Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

166th Siege battery


wood

Recommended Posts

I am looking for information about Essex and Suffolk reg.- 166th siege battery. Gunner F W Snow was killed on 26th Sept 1917 at Ypres. I would appreciate any information about unit, relationship to regiment, action on this day

Link to comment
Share on other sites

David

166 Siege, formed at Harwich on the 7th June'16, were allocated to the 66th Heavy Artillery Group, 1st Anzac Corps Heavy Artillery, 2nd Army, from the 12th - 30th Sept'17.

The attached map gives their position on the 25th Sept'17, its a fairly safe bet they were also there on the 26th.

Stuart

PS I've put the dot in the wrong place, it should be on the road under the first six of 166 Siege. The dot is on the position they were to occupy after their move forward from a position south of Zillebeke Lake. It would seem they took up position a couple of hundred yards back down the road.

post-6041-1244853138.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

David,

You are in luck as the War Diaries for the 1st Anzac Corps Heavy Artillery are on line here http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/war_diari...sp?levelID=1543 and the 166th Seige Battery is mentioned in them for Part 1 - September 1917.

7th - 10th September 1917:

73rd HAG - Lt. Col. E.F Corbett (Counter Battery Group in Reserve) - Codename HALE

166th Siege Battery - 6" Howitzers - I.22.c.70.50

18th September 1917:

66th HAG - Lt. Col. A.J Saltren-Willett (Double Group Commander) - Southern Counter Battery Group - Codename HAIR - H.15.a.5.5

166th Siege Battery - 6" Howitzers - I.22.c.02.04 - Codename HARENESS - A/Maj. B.T.Disnoy

25th September 1917:

66th HAG - Lt. Col. A.J Saltren-Willett (Double Group Commander) - Southern Counter Battery Group - Codename HAIR - H.15.a.5.5

166th Siege Battery - 6" Howitzers - I.18.b.19.13 - Codename HARENESS - A/Maj. B.T.Disnoy

Part 1 - September 1917 of the War Diary outlines the battle orders and involvement of the 73rd HAG and 66th HAG during the period you mention and is very interesting reading.

Andrew

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eggleton,

What a stroke of luck. I was about to post a query on the location of 166 Siege Battery during Ocober 1917. A distant relative, Major B Disney and a Captain W. Kersey were KIA on 17th Ocober 1917 and are at rest in Dickebusch Huts CWGC. Thanks for the information.

Tony P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Andrew (Eggleton),

Thanks very much for the excellent link you provided for David, with the HAG information given to me previously by Stuart (ESDEE) I have been able to read about 232SB who my Grandfather served with.

What a fantastic Forum this is.

Regards,

Norman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Andrew (Eggleton),

Thanks very much for the excellent link you provided for David, with the HAG information given to me previously by Stuart (ESDEE) I have been able to read about 232SB who my Grandfather served with.

What a fantastic Forum this is.

Regards,

Norman

Dear Andrew and Stuart. Many thanks for the info. You've made an old man very happy. David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who are you calling old David? :D

Thanks for raising the question, should have welcomed you to the Forum, good luck in your research.

Regards,

Norman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Hello everyone,

After many hours researching my family tree i have found quite a few people with military service, one of those people is Gunner F W Snow. The information already on this thread has been amazing but can anyone tell me if there is a way to find out the circumstances of his death, where, how and what units were in the area (both German and Allied) ?

Gunner F W Snow married Eliza Jane Youngman, my Great, Great Aunt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you were able to post more information, eg date of his death and any other details you have regarding his unit etc. The Royal Artillery was a very large Corps with approx. 550,000 men serving in 1918. With more detail I am sure someone may be able to help.

Tony P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

SCrofts,

Re: Gnr 34077 Fredk Wm SNOW KiA 26-9-1917 with 166 Sge Bty

Unfortunately with no surviving battery war diary and nothing in the relevant HAG diary either (66 HAG) that tells you anything. Your best option is to go to the Australian archive site as previously mentioned in the posts above and download their freely available files for September 1917 AWM4-13-7-18 part 1 & 2; and AWM4 13-4-5 part 1 & 2, which is for 1 ANZAC Corps and will show you where 166 was positioned that week, how many rounds they fired, what operations the battery was involved in at the time etc. Failing that, you should look up the local papers for orbits for the other six battery members killed that same day, as often they include a letter of condolence from a senior Officer that may proffer extra information.

Rgds

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thankyou very much the info here is incredibly interesting, being new to family research and military research i wouldnt have known where to start, thankyou

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...