This article looks at reinforcement holding units and will explain what they were, where to find their records, and their locations during and after the Second World War. This is one of a series of guides to help you research soldiers who served in the British Army:

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Reinforcement Holding Units

Reinforcement holding units (R.H.U.) were war-raised units of the British Army which were involved with the movement of reinforcements. Most were formed in early 1944, in consequence of the British Army’s preparation for the invasion of France. Many soldiers passed through two or three reinforcement holding units, especially after the Allied forces broke out of Normany in August 1944. Those soldiers sent to a reinforcement holding unit were usually part of a draft serial consisting of a series of letters.

The extract below was taken from the war diary of the 54 Reinforcement Holding Unit which was stationed at Conyborough Camp, Cooksbridge in mid-July 1944. A war diary was written by an officer of a unit and recorded its location and activities. This extract is a typical example of a reinforcement holding unit’s war diary which records the despatch of various drafts. Each draft sent abroad, these drafts were being sent to Normandy, was given a draft serial consisting of a series of letters. For example, on 13 July, Draft Serial EEQDM consisting of sixteen officers of the Pioneer Corps was sent to France. A soldier’s draft serial was usually recorded in their service record. All war diaries are held at the National Archives in London and are listed below. Clicking on a blue link will take you to that war diary’s entry in the National Archives’ catalogue.

30 Reinforcement Holding Unit

The war diary of the 30 Reinforcement Holding Unit begins on 3 January 1944 with the unit at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. An advance party was sent to Cowley Barracks, Oxford on 14 April with the main body arriving five days later. Between 24 April and 30 June, 281 officers and 20,423  other ranks passed through. An advance party was sent to Milton Barracks, Gravesend on 21 August with the main body arriving four days later. Here, the unit took over from the 46 R.H.U. By 31 October, 2006 officers and 46,004 other ranks had passed through the unit. Its final move came in November 1944, when an advanced party was sent to Aldershot on 14th followed by the main body two days later. On arrival at Aldershot, the unit was disbanded and reorganised as the Holding and Despatch Wing, 10 Holding and Selection Centre.

• 03 January – 18 November 1944
• WO 166/16322
• Notes: This war diary contains brief entries mostly referring to officer and other rank field returns.

• December 1944
• WO 171/3814
• Notes: This is the war diary of the 10 Holding and Selection Centre.

31 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• January – December 1944
• WO 171/3692
• Notes:

• January – November 1945
• WO 171/8205
• Notes:

32 Reinforcement Holding Unit

When the 32 Reinforcement Holding Unit’s war diary began on 1 January 1944, it was at Chippenham Park, Newmarket where it had taken part in Exercise Naphill 13. On 4 January, it returned to its permanent location at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Here, the unit remained until 22 April when it moved to Chilston Park Camp, Lenham, Kent. On 14 June, the unit travelled to an assembly area at Eastleigh and the next day boarded the SS Monowai for France. Landing on 16 June, the unit moved to Assembly Area Keats at Tierceville, then to Assembly Area Tennyson at Sommervieu the next day before moving to Vaux-sur-Aure on 19th. Here, the 32 R.H.U. remained for the duration of the Normandy Campaign, before it moved to Ambernay on 31 August.

On 11 September, an advance party was sent to Corbie with the N Sub-unit joining the next day. The rest of the unit arrived at Corbie on 23 September. The next day the unit moved to St Pieters before arriving at Diest on 27th. On 2 and 3 November, the unit moved to Bourg Leopold before leaving for Corbie on 26th and arriving on 28th. Here, the unit took over from the 40 R.H.U.

• 01 January – 31 December 1944
• WO 171/3693
• Notes: This war diary contains brief entries mostly noting the weather. There are field returns of officers and other ranks.

• January – October 1945
• WO 171/8206
• Notes:

33 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• January – December 1944
• WO 171/3694
• Notes:

• January – November 1945
• WO 171/8207
• Notes:

34 Reinforcement Holding Unit

When the war diary ends on 30 June 1946, the unit was at Fischbeck.

• January – December 1944
• WO 171/3695
• Notes:

• January – November 1945
• WO 171/8208
• Notes:

• 01 January – 30 June 1946
• WO 171/10929
• Notes: A war diary with very brief daily entries. There are field returns of officers and other ranks as appendices.

35 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• January – December 1944
• WO 171/3696
• Notes:

• January – November 1945
• WO 171/8209
• Notes:

36 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• March – September, then November and December 1944
• WO 171/3697
• Notes:

• January – October 1945
• WO 171/8210
• Notes:

37 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• March – December 1944
• WO 171/3698
• Notes:

• April – August 1945
• WO 171/8211
• Notes:

38 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• February – December 1944
• WO 171/3699
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8212
• Notes:

• January – April 1946
• WO 171/10930
• Notes:

39 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• February – December 1944
• WO 171/3700
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8213
• Notes:

40 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• February – December 1944
• WO 171/3701
• Notes:

• January – November 1945
• WO 171/8214
• Notes

41 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• February – December 1944
• WO 171/3702
• Notes:

