RFA or RHA ?

[shutt]

Just read on another thread that RHA Batteries used letters rather than numbers. During my research into my great uncle, I found that he was in the RFA, 383rd Battery 179th Division throughout 1917 and early 18, when he was transfered to "B" Battery of 180th Brigade, 16th Division. He was only with them a month or so when he was killed on May 1st, 1918. According to SDGW, he was in the RFA and RHA, which puzzled me a bit. Am I right in thinking then that the 180th was an RHA unit, not RFA as I thought ?. He was Gunner J. W. Maltby 651943. Unfortunately I don`t think his records survived, at least I have not been able to find them. One last question, what was the difference between the RFA and RHA ?. Excuse my ignorance on the subject, but did`nt the RFA use horse teams to pull the guns as well ?. Any advice as always, much appreciated.

[bmac]

RHA batteries were joined to RFA batteries to form brigades of 18 pdrs attached to Divisional Artillery in a number of cases. AFAIK Pre-war RHA would have been attached to cavalry (with 13 pdr guns). RFA were with the infantry.

[pw643]

Tom

Although RHA only had letters, RFA Batteries had both and in your case B/180 or B Bty 180th Bde were indeed Field Artillery part of 16TH Division from Feb 1916 to the end of the war. SDGW lists both RHA & RFA soldiers together but doesn't specify which.

Regards

Paul

[shutt]

Thanks for the clarification guys. Much appreciated.

[jay dubaya]

Didn't the RFA and RHA come under the same administratrive body and the RGA under their own seperate body, hence the RFA and RHA are filed like this on SDGW

cheers, Jon

[rflory]

Jon: You are correct. During the Great War the Royal Artillery was subdivided into two parts: (1) the Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery, and (2) the Royal Garrison Artillery. Dick Flory