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RFA Depot No. 6 / 50th Battery, 5th (‘C’ Reserve) Brigade


akduerden

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Thanks to this forum I have tracked down a lot more about my grandfather than I expected. Evenso this has lead me to try to find out information about these two units:

RFA Depot No. 6

50th Battery, 5th (‘C’ Reserve) Brigade

My grandfather LF Eggleton served withn the 115th Brigade RFA and spent some time in Salonoce before being promoted to 2nd Lt. and being sent to France.

I am very interested in any information relating to these two units.

Andrew

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RFA Depot No. 6

50th Battery, 5th (‘C’ Reserve) Brigade

Hello Andrew

These were training units. Each home Command (except Aldershot) had a Depot RFA with a Reserve Brigade, of two batteries, attached to it. On mobilisation, each of these batteries was expanded into a brigade, which was then numbered 6A or 6B, etc, and consisted of three Reserve Batteries. No.6 Depot RFA was at Glasgow with VI Reserve Brigade.

Later in the war, some extra brigades suffixed C were formed. 5C Reserve Brigade (49th, 50th and 51st Batteries) was based at Charlton Park, Woolwich.

Officers and men received their basic training with these units, which also covered practice firing at places like Larkhill (Salisbury Plain) or Showeburyness, before being posted overseas to an ordinary RFA Brigade.

Officers' service records have generally survived the Blitz and can normally be found at the National Archives at Kew. If you can get to London, you should find his flie in class WO339. The staff there are well used to guiding people through the procedures if you need any help.

Ron

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Thanks Ron.

Have a couple of questions:

1. LLT website has 6th Depot at Edinburgh - are you sure it was Glasgow?

2. My grandfather was posted to 50th Battery, 5th (‘C’ Reserve) Brigade prior to 3rd Cadet School as part of officer training. Do you know if this was usual?

3. Do you know of any sources of information on the reserve brigades?

Andrew

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1. LLT website has 6th Depot at Edinburgh - are you sure it was Glasgow?

The Depots may have moved sites from time to time. LLT has No 4 Depot RFA as Woolwich but, in 1909, it was the Portsdown Forts near Cosham, as shown in correspondence between my Grandparents.

2. My grandfather was posted to 50th Battery, 5th (‘C’ Reserve) Brigade prior to 3rd Cadet School as part of officer training. Do you know if this was usual?

I think, in the words of Eccles of The Goon Show, "Everybody's gotta be somewhere!" Reading the War Diary of 99th Anti-Aircraft Section, men coming to them from the Salonika Artillery Training School for on-the-job training were posted to them and then re-posted so I'd guess your Grandfather was going by the same route. I'm sure it kept things tidier for the book-keepers! ;)

Keith

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1. LLT website has 6th Depot at Edinburgh - are you sure it was Glasgow?

2. My grandfather was posted to 50th Battery, 5th (‘C’ Reserve) Brigade prior to 3rd Cadet School as part of officer training. Do you know if this was usual?

3. Do you know of any sources of information on the reserve brigades?

Hello Andrew

1. Definitely Glasgow in Aug 1914 as per the Army List. Farndale's History of the Royal Artillery says Edinburgh in 1918, which is presumably where LLT got it from.

2. He would have had to be borne on the strength of an RFA unit prior to being commissioned: I don't think "officer cadets" were so borne on the books of the schools.

3. Can't help you any further, I'm afraid, but there are lots of artillery experts on the Forum.

Rockdoc

They may not have been the same depot! RFA originally had seven depots, then four I think, then six, and the numbers changed to fill up the gaps.

Ron

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Thanks all for the help... I have subsequently confirmed that RFA Depot No 6. was at Maryhill Barracks, Glasgow in Dec. 1914.

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  • 5 years later...

Hi Guys

I am researching Robert Louis Hardwick who was in the R.F.A. (10-11-14 to 30-11-17)

The only info I have is from what I assume is his Silver War Badge record, No.274833.

His rank is S.Sth. what is that?

His service number is 90911, but is that his original number as he appears to have joined up in November 1914. ?

He is listed as having served overseas, but is (now) serving in the 5th C Reserve Bde (presumeably at Charlton Park).

Did he contract "sickness" overseas and was then moved to a quieter posting in a reserve training unit?

I cannot find a MRC, and surely he would have received a medal.

How am I going to find his earlier regimental details as he is not on my local AVL (Hallaton) and I cannot find any Service Records.

Any help you can give would be much appreciated.

thanks, Hussey

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Hardwick would have been a Shoeing Smith.. and indeed enlisted Nov 1914 with that number. he would have been discharged from 5C Res Brigade.. the administrative unit he would have been with before discharge .. the Silver War badge record will show if due to wounds or sickness.... sickness I see .... and it says he did serve overseas.. so the medal card should exist.. looks to be misfiled under Harwick..and he went to France 20/12/1914 .. the swift move to France so soon after enlistment may have been as a skilled Smith.. [there was a need for such skilled men] . or perhaps as a reenlisted old soldier.. it would be very unusual otherwise

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Thanks Battiscombe for that; I will persue that line of enquiry.

Hussey

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