Military historians - Need help deciphering abbreviations

[merithyn]

My dad's uncle died in 1945, I believe in France. I've found a document that shows the notes from his unit, and specifically, notes about him. Unfortunately, I don't understand anything that's said because it's mostly in abbreviations. Can someone help?

The information can be found here.

4/23/1944 37446035 Williams SSGT Dy to fur (11 days).
5/4/1944 37446035 Williams SSGT Fur to dy - abs 11 days.
11/28/1944 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT Fr Clr Sta 328 Med (exhaustion) to reld fr asgmt & trfd to DoP, 7th A & evacd to 93d Evac Hosp, A&D 16, Hq 103d. Drpd fr rolls.
11/26/1944 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Dy to Clr Sta, 328 Med, LD (Exhaustion).
12/6/1944 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT Asgd & jd, 5-Dec, fr Det 3, 379th Repl Co, par 10, SO 27, Hq 3d Repl Bn. MCO 324
12/6/1944 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Dy to Clr Sta 328 Med, LD. (Exhaustion.
12/13/1944 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Abv 3 EM fr Clr Sta 328 Med to dy, LD.
3/11/1945 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Dy to TD Chalons-Sur Marne, FR.
4/4/1945 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Fr TD Chalons-Sur-Marne, FR to dy, 12-Mar.
4/23/1945 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT LWA. Dy to Clr Sta (GSW FCC arm, lt). Trfd to DoP.

[CountDeMoney]

Dy: duty? Fur: furloughed? LD: light duty? Trfd: Transferred?  Drpd fr rolls:  dropped from rolls?
"to reld fr asgmt & trfd to": to restricted light duty from assignment and transferred to? Maybe?

But that's my cop notes translation.  Just don't know if 1945's army abbreviations are the same as today's army.  Interesting find, Meri.   

[Valmy]

Thanks to the Army records from WWI, WWII and Korea all burning to cinders in 1973, I have far more records from my ancestors who fought in the freaking Revolutionary War or served in some border fort in the 1820s.  If I have an ancestor who fought in the Civil War I can actually find out where he was and what engagements he was in in practically every week of the war.  But I have a Great Grandfather who suffered a very serious injury in France in 1918 and a cousin who was killed in Korea in 1953.  No idea what unit they were in, when exactly this occurred or where.  It is amazing how little you can find in the way of records from those three very recent wars.

So awesome you have that.  But yeah this some fancy abbreviation-fu there.  Is that standard for the Army at the time or did that particular unit have a guy who just loved writing in abbreviations?

[merithyn]

A lot of that looks reasonable. I find it interesting that he was "exhausted" a lot. I suppose, given that he was 35 when he was called up and had a bad heart, it's not so surprising.

I'd like to know how he died. It seems clear that he went to France, but then was transferred out. He died in "non-battle" circumstances. I'm guessing his heart finally gave out, but I can't find anything that shows that.

[Ed Anger]

I have a feeling that will be as far as you'll get on cause of death.

[Razgovory]

The last entry shows that he was lightly wounded and transferred.  He appears to have been a Squad leader.

[merithyn]

He was a Staff Sergeant.

I also found this:

http://www.103didww2assn.org/CASUALTY%20REPORT%20MODIFIED%20BY%20NAME%20(FG)%20D%20Copy.pdf

11/26/1944 Williams Harry 410 Co C SSGT 37446035 WIA November _
12/6/1944 Williams Harry 410 Co C SSGT 37446035 NBC December _
4/23/1945 Williams Harry 410 Co C SSGT 37446035 WIA April

WIA = Wounded in Action
NBC = Non-combat ???

The 410th was part of the 103rd Infantry division. He was 1st battalion, company C.

[grumbler]

Guessing on a lot of this..

Looks like he was on furlough from 4/23/1944 to 5/4/1944

11/28/1944 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT Fr Clr Sta 328 Med (exhaustion) to reld fr asgmt & trfd to DoP, 7th A & evacd to 93d Evac Hosp, A&D 16, Hq 103d. Drpd fr rolls.
He was sent to the Field Clearing Station 328 for medical reasons (exhaustion) released for assignment and transferred to [DoP?] and evacuated to 93rd Evacuation Hospital, [A&D] 16, Headquarters 103. Dropped from (unit) rolls.  In other words, he was medically transferred out of his unit due to exhaustion

11/26/1944 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Dy to Clr Sta, 328 Med, LD (Exhaustion).
Looks like some retroactive note that this evac may have started the 26th vice the 28th

12/6/1944 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT Asgd & jd, 5-Dec, fr Det 3, 379th Repl Co, par 10, SO 27, Hq 3d Repl Bn. MCO 324
Looks like he was assigned and joined the Headquarters of the 3rd replacement battalion, [MCO 324?]

After more stuff about the Medical Clearing Station, comes
12/13/1944 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Abv 3 EM fr Clr Sta 328 Med to dy, LD.
Looks like he was transferred to limited duty from regular duty

3/11/1945 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Dy to TD Chalons-Sur Marne, FR.
Sent on Temporary Duty to Chalons-Sur Marne, France

4/23/1945 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT LWA. Dy to Clr Sta (GSW FCC arm, lt). Trfd to DoP.
Now he seems to be sent duty at the Clearing Station but have no idea what the "(GSW FCC arm, lt)" might be.  Could describe a wound to the left arm. He was transferred to "DoP" whatever that is.

For what it's worth, "Trfd to DoP" appears a lot in these medical cases in the record you linked.

[CountDeMoney]

The last entry shows that he was lightly wounded and transferred.

Not lightly; left, not light.  An FCC related to a GSW is Fractured, Compound and Comminuted: an open and splintered or crushed compound fracture.

4/23/1945 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT LWA. Dy to Clr Sta (GSW FCC arm, lt). Trfd to DoP.

My translation,
Duty to Clearing Station GSW (Gunshot wound), FCC(fractured compound comminuted arm, left), transferred.

Went to a clearing station near the front with an open compound fractured left arm from a gunshot wound.  Maybe? 

My copy of the AMA Style Guide comes in handy once again. 

[Razgovory]

NBC is non battle casualty.

4/23/1945 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT LWA. Dy to Clr Sta (GSW FCC arm, lt). Trfd to DoP.

As far as I can tell, it says that Harry Williams was shot in the arm sent to a clearing station and then transferred to a hospital (DoP is detachment of Patients).  LWA means they considered it a light wound.  It doesn't indicate death.  Perhaps he died after the war.

[merithyn]

NBC is non battle casualty.

4/23/1945 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT LWA. Dy to Clr Sta (GSW FCC arm, lt). Trfd to DoP.

As far as I can tell, it says that Harry Williams was shot in the arm sent to a clearing station and then transferred to a hospital (DoP is detachment of Patients).  LWA means they considered it a light wound.  It doesn't indicate death.  Perhaps he died after the war.

No, he's listed as a casualty of war, NBC.

So basically, he was suffering from "exhaustion" (most likely his heart) prior to deployment to France. While there, he was shot in the arm and sent back, where he died shortly thereafter. Again, most likely due to his heart.

[merithyn]

Guessing on a lot of this..

Looks like he was on furlough from 4/23/1944 to 5/4/1944

11/28/1944 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT Fr Clr Sta 328 Med (exhaustion) to reld fr asgmt & trfd to DoP, 7th A & evacd to 93d Evac Hosp, A&D 16, Hq 103d. Drpd fr rolls.
He was sent to the Field Clearing Station 328 for medical reasons (exhaustion) released for assignment and transferred to [DoP?] and evacuated to 93rd Evacuation Hospital, [A&D] 16, Headquarters 103. Dropped from (unit) rolls.  In other words, he was medically transferred out of his unit due to exhaustion

11/26/1944 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Dy to Clr Sta, 328 Med, LD (Exhaustion).
Looks like some retroactive note that this evac may have started the 26th vice the 28th

12/6/1944 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT Asgd & jd, 5-Dec, fr Det 3, 379th Repl Co, par 10, SO 27, Hq 3d Repl Bn. MCO 324
Looks like he was assigned and joined the Headquarters of the 3rd replacement battalion, [MCO 324?]

After more stuff about the Medical Clearing Station, comes
12/13/1944 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Abv 3 EM fr Clr Sta 328 Med to dy, LD.
Looks like he was transferred to limited duty from regular duty

3/11/1945 37446035 Williams Harry SSGT Dy to TD Chalons-Sur Marne, FR.
Sent on Temporary Duty to Chalons-Sur Marne, France

4/23/1945 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT LWA. Dy to Clr Sta (GSW FCC arm, lt). Trfd to DoP.
Now he seems to be sent duty at the Clearing Station but have no idea what the "(GSW FCC arm, lt)" might be.  Could describe a wound to the left arm. He was transferred to "DoP" whatever that is.

For what it's worth, "Trfd to DoP" appears a lot in these medical cases in the record you linked.

This and

The last entry shows that he was lightly wounded and transferred.

Not lightly; left, not light.  An FCC related to a GSW is Fractured, Compound and Comminuted: an open and splintered or crushed compound fracture.

4/23/1945 37446035 Williams Harry 653 SSGT LWA. Dy to Clr Sta (GSW FCC arm, lt). Trfd to DoP.

My translation,
Duty to Clearing Station GSW (Gunshot wound), FCC(fractured compound comminuted arm, left), transferred.

Went to a clearing station near the front with an open compound fractured left arm from a gunshot wound.  Maybe? 

My copy of the AMA Style Guide comes in handy once again. 

are great! I knew GSW, but not FCC. Raz's translation of DoP is also incredibly helpful.

It's really interesting piecing together his last few months. My uncles lived with him when they were tiny, and they remember him. It will be nice to be able to show them his army records.

[merithyn]

Wait. I'm confused. How can he be "NBC" in December 1944, and then be shot in the arm in March 1945?

[CountDeMoney]

From grumbler's translation, looks like he was pushed back into duty circulation in March '45.  The wound reference is in April '45.

[grumbler]

Wait. I'm confused. How can he be "NBC" in December 1944, and then be shot in the arm in March 1945?

The exhaustion thing was his NBC: Non-battle casualty. 

He returned to full duty on 4 Apr, and was shot Apr 23rd.