ARMY SERVICE CORPS
This is a bespoke piece of research that I carried out for the family of William Henry Whittaker. The family lent me the WW1 pocket book of WHW and I deciphered its contents for them. Do you need help with your ancestor’s diary please contact me for any enquiry.
Below is in HTML format. This document is available in PDF format here
EDITED BY JONATHAN D’HOOGHE MA
During the Blitz of London in WWII, many WWI Service Records were destroyed or damaged by the bombing. Unfortunately, William’s records are now lost apart from his Medal Index Card.
Although this card does not provide a wealth of information we can see that William received a British War Medal and a Victory Medal and this award is noted in the Medal Rolls of the Royal Army Service Corps.[1] The fact that he does not have a 1914/15 Star denotes that he did not serve in a theatre of war before January 1st 1916. The clerk misspelt Whitaker with two T’s.
His Service numbers as a Private soldier were DM2/190246 and T/449158.[2]
William’s pocket book contains an assortment of information including a diary of events, names of colleagues or acquaintances, mathematical working out, technical information appertaining to his army role with the ASC and general comments about the passage of the war.
After 100 years, some of the writing is barely legible and some is difficult to read, however, using my knowledge and a little guess work, I have done my best to transcribe the contents and at the foot of each page, I have used a footnote by way of explanation.
INSIDE FRONT COVER
W Whittaker (with 2 t’s) 190246, 168 Garrioch Rd, Glasgow.[3]
B Lincs??
MTASC[4]
G Batt MMGC[5]
There are various mathematical workings out. The easiest one to decipher is;
4. 1. 0
2. 13. 3
1. 7. 9 [6]
PAGE 2
A name has been crossed out. T Stokoe. 207491. 32 Gill Street, Benwell On Tyne[7]
Paid at Bulford to 17 May. [8]
PAGE 3
Another crossed out name. W Oakley 190234. [9]
Glycerine Tannic Acid For Throat. [10]
Anti-toxins? Serg’t Wilkinson tore the lorry sheet on the 10/6/17 at the wine s?? [11]
The next mathematical sum is the division of 645 by 27 (see page 4)
PAGE 4
This page contains a list of sums of money in both Pounds and Francs.
£104 Canadian Reserve
£46 Pioneers
615 Francs to July 1/7/18
645 Francs to July 26/18
770 Francs 2/8/18
250 Francs 12/8/18 £ s d
17/8/18 9.0.0 [12]
Strike commenced Sept 27/1919 finished on the [13]
PAGE 5
Contains a list of birthdates and a wedding date.
Married on the 28/3/14
Mother’s birthday 27 March
Jill C Dick’s Birthday 5/4/15
Little Sonnie born 13/4/17 Still at isolation hospital
Bessie Birthday 28th Feb [14]
PAGE 6 (torn)
A W Phillips
23 Albert Street
Chesterton Rd
Cambridge
PAGE 7
Pte P F Verril 2995
B Company
13 J (or T) B
No. 4 Camp
Codford [15]
Pte W Hinningham 2874
No.2 Remount Base Depot
France [16]
57154 Pte J W Thompson
RAMC
43 Ambulance Train
IEF
Italy [17]
PAGE 8
Passed Final Test
Grove Park Nov 21st 16 ? [18]
First pay after final test
A Shortlands Friday Nov 24th 7.6
Paid last ??? Dec 3rd 8.0 [19]
Ruptured Dec 13th 1916
?????????
At Larkhill Camp
Measured for truss
Mon Dec 18/16 at No. 2
Camp Larkhill [20]
PAGE 9 (torn)
Is obviously written in France as it refers to Francs, including 465 Self
23/5/18 560 Francs
14/6/18 20
1/7/18 30
PAGE 10
Contains a list of personal items
1 Shirt
1 Pair pants
1 Under shirt
5 Hands (Handkerchiefs?)
4 Pair Socks
1 Towel
PAGE 11
Mrs Rogers
70 Swan Bank
Perry
Nr Wolverhampton
Staffs [21]
J Mumm ?
