32nd Light Trench Mortar Battery

[Messina1915]

My chap 12261 Lance Corporal Norman Ernest Brown was originally with the 9th West Yorkshire Regiment and at the time of his death on 16 August 1916 was attached to the 32nd Light Mortar Battery.

The 9th West Yorks were part of 32nd Brigade, 11th Northern Division, and the battery to which Norman was attached joined the Brigade on 17 July 1916. The 11th division moved to France in July 1916 having previously served at Gallipoli.

The main question is, am I safe to assume that Norman was attached to the Light Trench Mortar Battery at about the time his division moved to France, given that the battery joined the division at that time?

Interestingly, he cannot have been far from his original battalion as the chaplain who wrote to his parents also wrote to the mother of another of my chaps, who was in Norman's original battalion, a few months later.

Cheers,

Carole.

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Carole

Short answer is Yes.

Light Trench Mortar Batteries were attached to infantry brigades with the same numbers, which ties up with your 32nd. These batteries were manned by infantrymen: unlike machine gunners who were transferred to the MGC, trench mortar men were still members of their original regiment.

The Light TMBs were mostly formed early in 1916.

Ron

[Messina1915]

Thanks Ron

Cheers,

Carole.

[kildaremark]

Carole,

Have you sen this book:-

"ARTILLERY AND TRENCH MORTAR MEMORIES - 32ND DIVISION"

Personal diaries and memories of officers and men who fought with the 32nd Divisional Artillery, the main feature being the diary of the 32nd Divisional Artillery chaplain from June 1916 to October 1919, which covers some 500 pages and is an outstanding piece of work.

This book is a compilation of Diaries and Trench Mortar Memories contributed by various members of the 32nd Divisional Artillery, and apart from anything else it goes some way to make up for the lack of a full divisional history. The 32nd Division landed in France in November 1915 without its artillery which had been transferred to the 31st Division. In return the 31st Divisional artillery joined the 32nd Division in France in December 1915 and was redesignated 32nd Divisional Artillery. The War Office worked in even more mysterious ways than the Lord! The diaries make up the bulk of the book which begins with the diary of Lieut A.B.Scott, who served with the 32nd Divisional Artillery in X and W Trench Mortar Batteries (TMB) and, from March 1917 onwards, as Reconnaissance Officer at HQ Divisional Artillery. As there is little written about operations with TMBs this well-written diary is a most useful source of information on that aspect of artillery warfare on the Western Front. But the main part of the book, almost 500 pages, is the diary of the Rev R.E Grice-Hutchinson, the divisional artillery chaplain who left for France on 1 July 1916 and remained with the division to the end of the war. But his diary goes on through to 19th October 1919 which makes it about the longest, personal diary of the Great War to appear in print, and it is a very good one. If you want to know what the 32nd Division got up to, look no further!. The last of the tthree diaries is that of Ludovic Heathcoat-Amery of the Royal Devon Yeomanry, who served as Staff Captain at the divisional artillery HQ from January 1917 till killed in action on 24th August 1918. The last twenty-five pages are taken up with personal memories of six officers and men who fought with the division’s TMBs. There is no roll of honour, list of awards etc nor index

Available on most of the popular book sites.

Mark

[Messina1915]

Mark, my chap was in the 32nd Brigade, not the 32nd Division, I'm afraid. Thanks for taking the time to post though.

Cheers,

Carole.

[kildaremark]

Silly me - friday afternoon tiredness!

Mark