Gayda Posted 21 November , 2010 Share Posted 21 November , 2010 I am planning a visit to France next summer and am hoping to follow in the foot steps of my grandpa, John Murray. I know he was a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery and that he was approved for service in Feb 1917 at the age of 34 yrs. I think, because he lived in Leeds, that he was probably in the 49th West Riding Division but that is only my assumption. Does anyone know if there is a way to find out for sure?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 November , 2010 Share Posted 21 November , 2010 Welcome to the forum Gayda, do you have a service number for John, it will save a lot of time hunting down any surviving records, Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 21 November , 2010 Share Posted 21 November , 2010 Gayda For someone who was probably conscripted and began serving in 1917 it would not be wise to make formation assumptions based upon where they lived ! We look forward to unravelling your Grandpa's tracks ! If he has more than one name let us know that too,it helps to whittle down candidates in a more than one horse race ! Did he live in Luxor Road Leeds with wife May and daughters Nina or Fiona (b1911) and Constance (b1915) ? If so his service number was 205180 and he has a service record on Ancestry UK. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 November , 2010 Share Posted 21 November , 2010 I may have found him on the Leeds AVL as Gnr 205180, there are only 2 John Murrays' listed on the AVL the other sereved with the RAMC. If this indeed the right John Murray his service papers have survived. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 21 November , 2010 Share Posted 21 November , 2010 Gayda So he seems to have attested in 1915 and not joined up until 1917. In the time between eventually embarking for a war theatre he was in the Reserve Brigades of the RFA in the UK. He left Southampton on 23 Nov 1917 for Alexandria Egypt and then on to Kantara Palestine for service with 263 Brigade RFA,this from 1 Jan 1918. He returned to the UK on 4 Aug 1919 for demobilisation. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 21 November , 2010 Share Posted 21 November , 2010 Looks like a trip to Palastine instead Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayda Posted 25 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 January , 2011 I am planning a visit to France next summer and am hoping to follow in the foot steps of my grandpa, John Murray. I know he was a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery and that he was approved for service in Feb 1917 at the age of 34 yrs. I think, because he lived in Leeds, that he was probably in the 49th West Riding Division but that is only my assumption. Does anyone know if there is a way to find out for sure?' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayda Posted 25 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 January , 2011 Have not checked this website in some time so did not know I had received any replies. Yes, the John Murray I am talking about is gunner 205180 of the RFA. Any information on him would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayda Posted 25 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 25 January , 2011 Yes, this is my Grandpa. How did you find him? Is there a way of finding out his regiment? Gayda For someone who was probably conscripted and began serving in 1917 it would not be wise to make formation assumptions based upon where they lived ! We look forward to unravelling your Grandpa's tracks ! If he has more than one name let us know that too,it helps to whittle down candidates in a more than one horse race ! Did he live in Luxor Road Leeds with wife May and daughters Nina or Fiona (b1911) and Constance (b1915) ? If so his service number was 205180 and he has a service record on Ancestry UK. Sotonmate How did you find all this out? This is wonderful. Thank you so much! Gayda So he seems to have attested in 1915 and not joined up until 1917. In the time between eventually embarking for a war theatre he was in the Reserve Brigades of the RFA in the UK. He left Southampton on 23 Nov 1917 for Alexandria Egypt and then on to Kantara Palestine for service with 263 Brigade RFA,this from 1 Jan 1918. He returned to the UK on 4 Aug 1919 for demobilisation. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayda Posted 26 January , 2011 Author Share Posted 26 January , 2011 Hello Sotonmate, Is this information you have given me available somewhere on line? I'd love to print it off if it is. Email me please. Thanks Gayda So he seems to have attested in 1915 and not joined up until 1917. In the time between eventually embarking for a war theatre he was in the Reserve Brigades of the RFA in the UK. He left Southampton on 23 Nov 1917 for Alexandria Egypt and then on to Kantara Palestine for service with 263 Brigade RFA,this from 1 Jan 1918. He returned to the UK on 4 Aug 1919 for demobilisation. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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