Service record help please Grandfather

**greatwhite** · 08-18-2018, 01:24 PM

Hi folks is anyone able to make any sense of my Granfathers service records.
Served with the Royal Engineers as a Sapper and posted to North Africa in 43, some of the writing appears unreadable.
Thank you for any help.
Steve

My Grandfather

**greatwhite** · 08-20-2018, 10:19 AM

Anyone? really hoping to get some replacement medals made as the originals have gone missing.

**jwp** · 08-20-2018, 10:48 AM

strange he was awarded the italy star but no mention of italy on his papers, presume no africa star as he arrived a few days after the axis surrender.

**Richie B** · 08-20-2018, 10:49 AM

Is it possible to highlight the entries which you need help with ?

**greatwhite** · 08-20-2018, 11:56 AM

Thanks guys, pretty much everything most of the writing is awful, which unit was he with, i know he served in Italy
first pic far left, second on the right

**Richie B** · 08-20-2018, 02:46 PM

To start with

686 Artisan [or Artizan] Works Company 09/03/1943

Some info on this type of unit here

Artisan Works coy Royal Engineers | WW2Talk

1 Pipeline Operating and Maintenance Company 11/09/1943

I will have a further look later on.

**Richie B** · 08-20-2018, 07:57 PM

Next - this one shows 754 Field Company Royal Engineers

I think TT stands for Trade Training - in the case of your grandfather as a Fitter for engine filters and pumps.

More tomorrow hopefully

**greatwhite** · 08-20-2018, 11:33 PM

Thank you so much for taking the time to help me.
Kind of glad he played a low key role within the war which means i am here today so many did not make it.
Steve

**Richie B** · 08-21-2018, 09:01 AM

A little more

14/10/1940. He seems to have started as a Sapper at 14 [Lines of Communications] Training Battalion RE. I assume that this when he joined the Army. [Ref 1]

16/10/1940. Passed Trade Training and mustered as ???? Fitter EIII. [Ref 5]

13/11/1941. Posted to No 3 Depot Battalion R.E. I think this was a holding unit for soldiers awaiting posting to a unit. [Ref 3]

He appears to have attended a Technical College for his training. I think it is East Ham. Possibly commandeered for use by the military. [Ref 2]

Civil Training Centre [Ref 4]

That’s about it from me. I have Googled some of the units with little success.

I would suggest contacting the Royal Engineers Museum at Chatham. They were helpful when I was looking at my father’s RE WW2 service.

Royal Engineers Museum | 300 Years of military engineering history