32nd Brigade R.F.A

[Swally]

Hi Guys,

My Granda was a Gunner with the R.F.A.and according to his Medal Index Card was with the 32nd Brigade, he was posted to France 23/08/14 so he was with the B.E.F. Can anyone give me more information on the activities of the 32nd Brigade please.

Thanks,

Swally

[Roger H]

Part of the 4th Division. Try this as a starting point: http://www.1914-1918.net/4div.htm

Roger

[lostinspace]

Here is some early war information on XXXII Bde. (27, 134 & 135 Batteries) - On 3rd Aug. the brigade was at Woolwich then posted (along with most of the rest of the division ) to protect the east coast from possible German landings, on the 13th of Aug. H.Q. and 27 Battery were still at Woolwich, 134 Battery at Edinburgh and 135 Battery at Norwich. Before the move to France the 4th Division was concentrated at Harrow, Kenton and North Wembley and on the 22nd XXXII Bde.entrained from Harrow for Southampton, embarked on the S.S. Thespis and sailed for Boulogne (probably on the 23rd). The next day (24th) the brigade moved to Bohain by rail and with the rest of the artillery and infantry of the 4th Division moved north to cover the retirement of II Corps around Solesmes. Here is a link for information on the artillery at the battle of Le Cateau (26th Aug.) - http://www.archive.org/details/royalregimentofa00beck

Regards,

Dave

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Swally

If you can get to London, the brigade's War Diary is in the National Archives at Kew:

WO 95/1467 32 Brigade Royal Field Artillery 1914 Aug. - 1919 Jan.

I don't think that 4 Div's artillery had caught up in time to take part in the Battle of le Cateau on 26 August but they certainly helped to cover the retreat. The brigade stayed with 4 Div on the Western Front throughout the war.

Ron

[Swally]

Hello Swally

If you can get to London, the brigade's War Diary is in the National Archives at Kew:

WO 95/1467 32 Brigade Royal Field Artillery 1914 Aug. - 1919 Jan.

I don't think that 4 Div's artillery had caught up in time to take part in the Battle of le Cateau on 26 August but they certainly helped to cover the retreat. The brigade stayed with 4 Div on the Western Front throughout the war.

Ron

Ron,

Thanks for the info, sadly I am in Scotland so I won't be able to view the diary. Maybe a kind souls will be able to do me a turn and photograph and send it.

Thanks,

Swally

[lostinspace]

Sorry, I didn't list my sources for the above information - XXXII Bde. War Diary, "History of the (British) Fourth Infantry Division, 1914-1918" (G.P. Kingston) 2006 and "The Royal Regiment of Artillery at Le Cateau" (Major A.F. Becke) 1918. All of the artillery of 4 Division except for the heavy battery participated in the battle of Le Cateau, 27 Battery actually lost two 18 pounders, if you look at Becke's map of the 4 Division's artillery positions (in the link above, map 4) you will see what I mean.

On the other hand, feel free to ignore this post and look it up for yourself.

Dave

[WARFORUM]

The diaries are not digitalised so the only hope you have if you can't make the trip, is someone on the forum passing them on to you. The limited info I have I will send.

Graham

[Johno7439]

Swally, A massive generalisation here - 32 Brigade spent the entire war with the 4th Division. 4th Div began entraining for France at Harrow on August 21st and crossed on the 22nd. It entrained for the front on the 23rd and on the 24th detrained at Bohain, Busigny, le Cateau and Bertry. The 25th saw the Division advance to cover the withdrawl of the 3rd Division. The division was engaged throughout the rest of 1914, took part in the Battles of Ypres in 1915, The Somme in 1916, Battles of Arras 1917, Battles of Ypres 1917, and in 1918 the Advance to Victory (Obviously there were numerous other battles 4th Division and 32 Brigade took part in). Hope this has at least given you a broad view of where 32 Brigade was, and gives plenty of scope for further research into several battles.

Regards

Ewan

[Swally]

Guys,

Many thanks to all who chipped in to help.

