Timeline for Siegfried in the Pioneer Corps (1940-1945)

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September 28th 1940 :  Grandpa enlisted in The Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps

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September 30th 1940 : Grandpa was released from Internment on the Isle of Man

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Army Number : 13046621

Initially, Grandpa was given the service number 13803347. All service numbers prefixed 1380 indicated that they were “Aliens”. It was quickly realised that if captured they could be identified as such, so were given a new service number and if they wished, a chance to change their names.

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October 1940 : Grandpa trained at No 3 AMPC Training Centre in Ilfracombe. This had become the centre for Alien personnel training. Like all new recruits, Grandpa would have spent between three to five weeks taking part in both physical, labour intensive and basic weapons training. He would have been sworn in and given the King’s shilling. All soldiers were paid by the Army. They were kitted out by the Quartermaster’s stores on their first day of training and would have been medically examined. From the outset, Grandpa was categorised as A1 which meant that he was deemed perfectly fit to carry out all Pioneer Corps tasks.

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After training, Grandpa was posted to the 77th Coy. This company had moved to the county of Shropshire, to Trench, Salop in particular, although work was still being carried out in Donnington. Grandma remembers living in lodgings here with Grandpa and Dad (Eric). Grandpa would have been tasked with sorting and moving stores and supplies at the Royal Engineers Stores. 

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February 2nd 1941 : Grandpa was posted to 220th Coy. He spent three months there. The Company was involved in doing Forestry work in Gloucestershire. Grandma remembers being in lodgings there with Grandpa and Dad.

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May 1941 : Grandpa was back with the 77th Coy again, but now the company had moved to Long Marston. Tasks included bridging and working at the Royal Engineer Stores Depot. Grandpa spent over two years here carrying out this manual labour work. Grandma remembers staying in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire with him and Dad.

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July 14th 1943 : Grandpa was posted to the 87th Company which was also based in Long Marston. He was to spend only three months with this coy, but carried out the same tasks that were required at 77th Coy.

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August 16th 1943 : Grandpa anglicised his name to Frederick Stevens. Many other Austrian and German Jewish Refugees chose to do the same to help them fit in.

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We have Grandpa’s change of name document which is signed by the commanding officer of 87th Company. Grandma says in her testimony that people couldn’t spell the name Schrötter properly and found it difficult to pronounce. Rachel remembers Dad (Eric) telling her the story of how they picked their new surname. They opened a telephone book and looked under “S”. The most common surname was “Stevens”, so they chose that. It would help them “fit in.”

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October 8th 1943 : Grandpa was posted to the 248th Company which was located in Catterick, North Yorkshire. His personal service records confirm that he stayed with this Coy until his release at the end of the war. Grandpa would have taken part in what the War Diaries describe, rather unhelpfully, as “miscellaneous” duties. However, what we do know is that whatever physical, manual, labouring tasks Grandpa carried out, they were soon to take their toll on his physical health as is revealed in his medical records.

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October 22nd 1943 : Grandpa’s medical records state that he had flat feet and that this was causing him pain. We were totally unaware that he had suffered from this condition since the age of sixteen. A letter written to the Medical Officer of 87th Coy by the Orthopaedic Surgeon in Warwickshire arranged for him to have a new pair of arch supports and a four week course of foot therapy. Grandpa spent a month in Warwickshire Hospital receiving treatment. The War Diary makes reference to this too.  Grandpa was then recategorised from A1 to Bx2. 

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October 29th 1943 : Grandpa attended the Medical Board at the Military Hospital, in Catterick, North Yorkshire, which confirmed his recategorisation from A1 to Bx2. This resulted in him being able to refrain from carrying out these physical, labour intensive tasks and to take on lighter duties. Grandpa was given the role of company clerk which was to suit him well.

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August 1944 : The 248th Company moved to Masham, Yorkshire.

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September 18th 1945 : Grandpa was released from 248th Company. He returned to his home address, 67 Sholebroke Avenue, Leeds 7

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November 20th 1945 : Grandpa was released from The Pioneer Corps. We have the document which is signed by the commanding officer of 248 Company.

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November 21st 1945 : Grandpa was transferred to the Army Reserve. This was the largest of the Reserve Forces within the British Army which supported the Regular Army in times of need. Trained recruits, like Grandpa, who had been released from the Pioneer Corps because the war had ended, could be called upon to serve again in the event of future conflict. We have his Certificate for this. It was stamped on 29/9/1945 by the Pioneer Corps Records Office in Bournemouth and signed by Lucas, the Records Officer.

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After the war ended, Grandpa returned to civilian life. He moved to London with Grandma and Dad, setting up home in a one room flat in Warrington Crescent, Maida Vale, to be close to his youngest sister Elsa who had fled  Trieste. Grandpa and his family were back together again. What would life in peace time be like for them? 

A new chapter was about to unfold. 

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Updated 2023

JR

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