226 Siege Battery RGA

[cooper120]

Can anyone tell me where this battery saw action. I know that the national archives at Kew have all the answers but the costs are too much. I alreary paid them to send me what information they had on my grandfather which totalled twenty A3 sheets but none of them told me where he served.

He was a Lietenant in the 226 Siege Battery, James Alexander Platts, I have discovered some of the places where he was stationed and have phographs of him in Malta.

The ironic thing is when the BBC programme with Fiona Bruce was on they talked about three men talking together and a bomb shell coming and exploding and killing one of them whilst the other two ducked and survived, my father has told me this tale before which was related to him by his father, my grandfather. Now whether this is the same incident I do not know but I just wish to know where abouts he served. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ororkep]

Cooper120,

The medal card of Cpl James A Platts shows he was Comm 24-2-17, but the actual medal roll has him as a 16 Coy original member who went out to the Western front 20-7-15 as a Serjeant on the SS Siptah from Southampton to Havre. A force of 7 Officers and 213 OR’s armed with the older 4 x 6 in Hows (30 cwt), with mechanical transport provided by 283 MT Coy ASC. On arrival the battery was soon split into two sections, the left positioned at Mailly Maillet and the RX positioned at Sailly Au Bois. These positions remained until the battery is recorded as coming together for the Battle of the Somme in the 16 Sge Bty war diary on 13-6-16, at Sailly. Such was their part in the war that by Oct 1915 the establishment had been reduced to 159 all ranks, and by July 1916 to 6 officers and 132 OR’s. No further change in position is recorded until the 10-9-16 when they moved to BEAUSSART, taking over an additional 6 in 30 cwt How from 81 Sge Bty on the 23-9-16. They moved again to Mailly Maillet in early Oct 1916 and took delivery of six new 26 cwt 6in Hows on 13-01-1917. This was during a rest period from 21-12-16 to 2-1-17, when soon after your ancestor is recorded in the diary on the 26th as

“No 30409 Sgt J Platts promoted to a permanent commission and posted to 226 Siege Battery to date 24-2-1916”.

I have nothing on 226, another 6 in How (26 cwt) battery, from that date other than you will find more in the respective Brigade war diaries at Kew 226 was part of at various times. For 78 HAG which they joined on 26-3-17, then 46 HAG on 16-16-5-17; rejoined 78 HAG 29-5-17; to 63 HAG 13-7-17; to30 HAG 23-10-17; 22 HAG 22-11-17 and finally 10 HAG on 22-12-17 for the duration.

Rgds Paul

[cooper120]

Cooper120,

The medal card of Cpl James A Platts shows he was Comm 24-2-17, but the actual medal roll has him as a 16 Coy original member who went out to the Western front 20-7-15 as a Serjeant on the SS Siptah from Southampton to Havre. A force of 7 Officers and 213 OR's armed with the older 4 x 6 in Hows (30 cwt), with mechanical transport provided by 283 MT Coy ASC. On arrival the battery was soon split into two sections, the left positioned at Mailly Maillet and the RX positioned at Sailly Au Bois. These positions remained until the battery is recorded as coming together for the Battle of the Somme in the 16 Sge Bty war diary on 13-6-16, at Sailly. Such was their part in the war that by Oct 1915 the establishment had been reduced to 159 all ranks, and by July 1916 to 6 officers and 132 OR's. No further change in position is recorded until the 10-9-16 when they moved to BEAUSSART, taking over an additional 6 in 30 cwt How from 81 Sge Bty on the 23-9-16. They moved again to Mailly Maillet in early Oct 1916 and took delivery of six new 26 cwt 6in Hows on 13-01-1917. This was during a rest period from 21-12-16 to 2-1-17, when soon after your ancestor is recorded in the diary on the 26th as

"No 30409 Sgt J Platts promoted to a permanent commission and posted to 226 Siege Battery to date 24-2-1916".

I have nothing on 226, another 6 in How (26 cwt) battery, from that date other than you will find more in the respective Brigade war diaries at Kew 226 was part of at various times. For 78 HAG which they joined on 26-3-17, then 46 HAG on 16-16-5-17; rejoined 78 HAG 29-5-17; to 63 HAG 13-7-17; to30 HAG 23-10-17; 22 HAG 22-11-17 and finally 10 HAG on 22-12-17 for the duration.

Rgds Paul

Paul, thank you very much for that information it is exactly what I have been looking for and I am extremely grateful for your help in this matter. My father of 86 will be over the moon with this information about his father, once again many thanks.

Trevor