Guest nuvoix Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 Hello Forum. I've just joined purely as I wanted to share my find with anybody who may be interested. I figured you peeps may do if anybody was to. Appologies in advance if posted in wrong section, no offence shall be taken if my post is removed.... OK...I found a really interesting letter from my grandfather to my grandmother this week. I spent most of sunday (14/03/2010) translating it as i found the writing hard to read. The experience freaked me out a little as it dawned on me it was 96 years to the very day that my grandfather had written it. that in itself has urged me to join this forum and have feeling i needed to share..... Scans included Page 1 Page 2/3 ( page2 right side ) Last Page The letter reads... Z/5 French ?Mortar Battery? 14.3.16 My Dear Miriam Thanks very much for your nice letter and card and more thanks for the sweets and woodbines the sweets were quite a welcome change. I am glad you liked the cards. When i got them the town was being shelled by the Germans. It is a place about the size of Accrington and all in ruins but we left there about a fortnight ago and now we are in the trenches by another big town. It is just one big mass of ruins. the Germans occupied this place but they have been driven out. I ought to of told you before but i am not out here with a battery of big guns , we work out here in the trenches with the infantry and send bombs over into the German lines. When the snow was on the ground we could send snowballs over at the Germans, I think we have seen the last of the snow this winter. We have had two days bright sunshine but there is a lot of mud in these trenches, but you get used to the mud. We were digging in the trenches yesterday and I came across a boot in the mud. I gave it a pull and what do you think it was. A French soldier buried in the trench. We are very close to the German trenches here and either us or the Germans will have to hop it soon, and i don't think it will be us.Well Miriam my dear, I am still in the very best of health and spirit and being in france has not done me any harm so far. You ask me in your letter what France is like but what i have seen of it i don't think much about it. There is nothing but mud and ruins and soldiers but ofcourse we don't get a chance to go sight seeing. We don't go anywhere only where the fighting is going on. Your suggestion about the women coming out to fight makes me smile, I'm afraid there would not be much work done if every soldier were allowed just ?????????? ???????? in the trenches up to there knees in mud ofcourse. I know its only your ?fun? but that will have to wait until the war is over then make up for lost time. I have had a letter from Harry ?Twitter? , He has listed and don't laugh he tells me that ?abraham owen? Has got married. I don't think i have any more to write about just now. Please take note of the change in the number of my ?battery Z/5 in place of ??????????? Hoping I hear from you again soon with all my love from your loving sweetheart tom X XX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Also found this from the london gazzette and a possible Dischage certificate I'm sorry i have no idea as to what regiment or anything he was attached to. He lived in lancashire, great harwood accrington area. have a few other items i shall post up if anybody would like to see them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 Welcome to the Forum. Your grandfather was in a Trench Mortar Battery (TMB), part of the Royal Field Artillery (RFA). THE Gazette piece is a Mention in Despatches. You must be very proud of him. This section of Chris Baker's Long Long Trail website will help you understand his role http://www.1914-1918.net/trenchmortars.htm We would love to see your other items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footsore Private Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 Greetings nuvoix, Welcome to the GWF and thanks for posting that interesting letter! Regards, footsore private Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantowi Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 Welcome to the Forum, Must be nice to have such a personal thing to link you to your Grandparents Grant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rksimpson Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 Hi Read this to help you understand about the Mention in Despatches - http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/gallantry.htm and http://www.1914-1918.net/grandad/gallantry2.htm You must be proud of him, let the forum know if they can help with further searches regards Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nuvoix Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 Thank you all for the warm welcome and your links posted.....i've learnt so much allready. This is a really interesting forum, I've found so many fascinating threads, my day has just just flown by. I'm slightly confused though maybe somebody can help..... Along with letter i found theese two pictures, up untill now i assumed they were of my gradfather. I never had pleasure of meeting him and have no idea what he looked like. My issue i have is the sargeant has a different cap badge to the group photo as well as the fact i cant identify the picture of the sergeant as being on the group photo. Could anybody identify which is most likely to be, if any, the picture that contains TMB, RFA please? Squad Photo Photo of sargeant Also is there any links or info that would tell me where the RFA fought? Has anybody got knowledge of what battles he may of fought in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 16 March , 2010 Share Posted 16 March , 2010 I have a note that 90 TMB became Z/5 TMB. Perhaps that may be what is written in the letter. If not then it would be interesting to know what is. If you ever get to the National Archives then you should be able to read the war diaries for this battery under http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...hInit=4&j=1 . Neither of the photos are of Royal Artillery gunners. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew_jackson Posted 20 March , 2010 Share Posted 20 March , 2010 Thank you all for the warm welcome and your links posted.....i've learnt so much allready. This is a really interesting forum, I've found so many fascinating threads, my day has just just flown by. I'm slightly confused though maybe somebody can help..... Along with letter i found theese two pictures, up untill now i assumed they were of my gradfather. I never had pleasure of meeting him and have no idea what he looked like. My issue i have is the sargeant has a different cap badge to the group photo as well as the fact i cant identify the picture of the sergeant as being on the group photo. Could anybody identify which is most likely to be, if any, the picture that contains TMB, RFA please? Squad Photo Photo of sargeant Also is there any links or info that would tell me where the RFA fought? Has anybody got knowledge of what battles he may of fought in? Hi Nuvoix - I think your grandfather had a younger brother, Joseph, who served with the Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry and had the number 17536. The cap badge of the Oxford & Bucks looks to be the same as those in the Squad Photo, so I guess it's Joseph who's there somewhere. Both Joseph and Thomas Henry are listed in the Great Harwood Roll of Honour, published in 1915. Thomas is shown as being with "29th" Royal Garrison Artillery with the number 49574. Both had an address of 57 Park Road, Great Harwood. The family were at the same address in 1901 and 1911 - send a pm if you'd like details. All the best, Andrew (no relation!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now