Dvr. Lawrence Moss Simpson 20436 R.F.A. 10th Heavy Bty

[johnpetermoss]

Hi as a newbie I've found the information on the site very helpful researching my father's cousin's death on 19/7/1915 but found differing documented facts.

C.W.G.C. states he's remembered on the Helles Memorial Panel 21 & 22 this ties in with our family oral history that says, he died when the ship carrying him was sunk off Gallipoli.

Ancestry states he died of wounds, theatre of war Antwerp, this ties in with another line of the family whose oral history says, he was kicked by a mule and died from his injuries.

MIC shows D of W the other info on the card states Egypt, Lawrence is spelt Laurence but his service number is the same.

Any ideas please.

[Chris_Baker]

Helo Hallam Lad, welcome to the Forum.

You can ignore the Antwerp. It is from a well-known error that Ancestry have made when loading up the "Soldiers Died in the Great War" database. I'm sure you'll get loads of help with his story.

[johnpetermoss]

Hi Chris thanks for the welcome and the info on Ancestry, that rules out one line of thought.

Like you I thought there might have been more replies, maybe the post heading doesn't work.

One of the headings "Died at sea, buried at sea" may explain why Lawrence is remembered on the Helles Memorial.

I need to confirm that the R.F.A 10th Heavy Bty was at Gallipoli?

Was the Egypt the theatre of war for Gallipoli?

Peter

[ororkep]

Welcome Peter,

Perhaps it is because there are some anomalies here that is stopping members from contributing, the CWGC phrase ‘10th Heavy Battery’ is rather confusing as that indicates a Royal Garrison Artillery battery rather than an RFA one.

Now the 10th Hvy Bty RGA was at Gallipoli at the time AND disembarked in Alexandria on the SS Karoo on 19-7-1915 which just happens to be the DOE on his MIC, but this could possibly be a mistake by CWGC as there is no roll reference for RGA on his medal card. So the question is, was he temporally attached to 10 Hvy Bty RGA in his Driver capacity?

I would suggest first you need to establish if his service records have survived and this at this moment in time that can only be done and verified at Kew; if they have survived they should hopefully establish if he served with either:

10 Hvy Bty RGA, or

10 Bty RFA.

The 10 Bty RFA for instance, arrived in Mar 1915 for Gallipoli as part of CXLVII Bde. A diary survives for them at Kew which may expand your knowledge further under reference WO95/4308, and there is a separate file in the same box ref for their Amn Col, which as he was a Driver should also be viewed. But it has to be his service records for your first avenue of research along with the two RFA rolls held at Kew that his MIC references refer to.

Rgds Paul

PS The term DOW could just as easily refer to a date prior to 22-8-1915; there were 5 wounded casualties recorded on the 21st in the war diary for 10 Hvy Bty RGA but none are named.

PPS Anyone with N&M 29th Division History that could check out 10 Bty RFA and rolls?

[johnpetermoss]

Welcome Peter,

Perhaps it is because there are some anomalies here that is stopping members from contributing, the CWGC phrase '10th Heavy Battery' is rather confusing as that indicates a Royal Garrison Artillery battery rather than an RFA one.

Now the 10th Hvy Bty RGA was at Gallipoli at the time AND disembarked in Alexandria on the SS Karoo on 19-7-1915 which just happens to be the DOE on his MIC, but this could possibly be a mistake by CWGC as there is no roll reference for RGA on his medal card. So the question is, was he temporally attached to 10 Hvy Bty RGA in his Driver capacity?

I would suggest first you need to establish if his service records have survived and this at this moment in time that can only be done and verified at Kew; if they have survived they should hopefully establish if he served with either:

10 Hvy Bty RGA, or

10 Bty RFA.

The 10 Bty RFA for instance, arrived in Mar 1915 for Gallipoli as part of CXLVII Bde. A diary survives for them at Kew which may expand your knowledge further under reference WO95/4308, and there is a separate file in the same box ref for their Amn Col, which as he was a Driver should also be viewed. But it has to be his service records for your first avenue of research along with the two RFA rolls held at Kew that his MIC references refer to.

Rgds Paul

PS The term DOW could just as easily refer to a date prior to 22-8-1915; there were 5 wounded casualties recorded on the 21st in the war diary for 10 Hvy Bty RGA but none are named.

PPS Anyone with N&M 29th Division History that could check out 10 Bty RFA and rolls?

Hi Paul thanks for the welcome and the information.

From what you write Lawrence could have been attached to either, for his date of death was after both units arrived.

We live in Portugal so visits to the UK are normally quite brief so the only research I can fit in is on the Internet relying on the good will of people like yourself.

This forum has been immensely useful, much info has already been gleaned from other peoples queries.

Regards Peter