Just got my grandfathers WW2 records!!! (5 months of waiting)

I'm trying to read them, and it has a lot of army lingo that I don't understand.

There are to abbreviations that appear often and they are.

SOS = struck off strenght (of a unit)

TOS = taken on strenght (of a unit)

I can't figure out what the mean.

If I keep it simple, I would assume SOS means transfered to...(another unit)

and TOS means taken from that unit.

Does anybody have any insight

Thanks in advance

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Facta non verba. "Deeds, not words"

Yes, that's about the sum of it.

When a soldier left his unit (eg on posting or transfer), he was removed from that unit's strength. Since units had a maximum number of personnel on their strength (determined by the unit's "Establishment&quot, this allowed the unit to get a replacement. An announcement about the striking off strength of the soldier was made in Part II Orders or Part III Orders, which were distributed within the unit and to Pay and Record Offices etc. Clerks updated the soldier's Service Record with the date of his striking off strength, and often added the authorising Part II/III Order Number. You'll probably find the abbreviation Pt II O, P2O, Pt2O etc on his Service Record somewhere.

Similarly, when a soldier joined a unit, he was taken onto its strength, and an announcement was also made in Part II/III Orders with his Service Record being annotated accordingly.

Forrest

Thanks Forrest!!

Jeez I'm having a tough time reading the hand written accounts from the clerks on his service record sheet

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Facta non verba. "Deeds, not words"

Struck off Strength is still used by Canadian Federal Departments to refer to someone taken off their pay list by termination - which can be transfer to another department, termination due to resignation or retirement, quitting, or death.

Michelle