35th, 82nd, 26th Siege Batteries. RGA

[Ludovica]

Erroneously posted on a thread about 35th Heavy battery

My Grandfather:-

I wrote for his service record. This is all there was.. and it is everything I know about him, as my mum spent her childhood with her mother's brother's family, and never met her mum or dad. We aren't even sure if we have a photo

Lieutenant Evan Leslie Jones... MOD didn't give me a number for him

I have been told that Army Lists say he held an emergency commission

Commissioned Temporary 2nd Lieut....10/10/15

Commissioned Temporary 2nd Lieut....9/9/16

Promoted Temporary Lieut..................1/7/17

Posted to

35 Seige Battery RGA 12/10/16 (France)

82 Seige Battery RGA 04/11/16

Attached to

26 Seige Battery RGA 10/12/16

Atteched to VI Corps 25/10/17

Posted to HQ VI Corps Counter Battery Staff 19/3/18

he declared his year of birth as 1897 (actually 27/6/1898!)

I would love to know anything available about him, and his military career.

[Ludovica]

I gather, from the silence, that these batteries/corps are without known War Diaries? Just my luck!

[pat]

I'd love to be able to help, as my gf was same age as yours and also an RGA officer.

I suggest you drop an email to Dick Flory (rflory). He knows more than anybody about RA officers.

Pat

[rflory]

I have a note to myself to answer this question as soon as I have a few free minutes to look up the information, but things have been extremely busy the last couple of days. Regards. Dick Flory

[Ludovica]

Much appreciated, Dick

[rflory]

Ludovica wrote Commissioned Temporary 2nd Lieut....10/10/15

Commissioned Temporary 2nd Lieut....9/9/16

Promoted Temporary Lieut..................1/7/17

Posted to

35 Seige Battery RGA 12/10/16 (France)

82 Seige Battery RGA 04/11/16

Attached to

26 Seige Battery RGA 10/12/16

Atteched to VI Corps 25/10/17

Posted to HQ VI Corps Counter Battery Staff 19/3/18

I am somewhat confused by the commissioning and promotion dates above: There are two Royal Artillery officers with the name "E L Jones" and I think the commissioning dates you list above are for both of them:

One 2nd Lieut. E L Jones served in the Royal Field Artillery - he was originally commissioned on 10 Dec 15 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieut. on 9 Sept 16 - I suspect that the first two commissioning dates in your list above refer to him.

The second 2nd Lieut. E. L. Jones served in the Royal Garrison Artillery and he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1 Jul 17 which I suspect is your third date with the wrong rank.

There is one 2nd Lieut E L Jones listed in the online PRO catalog as having paper available but I am not sure if he is one of the these two officers or one of the other seven officers with the name "E. L. Jones"

If you wish to follow up this search for your E L Jones and his service in the three siege batteries you list, then you will need to go to the National Archives (PRO) and examine the following war diaries:

26 Siege Battery, RGA - War Diary covering the period 10 Dec 16 to 25 Ot 17 is at WO95/389

35 Siege Battery, RGA - War Diary covering the period 12 Oct 16 to 4 Nov 16 is at WO95/389

82 Siege Battery, RGA - War Diary covering the period 4 Nov 16 to 10 Dec 16 is at WO95/323

Regards. Dick Flory

[Ludovica]

Thanks Dick

The dates are exactly as I was given them from the MOD when my mother paid £15 to get them. I'm rather fed up that it appears they didn't give value for money!

I am certain however that her father was an R.G.A officer, as it says so on his marriage certificate. It makes sense that the earliest date I was given refers to another person as, in effect he would have been only 16 at the time.. although I understand that R.G.A. officers were generally big powerful men and he was probably big for his age (according to the R.A. Association)

I guess this one will remain a mystery, sadly, as visiting the P.R.O is out of the question

Thanks for your time