akduerden Posted 7 January , 2009 Share Posted 7 January , 2009 I am researching my grandfather who was a 2/Lieutentant in the RFA (made Lieutenant after 1918) and was in Salonika Campaign. His name is Louis Francis Eggleton (Regimental No. 47350). I have some documents relating to his demobilisation in 1920, photos and have his Medical Card from TNA. My problem is I don't have a clear understanding of which unit he belonged to as his Protection Certificate states his Theatre of War and Command as France, 715th Brigade and Last Served 33rd Brigade (which is part of 8th Division). I can't find anything on 715th Brigade. Family recollections have him at battle of Somme (I am guessing the 2nd battle), being gassed, getting malaria in Salonika and his complaining of the long retreat over the mountains to Greece. Anybodies help will be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 7 January , 2009 Share Posted 7 January , 2009 You should be able to obtain his service records at Kew - I do not have the relevant WO reference number to hand (try The Long Long Trail linked above). Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveE Posted 7 January , 2009 Share Posted 7 January , 2009 You should be able to obtain his service records at Kew - I do not have the relevant WO reference number to hand This would appear to be the only possible file at Kew - WO339/99410 EGGLETON L [1914-1922]. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akduerden Posted 7 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 7 January , 2009 Thanks Ian and Steve. The former reference number matches the one on the copy of the medal roll Officers List Extract I downloaded from the TNA. I will order the service record and see what I find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 8 January , 2009 Share Posted 8 January , 2009 It should be possible to work out a likely unit he went to France with in 1915 by the disembarkation date - 19 Sept 1915 ..as a good chance he went with a new Division, perhaps 26th Division which later moved to salonika? that is 114 -115-116 and 117 Brigades I think (maybe it is 115th Bde and not 715th Bde on the Protection Form, they are often quite scrawled .. - 715th Bde doesnt exist I think). if sick invalided home perhaps?) and/or sent home and commissioned he may well then have been posted to another unit in France looking at some medal cards, I have one for a man in A Bty 115th who landed in Farnce 8?/9/1915 and Salonika 16/12/1915 .. an officer of 115th Bde who arrived in France 19/9/1915 .. its medical officer is down as arriving on the 20th Sept ...similar dates for 116th Bde ...so that is indeed a good possibility I think .. I hope that gives you something to work on david I am researching my grandfather who was a 2/Lieutentant in the RFA (made Lieutenant after 1918) and was in Salonika Campaign. His name is Louis Francis Eggleton (Regimental No. 47350). I have some documents relating to his demobilisation in 1920, photos and have his Medical Card from TNA. My problem is I don't have a clear understanding of which unit he belonged to as his Protection Certificate states his Theatre of War and Command as France, 715th Brigade and Last Served 33rd Brigade (which is part of 8th Division). I can't find anything on 715th Brigade. Family recollections have him at battle of Somme (I am guessing the 2nd battle), being gassed, getting malaria in Salonika and his complaining of the long retreat over the mountains to Greece. Anybodies help will be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akduerden Posted 9 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2009 looking at some medal cards, I have one for a man in A Bty 115th who landed in Farnce 8?/9/1915 and Salonika 16/12/1915 .. an officer of 115th Bde who arrived in France 19/9/1915 .. its medical officer is down as arriving on the 20th Sept ...similar dates for 116th Bde ...so that is indeed a good possibility I think .. David, I have attached the Medal Index Card I believe belongs to him (downloaded from TNA) but you seem to have more information than I can glean. Is the regiment number the same (47350)? Another member (Kieth) has come up with the same conclusion as yours (22nd Div. and 26th Div.) based on the disembarkation date. Your proposal that he went home sick would match his getting malaria and maybe being reposted to the 33rd brigade where he ended up. Hopefully the service records will fill in the gaps. Is there anyway of checking medical rolls (?) or commission lists? I have searched the Gazette and have found a change of rank (Gazette Issue 31419) in 1919 to Lt. and another possible one (F. Eggleton in RFA) for temporary change from 2.Lt to Cpt. (Gazette Issue 30157) in 1917. I have nothing on him getting promoted to 2nd.Lt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akduerden Posted 9 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2009 Kieth, According to LLT 26th Division was raised on Salisbury Plain (Codford St. Mary, Sherrington, Stockton and Wylye). He lived at the time at Harsden, London. Do you know how recruits were placed in Divisions? Was it geographical? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockdoc Posted 9 January , 2009 Share Posted 9 January , 2009 (edited) Infantry formations might still have a local flavour in 1915 and the TA Artillery did but I don't think the Regular Artillery ever had any connection except with Woolwich. As this chap was a simple Gunner in 1915 he'd pretty much go where he was told. Going a little off topic for the sake of example: My Grandfather enlisted in June 1909. I don't know whereabouts but he had been working at Ellistown Colliery, Leicestershire, and his parents lived in Walmley, Warwickshire, so I'm guessing it would have been in the Midlands. He did his initial training at No 4 Depot, in the forts near Cosham Hampshire, and then moved to Newport Barracks in Monmouthshire, where he joined 25 Battery. He was very excited to be in the same Brigade as 53 Battery, which had recently taken several prizes for driving and presentation. He sent his girl, my Grandmother, several postcards of the immaculate men, horses and guns. From there the Brigade was moved to Waterford Barracks in Ireland while waiting to be sent to India. They left from Southampton in March 1910 for the Lahore Cantonment and the three batteries of the Brigade - 12, 25 & 53 - returned to Souhampton on the Dongola on 8th January 1914. He came back as a Bombardier. In 'Tommy', Richard Holmes records the outrage felt by many units during the War when their replacement servicemen were being transferred in from other regiments because "the regiment" was absolutely everything to the Infantry. I don't think that the RA worked in quite the same way but my Grandfather's transfer to CXXIX Brigade RFA in November 1918 is stated to be "immediate and permanent" so I can't imagine that Gunner Eggleton had any say about his placements, either. Divisions were set up with a particular organisation of Infantry, Artillery, Engineers and so on. I'm sure that the various components of a Division went where they were told in just the same way that the common soldier did. It's certainly true that some Divisions had a clear, local flavour but I believe they were the exception. Keith Edited 9 January , 2009 by Rockdoc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Gibson Posted 10 January , 2009 Share Posted 10 January , 2009 Couldn't find anything else for you on Ancestry. Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akduerden Posted 10 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 10 January , 2009 Just found out from a family member that my Grandfather's unit went to Glasgow for training (I would guess this was early 1915). Story goes that the man in the bed beside him was murdered - stabbed in the night. I am wondering whether there are any sources available that would allow me to discover which traning facility and possibly what units went through them during 1915. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akduerden Posted 10 January , 2009 Author Share Posted 10 January , 2009 Couldn't find anything else for you on Ancestry. Martyn Thanks Martyn. I did not have the other side of the MIC - having it in colour also helps. It confirms the address I had which is good. Can you advise what the 1922 date is for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn Gibson Posted 10 January , 2009 Share Posted 10 January , 2009 That will be the date he applied for the medals or they were dispatched to him Martyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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