Pen Y Coed Farm
Llangollen
New ??
N Wales [22]
Mr A Brownhill
King’s Arms
High Bullen
Wednesbury
Staffs [23]
PAGE 12
Miss L? V Cole
62 New Street
Wednesfield
Staffs [24]
PAGE 13
Cpl Speakman 20509 [25]
Dr. H Goostrey ASC (MT)
096790
108 AFAB -HQ
(MT) Section BEF
France [26]
PAGE 14
Major Wallace
British Legion
10 Leayes? Fr [27]
PAGE 15
Another list of personal items.
2 Towels
3 Pr Socks
1 Hands
1 Pants
1 Shirt
1 Vest
PAGE 16
Germans ?? to
President Wilson’s Terms
On 13/10/18 [28]
PAGE 17
It appears that a Stewart Hutchins or Hutchinson wrote in William’s book. The handwriting is difficult to decipher.
PAGE 18
W White & Co
Dyson Sunbridge Rd
Bradford [29]
PAGE 19
Appears to be a railway timetable.
??? 7.57
Edin(burgh)
Newc(astle) 4.24
??? 7.3
8.0
Arrives 9.42
10.35
5 to 7 tomorrow move
Central
PAGE 20
Continuation of a timetable.
11.10 Central
H Cairns
91 Ranelagh Rd
Dublin
Ireland [30]
PAGE 21
Diary entry.
Left Amiens on 9th/5/18
For Vignacourt
Left Vignacourt for 9/7/18
Fresenville 8 Div MT
Left eight Division 31/8/18
For hospital [31]
PAGE 22
J Thompson 20th
Ambulance Train [32]
PAGE 23
Appears to be four verses that meant something to William.
Curses never pass
The likes of those that
Breathe them in the air
Have more than thou showest
Speak less than thou knowest
Lend less than thou owest
Every man will be thy friend
Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend
But if store of crowns be scant
No man will supply thy want
He that in thy friend indeed
He will help thrice in they need
If thou sorrow he will weep
If thou weep he cannot sleep [33]
PAGE 24
Appears to be William writing down a bet between P C Smith and H Weeks.
This is to certify
That P C Smith [34]
M2 177019
Promised H Weeks [35]
1£ if the war was
Over by June 24th 1917
Signed
T E Small [36]
Tom Ackworth [37]
W Pontefract [38]
PAGE 25
William found a namesake
Pte W H Whitaker
2/6 DLI
Andover
Hants [39]
PAGE 26
Is a continuation of William’s diary entries. In the margin he has written the firing order of a four stroke petrol engine by cylinder – 1,3,4,2.
Went sick for rupture on
31/8/18 at Villers Au Bois.
Sent to CCS left on
1st Sep for the Fourth General Hospital
Left
The Fourth on 2nd Sept went to
Twentieth General. Left on
The 4th Sept for Sixth convalescent
Camp Etaples left on 17th Sept for
56 General, left on the 18th Sept for
Tonyeville for the 74 General
Went to the 72 General
Operation on the 23 Sept 18 by [40]
PAGES 27 & 28
Are William’s notes from his mechanics training class of October 1916. They detail the workings of a 4 stroke petrol engine.
1st Stroke Suction
The piston travels down the cylinder
With the inlet valve open and sucks
In the gas through the induction pipe
From the carburettor.
2nd Stroke Compression
The piston travels up the cylinder with
Both valves closed and compresses the
Gas into a small space at the top
Of the cylinder called the combustion chamber.
3rd Stroke Firing or Power
The explosion of the compressed gas
Caused by a spark forces the piston down
With both valves remaining closed.
4th Stroke Exhaust
The piston travels up the cylinder with
Exhaust valve open and pushes out
The burnt gases through the exhaust
Pipe into the silencer
13th Oct 1916
PAGES 29 & 30
Both pages contain diagrams of the firing order of a four stroke petrol engine.
ESFC – Exhaust, Stroke, Firing & Compression.
