128th Heavy Battery RGA (Oxford)

[mortimer]

I am trying to discover the events surounding the Battery on the 29/9/1918. To a novice interested in the 'RA' all these numbers & units are confusing...am I right in saying they (128) were -

Part of the 9th Bde RGA / 76 HAG /

1st Army /

att. Canadian Corps ?

Involved in counter battery fire around Harg(q?)icourt ?

If not PLEASE enlighten the dim, THANKS

[Borden Battery]

Hello Mortimer

Here are two websites to start your search. I will post more information later.

Library and Archives Canada - War Diaries of the First World War

This database contains the digitized War Diaries of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) units. From the start of the First World War, CEF units were required to maintain a daily account of their “Actions in the Field.” This log was called a War Diary. The War Diaries are not personal diaries, rather they are a historical record of a unit’s administration, operations and activities during the First World War. [CEF Study Group - Updated July 2006]

http://www.collectionscanada.ca/archivianet/020152_e.html

Official History of the Canadian Army in the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force, 1914-1919

Colonel G. W. L. Nicholson, C.D., Army Historical Section

This is the classic reference text [the Bible] for any student of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the Great War. The original textbook is very difficult to obtain, however, the document is now available in the Adobe .pdf format directly from the historical section of the Canadian Armed Forces website. This document can be “key-word” searched for specific military units, locations and dates.

http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=22

[Note: The pagination in the on-line document is different than the original document, therefore formal citations with page number references cannot be used. [Note – the CEF Study Group has re-transcribed this complete document as a true facsimile of the original document. Go to http://www.cefresearch.com/matrix/Nicholson/ and click on “Transcription” to access the correctly re-paginated document in either Word or Adobe pdf]

Borden Battery

[tony paley]

Mortimer,

You may be confused , batteries were moved in and out of groups quite regularly, so I would guess that during 1917 when with the Canadian Corps, they were with 76 Heavy Artillery Group, At the end of 1917 Groups were renamed Brigades, by then 128 Heavy Battery were with 9 (Mobile) HAG now called a Brigade. So Group/Brigade means the same. In 1918 9 Brigade RGA. was part of the 4th Army. There is a strong chance that 128 HB. were with 9 Brigade throughout 1918. I am sure others will have more details as to when the battery moved and what groups the battery was attached to. 8th August I believe 9 Brigade RGA supported the operations during the battle of Amiens, they were then supporting the Australians.

Tony P

[tony paley]

Mortimer,

Bit more information, on 11th October 1918 9 Brigade RGA. was part of the II American Corps heavy artillery in 4th Army during the battle of the Selle. 76 Brigade was also in 4th Army in X!!! Corps. Seems your brigades spent most of the war supporting our friends accross the sea.

Tony P

[mortimer]

MANY thanks to -

Tony P & Borden Battery

[ororkep]

Mortimer,

128 HB rejoined 9 Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) from 14.1.1918. 9 HAG became 9^th Mobile Brigade in Feb 1918 and by Sept 1918 the Bde HQ 600 yards west of Templeux on the Roisel road. It's component batteries were positioned at Hargicourt. I cannot see where you get 76 HAG from ?

29.9.1918. Operations commenced at 5.30 am. The Bde was given the role of "counter battery work and to render assistance as opportunity offered on other targets or by request of the infantry". The weather was fine, but misty and cold. The only unit of the Bde to move was the ASC column which moved up to Roisel. No casualties are recorded to 128, but they suffered 12 through gassing on the 30^th

Rgds Paul

Source: Notes form 9 HAG WD