145 Siege Battery RGA

[temptage]

Could anybody enlighten me as to what 145 Siege Battery got upto in WW1?

Which battles were they involved in and when.

My Grandfather, Ernest Sidney EMPTAGE, was seriously injured while serving in 145 SB, losing an arm in the process, but neither myself or my dad know where and when.

Are there any war diaries available that may give us an inkling?

Any help would be seriously appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[KONDOA]

Temptage,

I do not have any information specifically but the National Archives has a war diary for part of the war Oct 1916 - Jan 1917 during which time they were assigned to the Fourth Army.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-2239321&CATLN=7&Highlight=%2C145%2CSIEGE%2CBATTERY&accessmethod=0

Also check 79 Brigade diary:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-2239319&CATLN=7&accessmethod=5

Roop

[greatbeanbags]

Could anybody enlighten me as to what 145 Siege Battery got upto in WW1?

Which battles were they involved in and when.

My Grandfather, Ernest Sidney EMPTAGE, was seriously injured while serving in 145 SB, losing an arm in the process, but neither myself or my dad know where and when.

Are there any war diaries available that may give us an inkling?

Any help would be seriously appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Good luck 'temptage'.....I hope someone reading this can help you with info about 145 Seige Battery & your grandfather.

If any reader can offer you any info perhaps they can also help me with same on 220 Seige Battery please? I have a gunnery medal presented by Col. Walter Arthy to Gunner Crossley in 1918. Separate post on this with image already on the forum but no info has been forthcoming.

[KONDOA]

Gladiator

Just seen your request

Try

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-2238966&CATLN=7&Highlight=%2C220%2CSIEGE%2CBATTERY&accessmethod=0

for March - Nov 1917, Third Army, possibly 56th Brigade

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-2238962&CATLN=7&accessmethod=5

Roop

[jasmor58]

Temptage,

My friend Coemar and I have been researching 154 Siege Battery for some time now. We both have a copy of Capt. M.C. Walker's book on the history of 154 Siege Battery RGA. 1916 19.We are trying to trace as many living relatives of men who served with 154 SB. So far we have trace the family of Capt. M. C. walker, Lieutenant Herbert Greene and Gunner Hugh Graham M.M. , the latter being my father in law.Will check and see if we can come up with any information. Please feel free to PM me .

Regards,

Jasmor58

[KONDOA]

Jas,

I think he was enquiring regarding 145th SB?

Roop

[jasmor58]

OOPS! You are correct! How stupid of me to transpose the numbers. Sorry about that.

Jasmor58

[greatbeanbags]

Gladiator

Just seen your request

Try

http://www.nationala...&accessmethod=0

for March - Nov 1917, Third Army, possibly 56th Brigade

http://www.nationala...&accessmethod=5

Roop

Great .....thanks Roop. Have a Readers Ticket for the NA so will either visit & request copies to be available for me to see or will pay & order copies on line. Clive

[temptage]

Can anybody add anything to this thread?

Unfortunately I am unable to gain access to the National Archives as I don't have a credit or debit card.

[temptage]

Anybody add anything to this thread?

[charlie962]

Temptage, I put this here but it's relevant to your thread on Emptage. Courtesy National Archives:

 

59 and 79 HAG were Fourth Army until end of April 1918

[Andrew Fowler]

On 23/08/2010 at 22:19, temptage said:

Could anybody enlighten me as to what 145 Siege Battery got upto in WW1?

Which battles were they involved in and when.

My Grandfather, Ernest Sidney EMPTAGE, was seriously injured while serving in 145 SB, losing an arm in the process, but neither myself or my dad know where and when.

Are there any war diaries available that may give us an inkling?

Any help would be seriously appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Hi.

I've just joined the forum and spotted your request. My Gt Gt Uncle (by marriage) Richard William (Will) Simmonds served with the 145th and was killed in an accident on 28/02/1917.

He is the tall chap in the centre of this photo, behind the officer. I wonder if your grandfather is on this too? I've only just inherited it, along with many other items, and I'm in the process of restoring it. I haven't located a war diary yet. Did you manage to find out any more?

