Reporting Numbers for BAOR Leave Trains

[stnman]

To be honest, I'm not sure if this topic belongs here or not - if it's in the wrong place, one of the Moderators please move it to somewhere more suitable.

I am interested in the reporting numbers for these trains, in the period 1945-1955 or so.

I am aware that the Liverpool Street - Parkeston Quay West trains ran as F7, F8 and F9, but did the Liverpool Central - PQW train have a similar number? And I have a vague memory of seeing a WTT dating from just pre-nationalisation days of a Dover - Scotland(?) train with a different serial letter. Was there a common series of letters for all the possible routes? If so, does anyone know what it was?

And does anyone know the system of code letters for inland troop movements post-war? Numbers like 21E32, 19L19 and 17Sc12? All I have been able to discover so far is that in the second REC circular about Operation Dynamo (the evacuation from Dunkirk) it mentions that "in lieu of D and F for Dover and Folkestone, V and W (their proper code letters) will be used ..."

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

stnman

[AndyRush]

The special leave trains heading north from Parkeston Quay West all had 'Move Numbers' which were distinct from their 'Train Numbers'. the Move Numbers (in 1954, anyway) were in the format 31/E/9, where 31 was the day of the month, E presumably the region of origin and 9 the ninth train for that day. I'll have a dig through my 'archive' and see if I can unearth anything about any other troop movement codes.

Andy

[stnman]

Andy, thanks for that.

Or did E stand for the Army's Eastern Command? I have found various references in 1953 with the letter R, and they all seem to be RAF moves (from Kensington Olympia, as it happens). And I'm sure I've seen (somewhere!) a photo of a train near the Lickey with the letter W: for Western Command?

The F7, F8 and F9 leave trains from Parkeston were presumably using a different system: were there others?

stnman

[AndyRush]

From a few random STN’s

Tuesday 18 May 1948
18/P/90 Leicester (7.05 am ex Peterboro’ East) – Parkeston Quay West. POW’s and escort
18/P/91 Leicester (8.35 am ex Peterboro’ East) – Parkeston Quay West. POW’s and escort
Same paths used Wednesday 19 May 1948 as 19/P/90 and 19/P/91

Saturday 2 August 1952
2/E/26 3.30 pm Wisbech East – Towyn

Friday 8 August 1952
8/E/22 9.18 am Parkeston Quay West – Pontefract

Saturday 9 August 1952
26/E/24 9.12 am Thetford – Westbury - which destroys my theory that the first number was always the date
9/E/24 7.05 am Brandon – Birmingham
9/E/22 8.10 am Thetford – Stoke-on-Trent
9/E/23 9.20 am Brandon – Wakefield

Sunday 12 August 1956
12/E/24 8.30 am Yarmouth Vauxhall - Shorncliffe
12/E/26 11.0 am Lowestoft Central - Shorncliffe
12/E/27 8.45 am Holt – Liverpool Street
12/E/28 9.07 am Holt – Liverpool Street

Andy

[stnman]

Andy,

Many thanks for that. I, too, am really surprised about 26/E/24 - perhaps it's the exception that proves the rule, or it was delayed for some reason.

The codes I am really after are the ones like F7, F8, F9, which applied to every working of the same regular Leave Trains - in their case, the alternate days' Liverpool Street - Parkeston for the overnight sailings for the Hook (and return). These appeared in the Eastern Division WTTs in the line (almost unused in GE territory) for Reporting Numbers, and as far as I know stayed with the Parkeston - Liverpool Central service all the way through. And I'm sure I've seen other trains in the (North Eastern) WTT with similar numbers - but all my WTTs were sold off about ten years ago when I was made redundant.

Anyway, it keeps me out of mischief! It's a fascinating pastime!

stnman.

[AndyRush]

Looking at the Winter 1950 GE Area WTT, only the following trains had the codes you mention:
F7 8.30 am DQ Parkeston Quay West - Liverpool Street
F8 9.30 am DQ Parkeston Quay West - Liverpool Street
F9 9.55 am SXQ Parkeston Quay West - Liverpool Street
F7 8.30 am SUNQ Parkeston Quay West - Liverpool Street
F8 8.10 pm SUNQ Parkeston Quay West - Liverpool Street
F9 8.40 pm SUNQ Parkeston Quay West - Liverpool Street
All these trains have the footnote 'Conveys Overseas Leave Services personnel'
F9 7.40 pm DQ Liverpool Street - Parkeston Quay West
F7 8.04 pm DQ Liverpool Street - Parkeston Quay West
F8 8.40 pm DQ Liverpool Street - Parkeston Quay West
F7 8.04 pm SUNQ Liverpool Street - Parkeston Quay West
F9 8.19 pm SUNQ Liverpool Street - Parkeston Quay West
F8 8.40 pm SUNQ Liverpool Street - Parkeston Quay West
All these trains have the footnote 'Conveys return Overseas Leave Services personnel'
The Parkeston Quay - Liverpool Central and return trains were public restaurant car services and have no 'military' codes in this WTT

Andy