RGA 1915

[Steve11]

I am trying to identify the RGA battery or brigade which my Grandfather John 'Jack' Easton) served as a layer. (Also currently researching my other Grandfather George Speer elsewhere in the forums).

According to his MIC Gunner John Easton 43171 had the 1914-15 Star which I understand puts him in France in late 1914.

He was living in Wandsworth at the beginning of the war and quite likely enlisted locally. I clearly remember him telling me when I was very young that his battery of 60 pounders excercised on Hamstead Heath with another 60 pounder battery in front of the King. At the end of the excercise the 2 batteries flipped a coin to see which one would go to France first and my Grandfathers battery 'won'.

Although I was very young I'm sure he said that they were to be the first to try the 60 pounders in action. Also my mother always thought him to have been at Mons but if this was so he would surely have the 1914 Star???

Is there any way from the info above that I can identify his unit?

Or perhaps at least narrow the field by finding out what 60 pounder batteries were in France in 1914?

Any help or guidance here would be greatly appreciated.

Steve

[crispy]

Hi Steve.

From a letter I received from the Royal Artillery Historical Trust it shows that they have very little detailed history of the 200 heavy batteries and 545 siege batteries of the RGA which served during WW1, it would seem that the War Diaries etc were maintained not by the batteries but the next level of command i.e, the Heavy Artillery Group or Brigade.

What the RA Historical Trust do have on some of the WW1 batteries is a Historical Unit Data Base which give a bare outline of the battery history, I have noticed that the pritouts vary as regards the contents of each but even those with the minimum allow further research to be undertaken, others contain such a lot of detail that all you might like to find out is all therein.

Sorry to have not been able to have been more help, but do suggest that you contact the RA Historical Trust via, Paul Evans at the Royal Artillery Museum

<Paule@firepower.org.uk>

I sure he will be able to help you far more than me, at least I am sure he "will know a man who can".

My late father was like your grandfather a gunlayer in the Royal Artillery but in WW2, perhaps it is my imagination but I have been left with the distinct impression that the staff at Wollwich seemed keen to help the descendants of theirregiment, since starting this reply to you a thought crossed my mind, perhaps the RA Museum might have a data base that could extract those WW1 batteries that used the 60pounder, which would narrow your search area somewhat.

Regarding your medal query, could it be that your grandfather was there at a time other than that which qualified him for the 1914 Star & date bar for Mons, for example towards the wars end, I suspect you are aware already that several regiments (not the RA of course) were awarded the Battle Honour "Pursuit to Mons",whilst following the German retreat, it is just a thought, I hope that the RA Museum are able to help you.

David.

[Blackblue]

Hi David,

The 1914/15 Star does not necessarily mean he went to war in late 1914. It may mean that he entered a theatre of war up until the end of 1915 also. There are a number of resident Royal Artillery experts who are members of the forum...Dick Flory for one. He will know more about whether your grandfather can be traced to a Bde by his regimental number. In some instances RA men can and in some they cannot.

Regards

Tim D

[Blackblue]

Pardon me...was reaplying to the wront post...Steve,

The 1914/15 Star does not necessarily mean he went to war in late 1914. It may mean that he entered a theatre of war up until the end of 1915 also. There are a number of resident Royal Artillery experts who are members of the forum...Dick Flory for one. He will know more about whether your grandfather can be traced to a Bde by his regimental number. In some instances RA men can and in some they cannot.

Regards

Tim D

[crispy]

Hello again Steve.

I have had a look through some of the records etc of WW1 RA men that I have to hand most of whom were were Gunners, on most of their medal rolls details of their battery numbers are shown (not all do) but if you got your grandfathers medal index card & medal roll entry from the PRO at Kew you might get a good result, lets hope so.

David.

[Steve11]

Thanks a lot for your replies David/Tim,

I have made some progress on this and I now believe my grandfather served in the 17th Hvy Bty - although I've not yet positively confirmed this. The MIC, which I'm 99% certain must be his, in fact shows the 15 Star and the corresponding Medal Rolls have the 17th against his name.

As the 17th was posted overseas in Oct 1915, this ties in with a photo (in uniform) dated 1915, that cousin of mine has come up with and the info on on my grandfathers marriage cert (from the PRO) date Feb 1915 which records his occupation as coal miner.

