MLU FORUM - RCASC query

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Hello,

I wonder if I might kindly make a request on behalf of a friend, for help from any RCASC experts on the forum. My friend has just received his father's WW2 RCASC service record and although he knows he was in England, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, he would love to know exactly where his father served and what he got up to. The key dates and units are:

4-2-1943 – Embarked from Canada to UK (as the posting immediately preceding was to Debert, NS we're thinking he probably sailed from Halifax?).

13-2-1943 - Disembarked at unknown UK port (presumably either Glasgow or Liverpool?).

14-2-1943 – 1st Canadian Division Army Service Corps Reinforcement Unit.

21-5-1943 – 47th Canadian General Transport Company.

25 to 29-5-1943 – Headquarters, 1st Canadian Corps.

16-6-1943 – 47th Canadian General Transport Company.

2 to 16-7-1943 – 31st Canadian Corps Transport Company.

17-7 to 19-8-1943 – 1st Canadian Ordnance Railhead Company.

19-8 to 8-9-1943 – 4th Canadian Casualty Clearing Station.

13-2-1944 – 86th Canadian Bridge Company.

22-2-1944 – 47th Canadian General Transport Company.

8-6-1944 – Embarked at unknown location in England.

10-6-1944 – Disembarked at unknown location in France.

10-6-1944 to 21-5-1945 - 47th Canadian General Transport Company.

21-5-1945 – 45th Canadian General Transport Company.

He seems to have spent a lot of his time in the 47th riding Harley WLCs, and we were wondering the significance of the markings 'C Canada 2' on the wind fairing, and '578 and C2' on the front mud guard in the attached photo?

Also, if I'm reading correctly, neither of the Library and Archives files for the 47th GTC over that period have yet been digitized.

If anyone could please shed any light on the location/s or events associated with any of his postings we would be very grateful indeed.

Many thanks.

Peter.

Hello Peter,

'578' is the Unit Serial Number, probably on a Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) Flash, one of which (without a number) can be seen on the trailer (I think) on the right: Red over Green diagonal (Red in top right corner). The white bar below the '578' denotes Army Troops.

I do not know if 578 is the Serial for 47 Gen Tpt Coy RCASC or another unit. If you now the time frame of the photo then you can deduct the unit I suppose, i.e. if between 22-2-44 and 21-5-1945 it should indeed be 47 Cdn GT Coy.

'C2' probably means the 2nd motorcycle in 'C' platoon.

'CANADA' is likely to be the nickname of the motorcycle. It was usual for vehicles to have names starting with the platoon (or squadron for tanks) letter.

Sorry I can't help much more.

Michel

Peter & Michel

578 is indeed the unit serial number of 47 Cdn A Tpt Coy RCASC. This can be confirmed by the attached document (obtained from the War Diary of 2 Cdn Gen Tpt Coln in the British NA. Date is approx Mar/Apr 1945.

Dave

Dave,

Many thanks for posting this. It should prove very useful for identifying other units as well.

The date of the documents might be later than Mar/Apr 45, because it include references to dates as late as 28 May (supposedly 1945)?

Michel

Michel

You are right about the date. I can pin it down more by referring to another document in the file. This states that 82 Cdn Arty Coy came under command (of 2 Cdn Gen Tpt Coln) on 25 May 1945 (and in fact disbanded on 19 Jun 1945), and that 65 Cdn Tk Tptr Coy was under command only until 11 Jun 1945.

I attach a further excerpt from the file, dated 16 Jan 1945, which shows a few more AoS numbers

Dave

Superb Dave! Thanks for posting these additional Serials.

At the very beginning of IWM Film A70 135-3 we can see:

1. A truck with Serial '1318d' ('d' meaning "with diagonal bar from top left to right bottom"):
Attachment 106340

2. A lorry with Landing Stage component, Serial '1302d', vehicule number K33:
Attachment 106341

This is a Canadian unit, viz the Census Number starting with 'CL':
Attachment 106342

3. Another Landing Stage component lorry (K18) of the same unit:
Attachment 106343

4. An FBE truck, Serial '1317d', meaning 106 Br Coy RASC:
Attachment 106344

Sadly, the sequence stops there :whinge

Close enough to, but not quite, '1303' (presumably with the same white bar and formation sign) for 86 Cdn Br Coy RCASC as you found :)

Michel

Michel

An excellent film from the IWM. I don't know how I missed it! (Pity that the markings on the tippers are not clear).

[1318] is 128 Br Coy RASC

and

[1302] is 85 Cdn Br Coy RCASC

Dave