Kate Wills Posted 19 August , 2004 Share Posted 19 August , 2004 I am helping a friend research this man: Gunner T B HARDING 93067, 155th Heavy Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery who died on 16 October 1917 I see from the Long Long Trail that 155 was part of 36th Brigade RGA, but I cannot find their Division. Help please! He was born in Cardiff, and enlisted in Widnes. He was a professional violinist (like his father before him) and married Florence Ruby. They had a daughter Marjorie Compton Harding who was also in the Theatre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 19 August , 2004 Share Posted 19 August , 2004 155th Heavy Battery did not serve with a division. Also it was with 36th Brigade, RGA in November 1918 but not when your man died. From 12 Sept 1917 to 17 Nov 1917 the battery served under 92nd Heavy Artillery Group in France and Belgium. The Battery's war diary for May 1916 to Nov 1917 is in the National Archives at WO95/397. Gunner Thomas Bertie Harding, was born in Cardiff and enlisted at Widnes, Lancs. He died of wounds on 16 Oct 17. Regards. Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 20 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 20 August , 2004 Thankyou Dick. So were RGA batteries/brigades simply sent wherever heavy fire was needed, and if so by whom? Sorry if this is a daft question, but I am a complete novice in artillery matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 20 August , 2004 Share Posted 20 August , 2004 Kate Wills wrote: So were RGA batteries/brigades simply sent wherever heavy fire was needed, and if so by whom? Sorry if this is a daft question, but I am a complete novice in artillery matters. Kate: During the war Siege Batteries and Heavy Batteries in the RGA were organized under a higher headquarters that was initially designated as a Heavy Artillery Brigade (HAB), then as a Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) and finally in late 1917 as a Brigade, RGA. These headquarters were part of the Corps Heavy Artillery under the command of a Brigadier General referred to as the Brigadier General, Heavy Artillery (BGHA) or part of the Artillery of an Army. From the beginning of 1915 to the end of 1917 the Siege and Heavy Batteries transferred from HAG to HAG sometimes as often as a couple of times a week depending on the tactical situation at the time. In late 1917 when the HAGs were redesignated as Brigades, RGA the organization was stabilized and the batteries most often stayed with the same with the same brigade for the rest of the war. Regards. Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 20 August , 2004 Author Share Posted 20 August , 2004 Dick Again my thanks for clarifying the situation. You have saved me much time and effort scrabbling through heavy tomes. Bertie Harding's great nephew Barrie was bound to ask this. Thanks for the answer. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soldier75 Posted 28 December , 2007 Share Posted 28 December , 2007 Kate, I have just seen your post and as I am new to this forum and your post is pretty old I wondered if you had the info on Gnr Harding that you wanted, if not I can help, Contact me Soldier75 I am helping a friend research this man: Gunner T B HARDING 93067, 155th Heavy Bty., Royal Garrison Artillery who died on 16 October 1917 I see from the Long Long Trail that 155 was part of 36th Brigade RGA, but I cannot find their Division. Help please! He was born in Cardiff, and enlisted in Widnes. He was a professional violinist (like his father before him) and married Florence Ruby. They had a daughter Marjorie Compton Harding who was also in the Theatre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Wills Posted 31 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 31 December , 2007 Welcome to the Forum. All info gratefully received. My interest is in music, musicians and entertainment during the war, and my husband's colleague, Barrie, approached me as Bertie was a professional musician engaged at the theatre in Widnes. He has a lot of family material, and I'm sure he would gladly share it with you, but is short of info on his army career. Thanks Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soldier75 Posted 3 January , 2008 Share Posted 3 January , 2008 Kate, There is the info on your man, I don`t know if it will initiate any more research, but you are welcome to have it. Regards Soldier75 Gnr Thomas Bertie Harding No.93067 155th Heavy Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Born : Cardiff, Wales. Enlisted : Widnes, Lancashire. Resided : Alexandra Theatre, Widnes. Died of wounds in Belgium on 16th October, 1917, aged 31. Buried at Dozinghem Military Cemetery, Plot IX, Row I, Grave 23. Commemorated at St Paul`s church in Widnes. A musician and conductor at the Alexandra Theatre in Widnes for fifteen years prior to his enlistment, Bert Harding was, as reported in the Weekly News, "a reserved man of modest bearing". He wrote several songs and tunes while out in France and Belgium, writing one with the impressario of the Alexandra Theatre, Mr Gar Kiddie. The score of this he completed in 1915, it was a new Irish musical play to which he had given the provisional title of "Sheila". It was thought to be as good as any of the productions on the stage at that time. He looked forward to the end of the war as he and Mr Kiddie hoped to produce and tour with their play. Joining under the Lord Derby Scheme, he was offered several positions which would have secured him an exemption from front line service, he refused. Seriously wounded in both arms by shell fragments on the 15th October, he was admitted to a Casualty Clearing Station and died the next day.# WWN 1917. ****** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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