2CIRU and S.O.S.

[BlankGirl]

Can anyone help me out with what the 2CIRU might stand for?  Also, in a military record what does S.O.S. stand for? 

Please forgive me, I have had no exposure to the military and I am trying to decipher some old military records for some research I am doing!  Thank you in advance for your help!

BlankGirl

 

[McG]

SOS = Stricken off Strength

It refers to someone being removed from the effective strength of a unit (possibly from being posted out or from leaving the forces)

 

[BlankGirl]

Would an SOS mean a demotion in rank??

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Would an SOS mean a demotion in rank??

You again, eh!

CIRU is Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit.

SOS does not mean demotion.  If a soldier left a reinforcement unit to join a combat unit, he would be routinely Struck Off Strength of the reinforcement unit.  Unlike in the German Army, in the Canadian Army you only belonged to one unit at a time, so to go from one, you first had to leave the other.  Most wartime soldiers were TOS (Taken on Strength) and SOS from many different units, as they attended courses, were hospitalized, transferred from Canada to a war theatre, etc.

Hope that helps.

 

[BlankGirl]

Hey Michael - I knew you'd come through!!

I am reading through these records and they don't make sense.  The record shows he was awarded a medal and given a promotion to A/Cpl, then he was S.O.S. to Excercise "Hendley"  then the next entry is TOS and it appears he was demoted to Pte and moved to 1 Div Spec Ser Btn and given a raise to parachutist pay...

Does any of that make sense to you? 

Also, curoiously enough he was discharged from the army in 1941 due to a heart murmur and then was re-enlisted in 1942.  Does that make sense??

BlankGirl

 

[McG]

A/Cpl = Acting Cpl
He did not really have the rank.

 

[BlankGirl]

A/Cpl = Acting Cpl
He did not really have the rank.

Can you clarify for that me?  He was A/Cpl from the 24 Aug 1943 until 13 Feb 1944 - how does he not have rank for that length of time.  Again forgive my ignorance, but this is all new to me!!

BlankGirl

 

[McG]

It means that for that period of time he would have been officialy given the authority of the rank of Cpl (he may even have been called Cpl) but he was not really a Cpl.  It could have been a temporary measure (given the acting rank as his job/position required the authority) or it could be that acting rank was given out when authority did not exist to actually promote someone.

Michael can probably provide more historical details.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

If you want to scan the papers and email them to me at [email protected] I can look them over for you - or alternately, email me and ask for my mailing address if you want to photocopy them and send them by post.  I can probably sort through most of it for you, I've done that kind of thing for several other people with ref: to their WW II relatives. 

 

[BlankGirl]

So, does a Cpl have access to things that a Pte does not?  In "civilian talk" would it be like someone taking a temporary job until a new person could be hired? 

BlankGirl

 

[rdschultz]

Hey, I've got some of these that I wanted to decipher as well.  Thanks for reminding me.

I've got a similar situation (in regards to not understanding why ranks change).  On one line (all of these are during qualifying for different driver and mechanic things, as well as entries about which trades pay group and such), he's at the rank of Pte in Dec. 43.  The next two lines have the rank of L/Cpl, dated in Aug 1944.  Following this is another entry at the rank of Pte, dated Sep 44.  Then, at the rank of Tpr., there are few entries dated Feb/March/April 45.  There a few more entries, then an entry that says "Relinquishes rank of L/Cpl - to draw 1.50"  which is dated for 31 Jan 45.  I'm just not sure of whats going on with that little L/Cpl bit, and why he'd choose or be forced to relinquish that rank, or whatever did actually happen. 

Unfortunately the next section of these records isn't legible.  There is one entry in particular which says U.K., and another, I think I can make out "NWE".  I've got a couple guesses, but I'm not sure what that stands for, anybody?.  This illegible section would seem to be the part he was overseas, but that seems to be rectified on the next page, where the gap is filled in (including a barely legible section about going overseas), but I'm not sure... Maybe a correction or something, because everything else is arranged chronologically?.  There seems to be a TOS from CACTR (swapping between #2 and #3, but I'm not sure what CACTR is?), then there's SOS to 8 Cdn Recce Regt (14 Ch), and then SOS to 14 CAR DM MVC (Driver Mechanic, Motor Vehicle group "C" I'm guessing?), which is June and August of 1945.  I'm assuming that it was normal for this trade to be moved around as needed?  Thats just where I can start reading it again, and immediately after that he embarks NWE (in October of 1945), Disembarked UK, then SOS Cdn Army O/S (which is?).  After that, he's SOS to 138 T/C Sortation back in Calgary.  Then some other stuff which I think I understand, it mostly seems to be post war stuff, and posting to RCEME (why a change in his unit for the couple of months, back in Canada, while he appears to be going through the process of discharging?).  I think I've got a good idea of everything but the few questions I asked. 

Also, for Place, some of the typed entries say "do".  I assume that means its the same as the entry above it ("ditto"?) but thats a guess. 

Anyways, I'll stop there, because I was typing as I was reading, and its probably hard enough to sort out what I'm trying to relay here. 

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Canadian Army O/S is Canadian Army Overseas

NWE is North West Europe

CACTC is Canadian Armoured Corps Training Centre - CACTR may be training "Regiment" ??

14 CAR is 14th Canadian Armoured Regiment - which would be the Calgary Tanks.  Probably served in action with 14th Hussars and then, since he was from Calgary, reassigned to the Calgary Tanks as it was an armoured regiment, and it was being sent to Calgary to demobilize.