jtjmartin Posted 1 October , 2013 Share Posted 1 October , 2013 74090 Gnr Charles Thrasher was KIA 13.10.14, possibly around La Bassee. His memorial identifies that he belonged to 'Y' Bty RFA; this seems a bit incomplete and I am struggling to find any more detail about his Brigade and a more precise location of the action he may have been involved in. Any information would be gratefully received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 1 October , 2013 Share Posted 1 October , 2013 There was an Anti -Aircraft "Y" Battery in action from 1 Oct 1914,it's War Diary is at Kew in WO95/236 and runs to 31 Dec 1914. Not yet digital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 1 October , 2013 Share Posted 1 October , 2013 I did wonder if it might be a typo for Y Battery Royal Horse Artillery, but the latter didn't return to England from India until November 1914 - so I think we can discount this as a possibility. So far sotonmate's suggestion seems most plausible. All the best Steve Edit: If it helps his medal index card indicates he arrived in France on 19th August 1914 with XV Brigade RFA. This was part of 5th Division, which was indeed involved with the Battle of La Bassee in 1914. Component batteries at the time were 11, 52 and 80 (there are 2 other chaps on the memorial listed as killed this day serving with 11 Battery - maybe the 'Y' is a typo?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtjmartin Posted 1 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 1 October , 2013 Sotonmate Thanks for the info and time, I hadn't considered AA batteries this early in the war; also the ref for the war diary, I will check it out. Thanks again. Steve I Shall follow the leads for XV Brigade and 5 Div. The fact that Sotonmate has identified a 'Y' Bty tends to rule out a typo, but I will investigate the batteries you have identified. Thanks for your time and checking out his MIC (I must check to see if they were issued). Thank you both Regards Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 1 October , 2013 Share Posted 1 October , 2013 15 Brigade RFA was stationed at Kildare,Ireland on mobilisation day,4 August 1914,as we're quite a bit of 5 Division. Shipped out of Dublin on TINTERELLO and CORNISHMAN on 17th,landed Le Havre on 19th. At Le Cateau on 21st and ready to rumble. As Steve writes,there was no Y component to this Brigade at first landing. I imagine ( and I was a bit surprised too to see AA already) they must have set up the unit quite soon after landing,though Y was part of 1st Army troops rather than any Division or Corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtjmartin Posted 2 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 2 October , 2013 Thanks again, Charles Thrasher was a great uncle that I had no idea existed until recently. I am trying to build a picture of him; you have been a great help. I am a little confused though as I thought that it was 2nd Corps (Smith Dorrien) that fought at Le Cateau. At what point did Haig's and Smith Dorrien's commands expand from Corp level to Army, something I haven't really thought about until now? Many thanks Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 2 October , 2013 Share Posted 2 October , 2013 The NA War Diary database usually gives the higher echelon in which a unit operates,and on this occasion states that Y was 1st Army . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtjmartin Posted 4 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 4 October , 2013 Sorry to appear a bit thick, but I always understood (and I admit I haven't put much thought into this), that the BEF in 1914 consisted of 2 Corps (1st and 2nd) commanded by Haig and Smith Dorrien respectively under the overall command of Sir John French. At some point they expanded to 'Army' level (1st and 2nd) still commanded by Haig and Smith Dorrien. Does your response suggest that around this point there was a reorganisation bringing 2nd Corps or at least elements of it into the new 1st Army? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 4 October , 2013 Share Posted 4 October , 2013 I'd exercise a little bit of caution here - the placement of the battery under 1st Army in the NA war diary database does not necessarily mean that Y Battery was with 1st Army for the duration of the war. Just as an example, my old favourite, the war diary for 5 Siege Battery is included under 5th Army - whilst it was certainly under 5th Army at the end of the war, it most certainly wasn't in 1914 (there was no 5th Army then!). Funnily enough, in October 1914 5 S Bty was under II Corps; given the La Bassee provenance of your man in October 1914, almost certainly his unit would also have been under II Corps at the time, as was 5th Division. cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 4 October , 2013 Share Posted 4 October , 2013 Jtj I was quoting the War Diary entry in the NA Database,of course there was only 1 Army in the early stages.It doesn't state which Corps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtjmartin Posted 6 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 6 October , 2013 Thanks, I love this subject; so clear cut and straight forward!! Clearly more reading is required on my part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 6 October , 2013 Share Posted 6 October , 2013 I had noted this casualty previously and assumed it was indeed a typo error. If it is important then it may be worth locating the casualty list in which he is names (in the Times, for example) and see what other names appear in the same notice [the 2 casualties from 11th Bty perhaps?]. this may establish a connection to his unit. As he went to France with 15th Brigade it is highly probable he was still with them in October. There is another gunner listed as 'Y Bty' kia 26/8/1914 buried at Caudry - but he entered France with 7th Brigade RHA, probably 'I' Bty or 7th RHA Bde AC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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