iainbrown5 Posted 30 August , 2008 Share Posted 30 August , 2008 Hi everyone, I recently came across my great grandfathers service record on the web. I thought I would never find out about what he did in WW1 as all I had to go by was a picture of him in uniform that didn't show any insignia. Also his name was Daniel Brown so fairly common surname. However I managed to get a service record by using his address on Ancestry.co.uk however I can't make sense of the record at all. I was wondering if someone could help. The corp is given as: 3/2 Lowd. f.a. Bd No. 801 If there is anyone that can help I have a copy of the service record I could email. Kind regards Iain Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 31 August , 2008 Share Posted 31 August , 2008 3rd/2nd Lowland Brigade, RFA (TF) (meaning the 3rd line of the 2nd Lowland Brigade, RFA). Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 31 August , 2008 Share Posted 31 August , 2008 Hello Iain To flesh out Dick's answer a bit, 2nd Lowland Field Artillery Brigade was a pre-war Territorial Force unit, part of the Lowland Division. In common with most TF units, it formed three "lines" in late 1914: 1/2nd Lowland FA Bde wnt overseas with the Division (numbered 52nd) and served in Gallipoli and Egypt & Palestine for the rest of the war. 2/2nd Lowland FA Bde was intended for home defence (the TF's original role). 3/2nd Lowland FA Bde was the depot and draft-finding unit for the other two. It remained in the UK throughout the war. If your great-grandfather only served with 3/2nd, he would not have been entitled to any medals. If he has the usual two (British War Medal and Victory Medal) he must have been posted to 1/2nd at some time. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainbrown5 Posted 31 August , 2008 Author Share Posted 31 August , 2008 Thanks for that Ron, Yes I found his medal card and it says he was entitled to the War and Victory medals. It also has 2 different regimental numbers (both R.F.A.). The first is 801 and it was this one that I found on his service record. The second is 686595. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 31 August , 2008 Share Posted 31 August , 2008 His regimental number of 686595 indicates that in late 1916-early 1917 he was serving in the 3rd West Lancs Bde, RFA and went to France with one of the following two brigades: 1. 1/3 West Lancs Bde, RFA that was later redesignated as 277th Brigade, RFA (TF) in the 55th Division (went to France on 1 Oct 1915) 2. 2/3 West Lancs Bde, RFA that was later redesignated as 287th Brigade, RFA (TF) in the 57th Division (broken up in Feb 1917) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainbrown5 Posted 31 August , 2008 Author Share Posted 31 August , 2008 Thanks for that Dick, I can just make out W Lancs posted 29.3.16 on his service record. Also see low 3/1 embodied service 13/9/15. After this there is something about forfeiting 3 days pay for absence. Then he was transferred ?.5.16, and attached. He was then posted to W Lancs as above. There are another 3 postings in his record - D.?.C. 1/7/17, ? 6/8/17, and 52nd ? 7/2/18 All in all the record is fairly hard to read for untrained eyes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPCLI Posted 31 August , 2008 Share Posted 31 August , 2008 Hi Iain, Your great-grandfather's service record is missing a few of the more helpful pages, but I have found a file for a man (1900/696575 Peter H Docherty) with a similar 6-digit number and used the extra info from his service record to fill out the bare details. After their posting to the 42nd (West Lancs) DAC on 23rd Sep 1916 their dates and postings don't match, so there is less detail w.r.t. locations etc available. I have added some links which will give you some further reading. I hope this is the type of info you were looking for. 801 Gunner Daniel Brown Attested: 13th Sep 1915 Embodied Service: 3/1st Battery, Lowland Brigade, RFA Overseas Service: Embarked Devonport, 25th Mar 1916; Disembarked Alexandria, Egypt, 5th Apr 1916 Attached: 42nd (West Lancs) Divisional Ammunition Column at Suez, 2nd May 1916 (part of 42nd (East Lancashire) Division). Posted: 42nd (West Lancs) Divisional Ammunition Column at Kantara, 23rd Sep 1916 Territorial re-numbering: prev. #801, now #696585 (as Dick said, a 3rd West Lancs Bde, RFA number, but he was with the DAC in Egypt, not a Battery in France) Posted: ?? Divisional Ammunition Column, 1st Jul 1917 Posted: 'A' Battery, 264th Brigade, 6th Aug 1917 Posted: Base, 6th Aug 1917 Posted: 52nd Divisional Ammunition Column, 7th Feb 1918 (part of 52nd (Lowland) Division. This division left for the Western Front in April 1918 and the DAC transferred to the 7th (Indian) Division). Disembodied: 11th Apr 1919 Divisional Ammunition Column info - http://www.1914-1918.net/whatartbrig.htm 42nd (East Lancashire) Division - http://www.1914-1918.net/42div.htm 52nd (Lowland) Division - http://www.1914-1918.net/52div.htm Another 52nd (Lowland) Division page, but with more Field Artillery details - http://warpath.orbat.com/divs/52_div.htm 7th (Indian) Division - http://warpath.orbat.com/indian_divs/7_ind_div.htm All the best, Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainbrown5 Posted 31 August , 2008 Author Share Posted 31 August , 2008 Thanks Stuart, Dick and Ron. That was all very helpful. I've been amazed by how helpful and passionate people on the forums are. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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