There are also many mathematical workings out.
PAGES 31-33
Are a chronological diary of events between January and July 1917.
Received truss.
9th Jan/17 Fargo Hospital [41]
?? J E Mallin Lt. RAMC [42]
Went into Fargo Hospital
With bad throat Mar. 4/17
Transferred to Salisbury
Isolated Hospital 14/3/17
With Dipptheria [sic] throat [43]
Went to Burford Camp 2/5/17
Discharged from Isolation Hospital
21/4/17 Went on leave 24th for
5 days. Drew ? 1.10.0. Received
First pay Burford May 3/5/17
9/- [44]
Went with lorry to
Southampton Docks 5/14/17
Left Southampton on 5/15/17
On the Huntscraft arrived [45]
At Le Havre 5/16/17
Stopped at Rest Camp
Left on the 5/18/17 stayed
All night at Saint Sains [46]
19th went to Abbeville
Stayed night.
20th to Merville
22nd to Estaires May
Left Estaires 2nd June
For La Basse Road.
Tunnelling Co. [mpany]
Left on the 9/6/17
Back to Estaires
Left Estaires on 17/6/17 for
La Basse Road. Left La
Basse on the 22nd for
Oost Dunkirk. Left Dunkirk
For La Basse 23rd, 25th
Went to Oost Dunkirk left
On the 26th for Estaires, 27th
Went to Armentieres. 28th to
La Croix Du Bac. 30th
To workshops. 5th July went
To La Basse Road from
To Levantie, La Rouge Croix to
Filliers, to Hinges, to Bailleul. [47]
[1] The Army Service Corps received its ‘Royal’ prefix on 27th November 1918 with the publishing of a Royal Warrant.
[2] DM2/ = Mechanical Transport Learner and T/ = Horse Transport.
[3] His name followed by his service number. 168 Garrioch Road, Glasgow is a tenement block that still exists today and can be seen clearly on Google Street Scene. I assume that this was William’s address.
[4] Motor Transport Army Service Corps
[5] G Battery Motor Machine Gun Corps. It is unusual to see the letter G. MMG batteries were numbered.
[6] Four pounds one shilling take away two pounds, thirteen shillings and threepence leaves a sum of one pound seven shillings and ninepence.
[7] Looking at the records I found Thomas Stokoe DM2/207491 serving in the ASC. Gill Street, Benwell still exists in Newcastle on Tyne.
[8] A note to self that he had been paid. Bulford Camp was on Salisbury Plain.
[9] I was unable to identify an Oakley with that service number.
[10] A search on the internet finds this remedy still in use today to treat Pharyngitis.
[11] William, presumably not looking to get into trouble, has noted that a Sergeant Wilkinson tore the lorry sheet on 10th June 1917 at the wire or wine ????
[12] A list of money but for what purpose? It is interesting that the sum of 645 Francs is the same figure being divided by 27 on page 3. There were 25 French Francs to the Pound during the war.
[13] This is a reference to the National Rail strike. Although William has not written in the end date, the strike lasted 9 days and resulted in the Government backing down on its plans to reduce pay on the railways.
[14] I am not 100% sure of Jill’s surname. Do the other names ring a bell?
[15] I cannot find any reference to this man, which suggests he didn’t serve overseas. Codford is adjacent to Salisbury Plain and had 15 camps – one of which catered for men who were not fit for front line duty.
[16] This is a spelling mistake by William. Private RTS/2874 William Hinnigan served with the ASC. (RTS = Remount Specials)
[17] Records reveal Private John W Thompson Royal Army Medical Corps. Arrived in France September 1915 but when William met him, he was with the IEF = Italian Expeditionary Force. 6 Divisions of British Infantry plus their support units were sent to Italy in late 1917 to bolster the Italian army.
[18] I assume this is the date of him passing his mechanical test. See later entries.
[19] William is noting when he is paid and is probably owed seven shillings and sixpence by A Shortlands. A search of the records reveals Private T/16878 Albert Shortlands ASC. T=Horse transport.
