"D" Battery 48th Brigade Royal Field Artillery

[fortheFallen]

I have often wondered whether our schools do enough to teach youngsters of today about the Great War and whether, in time, our brave heroes might be forgotten. I was therefore heartened today to receive an email from a school pupil who had found my web site, for the Fallen. The young lady explained that, as part of her GCSE history course, she and members of her year would shortly be visiting war memorials and cemeteries in Northern France and Belgium. She wanted to know whether a Captain Geoffrey Weldon was commemorated on the Menin Gate.

Thanks to CWGC, I was able to reply that, in fact, Captain Weldon, "D" Bty, 48th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, died on 25th September 1916 and is buried at Etaples Military Cemetery. Whether or not this school group will actually get to Etaples Military Cemetery remains to be seen. I hope they do. However, I would like to be as helpful as possible to the young lady who took the trouble to contact me. Does anybody have any information, e.g. from war diaries, which indicates exactly what "D" Battery were doing on 25th September 1916? If Captain Weldon gets a mention in any documents, so much the better.

[rflory]

Captain Geoffrey Weldon, RFA

Born on 21 January 1885, the son of Rev. E. Weldon of Corrymore, Achill, Ireland and Tracey, nearl Honiton, Devon

Educated at Eton from 1899 to 1902 and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich

Commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant on 21 December 1904

Promoted to Lieutenant, RFA on 21 December 1907

Went to France on 12 September 1914 with 111th Battery, 24th Brigade, RFA

Promoted to Captain, RFA on 30 October 1914

Later served in France with D Battery, 48th Brigade, RFA

Died on 25 September 1916 of wounds received at Ginchy on 20 September 1916. "For the last eight weeks his battery had been in action in one of the worst spots on the Somme front; on the 20th September he was badly wounded by a shell. He did not suffer much, and his only anxiety was for the officers and men of his battery."

A fellow officer wrote: "He was always calm and steadfast in the greatest danger: all the time I was with him I never heard him speak a harsh or hasty word."

Sources: Eton School Register, Part VII, 1899-1909; List of Etonians Who Fought in the Great War 1914-1919; The Eton College Chronicle, 16 October 1916; List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery from June 1862 to June 1914; various Army Lists.

[fortheFallen]

Captain Geoffrey Weldon, RFA

Born on 21 January 1885, the son of Rev. E. Weldon of Corrymore, Achill, Ireland and Tracey, nearl Honiton, Devon

Educated at Eton from 1899 to 1902 and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich

Commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery as a 2nd Lieutenant on 21 December 1904

Promoted to Lieutenant, RFA on 21 December 1907

Went to France on 12 September 1914 with 111th Battery, 24th Brigade, RFA

Promoted to Captain, RFA on 30 October 1914

Later served in France with D Battery, 48th Brigade, RFA

Died on 25 September 1916 of wounds received at Ginchy on 20 September 1916. "For the last eight weeks his battery had been in action in one of the worst spots on the Somme front; on the 20th September he was badly wounded by a shell. He did not suffer much, and his only anxiety was for the officers and men of his battery."

A fellow officer wrote: "He was always calm and steadfast in the greatest danger: all the time I was with him I never heard him speak a harsh or hasty word."

Sources: Eton School Register, Part VII, 1899-1909; List of Etonians Who Fought in the Great War 1914-1919; The Eton College Chronicle, 16 October 1916; List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery from June 1862 to June 1914; various Army Lists.

rflory

This is absolutely brilliant. Thank you so much. I'll pass the information on to the young lady who contacted me - I'm sure she'll be absolutely delighted.

[Guest cjbarnett]

Thank you for the information on Captain Geoffrey Weldon, RFA, and for the information regarding Etaples.   My grandfather served as Lieutenant (acting Captain) in "D" Battery 48th Brigade in 1916 (I believe "D" battery was transferred from 49th Brigade in April).  He was wounded by a phosgene shell explosion on 15 or 16 September, at Flers, and did not return to action.  He met my grandmother while convalescing after he was discharged from the hospital.   I do not have any information on others who were with "D" Battery at Flers or earlier (he was in France from early 1915).   Can you point to sources?

 

By coincidence, one of my great uncles served in the Seaforth Highlanders - he, happily, survived the war.

 

 

[Ron Clifton]

Hello cjbarnett, and welcome to the Forum!

 

You can download the War Diaries of the brigades of 14th Divisional Artillery from the Kew website, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for about £3.50 each. Here are the references:

WO 95/1886 46 Brigade Royal Field Artillery 1915 May - 1919 June  
WO 95/1887 47 Brigade Royal Field Artillery 1915 May - 1919 June  
WO 95/1887 48 Brigade Royal Field Artillery 1915 May - 1916 Dec.  
WO 95/1887 49 Brigade Royal Field Artillery 1915 May - 1916 Oct.  
You should also be able to find them on Ancestry if you (or your local library) have a subscription.

 

The comings and goings of officers are usually recorded by name in War Diaries, though not the names of other ranks.

 

In April/May 1916 the three 18-pounder brigades in each division exchanged their D Batteries with batteries from the fourth brigade, equipped with 4.5-inch howitzers. This explains your grandfather's transfer from 49 to 48 Brigade.

 

Good hunting!

 

Ron

Edited 14 November , 2016 by Ron Clifton