Cheers 

Andrew

[temptage]

On 07/12/2019 at 14:45, charlie962 said:

Temptage, I put this here but it's relevant to your thread on Emptage. Courtesy National Archives:

 

59 and 79 HAG were Fourth Army until end of April 1918

Charlie, many thanks for this. Ive only just seen it! Is there any wonder it was so difficult to trace where the 145th Siege Battery were at any given time.

 

11 hours ago, Andrew Fowler said:

Hi.

I've just joined the forum and spotted your request. My Gt Gt Uncle (by marriage) Richard William (Will) Simmonds served with the 145th and was killed in an accident on 28/02/1917.

He is the tall chap in the centre of this photo, behind the officer. I wonder if your grandfather is on this too? I've only just inherited it, along with many other items, and I'm in the process of restoring it. I haven't located a war diary yet. Did you manage to find out any more?

Cheers 

Andrew

What a brilliant photo. Sadly though, my Grandfather is not on it. He was injured for the first time, and shipped back to Blighty just a few days before the first Battle of the Somme, fortunately. Who knows how history could have changed for my family if he had actually been present on 1st July 1916.

[Andrew Fowler]

Yes, makes you think, doesn’t it?

I reckon this photo was taken just before they were posted to France, so that would be about Oct 1916. 

[ororkep]

Quote: "...would be about Oct 1916"

 

Strange! The Serjeant seated left of the Officer appears to have a wound stripe and Red & Blue overseas chevrons?

[charlie962]

1 hour ago, ororkep said:

Red & Blue overseas chevrons?

If that man went to France earliest Aug 1914 then his 4 chevrons date the photo not earlier than Aug 1917. But the chevrons were not worn before early 1918.

LLT says- The chevron was first authorised under Army Order 4 of 1918, which was published on 20 December 1917:

So long after Simmonds's death date.

Simmonds has a surviving service record- 81381

Strangely the record suggests he was posted to 145 SB the day he died?? (Edit-see next post) (He had previously been 145 SB 29/5-20/8/16 before B Siege Depot posting).                                       There is not a copy of the court of enquiry despite several references to it.

courtesy FindmyPast

 

Edit- the tall man behind Simmonds(?) has unusual shoulder titles ?

 

Edited 8 September , 2021 by charlie962

[charlie962]

Confusing service record. I find this page later on (courtesy FindmyPast)

[Andrew Fowler]

So, thinking about it, Simmonds wasn’t actually with 145th SB when the photo was taken

[clk]

Hi Andrew,

21 hours ago, Andrew Fowler said:

I haven't located a war diary yet.

145 Siege Battery only kept a separate war diary up until January 1917 - link. The unit allocation shown above shows that for the period 6.12.1916 to 17.3.1917 the Battery formed part of 49 Heavy Artillery Group. Their diary covering that period is here.

Regards
Chris

Edit:
For a small fee, a low resolution B&W scan copy of what was accepted as being his Will is available from here. It may well consist of a very few words though, and add little or nothing to what you already know.

If you would like an image of his grave stone, it looks like the good folk at British War Graves would be able to send you one, on a free of charge basis - link.

Edited 8 September , 2021 by clk

[Andrew Fowler]

Thank you so much for that Chris. I really appreciate it. 
I have quite a lot of items relating to him including this soldier teddy bear given to him by his wife and daughter. Note the message on its handkerchief 

[clk]

That's a really nice thing to have. I guess that he would have really cherished it, and that you do too. Thanks for sharing.

Regards
Chris

 

[charlie962]

On 08/09/2021 at 19:28, Andrew Fowler said:

So, thinking about it, Simmonds wasn’t actually with 145th SB when the photo was taken

Andrew, the problem is that, as ororkep first pointed out, he died well before the earliest date that photo could have been taken.

Charlie

[Andrew Fowler]

All I know is it’s definitely him and he was definitely killed on 28/02/17. Other than that, I can’t explain. 

[Andrew Fowler]

What I meant was that the photo was obviously taken before he was posted to 145th SB. 

[charlie962]

3 minutes ago, Andrew Fowler said:

What I meant was that the photo was obviously taken before he was posted to 145th SB. 

That is not possible  as I have explained above, following on from ororkep's spotting of badges on the sleeve of one man in that photo that were not available to be worn until long after Simmond's death. ie Simmonds cannot be in that photo.

Charlie