It now seems more than probable he did not serve in France until 1915 although we always understood that my grandfather (from Battersea, London) ended a miner in Wales because of a war related incident - I don't suppose I'll ever get the answer to this.

I'm now deeply interested in the role of the 60 pdr Heavy Batteries in WW1 (17th in particular) and I'll be contacting the RA Historical Trust for further info.

Thanks again.

Steve

[stevew]

Another Steve here and more RA queries. I have 2 Great Grandfathers who were in the RA, one a gunner and one a driver. I have their MIC's, but have never looked at the medal rolls themselves. Will the Medal rolls give me any further info'??

Or would I be better contacting the RA historical trust??

[rflory]

Steve11 wrote:

I now believe my grandfather served in the 17th Hvy Bty

Steve: The 17th Heavy Battery, RGA went to France on 7 October 1915 with the 29th Heavy Artillery Brigade (HAB). It joined the 23rd HAB on 16 Oct 15 and transferred to the 8th Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) on 3 Mar 16 (actually joined on 8 Mar 16). It transferred to the 31st HAG on 16 Mar 16; to the 34th HAG on 8 Jun 16 (joined on 10 Jun 16; to the 18th HAG on 19 Jan 17 and stayed with it until 23 Jan 17 when it was made up to six guns by the addition of one section which joined from 203rd Heavy Battery. It joined 60th HAG on 30 Jan 17, transferred to the 84th HAG on 5 Sep 17 and transferred to the 67th HAG on 10 Nov 17, staying with it until the end of the war.

The Battery's war diary for the period Oct 1915 to Sep 1916 and Jan 1918 to Nov 1918 has not been traced, but its war diary for the period Oct 1917 to Dec 1917 can be found at the National Archives at WO95/228.

Regards. Dick Flory

[rflory]

Steve W: I noted that you were

remembering Dvr George W Cruse 33759, R.F.A and Gnr Alfred William Elson, 931120 R.F.A, 319249 R.G.A

I can't tell you anything about Dvr. Cruse except that from his service number he appears to have been a regular. Dvr. Elson's service numbers are indicate of service with the TF. His service number 931120 indicates service with the 2nd London Brigade RFA. The first line of the 2nd London Brigade, RFA served with the 56th Division and was later renumbered as 281 Bde, RFA. The second line of the 2nd London Bde, RFA served with the 58th Division and was later renumbered as 291 Brigade, RFA.

Elson's second service number, 319249, indicates service with the 2nd London Heavy Brigade that was part of the 47th London Division, and later transferred to the RGA.

Regards. Dick Flory

[stevew]

Dick,

Thanks for that info'...............that is brilliant.

steve

[Steve11]

The Battery's war diary for the period Oct 1915 to Sep 1916 and Jan 1918 to Nov 1918 has not been traced

Hi Dick

Thanks for your reply. You were also most helpful in replying to another thread of mine which I started subsequent to starting this one:

http://1914-1918.org/forum/index.php?showt...=0entry100558.

Just to recap, I looked up the 17th Hvy Bty war diary (WO95/228) and found that it was mis-titled as the diary records from 30 Sept 1915 to 28 Dec 1917.

Steve

[Steve11]

Hi Steve (stevew)

I'd recommend that you look up the war diaries for the units Dick has mentioned. Although these may not always contain much information you may be lucky and find the opposite is true.

I found the 17th Hvy Bty's showed where the unit was on a day to day basis and it lists battery casualties - including OR's (Other Ranks) - by name. There's a lot of other detail as well.

Steve.

[stevew]

I'd recommend that you look up the war diaries for the units Dick has mentioned.

Steve,

Thanks for the recommendation................I'll see what I can find out on my next visit to the PRO.........whenever that maybe!!!!

Steve

[RobertBr]

Another Steve here and more RA queries. I have 2 Great Grandfathers who were in the RA, one a gunner and one a driver. I have their MIC's, but have never looked at the medal rolls themselves. Will the Medal rolls give me any further info'??

Or would I be better contacting the RA historical trust??

Steve

My Grandfather also served in D battery 281st Brigade form Sept 1917 to 1919. I have his diary for 1918/19 and can trace his route throughout the year (except April-Sept). I have already posted some of this data on the forum.

Bob