035 Cav Cps Wireless Sqdn 14-5-1919

78195 7 CSC 20-8-1919

78286 77 M Airline Sect 7-7-1919

78296 223 FC 11-2-1919

78321 LC Cable Sect 7-7-1919

78362 3rd ASC 7-7-1919

78426 R (XVII) CSC 7-7-1919

78435 17 DSC SDGW 19-5-1917

78444 Y (XII) CSC 18-1-1919

78470 Sig Serv 5-6-1919

78578 D (IV) CSC 7-7-1919

78655 Sig Sec - 23-7-1919

78727 Y (XII) CSC 20-8-1919

78770 4th ASC 7-7-1919

78834 4th ASC 23-12-1918

78874 B (II) CSC 18-1-1919

78984 X (X) CSC 7-7-1919

78993 1st Field Survey Coy 24-1-1919

79036 178 Tunn 22-1-1916

79109 185 Tunn 17-6-1919

79121 185 Tunn 23-7-1919

79144 185 Tunn 17-6-1919

79163 185 Tunn 23-7-1919

79196 184 Tunn SDGW 20-5-1917

79269 185 Tunn 23-7-1919

79275 173 Tunn 31-5-1916

79276 178 Tunn 22-1-1916

ASC = Army Signal Company, CSC = Corps Signal Company, DSC = Div Signal Company.

As you can see 79000 turns into Tunnellers that use the whole of 79000-79999 almost exclusively. I have NOT ignored any non-signallers in the list that's just the way they are. Dates refer to London Gazette entries, mainly for MMs & DCMs. The "*" are Lines of Communications signal companies.

Hope this helps,

Steve.

[William Bryce]

Thanks Steve.

Re the remarks: I also think they are dates, perhaps something to do with a pension application... And I wonder if the earlier date, 2/17/42 had something to do with WW2.

The service numbers are something to think about. Can you tell me what 77 Airline Sect. and LC Cable Sect. stand for? And, I assume that 223 FC would be a Field Company?

Cheers for now and thanks again,

Bill

[Stebie9173]

77 M Airline Sect = 77 Motor Airline Section. Airline Sections were units that set up and maintained overhead telegraph lines (though I'm not sure the telegraph poles were their responsibility). My great-grandad went from being a brickyard labourer before the war to an overhead linesman with the GPO, so I suspect he may have had some training in the Army on this.... A Motor Airline Section was motorised...

The Gazette entry in full reads:

Brett, 78286 Spr. (A./Cpl.) E. D., 77th Motor Airline Sec., attd. " D " Corps Sig. Coy.

LC is short for Lines of Communication, so Lines of Communication Cable Section.

223 FC is short for 223 Field Company.

Steve.

[William Bryce]

Thanks for all this, Steve.

Bill

[Michael]

Bill

Before you make assumptions, you must check the medal rolls. There may be additional info on them which would help you. They can only be viewed as original documents at the National Archives

Mick

[William Bryce]

Hi Mick.

I haven't made any assumptions yet, primarilly because I'm still in the dark about the dates written on the card. I would think they had been made by some official, either in the miltary or another government department and I'm hoping that some kind soul might point me where I could find out.

What makes thes dates stick out for me? I'm wondering if this card may be my father's. There are three or four William Bryce's (RE's) on the MC's but none of them indicate which is the right one (I have no idea what his service number was). My father joined the merchant marine after WW1 and sailed on British ships until 1942 or 43 and then began sailing on Canadian ships. I believe he might also have applied to the British govt. for a pension sometime aroung 1960. I vaguely remember him talking a "burnt out" pension at that time. I know it's a very long shot, but it's all I have at present.

Thanks for the thought,

Bill