manchester48 Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 I am researching the service records of my husband's relatives and have come across the following details of one soldier. Benjamin Howarth, born 17.4.1880 at Middleton, Lancashire. Married to Sarah Mary Wiggins. Attested with R.G.A. at Bury Lancashire 11.12.1915 Regt No: 156163 aged 35 His service records gave the following brief details and no matter how much searching I do on Google or RGA sites can find little or nothing regarding the details given, especially 438 siege batty. I wonder if anyone can shed any light on any of the information given. 11.12.1915 - Attested 12.12.1915 - To Army Reserve 2.5.1917 - Posted " - Mobilised 3.5.1917 - To depot RGA 21.5.1917 - Posted to 438 Siege Battery, Farnborough RGA 3.8.1918 - Wounded, B.S.W.F. H. (or A) - admitted to field hospital 2.1.1919 - Proceeded to Oswestry discharge centre for release as demobilised. Embarked Cherbourg 3.1.1919 - Discharged BEF. That's all I have about him but wonder where he was stationed when he was wounded or any information about him at all. Many thanks in advance for any help you can give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 From WO 95/5494 (Allocations of Siege Bttys, RGA): 438th Seige Battery, RGA was armed with six 6" Howitzers. The HQs and two sections with four 6" Howitzers went to Italy on 12 January 1918 and joined 104th Heavy Artillery Group there on 22 January 1918. The remaining section went to the Western France on 18 January 1918 and joined Third Army. In the same month the personnel of this section were posted to 78th Siege Battery and the two howitzers of this section were withdrawn to base. Two 8" howitzers were issued to the section after it joined 78th Siege Battery. The war diary of HQs and the two sections that went to Italy for the period January to April 1918 can be found at TNA under WO 95/4206. The war diary for the section with 78th Siege Battery, RGA is under WO 95/396. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester48 Posted 21 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2015 Many thanks for the info and TNA references rflory. I wasn't sure if he was in Italy or France. Assuming as he was embarking, wounded, in Cherbourg he must have been with the Third Army in France. Interesting that he was transferred to 78th Siege Battery. Will follow up that info too. Any idea what kind of wound he was suffering from? B.S.W.F.H. (or A). Blast shot wound forehead of forearm? Only come across a GSW (gun shot wound) before. You can tell I'm not at all military minded and am a bit out of my comfort zone. The only involvement I've had with things military is looking up family service records on Ancestry. Regards Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 He went to Italy. He went to Cherbourg and back to Oswestry for demob. I think you may be referring to ?/3SMFA (No.3 South Midland Field Ambulance) and 24 CCS (24 Casualty Clearing Station), both in Italy. I cannot see for how long but he obviously returned to the battery after a short time. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 My guess is that what you state as 'B S W' is actually 'G S W' which stands for 'Gun Shot Wound' which during the Great War was used to indicate both wounds from rifle or MG fire or wounds from shrapnel due to artillery shelling. The "F. H." could be 'forehead' or it could be 'R. A.' (right arm) or 'R. H.' (right hand). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 I think if Margaret was to post part of the records that she is referring to then we will see. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 It looks like : 3/8/18 Received from "BSMFH" (or " *3SMFH") "To 28CCS" So it's a place, not his wound. FH must be Field Hospital. So it's BSM or (Something illegible)3SM Field Hospital. The entry on the line below isn't clear either apart from the date 10/8/18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 The description "Field Hospital" was not used in the Great War. I agree it's a medical unit, not a type of wound, and I think it refers to 3rd South Midland Field Ambulance, part of 48th (South Midland) Division, which incidentally was serving in Italy. Cherbourg was the port for the "Mediterranean Lines of Communication" which ran south and east across France to the Mediterranean coast and on to Italy, where it went on to Taranto in the "instep" and thence by sea to Alexandria or Salonika. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 21 May , 2015 Share Posted 21 May , 2015 The description "Field Hospital" was not used in the Great War. I agree it's a medical unit, not a type of wound, and I think it refers to 3rd South Midland Field Ambulance, part of 48th (South Midland) Division, which incidentally was serving in Italy. Cherbourg was the port for the "Mediterranean Lines of Communication" which ran south and east across France to the Mediterranean coast and on to Italy, where it went on to Taranto in the "instep" and thence by sea to Alexandria or Salonika. Ron Yes I agree. Looking again, it could even be 1/2 SMFA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester48 Posted 22 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2015 Many thanks all you guys for all this info. The details I have were copied by me a few years ago from his war service record on Ancestry (& don't have a copy of) some of which was read/difficult to understand. Thanks for the clarification of the acronym. LOL. My ignorance of all things military showing there. I know his siege bty merged with the 78 Baty with the Third Army but thought they were fighting at the Battles of the Somme (1918)!! Now confused as to whether he was in Italy or France. I thought it was Italy originally until someone informed me that the 78th was in France with 88th Brigade. Utterly confused now. Ha Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 22 May , 2015 Share Posted 22 May , 2015 Margaret Evacuation via Cherbourg does suggest, but does not prove, that he was in Italy at some point, as that port did not form part of the evacuation chain for troops in France or Belgium. But he may have served in France at some time before going to Italy: most of the British troops in Italy went there in Nov 1917 or later, although some RGA siege batteries went earlier in that year. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry_Reeves Posted 22 May , 2015 Share Posted 22 May , 2015 It is 1/3 South Midland Field Ambulance. If you are using Ancestry , use the invert colours tool and it is a tiny bit clearer. TR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 22 May , 2015 Share Posted 22 May , 2015 Margaret, He did not serve with 78 SB. The battery was split up before going to France. The two sections that went to Italy stayed 438 SB, and his records give his embarkation from Portsmouth on the 12th Jan 1918, and disembarkation at Le Havre the following day. The battery joined 104 Brigade in Italy on the 22nd Jan 1918 and you need the war diaries for both 438 SB and 104 Bde which is in the same file at the Nat. Archives under the reference that Dick (rflory) has given you. The section that was posted to 78 SB left England 9 days later. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester48 Posted 22 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2015 Thanks Terry-Reeves but I cancelled my Ancestry subscription for 18 months while I deal with health issues. I've made a note of your comment though for future reference. Thanks Margaret kevrow - That's good clarification from you. So he probably was in Italy then as I first thought. I've already noted the NA war diaries ref provided by rflory so will move forward with that when I'm able. Many thanks Margaret Ron - Thanks for your comment. I wondered if Cherbourg was the evacuation point for casualties from Italy. And although it doesn't prove he wasn't fighting in Italy it also doesn't prove he was in France either!! Will have to wait until I have the war diaries - if they cover this period that is. Margaret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchester48 Posted 22 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2015 Ron & Kevrow Reference the entry from The Long, Long Trail. List of Units/Formations that saw battle in Italy includes 403 Battery in the list of Army troops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Neil Posted 10 November , 2023 Share Posted 10 November , 2023 (edited) Interestly Margaret my grandfather service number 156044 was enlisted in the 438 SB 21/5/17 at Gosport then transferred /posted to France 18/01/18 as part of BEF and joined 78SB on 28/01/1918 Your relatives service number is only 119 later than my grandfathers You also state 438 RGA in 1917 at Farnborough whereas my GF was 438 SB 21/05/1917 in Gosport? both in Hampshire Oops just seen that you replied to my original post but did you ever establish if he went to Italy? 78SB were 100% in France near Arras in 1918 Chris Edited 10 November , 2023 by Christopher Neil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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