Subalterns/Officers - E Battery, R.H.A., August 1914

[Gallia Belgica]

I am searching for the names of the subalterns and senior officers of E Battery, Royal Horse Artillery during late 1914. Specifically the crew of No. 4 field gun, the Ordnance QF 13-pounder. Which is believed to be the gun which fired the first shot by the British nation on the Western Front - 22nd August 1914 at Bray in Belgium.

There is a photograph known to me showing one of these sergeants standing beside No. 4 gun. I have been trying to find his name.
According to [http://www.1914-1918.net/whatartbrig.htm] there would have been 7 sergeants serving in each battery.

The men listed below are known to have been in E Battery. This has been put together with information gathered on this website, Peter Humfrey's book
[Destination Unknown: The Diary of Gunner Bates R. H. A.] and photographs known to me:

Battery Commander – Major A. B. Forman.

Battery Captain – H. B. Bartram.

Section Commander (left section) – Lt. C. L. T. Walwyn.

Section Commander (centre section) - Lt. R. L. Palmer.

Section Commander (right section) - Lt. E. B. Maxwell.

2Lt. Alfred Geoffrey Neville.

2Lt. D. H. M. Carberry.

Battery Sergeant Major – William Henry Lane.

Gunner (right section) – Ted Bates (Regiment No. 65331?).

Gunner - A. G. Jenkins (Regiment No. 65202).

Sapper – Alderson (Regiment No. 51283).

Bombardier - Osborn [loaded that first round] (Regiment No. 28942?).

Notes:

I am aware of a photograph showing Carberry, Neville and Walwyn standing together alone.

Apparently the original shell casing is in the Royal Horse Artillery History Room, Tidworth, Wiltshire.

D Battery and E Batteries were based at Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.

There is a stained-glass window in St. Leonard's Church, Butleigh, Somerset which mentions a Geoffrey Neville R. H. A. and his two brothers who served in the Royal Navy.

According to a 1911 New Zealand newspaper (Grey River Argus) Lt. C. L. T. Walwyn, R.H.A. won the Canadian Challenge Cup with his horse The Nut:
[http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=GRA19110125.2.35].

[Eastmar]

Hi G B, just found your post re 'E' Battery R H A when looking through T G W F.

My grandfather George Thomas Eastman served with 'E' Battery from March 1914 until December 1915. He was a Corporal in August 1914 but I don't know which section he was in. Unfortunately he died 3 days before I was born so I never got to 'interrogate' him. My fathers knowledge of his army career was very sketchy and unfortunately he is now also deceased so I can't seek any further information. One thing my dad told me about his fathers service with 'E' Battery was an event when a enemy she'll pierced one of the Batteries guns shield and exploded, killing or wounding the crew. I have a old faded photo of said gun and when I last visited the Imperial War Museum in London the actual gun was on display to the public.

I also have a photo of 'N' Battery R H A taken at Aldershot, October 1924 which includes a Major C L T Walwyn, DSO, OBE, MC who I would assume is the same person as Lt C L T Walwyn, Section Commander of Left Section, 'E' Battery, August 1914.

I have a copy of 'E' Batteries war diary, which may be able to shed light on any details you are looking for.

                                         Ray Eastman

[TTracer44]

Hello Ray

Have you tried emailing Gallia, click on his name and you should find a post symbol to click on.

Den

[Eastmar]

Thanks for that Den. I've messaged Gallia so I hope he picks it up ok

Ray

[Gallia Belgica]

Thanks very much for that information Ray. This is very interesting and yes if you want to add anything more here about it that would be great; names, photographs.

I hope the following is useful:

• My photograph of the Sergeant in E Battery standing beside No. 4 gun:

Written in pencil on the reverse it says - 'The gun that fired first round in the war Aug 21 1914'.

 

• 2Lt. D. H. M. Carberry, 2Lt. Alfred Geoffrey Neville and Lt. C. L. T. Walwyn.

 

There is more information and photographs here about the Sergeant, E Battery and No. 4 Gun -

 

Edited 20 April , 2017 by Gallia Belgica

[rflory]

Gallia Belgica:  I have a photo of Major AB Forman and also his medal group.  I also have a photo of the medals of BSM Lane.  Are you aware of  the book by Capt. H. B. Bartram, titled Diary of the Retirement from Mons August 1914?  There is a photo of him on horseback in the book.  Bertram died of gastric ulcers and internal hemorrhage at Alexandra Hospital at Cosham on the morning of 16 September 1914. There are a number of photos of the E Battery gun that fired the first round on the Western front and at least one with a few of the other ranks who fired the gun in the IWM collection.  If you would like scans of any of the photos PM me with your email address and I will email them to you. 

 

Regards, Dick Flory