RHA or RFA?

[petersloan]

My great uncle, Gunner William Sloan 213045, 378th Battery RFA was killed on 12th August 1917 when his gun pit was destroyed. Three men were killed with him. Two were Gunner Frank Fenner, 209505, and Gunner Arthur Downs, 671775. All three are listed on soldiers died as having been in RHA and RFA. Why is this? Would the three have been transferred to RHA or would their unit have been converted to RHA? Where did Soldiers died get their info. from?

Any light shed will be very welcome

cheers

Peter

[sotonmate]

Peter

CWGC records for the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery,Armentieres state that all four casualties were serving with 378 Battery RFA on the date of their deaths. Their graves are in Section VIII Row C Plots 6 to 9 in the sequence:

C6 A R DOWNS 671775

C7 F S FENNER 209505

C8 W C SLOAN 213045

C9 A G LEACH 70760

A peek into the War Diary might give you a bit more info.It might also be productive to see the Medal Index Cards of these Gunners as they MIGHT at some stage have served with the RGA as well,and the cards will show this.

Sotonmate

[jay dubaya]

Peter,

the RFA and RHA came under the same branch of the Royal Artillery and so were seperate from the RGA.

Gunner Downs number looks like it may have been issued to the Lowland Division DAC as it falls in the number block allocated to them during the TF numbering changes of early 1917,

Jon

[shutt]

Hi Peter, afraid I can`t help answer your question because it is one I`ve asked myself but am unfortunately none the wiser !. My great uncle was killed on 1st May 1918. He was with the 180th Brigade RFA at the time, but had only been with them three weeks having been transferred from the 383rd Brigade RFA. Interesting though, that in soldiers died he too is down as being RHA and RFA. So far my researches have only turned up evidence for his serving with the RFA.

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Peter, and bikertom

As Jay has pointed out, the mounted corps of the RA was callewd the "Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery". The RHA and RFA were not separated for recruiting and administrative purposes, I think that you will find that Soldiers Died describes them thus, and not as "RHA and RFA"

A number of RHA Batteries were converted to use 18-pounders and to serve with the divisional artillery of ordinary infantry divisions. Thus they were, to all intents and purposes, RFA units though they retained the cachet of the RHA title. Thewre were no units, as far as I know, which were converted from RFA to RHA.

Ron

[petersloan]

Thanks chaps - it all makes sense. Thanks for Gunner Leach's details - I missed his grave off my photo!

Much appreciated

Peter