I am a bit of the hard of thinking here but was "The 32nd Brigade" made up of 3 batteries

27(2) Major H.E.Valentine

134 Major H.Ward

135(2) Major C.H. Liveing

They had 54 18lbs guns and 18 4.5" How (I presume this is Howitzers), presuming there were 6 men per gun = 432 men or am I way off the mark

Were there equal numbers in each batteries?

sorry for being thick here guys

[Johno7439]

Swally - Yes you are correct, 32 Brigade had 3 Batteries (27, 134 and 135). It didn't gain a fourth battery until June 1916, when 128 Battery joined, and was indeed armed with Howitzers (the battery was made up of one section each from 86 Battery and 128 battery). This Battery stayed with the Brigade until 14th Jan 1917 when it was broken up and the two sections that had made it up returned to their respective batteries. The unit the two batteries returned to, CLXXXVIII Brigade, became an AFA (Army Field Artillery Brigade) on the same date (14.1.1917). 86 (H) Battery, was transferred from the brigade back to 32 Brigade, where it stayed until the end of the war.

Remenber that batteries not only had gun crews (to operate the guns), they also had drivers, Forward Observation Officers, and all the "HQ" staff and personnel that one may find in a unit.

Ewan

[Johno7439]

Swally - If you go to the Long, Long Trail, and type in Artillery, you will get the composition of a Battery. As you will see, it has many individuals in it, not just "gunners" to crew the weapons. The duties of an 18 pounder crew, are not too far away from the modern duties of an artillery crew of a Light Gun.

[Swally]

Ewan,

Many thanks for your help and advice, I have checked out the Long Long Trail and am a bit wiser now.

Thanks

Swally

[topher2447]

Swall,

please check out the following.

http://www.warpath.orbat.com/divs/4_div.htm#xxxii

and a link on my web site http://www.42regt.com/1900_to_1939.html

I can be contacted on chridunham@aol.com if you email me your phone number we can chat

[topher2447]

swally, I also live in Scotland, Dalkeith 7 miles from Edinburgh city centre, wher do you live mate ?

check out this link for 27 Bty http://www.42regt.com/batterys/27bty_textWW1.html

and this for the Casualty list for 32 http://www.42regt.com/memorium_killed_32brigade.html

[topher2447]

please check out these links for what I have just uploaded to my web site

http://www.42regt.com/batterys/135%20bty/francis%20foljambe/foljambe_main_page.html

http://www.42regt.com/batterys/32%20brigade/le%20cateau%201914/main_page.html

cheers

[shepmarc]

32 brigade war diary is here :-

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=DAEDD69E9610458E!1528&authkey=!ANrEs69W9fn2hBs&ithint=folder%2cpdf

[Swally]

How do i access this

[shepmarc]

Click on the link https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=DAEDD69E9610458E!1528&authkey=!ANrEs69W9fn2hBs&ithint=folder%2Cpdf and both files should appear....

I am especially interested in the 27th Battery in which my Grand father served (Charles R V Sheppard).... You will see that the battery went into action on the 25/26th August @ Lecateau. I have been to the exact location several years ago and intend to do so on the centenary this year... 27th lost two guns and one KIA who is buried in the local cemetary which was around 100m from the battery's position see http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/324049/JACQUES,%20OSWALD%20GEORGE . If this does not work send me a private message with an email address I can forward this info

[Guest]

Hi my grandfather was Joseph Buckley reg no 16221 he joined on 19.04.1901 ,then again 1914 to 17.12.18 when he received the silver war badge as he was ill .he later died in 1923 when my father was very young ,I have never seen a picture of him and would ask members if there would be any in the records . I have seen his signing on paper and knew that this was him as his details were same as 1911 census and his signature was the same as my fathers .so any information I could receive would be great .

Edited 6 August , 2018 by Guest

[David Porter]

3 hours ago, Maryval said:

I have seen his signing on paper

 

Welcome to the Forum Maryval,

 

Have you seen his entire record in the Pension sections of either Ancestry or Findmypast? It gives the reason he was called up again in 1914 despite appearing to have served his full 12 years from April 1901. Also he was not with 32nd Brigade RFA all the time. There were spells in Reserve Brigades then a posting to C/124 on November 1, 1915, due to an exchange of sections with 32nd Brigade RFA  (his record says November 7, 1915 but the official date was 6 days earlier). It is a rather sad record which highlights stomach problems early in his war service that would ultimately lead to his death in 1923. Unfortunately, I cannot help with a picture. There is no central repository for these and they are just handed down in families. Occasionally a named group or individual photo turns up on internet auctions. You would be better advised to consult other family members including those distant relatives that may be descended from his siblings. 

[Guest]

Hi 

thank you for this information I did manage to find his service history ,does anybody here know have any details why the R F A was in Standerton South Africa during 1903 to 1905 after the Boer War .