Strange WWI service number

[ynot]

Hello,

I bought a trio the other day to a member of the ASC, his service number was M2-103991.

Can anyone tell me what the M2 means?

Cheers

Tony

[Tony Farrell]

It means yer man was a 'sparky' - ASC Electrician.

[ynot]

Thanks Tony,

So he wasn't with the horse transport mob then.

Tony

[Tony Farrell]

The Army Service Corps was a huge organisation - with many trades. Not everyone was a 'donkey walloper'. They had their own 'in-house' tradesmen. Remember, these were the days before the REME.

http://www.rememuseum.org.uk/remeass/history.htm

[ynot]

Hello Tony,

I've never heard donkey walloper before. I spent 6 years and 4 days in the RCT and was called many names, the most common was trog but I've never known where it comes from. Donkey walloper is easy to relate to.

Tony

[leigh kitchen]

As an infantry recruit I was told by the NCOs who called me by the affectionate little nickname that "Trog" was an abbreviarion for "Training". Promotion came in the term "Nig", meaning that you'd finished recruit training & had been posted to a battalion, but had less than 3 yrs service.

Donkey Wallopers was & is used re cavalry etc, 'tho I've never heard it used re modern RCT/RLC.

[Greeves]

I always thought that "trog" was short for troglodyte, ie: an extremely low form of life...

[leigh kitchen]

Sounds good, a few of us put that forward in training - no doubt the training & troglodyte possibilities doubled the enjoyment of using the term. I can't remember what came after "Nig". Never heard any of the terms apart from Trog used outside the Depot Queen's Div.

[ynot]

Didn't sweat and then old sweat come after nig?