17th(RGA Brigade) -make up

[toto123]

An easy one i should think...just need confirmation. I assume that a RGA Brigade only had gunners, and not infantry battaions attached to them? Thanks in advance!

[daggers]

Gunners! RGA and RFA Brigades were the units comparable to an infantry battalion, commanded, usually, by a Lieutenant-Colonel.

Between the wars the RA Brigade was redesignated as Regiment, removing this confusion.

D

[ianjonesncl]

Gunners only

This link to Long Long Trail details what a RFA Brigade consisted of.

A RFA Brigade was a Battalion equivalent unit, both being commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel. Not to be confused with an infantry Brigade commanded by a Brigadier which consisted of 4 infantry battalions.

[toto123]

Thanks to you both for your responses.

And it appears from reading the Brigade diary that a Major headed the Batteries.

So a Leightenant -Colonel is above a Major..it can become confusing until you 'learn' it all by rote.

Am just coming to the closure of my research into my g/uncle in 248 S Battery. Certainly seems that he was involved in key events in the last months of the war. He reassured his brother (my grandad) in his letters from the front, that the gas didn't affect him. Unfortunately he sucumbed to the gas at end of October, south of Valencienes-but survived.

Thanks again

[ianjonesncl]

a Major headed the Batteries.

Am just coming to the closure of my research into my g/uncle in 248 S Battery.

The Battery Commander (BC) is a Major.

The link I sent was for a Royal Field Artillery Brigade.

248 Siege Battery was Royal Garrison Artillery. This would have been part of a Heavy Artillery Group which was commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and could consist of 4 or 5 Heavy and / or Siege Batteries. The RGA did not revert to Brigades again until January 1917.

By November 1917 248 Siege Battery was part of 17 (Mixed) Brigade, with 2 heavy batteries of 60 pounder guns, 2 batteries

of 6 inch howitzers (including 248), and 1 battery each of inch howitzers and 9.2 inch howitzers.

[toto123]

The Battery Commander (BC) is a Major.

The link I sent was for a Royal Field Artillery Brigade.

248 Siege Battery was Royal Garrison Artillery. This would have been part of a Heavy Artillery Group which was commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and could consist of 4 or 5 Heavy and / or Siege Batteries. The RGA did not revert to Brigades again until January 1917.

By November 1917 248 Siege Battery was part of 17 (Mixed) Brigade, with 2 heavy batteries of 60 pounder guns, 2 batteries

of 6 inch howitzers (including 248), and 1 battery each of inch howitzers and 9.2 inch howitzers.

Many thanks for that information. I have the Brigade Diary and your remarks clarify and tidy up points for me. Thank you

Yesterday, on another matter, an elderly lady i know showed me the bullet that her father carried with him after he was hit at Mons. He was in Irish Guards.

Do you by chance know of any photos of 6in howitzer brigades?

Tony

[daggers]

Ian

I don't think you mean this - "1 battery each of inch howitzers" !!!

Apart from that your info was far better than mine.

D

[ianjonesncl]

Ian

I don't think you mean this - "1 battery each of inch howitzers" !!!

Apart from that your info was far better than mine.

D

Daggers

A tad small !

It should be an 8 inch howitzer battery and a 9.2" inch howitzer battery.

Ian

[ianjonesncl]

Do you by chance know of any photos of 6in howitzer brigades?

Tony

I think the photo opportunities for a full Brigade of 4 or 5 Batteries would be very limited, however, if there is a picture a Pal will find it !

There are some photos on Wikipedia including this one of a Battery firing;

[ianjonesncl]

This picture shows a 6 inch Howitzer Battery on the move with Holt caterpillar tractors;

[toto123]

Many thanks to you both for those images. Much appreciated, as always

tony