Motor Transport M2 ASC Uniform - identification needed

[Great War Truck]

Westlake gives no date, but I guess it would be 1917 when a lot of similar changes were made. Have you looked at Michael Young's book Army Service Corps 1902–1918 (Pen &Sword)? It will have some details I'm sure, and states that from '17 January 1917 the MT became reorganised on a Corps basis', so would presume this was the time the titles changed.

Cheers

Peter

I dont think that i am familiar with the Westlake book. Can you scan the image that you are referring to. The ASC were an odd bunch and i have a couple of interesting examples of variations of the way the cap badge was worn which i will post later.

When you refer to the reorganisation in 1917, i think that relates to the various Regimental MT drivers becoming part of the ASC. I am sure that it did not mean a great deal to them (apart from loss of dignity) other than change of regimental cap badge to ASC, loss of MT titles to be replaced by ASC ones.

Tim (too)

[Great War Truck]

Here is an interesting variation on the ASC cap badge.

It is not very clear, but to save any scratching of heads it says the word "Clayton". That name will probably not mean very much to many, but Clayton were a famous manufacturer of steam lorries (like the one parked behind). It would appear that the ASC chap on the left was a real steam enthusiast and mounted a Clayton badge to show his love for his lorry.

Tim (too)

[cindyathome]

I think this is an interesting thread.

I have a Gt gt uncle who served with the ASC and was killed whilst attached to No. 1 Filed Amb, his service number was M1/08939 and he was a Pte. As a civilian he was a lorry driver. What I find strange is he was killed with a fellow ASC man who was a Drv and the medic, I have never understood why my uncle was a Pte. and not a Drv, and what is the difference between the M1 and M2 in the service number

Steve

****hi steve, did you ever find out the difference between a m1 & m2? still no trace on alexander 121169 Pte (presumably a driver of a field ambulance). after the war he was an engineer so goodness knows what he did in the war....i remember stories of him telling me when i was a kid where he shot some germans and drove over some turk bodies that had been sitting in the sun for days - presuming in an ambulance of sorts. wish his file survived....still having trouble...with a name like alexander thomson born in Montrose, scotland its a bit hard to dig him out of the others. Do you know if they changed regimental numbers often during ww1? wish there was a better way to research this stuff from Australia. Feeling very disheartened that i cant find much at all on my dear great grandad. Feels like his memory is waiting to be discovered somehow. ;-(

[Grovetown]

****hi steve, did you ever find out the difference between a m1 & m2?

Hi Cindy

There's no real difference between them, the M1 and M2 number prefixes being allocated to ASC soldiers of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th New Armies (i.e. those raised in wartime). Which one you got would, I suppose, at what point one was enlisted, unless they are Army specific. Michael Young's Army Service Corps 1902-1918 (the best ASC history available) offers no further detail on them.

Cheers,

GT.