Royal Field Artillery - help with unit please!

[brianoleary82]

Hi folks,

I am trying to find out a bit about, John Herlihy of Cork, who enlisted as a Driver in the Royal Field Artillery on 12 November 1915 in Cork barracks.

His service record says that he was first posted to No. 5 depot RFA, Athlone and then again to a training unit, the 25th Reserve Battery on the 19th November or December 1915.

He was moved on again to another unit, in Ireland, on 15th July 1916: it is some sort of a Howitzer Battery I think and can be seen in the below photo.

Afterwards, he was transferred to another unit on 6th December 1916 which I am having trouble understanding: but it refers to a 832nd Brigade, RFA (possibly a ref to a How Battery on the right margin). When with this unit he was posted to France on 4th March 1917.

He was soon finally transferred on again on 11th April 1917 (and was subsequently wounded with shell shock on 2nd June 1917). I can't make head nor tail of which unit he was transferred to!

Can anybody help with what these three units are please?

Many thanks in advance!

[Roger H]

I think it is actually 332nd Brigade which was part of the 66th Division until the Brigade was broken up in April 1917. I think the final entry is C Battery of 298th Army Royal Field Artillery Brigade (A FA BDE as written in your extract above). This brigade became an Army Brigade in April 1917. An Army Brigade was not attached to any particular Division but allocated to any Army Division as required. I suppose you could call it a kind of "reserve" - to be sent where support was required.

This link might prove useful: http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_units%20-%20oldversion.htm

I hope this helps

Roger

[brianoleary82]

Thanks a million for that Roger! That certainly all fits together. I've been looking them up online to find out more about them, and will take a look at the war diaries when I'm in Kew in the spring again. Thanks again!

[rflory]

The initial unit that he belonged to in France was 'A' Battery, 332nd Brigade, RFA which he joined on 6 December 1916. In April 1917, as Roger indicated, 332nd Brigade was broken up and 'A' Battery, 332nd Brigade, RFA was re-designated as "C" Battery,298th Army Field Artillery Brigade on 11 April 1917 (see the word "became" before "C/298th AFA Brigade" in the last line).

[Roger H]

see the word "became" before "C/298th AFA Brigade" in the last line.

Ah, I was trying to decipher that word myself! And how is the book getting on Richard?

Roger

[brianoleary82]

Brilliant, thanks for that further information! You can see that the battery for 332 appears to be written but is behind a folded back bit of paper, so that will help no end when I go to check out the war diaries. Many thanks again for that rflory and Roger!