Royal Artillery Special Reserve 1912

[jaydon100]

Hi,

I am trying to find out what uniform my great Uncle would have worn. He enlisted into the Royal Artillery Special Reserve on August 12th 1912 in Newport, Monmouthshire. The officer signing the documents shows as being from the 4th Welsh Brigade. His records show that after training he serves as a driver in the 2nd Division. During 1914, he is listed as being in 33rd battery, then 139th battery, then 44tg brigade and finally 41st brigade. In 1916, he still appears to be with 2nd division, 41st battery and A company. Though the details are difficult to read after that, it is clear he stays with the 2nd division as a driver and serves in France from 14/9/14 to 7/7/18. On 9th Feb 1919, he is shown as a gunner with 34th Reserve Battery. He is discharged in 1920.

I am trying to identify soldiers in a photograph which I have previously posted on here.

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=149864

I was wondering if my uncle could be one of the soldiers wearing the Monmouthshire regiment uniform, or whether I can rule him out as he would have worn a RFA uniform.

I'd be very grateful for your comments.

Thanks!

[SFayers]

Hi jaydon,

From what you've written it looks like your g uncle was with the RFA throughout the war. As such he wouldn't be one of the Monmouthshire Regiment chaps in your photo I'm afraid.

Cheers

Steve

[battiscombe]

as a special reservist (RFRA) he would have a normal RFA uniform, as the previous post says... he would have been mobilised 4/5th August 1914 and reported to Preston, I expect.

I have an interest in 2nd Division artillery. On mobilisation he was presumably a reinforcement for 44th (Howitzer) Brigade - 47, 56 or 60th Battery, or its Ammunition Column (as he arrived in France a month later than the Brigade) and probably passed to 41st Brigade with 47th Battery, which was transferred in May 1916 when the 44th Brigade was broken up and its units dispersed.

I see that several other SR gunners (many with a 1912 enlistment, like him) joined 44th Brigade in September 1914 from 139th battery which was a reserve/depot battery in Preston, where he would have had to report with all the reservists and special reservists for 2nd Division.. I have a full list of 44th Brigade men in 1914 and would be interested to check his name, and may have information on his Battery or postings ... if some of his records survive we may be able to unpick/decipher a bit more information from them

[jaydon100]

Hi both and thanks for the responses- I expected what you both said but just wanted to check.

His name was Alfred Christopher Tyler but his pension records are under the name of Christopher. He was born 1896. He wasn't with the 44th long, however. He joined 41st in 24th October 1914.

I have another question! Christopher had two elder brothers. Both enlisted in Newport, Mon in 1914 and joined the South Wales borderers. Could these be the men in the picture? One problem with this though is that the eldest brother only lasted a month or do before he was found medically unfit so would he have time to get a picture in uniform, or would this have been taken from him. Also, other posters have said the pic was 1916 at earliest?? Middle brother was in 7th battalion and eldest in 8th. Middle brother served in France for short while before injured.

Again, any thoughts would be helpful. The picture was emailed to me, along with a single portrait of a young man in a SWB's uniform, by the granddaughter of the middle brother, so it has a family connection somewhere. But if it is the middle brother in the SWB's uniform then I guess he couldn't be in this pic also in a Monmouthshire uniform?? After injury, he joined medical corp.

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Jayne

[FROGSMILE]

Hi both and thanks for the responses- I expected what you both said but just wanted to check.

His name was Alfred Christopher Tyler but his pension records are under the name of Christopher. He was born 1896. He wasn't with the 44th long, however. He joined 41st in 24th October 1914.

I have another question! Christopher had two elder brothers. Both enlisted in Newport, Mon in 1914 and joined the South Wales borderers. Could these be the men in the picture? One problem with this though is that the eldest brother only lasted a month or do before he was found medically unfit so would he have time to get a picture in uniform, or would this have been taken from him. Also, other posters have said the pic was 1916 at earliest?? Middle brother was in 7th battalion and eldest in 8th. Middle brother served in France for short while before injured.

Again, any thoughts would be helpful. The picture was emailed to me, along with a single portrait of a young man in a SWB's uniform, by the granddaughter of the middle brother, so it has a family connection somewhere. But if it is the middle brother in the SWB's uniform then I guess he couldn't be in this pic also in a Monmouthshire uniform?? After injury, he joined medical corp.

Any thoughts much appreciated!

Jayne

Jayne,

When the Regiment (SWB) was associated with a number of Welsh counties after it became the South Wales borderers in 1881, it gained those counties' militia and volunteer battalions. These were:

• 3rd Battalion SWB - formerly the Royal South Wales borderers Militia (Royal Radnor and Brecknock Rifles)
• 4th Battalion SWB - formerly the (Royal Montgomery and Merioneth Rifles Militia)
• 1st (Brecknockshire) Volunteer Battalion SWB
• 2nd Volunteer Battalion SWB
• 3rd Volunteer Battalion SWB
• 4th Volunteer Battalion SWB

Territorial Force

In 1908 the Territorial Force was established and the Volunteer battalions joined it. These became:

• The Brecknockshire Battalion - formerly the 1st Volunteers
• 1st (Rifle) Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formerly the 2nd Volunteers.

• 2nd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formerly the 3rd Volunteers
• 3rd Battalion, The Monmouthshire Regiment - formerly the 4th Voluteers

Ergo, although the Monmouths were no longer formally part of the SWB, there was still a very strong tie between the two regiments, especially in the minds of the local people.

[battiscombe]

Right - i have him.

Driver Christopher Tyler (13739 mobilised and posted to the 44th Brigade Base details (a small group who remained at the Base.. Havre I think, used for admin work and then reinforcements) .. posted 44th Bde Base detail from 139th Bty;

then 24/10/1914 posted to 41st Bde. He was almost certainly posted to the 41st Brigade Ammunition Column then, as in May 1916 the Ammunition Columns (and he) were all reposted to the 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC) in a reorganisation -- 27/5/1916 to 2nd DAC;

In july (30/7/1916) he was posted from 2nd DAC (experienced men from the DAC were commonly used as replacements for gun batteries) to 9th Battery of 41st Brigade still 2nd Division ...(to 9/41st Bde);

in 1917 (11/2?/1917) he was posted to one of the 2nd Divisional Trench Mortar Batteries (X, Y and Z batteries) (= Y/2nd TMB); in December he was posted back to the HQ of 2nd DAC - Dec 1917; then posted 6/2/1918 to the TMBs again; home 8/7/1918 ...

so his war is fully accounted for. there is a long and dense History of the 2nd Division which gives a blow by blow account of their war..

[jaydon100]

Thanks Frogsmile and Battiscombe for the information - that's great! Where could I find the history of the 2nd Division?

[battiscombe]

http://www.naval-military-press.com/

have produced a reprint (2 volumes) - by Wyrall.. can be found being sold for under £20.00 - ..an original first edition will be expensive.

There is a fascinating online blog presenting the diaries and letters - day by day = of 2 members of the other 2nd Division RFA Brigade (36th Brigade RFA) here:

http://ewmanifold.blogspot.com/

- currently at 21st January 1917 .. they fought beside the 41st Brigade throughout the war