royal field artillery

[Julie w]

hi on my gt uncles photo he has a gun badge and a crown badge above his three stripes what does this mean,does gun suggest he was full sergeant,its just puzzling me why he has corporal on his headstone,can this be changed if incorrect,thanks julie

[daggers]

Julie

If you have the full details from the headstone, can you post them here? This would help in sorting out his rank. Also, is the headstone one of the War Graves Commission's? That would give his service number and give the experts here something more to use.

The gun badge above the stripes does mean full sergeant. A crown above the stripes would mean a quartermaster sergeant, but I cannot remember the two appearing together. Others will know better.

Daggers

[Julie w]

hi daggers cant post things not mastered the art yet,but i have two mic for him one as corporal other bqms,his service no L/2048. he enlisted in liverpool and his wife is down as nok details on cwgc annie boyle 101 grey rock st.i have also searched on ancestry for records but not found anything.His grave is in liverpool as he died 30/1/1920 he was in 148a bde,thanks julie

[Greyhound]

Julie, I've looked at the MICs, and I think it's AQMS (not BQMS), which would mean Acting Quartermaster Sergeant, so a temporary appointment after which he presumably reverted to Corporal.

[Julie w]

hi greyhound,would acting only be until they promoted someone else,i thought with him having all stripes and crown and gun badges above them in his photo that this was a permanent posistion,would i find anymore info in the war diaries or anywhere else thanks julie

[FROGSMILE]

Julie, I've looked at the MICs, and I think it's AQMS (not BQMS), which would mean Acting Quartermaster Sergeant, so a temporary appointment after which he presumably reverted to Corporal.

He might even have been an Artificer Quarter Master Serjeant, as the REME did not exist at that time and the RA did their own repairs and deep maintenance. Perhaps he was disciplined and reduced to Corporal.

[Julie w]

thanks for that frogsmile i guess i will have to visit kew and see if i can find some answers,was an artificer responsible for repairing the guns? i am a complete novice at this but growing ever more obsessed with it thanks again julie

[daggers]

If he had the Acting rank only, he may have had the crown up as well as the gun badge, knowing that the crown would come off when he reverted to Sergeant [or Corporal]. Possibly irregular!

I think it unlikely that the war diary would tell you anything apart from actions and movements the unit was taking.

Discipline is one possible reason for not retaining the higher rank, but it could also result from the posting in of someone more qualified, or the thinning out of the army after the Armistice.

An artificer would be a highly skilled man, probably with long training, and would deal with repairs and maintenance at a higher level than a No. 1 sergeant and his gun's crew.

You probably know that Grey Rock Street was off West Derby Road, next to Boundary Road, where there is now a Grey Rock Walk, opposite Sheil Park.

Daggers

[Julie w]

hi again,he may not have been an artificer then because he only enlisted 1915 and was discharged 1917,his job before we think was shipping agent according to his sons marriage cert,i have not visited liverpool yet,not long found the connection,but have been to his grave in anfield,its a shame the old address has gone but never mind thanks julie