227th Siege Battery R.G.A war diaries

[ianjonesncl]

 

This entry shows that he was in the Rhine Occupation Army.

 

This ORBAT [http://orbat.com/site/history/volume5/518/Original%20BAOR.pdf] shows that the 310th Brigade was part of the Rhine Army Highland Division which was formed from the 62nd (West Riding) Division. 

 

This blog entry will give you some information about the occupation of the Rhine:

Cologne Bridgehead - Northumbrian Gunner meanderings - Great War Forum

 

 

[Rachel F RGA 227B]

10 minutes ago, ianjonesncl said:

 

This entry shows that he was in the Rhine Occupation Army.

 

This ORBAT [http://orbat.com/site/history/volume5/518/Original%20BAOR.pdf] shows that the 310th Brigade was part of the Rhine Army Highland Division which was formed from the 62nd (West Riding) Division. 

 

This blog entry will give you some information about the occupation of the Rhine:

Cologne Bridgehead - Northumbrian Gunner meanderings - Great War Forum

 

 

Thank you for this I’m trying to piece his story together as my nan informs me he never spoke of his army days she only saw his medal once and believes medals photos ect where lost by the bombings in ww2 as my nan doesn’t have a picture of her own dad 💔my nan and her older brother (by about 2 years) where evacuated to the county. So I’ve  made it my mission to try and find as much info and maybe an image of him for my nana she’s turning 90 this year! 
The first link doesn’t work for me tells me the server can’t be found. 
I need an army expert to explain it all to me! So many numbers and initials to work out!

thank you again.

regards

rachel

[Rachel F RGA 227B]

3 hours ago, ianjonesncl said:

Rachel

 

His RFA number 776475 is in a block which was issued in 1917 to the Territorials of one of the West Riding Artillery brigades;

 

775001	to	780000	245 BDE, RFA TF/ 1/1 W RIDING BDE
775001	to	780000	310 BDE, RFA TF/ 2/1 W RIDING

 

 

Thank you for this I’m not sure what it all means...

[clk]

Hi Rachel,

 

Hopefully, this will help to explain - link.

 

Regards

Chris

[ianjonesncl]

1 hour ago, Rachel F RGA 227B said:

Thank you for this I’m not sure what it all means...

Sorry for the confusion....

 

As per Chris' post, a new set of numbers was issued to the Territorial Force in 1917 so by looking at a soldiers number you can tell which units he was possibly with. 

[clk]

Hi Rachel,

 

Now that we seem to have established that Frederick didn't serve with 227 Siege Battery RGA, a couple of things I wondered:

• If you'd like to change your Forum user name
• If you'd like to prune Frederick from this topic, and create a new one in his own right

If you did want to, I think that the Mods may well be able to help. I guess that you could use the 'contact us' function, but probably as easy would be to click on the 3 dots at the top right hand side of this post. That should then show you...

 

If you then click on 'Report' you should see...

 

Regards

Chris

 

[Rachel F RGA 227B]

34 minutes ago, clk said:

Hi Rachel,

 

Now that we seem to have established that Frederick didn't serve with 227 Siege Battery RGA, a couple of things I wondered:

• If you'd like to change your Forum user name
• If you'd like to prune Frederick from this topic, and create a new one in his own right

If you did want to, I think that the Mods may well be able to help. I guess that you could use the 'contact us' function, but probably as easy would be to click on the 3 dots at the top right hand side of this post. That should then show you...

 

If you then click on 'Report' you should see...

 

Regards

Chris

 

Hi Chris 

On my grandfather’s medal roll card it’s states RGA/227B is what he received his victory medal for 2/2686 is his recalled to army number for RGA. I’m confused as to why RGA/227B is associated to my GGF if he did not actually serve with them? I know he was transferred from RFA to RGA on 18.7.19 is this because he was transferred over to RGA after WW1 had ended? (11.11.18) so therefor didn’t go out with 227B but was transferred to them after the war? Sorry I’m just trying to make sense of everything. 
Don’t want to offend anyone with my user name, I’m not sure how I would do what you are suggesting I only found this group yesterday and joined so I could find out more information. 
kind regards 

rachel 

 

[Rachel F RGA 227B]

2 hours ago, clk said:

Hi Rachel,

 

Hopefully, this will help to explain - link.

 

Regards

Chris

Hi Chris
Thank you so much I shall take a read of the link.

Regards

Rachel 

[Ron Clifton]

8 hours ago, ianjonesncl said:

The Royal Field Artillery moved guns and ammunition by teams of horses. 

I suspect that this information came from an American publication because British terminology was slightly different, although the essentials are the same. Also, the gun illustrated appears to be the French 75mm, many of which were given to the Americans.

 

Ron

[clk]

Hi Rachel,

 

37 minutes ago, Rachel F RGA 227B said:

On my grandfather’s medal roll card it’s states RGA/227B is what he received his victory medal for 2/2686 is his recalled to army number for RGA. I’m confused as to why RGA/227B is associated to my GGF if he did not actually serve with them? I know he was transferred from RFA to RGA on 18.7.19 is this because he was transferred over to RGA after WW1 had ended? (11.11.18) so therefor didn’t go out with 227B but was transferred to them after the war? Sorry I’m just trying to make sense of everything. 