• January – October 1945
• WO 171/8215
• Notes:

42 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• February – December 1944
• WO 171/3703
• Notes:

• January – November 1945
• WO 171/8216
• Notes:

43 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• February – December 1944
• WO 171/3704
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8217
• Notes:

• January – May 1946
• WO 171/10931
• Notes:

44 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• February – August, then November and December 1944
• WO 171/3705
• Notes:

• January – September 1945
• WO 166/17842
• Notes:

45 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• March – December 1944
• WO 171/3706
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8219
• Notes:

• January – June 1946
• WO 171/10932
• Notes:

46 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• March – December 1944
• WO 171/3707
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8220
• Notes:

• January – April 1946
• WO 171/10933
• Notes:

47 Reinforcement Holding Unit

When the unit’s war diary ends on 28 February 1946, the unit was still stationed at Termonde.

• March – December 1944
• WO 171/3708
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8221
• Notes:

• 01 January – 28 February 1946
• WO 171/10934
• Notes: A war diary which consists of very brief daily entries usually recording the arrival and departure of officers and other ranks. There are field returns of officers and other ranks as appendices.

48 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• May – December 1944
• WO 171/3709
• Notes:

49 Reinforcement Holding Unit

The unit was disbanded at Termonde on 19 January 1946.

• April – December 1944
• WO 171/3710
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8222
• Notes:

• 01 – 19 January 1946
• WO 171/10935
• Notes: A war diary with very brief entries and no appendices.

50 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• April – December 1944
• WO 171/3711
• Notes:

• January – April, then June – September 1945
• WO 171/8223
• Notes:

51 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• March – December 1944
• WO 171/3712
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8224
• Notes:

• January – April 1946
• WO 171/10936
• Notes:

52 Reinforcement Holding Unit

When the war diary ends on 30 June 1946, the unit was still stationed at Osnabruck.

• April – December 1944
• WO 171/3713
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8225
• Notes:

• 01 January – June 1946
• WO 171/10937
• Notes: A war diary with very brief daily entries which also make a note of the weather. There are nominal rolls of officers serving with the unit each month. Also, the usual field returns of officers and other ranks.

53 Reinforcement Holding Unit

• April – December 1944
• WO 171/3714
• Notes:

• January – December 1945
• WO 171/8226
• Notes:

• January – June 1946
• WO 171/10938
• Notes:

54 Reinforcement Holding Unit

The 54 Reinforcement Holding Unit’s war diary opens on 20 March 1944 with the unit at Easthamstead Park Camp near Bracknell in Berkshire. On 19 April, the unit moved to Conyboro Camp at Cookbridge, near Lewes. Large numbers of drafts began to leave for Normandy in June, July and August. The unit moved to Camp 38, Bourley Road, Aldershot on 13 September and the next day to Camp 33, also on Bourley Road. Here, the 54 Reinforcement Holding Unit remained until 20 September, when it moved to Camp A17 before embarking for the continent the next day. Landing at Dieppe on 22 September, the unit moved to Graincourt. The unit next moved to Bruges, in Belgium on 28 October 1944 where it remained for the rest of the war. On 25 September, the unit left for the Scharnhorst Barracks at Osnabrück where it arrived the next day. The unit remained at Osnabruck for the rest of the year.

• 20 March – 31 December 1944
• WO 171/3715
• Notes: A typical reinforcement holding unit war diary with brief daily entries. The arrival and despatch of draft serials are recorded. There are a small number of appendices including officer and other rank field returns.

• 01 January – 31 December 1945
• WO 171/8277
• Notes: Another typical war diary with brief entries recording the arrivial and departure of drafts. Appendices are mostly officer and other rank field returns.

• January – June 1946
• WO 171/10939
• Notes:

X Reinforcement Holding Unit

Formed at Westende on 1 April 1945 under the supervision of the 103rd Reinforcement Group. On 12 April sent an advance party to Nijmegen with the main body arriving three days later. Orders came through on 25 April that the unit was to move to Luneberg with the advance party setting off the next day and the entire unit at its new station by the 28th. Here, former British, French and American prisoners of war began to arrive in their thousands. The unit moved to the infantry barracks at Luneburg on 1 May. Russian displaced persons and British civilians also passed through the X Reinforcement Holding Unit. On 2 August, the unit moved to Jerxheim where “Preparations [were] made for organization of new camp capable of handling 15000 Russian ex-prisoners of war and displaced persons daily”. The unit remained at Jerxheim until 2 October when it sent an advance party to Delmenhorst with the main body arriving the next day. On 4 December, the unit moved to Osnabruck where the unit was disbanded on 10 December.

• 01 April – 10 December 1945
• WO 171/8202
• Notes: This war diary contains the usual short daily entries.  There are a variety of appendices including movement orders and a “Report on Future Employment of X Reinforcement Holding Unit at Belsen Camp” dated 8 September

Y Reinforcement Holding Unit

• April – December 1945
• WO 171/8203
• Notes:

Z Reinforcement Holding Unit

• April – October 1945
• WO 171/8204
• Notes: