Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

218th RFA in India


antonjdown

Recommended Posts

Does anyone know the movements of this brigade? My great uncle was a gunner in 218th in India, near Calcutta in 1916, A Battalion. Wanted to know when it went to India etc. Any help most appreciated!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The 218th Brigade, RFA began the war as the IV Wessex Brigade, RFA of the Territorial Force. It was one of the three field gun brigades of the Wessex Division and, as such, initially armed with the 15-pounder BLC field gun.

The peacetime drill halls of the IV Wessex Brigade were as follows

Brigade HQ Exeter

1st Devonshire Battery Exeter

2nd Devonshire Battery Paignton

3rd Devonshire Battery Tavistock

Ammunition Column Crediton

The IV Wessex Brigade (minus the ammunition column) embarked for India at Southampton on 9 October 1914 and disembarked at Bombay on 9 November. Soon thereafter, the component batteries of the brigade were distributed among various garrisons in the northwestern part of India.

In 1916, the IV Wessex Brigade was renamed, becoming the 218th (IV Wessex) Brigade, RFA. In 1917, the component batteries were numbered, with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Devonshire Batteries becoming 1094th, 1095th, and 1096th Batteries, RFA and the 15-pounder BLC field guns replaced with 18-pounder field guns. That same year, the 1095th battery was broken up, with one two-gun section going to each of the remaining batteries. (Thus, the three four-gun batteries were recast as two six-gun batteries.)

In 1918, a howitzer battery (1014th Battery, RFA) joined the brigade, turning it into a composite unit of twelve 18-pounder field guns and six 4.5-inch howitzers.

While many of the elements of the Wessex Division found themselves in Mesopotamia or Aden, the 218th Brigade remained in India throughout the remainder of the war.

In 1919, two batteries of the 218th Brigade, RFA - the 1096th Battery (field guns) and the 1014th Battery (howitzers) - took part in the Third Afghan War.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 218th Brigade, RFA began the war as the IV Wessex Brigade, RFA of the Territorial Force. It was one of the three field gun brigades of the Wessex Division and, as such, initially armed with the 15-pounder BLC field gun.

The peacetime drill halls of the IV Wessex Brigade were as follows

Brigade HQ Exeter

1st Devonshire Battery Exeter

2nd Devonshire Battery Paignton

3rd Devonshire Battery Tavistock

Ammunition Column Crediton

The IV Wessex Brigade (minus the ammunition column) embarked for India at Southampton on 9 October 1914 and disembarked at Bombay on 9 November. Soon thereafter, the component batteries of the brigade were distributed among various garrisons in the northwestern part of India.

In 1916, the IV Wessex Brigade was renamed, becoming the 218th (IV Wessex) Brigade, RFA. In 1917, the component batteries were numbered, with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Devonshire Batteries becoming 1094th, 1095th, and 1096th Batteries, RFA and the 15-pounder BLC field guns replaced with 18-pounder field guns. That same year, the 1095th battery was broken up, with one two-gun section going to each of the remaining batteries. (Thus, the three four-gun batteries were recast as two six-gun batteries.)

In 1918, a howitzer battery (1014th Battery, RFA) joined the brigade, turning it into a composite unit of twelve 18-pounder field guns and six 4.5-inch howitzers.

While many of the elements of the Wessex Division found themselves in Mesopotamia or Aden, the 218th Brigade remained in India throughout the remainder of the war.

In 1919, two batteries of the 218th Brigade, RFA - the 1096th Battery (field guns) and the 1014th Battery (howitzers) - took part in the Third Afghan War.

Wonderful, thanks for this information. My great uncle had joined up in October 1915, so must have been part of a late group that headed over to join the brigade in India, and at some stage presumably in 1917 had transferred across to the 337th Brigade RFA that headed into Meso in late 1917.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

antonjdown wrote:

Does anyone know the movements of this brigade? My great uncle was a gunner in 218th in India, near Calcutta in 1916, A Battalion. Wanted to know when it went to India etc. Any help most appreciated!

Anton: Record of the 3rd Devonshire Battery (Tavistock) 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA, the Great War 1914-1915 contains the following:

"1st Draft Arriving Allahabad, March, 1916, included the following men from Tavistock and District:

Name: Gunner F Down

Place of Residence: Tavistock

Remarks: Served on 4th Wessex Brigade Headquarters Staff"

Don't know if you are interested, but in the nominal roll for the 3rd Devonshire Battery, 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA there is the following listing for another man with the surname "Down":

"Name: Bombardier H. R. Down

Residence on outbreak of war: Tavistock

Remarks: Served in France or Flanders and on Afghanistan Frontier Operations in 1919. Passed a Signalling course at Kasauli; retained on the Staff at Kasauli Signalling School as an Assistant Instructor; later commissioned in the cavalry."

Regards, Dick Flory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

antonjdown wrote:

Anton: Record of the 3rd Devonshire Battery (Tavistock) 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA, the Great War 1914-1915 contains the following:

"1st Draft Arriving Allahabad, March, 1916, included the following men from Tavistock and District:

Name: Gunner F Down

Place of Residence: Tavistock

Remarks: Served on 4th Wessex Brigade Headquarters Staff"

Don't know if you are interested, but in the nominal roll for the 3rd Devonshire Battery, 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA there is the following listing for another man with the surname "Down":

"Name: Bombardier H. R. Down

Residence on outbreak of war: Tavistock

Remarks: Served in France or Flanders and on Afghanistan Frontier Operations in 1919. Passed a Signalling course at Kasauli; retained on the Staff at Kasauli Signalling School as an Assistant Instructor; later commissioned in the cavalry."

Regards, Dick Flory

Wow, I'm stunned, thanks!! No idea who this H R Down is, but there are a whole tribe of us Downs eminating from Devon, so undoubtedly some form of relation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, I'm stunned, thanks!! No idea who this H R Down is, but there are a whole tribe of us Downs eminating from Devon, so undoubtedly some form of relation.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/paulnsheila

If you're interested, we've put some more of Francis Down's photos on the website. One shows A Battery, 218th Brigade, camped on the Maiadan at Calcutta 1916, and what looks to be 6 guns, with a load of horses in rows behind. It actually looks like he took hundreds of photos (one is numbered 170) but we only have these few. I would guess that Francis volunteered or was switched to the 337th Brigade RFA at some stage in 1917 as he ended up there with them in Mespotamia, dying in June 1918 of typhus fever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Hello,

My grandfather Major Stansfeld Vickers served in the 2nd Devonshire Battery, and went out to India in 1914. I believe he served in France later in the war, but do not know where or when.

I see from the above that "In 1917.... the 1095th battery was broken up, with one two-gun section going to each of the remaining batteries." I wonder whether this was when he was posted back to Europe ? Please can anyone suggest how I can find where he served ?

The only information that I have is from "The 18th Division in the Great War" by George Herbert Fosdike Nichols, William Blackwood and Sons, London, 1922, in which there is a very brief entry that “A DSO was won that day by Major S. Vickers of the Divisional Artillery, a Territorial officer who came to command " D " Battery, 82nd Brigade, after the March retreat.” I have no further details, as I found the excerpt via Google Books, and so far have not been able to read the book myself.

Any information or suggestions will be most welcome.

Many thanks, Ian Massey-Crosse

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Major Stansfeld Vickers, DSO, RFA

Born on 13 June 1881 at Paignton; the son of Charles W. Vickers, MRCS, LRCP, DPH and Annie Vickers (nee Stansfeld) of Paignton.

Educated at Blundell's School from May 1897 to Easter, 1900 and at Gonville and Caius College 1900-1901.

Admitted as a Solicitor in January 1907 and began practice at Paignton

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 2nd Devon Battery, 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA TF on 18 February 1909

Promoted to Lieutenant on 14 November 1911

Served as Orderly Officer, Headquarters, 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA from 1911 to 1913

Promoted to Captain on 22 April 1913

Mobilized in August 1914 as a Captain, 2nd Devon Battery, 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA TF

Appointed Acting Major on 15 August 1914

Served in India from October 1914 to March 1917 as Officer Commanding, 2nd Devon Battery, 4th Wessex Brigade, RFA TF.

Promoted Substantive Major, June 1916

From 24 June 1917 until 24 September 1918 he served in France as OC, D Battery, 82nd Brigade, RFA.

Severely wounded at Ronsoy on 21 September 1918.

Distinguished Service Order, London Gazette 1 February 1919 with the following citation:

"He displayed exceptional gallantry and thrust in reconnoitring forward positions for his guns to support the advancing infantry. While out in front of the firing line, he was temporarily held up and shot at by a hostile machine gun at a hundred yards' range, but he noted the position and on returning to his battery bombarded it with such effect that the occupants, 19 in number, put up a white flag and surrendered. He went down and brought the prisoners in himself."

Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette 7 July 1919

Served in Egypt from August to October 1919.

During World War II he was a Chief Petty Officer, RN in the Small Boats Pool immediately after D Day.

Married Mary Eadson and had five daughters

Sources: The Register of Blundell's School 1882-1932; The War List of the University of Cambridge 1914-1919;Gonville and Caius College Biographical History, Volume 4; Record of Service of Solicitors and Articled Clerks 1914-1918; The Distinguished Service Order 1886-1923; various Army Lists.

Regards, Dick Flory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Dick,

Very many thanks for your very helpful and fast reply to my enquiry about my grandfather. I already have the details of his early promotions from the London Gazette, but thank you for the later details, especially when he was posted to France, and when he was wounded, and especially for the citation from the London Gazette, which I had not seen. I had no idea that he served in Egypt after the war - I had imagined that he would not have returned to service after he was wounded. I remember him as a keen sailor, so it does not surprise me that he served with the Small Boats Pool during the second world war. I believe that he and my uncle also served with the home guard.

I have placed an order for a reprint of "Pushed and the Return Push" by Nichols, which describes the story of the 82nd Brigade from March to October 1918. I'm pretty sure that my mother showed me the book long ago - I remember the pseudonym 'Quex' - but this will be my first opportunity to read about those events.

Again many thanks for your help. Regards, Ian Massey-Crosse

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian: Pushed and the Return Push is a very interesting book about 82nd Brigade, RFA but is disconcerting to those of us interested in a particular officer as he does not use their real surnames. When you receive the book I think that you will find that Major Vickers is referred to in the book as "Major Vessey". He is mentioned quite often in the book and his wounding on 21 September 1918 is mentioned. According to the book he was 'badly wounded' in the arm and foot by a gas shell that came in to the mess. Two other officers were also wounded. Regards, Dick Flory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are probably already aware that "Quex" is Captain G H F Nichols who was the Adjutant of 82nd Brigade, RFA. Dick Flory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Dick,

Yes, I knew that Quex was the pseudonym of Nichols the author, but did not realise that he did not use the real surnames of the people in his book. Thanks for the warning ! Thanks also for the account of how my grandfather was wounded. I am looking forward to reading the book.

Best wishes, Ian Massey-Crosse

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

Has anyone got access to 218 bgde RFA records from 1918.

My relative Gunner 214469 Herbert Embley was sent home from India to East Leeds War Hospital where he is reported to have committed suicide on the 13th October 1918. Im trying to find out why he was sent home in the first place. His death certificate says it was suicide but the inquest records an open verdict.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kind regards

Graham

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Calpixcymru

Driver Lovelock

1096 Battery

218 Brigade

Ambala

23rd March 1918.

The above soldier's details were found on a piece of paper in the pocket of my Great Grandmother when she was found dead in a mountain stream in South Wales, October 1918. I am trying to piece together the jigsaw surrounding her death and the relationship with this soldier. Any information regarding his service would be very welcome. Thanks, Cal.

Driver Lovelock

1096 Battery

218 Brigade

Ambala

23rd March 1918.

The above soldier's details were found on a piece of paper in the pocket of my Great Grandmother when she was found dead in a mountain stream in South Wales, October 1918. I am trying to piece together the jigsaw surrounding her death and the relationship with this soldier. Any information regarding his service would be very welcome. Thanks, Cal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...