Mountain and Heavy batteries

[JMP180]

Not too sure how this will pan out but here goes. I have recently found out that my great grandfather, George Lancelot Biggs, served during the Grear War. I have found out a bit about him but not too much about where he was and what he was doing there. From his service records I found out that he served with variour RGA batteries:

RGA No. 8 Mountain Battery

RGA 14th Mountain Battery

101st Brigade?

157th Heavy Battery

It also states that he was in India and RGA Base Basrah.

I Know that it may be alot to ask but if anyone has any information on the above I would be very greatful

Thanks,

Jonathan

[KONDOA]

I assume you mean Gnr 301949 Biggs George L.

His number denotes that he joined the 4th Highland Mountain Brigade after January 1st 1917, unless there is another MIC card for him.

 

Roop

[pjjobson]

Jonathan

You will also find this webpage of interest, if I'm not mistaken it is also the work of CSMMo.

http://www.butesonsanddaughters.co.uk/battery.shtml

Regards

Phil

[kevinrowlinson]

I cannot find a war diary reference for the 8th Mountain Battery for the period your gt.grandfather served with them, 14-7-1917 to Dec 1917, but you will see from his records he was in the Murree Hills. Try Google. He was sent to Basra base on the 15-12-1917 and sent to the 14th Mountain Battery on the 26-1-1918. There is a diary for this at the Nat. Archives, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...;accessmethod=0 , and would give you a good idea of where he was and what he may have been doing.

You may have noticed he was mobilised into the "regular" RGA with no. 124144, and along with many others he was sent to the 5th Reserve Brigade and would have been trained in "C" Mountain Battery, before being given his new Territorial number early 1917. His link with the 4th Highland Mountain Brigade about ends there.

Kevin

[JMP180]

Thank you all for your inputs, especially Kevin for the diary reference. Iwill be checking that out today.

Regards,

Jonathan.

[CSMMo]

Jonathan,

Kevrow has it right, as usual. For some reason, gunners trained by personnel from 2/4th Highland Mountain Brigade (also known as "C" Mountain Battery, 5th Reserve Brigade) were given TF numbers from the block assigned to 4th HMB. They were the only mountain gun training outfit in the UK, so replacements from home went to the various Mountain Brigades/Batteries throughout the world bearing their 4th Mountain Brigade numbers. There's a veryu hard to find book whose title starts out "With the Mountain Guns" which should give you a good idea of what your great grandfather's Army duties were like.

I hope this helps,

Mike Morrison