 

There is a bit of help on interpreting medal index cards here. The reference RGA/227B is just an administrative reference that cross references the card to the actual medal roll which records the medal entitlement. I don't know how the original roll references were decided upon, there must have been some logic. The 'RGA' bit is because it relates to the medal qualification submissions made for men (last serving) with the Royal Garrison Artillery....but the '227B' bit? I don't know how that was decided upon. It can be misleading as it has nothing to do with the actual unit served with. As far as I saw Frederick never served with 227 Siege Battery, so perhaps it's best to ignore it completely. The men who appear on the roll under the admin reference of RGA/227B could have served with any number of RGA units, so perhaps think of the roll reference as RGA - specific unit not implied. 

 

From what I saw, it seems likely that Frederick was sent overseas with 310 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. It was only after the war had ended that he was transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery (and renumbered), and served with an unknown unit with them in the Army of Occupation (-ensuring that the peace was kept in Germany). I note though that in a previous post it says that 310 Brigade RFA formed part of the Army of Occupation, so it might have been that Frederick was in Germany with the 310 Bde RFA, but was subsequently transferred there to to the RGA. As a bit of a long shot, if an Absent Voters List survives for where he lived, it might note his RGA unit, as may a marriage certificate or children's birth certificate issued during the period.

 

1 hour ago, Rachel F RGA 227B said:

Don’t want to offend anyone with my user name, I’m not sure how I would do what you are suggesting

 

You're not offending anyone - but I thought that you might wish to change it to something more personal to you, as Frederick never seems to have served with 227 Siege Battery, RGA...contact the Moderators to do that if you would like to.

 

There is good general advice on how to try to research a soldier here.

 

The very best of luck with your research..

 

Regards

Chris

 

[Rachel F RGA 227B]

1 hour ago, clk said:

Hi Rachel,

 

 

There is a bit of help on interpreting medal index cards here. The reference RGA/227B is just an administrative reference that cross references the card to the actual medal roll which records the medal entitlement. I don't know how the original roll references were decided upon, there must have been some logic. The 'RGA' bit is because it relates to the medal qualification submissions made for men (last serving) with the Royal Garrison Artillery....but the '227B' bit? I don't know how that was decided upon. It can be misleading as it has nothing to do with the actual unit served with. As far as I saw Frederick never served with 227 Siege Battery, so perhaps it's best to ignore it completely. The men who appear on the roll under the admin reference of RGA/227B could have served with any number of RGA units, so perhaps think of the roll reference as RGA - specific unit not implied. 

 

From what I saw, it seems likely that Frederick was sent overseas with 310 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. It was only after the war had ended that he was transferred to the Royal Garrison Artillery (and renumbered), and served with an unknown unit with them in the Army of Occupation (-ensuring that the peace was kept in Germany). I note though that in a previous post it says that 310 Brigade RFA formed part of the Army of Occupation, so it might have been that Frederick was in Germany with the 310 Bde RFA, but was subsequently transferred there to to the RGA. As a bit of a long shot, if an Absent Voters List survives for where he lived, it might note his RGA unit, as may a marriage certificate or children's birth certificate issued during the period.

 

 

You're not offending anyone - but I thought that you might wish to change it to something more personal to you, as Frederick never seems to have served with 227 Siege Battery, RGA...contact the Moderators to do that if you would like to.

 

There is good general advice on how to try to research a soldier here.

 

The very best of luck with your research..

 

Regards

Chris

 

Thank you Chris for all your information and time given to help me.

kind regards

rachel

[Guest]

I have been researching my great grandfather Gunner William Albert Saunders 159333. He was from Birmingham and was aged 33 years six months on 7 December 1915 at Birmingham. His usual job was that of stableman at New Street Sation. He was placed on reserve and then mobilised on 12 May 1917 at Plymouth - Depot 3. He was posted to France to the 227th siege battery on 7 Janaury 1917. He was gassed and placed on the gas list. He developed nephritis - Trench Nephritis from what I gather and was sent to the war hospital at Hapsbury on 16 January 1919. He was granted a 50% disablement pension for four children at the sum of 10 shillings from 17 March 1919.

Born and bred in the 'court houses' in the Ladywood area of Birmingham, he would have faced much hardship, as did my grandmother who was born in 1909. His wife died in 1926 from pulmonary TB and William died in the Western Road Infirmary (workhouse infirmary) Dudley Road, Birmingham on 4 March 1942 from a cerebral haemorrhage and kidney tumour. From what I have read about trench nephritis I do wonder if the war 'killed him'. My gran said she remembered him as a horrid and mean man when she got older but never ever mentioned that he had served in the war. This was the impresson I had of him  - until finding his war record. His war records describe him as of good character so that will be my thoughts about him.

Many thanks to those before me for sharing the images of the kinds of weapons he would have known. Having researched all the men on the Sutton Coldfield War Memorial I find it makes an emotional difference when it is one of your own. Respect to William Albert Saunders.