274 siege battery RGA

[1st east yorks]

Hello,

Could anyone help regards the summary of service for the 274th siege battery,RGA for 1917 and 1918.Ive looked on the long long trail but couldn't see anything relating to this battery.I'm researching a gunner for a friend who was discharged in 1918 due to a leg wound, which was later amputated.Im trying to locate where he served and ultimately where he was injured.

Thanks in advance,

Anthony

[paul_web]

Hello Anthony

Do you already have the info from Frederick's Lineage Book of British Land Forces and Farndale's History of the Royal Artillery Western Front 1914-18, about the 274th ?

If not, I am happy to look it up.

Kind regards,

Paul Webster.

[1st east yorks]

Paul,

No, i dont have the information from these books.

If its not too much trouble,i would be grateful for their location during 1917 and 1918.

Thanks very much,

Anthony

[paul_web]

Anthony

Unfortunatley neither book gives the service history, all they do is give start & finish information. This should at least help if you go to the National Archives at Kew to look at War Diaries. Sometimes it can be difficult to locate an individual battery war diary. So asking for a Brigade diary is another option.

Frederick's Lineage Book of British Land Forces gives 274th SB as a New Army unit formed on 17th October 1916 at Portsmouth. It also took sections from the 370th SB, which had been formed at Prees Heath on 17th February 1917.

In Farndale's History of the Royal Artillery Western Front 1914-18, it has 274th as part of 62nd (Mixed) Brigade RGA in October / November 1918 and was operating 6" Howitzers. The 62nd Brigade was part of XVII Corps Artillery. XVII Corps was part of Third Army. They were supporting the attacks of 19th and 24th Divisions on the Selle, Sambre, and onto Valenciennes.

The 62nd Brigade started out life as 62nd Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) on 22nd July 1916 at Bristol, so pre-dating formation of the 274 SB. It then went ot France on 12th September 1916 from Southampton. At the end of 1917, HAG's were re-named Brigades. The 62nd Brigade RGA was disbanded in November 1919.

That's all there is in these two books. Hopefully, it provides some new information that will be of help.

All the best,

Paul.

[1st east yorks]

Paul,

thats a great help,it gives me something to go off. I shall look at the war diaries for the battery and also the 62nd Brigade,RGA.

Thanks very much for your time and help.

Best wishes,

Anthony

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Anthony

The Battery's War Diary is in this file at Kew:

WO 95/394 274 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery 1916 Oct. - 1918 Jan.

The diary of 62 Brigade RGA (ex 62 HAG) is in the same file:

WO 95/394 62 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery 1916 Sept. - 1918 Nov.

Good hunting!

Ron

[1st east yorks]

Ron,

Thanks very much for that.Are they available on line?

Anthony

[Ron Clifton]

Not at the moment, as far as I know, and in fact they may be temporarily unavailable at Kew because they may be in the queue for digitising. I should phone Kew before you go, as you may save a wasted visit.

There are other threads in "Chit Chat" about the digitisation, which may give you some clearer information.

Ron

[spof]

Those war diaries aren't in the schedule for the current digitisation project. I don't know if there are plans to do so in the future but availability is fine for the foreseeable future. It also means they won't be available online for some time to come.

Glen

[1st east yorks]

Ron and Glen,

Thanks for the added information.

Anthony