251st Brigade the Royal Field Artillery

[DrElaine]

According to his entry in the Commonwealth Graves Commission database, and his medal card, my husband's grandfather John NORWELL (service number 159255) was a driver in B Battery, 251st Brigade, the Royal Field Artillery. That he was a driver does not surprise us, as prior to the war he was a van-man for the Co-op, in his native city of Perth, Scotland. However, the batallion is confusing us. According to www.1914-1918.net, the 251st Bde was a territorial force, 1st line battalion, 50th Division from pre-war and was redesignated from II Northumbrian Brigade 16 May 1916, with batteries from Hull and Scarborough. How likely is it that a Scot would be in a Northumbrian brigade?

I would be very grateful for any insights forum members may be able to provide.

In anticipation, many thanks

DrElaine

[jay dubaya]

Hi DrElaine, welcome to the forum,

I've just had a look at John's MIC on ancestry, not much noted on there, also it looks like his service papers were lost during the Blitz of 1940. He doesn't appear to have a TF number which may suggest that he enlisted under the Derby Scheme or was a conscript, and was posted to the 251st Brigade from a pool of reserves (although I could be wrong). He has no entry date on his MIC which would also suggest that he didn't arrive overseas until January 1st 1916 at the earliest.

My Yorkshire relatives served with the 9th (Scottish) Division, one of them with a kilted battalion which must have raised some eyebrows at home, so it's not unusual for men from one end of the country to be serving in a regiment/unit from the other end of the country.

As a driver John would have been part of the horse team pulling the guns of the battery, whilst the guns were in action he would have been at the horse lines looking after and caring for the horses and their kit.

Jon