Wigan Album

David,the "old assembly rooms" in wesgate road Newcastle upon Tyne,was the assembly area for the new soldiers in the RFA.They would have been met by a recruiting Sargeant(or Serjeant as they were then)and taken to camp from there to be made into Britains finest.Note your grandfather was travelling in 'mufti' civvy clothes.
PS.The old assembly rooms are now a Greek resturaunt.
Exellent document!thanks for sharing it with us.

Just to add,the old assembly rooms is not all resturaunt i think it is also a conference centre.But not 100% on that.

if you don't already have them, you can get the rest of your grandfather's service documents from - Ministry of Defence, CS(RM)2b, Hayes, Middlesex, UB3 1RF. I have my Dad's service record, certiciate of identity, and discharge certificate from them. He falsified his age and joined up.

Maggy, you must have been very lucky as approx 60%
(3 miilion) of the service records of First World War soldiers were destroyed in the blitz during WW2. Of the records that survived a great number were Officer records and many more were badly damaged. However it is still possible to view the Medal Roll records of serving soldiers.