[20] William suffers a rupture in December 1916 and is fitted with a truss. Larkhill Camp was also on Salisbury Plain.
[21] I was unable to pin down Mrs Rogers with any accuracy.
[22] I was unable to identify with any certainty.
[23] In the 1911 Census, A Brownhill is the landlord of the King’s Arms public house.
[24] In the 1911 Census May and Lily Cole live at 62 New Street aged 17 and 15 so would have been 22 and 20 in 1916.
[25] William made an error with the service number as records reveal that M/205209 is Private Austin W Speakman ASC. M=Mechanical Transport.
[26] DM/2096790 Driver Henry Goostrey ASC. He was attached to 108 Australian Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters – Motor Transport Section, British Expeditionary Force, France.
[27] I cannot identify this place name which appears to be in France or pin down Major Wallace.
[28] On October 4th 1918, the Germans telegraphed US President Wilson asking for an Armistice based on the 14 points he had set out in January 1918. On October 14th and 23rd, Wilson made it clear that the Allies would only negotiate with a democratic Germany. This ultimately led to the abdication of the Kaiser and the Armistice which came into effect on November 11th. William was obviously aware of the negotiations even as the fighting continued.
[29] In 1916 Wm White and Co were Chemists and Herbalists.Dyson Street and Sunbridge Road form a junction.
[30] There is a record of a Private H Cairns serving with the Royal Irish Rifles but I cannot be sure that this is him.
[31] Following the German Spring Offensive of March – June 1918, they pushed the British back to just east of Amiens and Villers Brettoneux. Amiens and Vignacourt were 8-12 miles behind the front line. William is with the 8th Division ASC train comprising of 42nd , 84th, 85th and 87th Companies
[32] Probably the same J Thompson mentioned on page 7.
[33] All of these are attributable to William Shakespeare.
[34] In reality records show that M2/177019 was Charles E Smith
[35] Records reveal 5 H Weeks in the ASC
[36] Difficult to decipher the initials. Records reveal a J T Small in the ASC.
[37] The only Thomas Ackworth is 311250 serving with the Royal Garrison Artillery. There are no John Ackworth’s.
[38] There are two W Pontefract’s with records. 25517 Wilfred Pontefract The Yorkshire Regiment and 40643 Wilfred Pontefract The Northumberland Fusiliers. This bet is likely to have taken place in an estaminet when soldiers of different units would meet up.
[39] Records reveal that this was 251833 Private William H Whitaker 2nd /6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
[40] It would appear that the rupture of December 1916 had re-appeared in August 1918. Villers Au Bois is north west of Arras and indicates that he was following up the Allied advance which commenced on 8th August. CCS=Casualty Clearing Station. 4th General Hospital at Camiers on the coast south of Boulogne. 20th General Hospital also at Camiers. 56th General Hospital at Etaples south of Camiers. 72nd & 74th General Hospitals at Trouville not Tonyeville as William has written. Unfortunately, the next page appears to be missing.
[41] Fargo Military Hospital was on Salisbury Plain.
[42] Temporary Lieutenant J E Mallin was twice Mentioned in Despatches, May and December 1917.
[43] Diphtheria
[44] Presumably £1. 10 shillings and 9 shillings.
[45] HMS Huntscraft was built in Sunderland and launched in 1913. It belonged to a German company and was captured en-route to Hamburg by HMS Black Prince in the Red Sea. It was requisitioned by the UK military authorities and renamed HMS Huntscraft. It served as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary store carrier.
[46] For some reason, William adopted the American style of writing dates, putting the month before the day.
[47] William has readopted the date method of putting the day before the month. Estaires, Merville, Bailleul, Croix Du bac etc. are all behind British lines S.W of Ypres in Belgium. Armentieres was nearer the front S of Ypres. The La Basse that he refers to is actually La Bassee due S from Neuve Chappelle. Dunkirk was a main supply port on the coast. William would have been employed at this time in the preparations for the 3rd Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) which opened on 31st July 1917.