British Army document grouping to Jewish Palestinian volunteer Samuel Griess, RASC

Interesting British Army document grouping to Driver Samuel Griess, service number PAL/32992, who served with the Royal Army Service Corps during the Second World War. The grouping includes his Soldier’s Service and Pay Book, discharge book for locally enlisted troops, separate discharge certificate, photographs, handwritten Morse alphabet, postwar correspondence and Belgian judo licence.

Griess was born on 29 June 1925 and enlisted at Sarafand, Palestine, on 27 May 1944. His service book records his religion as Jewish and his civilian occupation as agricultural labourer. The training entries include a driving and maintenance course at the RASC Base Depot and Training Centre, Middle East. His book records entitlement to the Italy Star and 1939–45 Star, whilst the separate discharge certificate lists the Italy Star and service outside Palestine amounting to one year and 349 days.

The documents retain various Palestine Training Depot and Palestine Record Office stamps, together with a B Company, 650 Company RASC, C.M.F. stamp dated April 1946. His discharge book records release leave commencing on 10 August 1946, with a Military Dispersal Unit, Rechovoth stamp dated 9 August. The separate certificate gives his effective discharge date as 4 October 1946 and assesses his military conduct as good. A handwritten testimonial describes him as an honest and hardworking man.

The later papers provide an interesting continuation of his story. A letter dated 2 September 1955 from the Combined Record Office in Bournemouth is addressed to him in Sydney, Australia. His Belgian judo licence for 1964–65 gives his full name as Samuel Charles Griess, records his nationality as Australian and lists an address in Liège. It also records his first dan qualification dated 9 October 1963.

The grouping also includes his Belgian Judo Federation licence for 1964–65, issued in the name of Samuel Charles Griess, born 29 June 1925. It records his Australian nationality, occupation as teacher and residence at 17 rue de Bex in Liège. The licence names his club as Judo Kodokan Liégeois and records his first dan qualification dated 9 October 1963. Together with the 1955 correspondence addressed to him in Sydney, this provides an interesting continuation of his documented postwar life in Australia and Belgium.

The service book is well used, with a worn binding, clipped page corners, staining and handling wear. The accompanying documents show folds, tears and age toning as photographed. An interesting personal grouping documenting a Jewish Palestinian volunteer’s service in the British Army, with additional material tracing his postwar life in Australia and Belgium. A nice set which deserves further research!