War diary 268th Siege Battery

[joesam84]

Hi,

I'm trying to find out the whereabouts of the 268th Siege Battery in 1918. I have a copy of the war diary for Feb.1917 to Jan 1918. Does anyone know if a diary is avaialble for the rest of 1918, or if not where the 268th were in action.

Also does anyone know where and when the 268th were formed and where initial training and post deployment training would have taken place.

Thanks for your help,

Rick

[John_Hartley]

National Archives online catalogue has no listing after 1/18.

[ororkep]

Rick,

268 were formed at Portsmouth 28-9-1916. May I sugest you concentrate on the higher formation HAG they were part of from Dec 1917, which was 3 Brigade. This will take you upto Dec 1918, allowing you to track their movements. The diary can be found under NA internal ref: WO95/297.

Rgds Paul

[joesam84]

Thanks for the prompt replies. I'll be going down to Kew in a few weeks so i will investigate further. Paul, perhaps you can help me with this query.

I am researching a soldier in the 268th ( his war records didn't survive). He enlisted in Shropshire on June13th 1916. Would he have enlisted in the RGA and then assigned to the 268th or would he have been sent wherever there was a shortage of men.

Also would he done his training in the Portsmouth/Gosport area. Without his records, it's like trying to do a jig saw puzzle with missing pieces!!

Thanks again for your help,

Rick

[kevinrowlinson]

Rick,

Without his records it is impossible to say how he was posted to the 268th Sge Bty exactly.

If you are still researching 102757 George Simister, as from your previous thread, then it is highly likely that he was sent to No.2 Depot, Fort Brockhurst, Gosport, and was finally approved at the end of June 1916. Now you have to imagine that the Depots were just like large railway stations, where men were being received and forwarded, normally after just a couple of weeks, and being sent to other depots all over the place. At any one place he may have taken a different course to the men he first joined with. Looking at my data for men arriving at Fort Brockhurst at this time, I am tempted to think that for some strange reason he was held longer in the UK than most, and may have gone out with the 388th Sge. Bty. on the 18 July 1917, which was split up with one section joining the 268th Sge. Bty.. The nearest gunner who did this was 112077 Ezra Butterworth, who joined at Fort Brockhurst on the 26 July 1916, and was sent off to Pembroke Dock.

This is, of course, pure speculation, and unless you can find any further evidence of his time in England then your main research should be based on the diary that Paul has given you.

Kevin

[joesam84]

Kevin,

Thanks for that information. I have been corresponding with a GWF pal whose Great Uncle was in the 268th SB and whose record survives.He was sent to No.2 depot Fort Brockhurst on the 15th August 1916 and posted to the268th on Nov.11th. They then went over to the Isle of Wight for further traning befrore leaving for France in Feb.1917. I fairly sure my man George Simister would have followed the same route.

Thanks again,

Rick