Gr Gr Uncle Jonah Weston

[clairec79]

How much information can you hope to find out about an ordinary soldier

My great grandfathers older brother Jonah Weston (born in 1892) was killed in Messine on 10th June 1917 and is buried in Underhill cemetery. Service number 33030 - found him on the CWGC website

I know he must have joined up prior to the start of the war (he's in army barracks in the 1911 census)

Is there any way of finding out more details of what he was involved in etc

Thanks all

[sotonmate]

No service record apparent on Ancestry UK.

Jonah was fighting with 41 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery,part of Fourth Army,at the time of his death.

There is a War Diary for this unit at the National Archives. It is not digital though. There you will read of the day- to - day actions of the unit.

The reference is WO95/470 and it covers from arrival at war on 1.7.1915 through to 31.1.1918.

You may wish to know that Jonah lays alongside four other members of his gun crew,so either a direct hit on the gun or their billet.

The Diary should say which.

Your mention of the 1911 Census reveals that he served a few miles from where I live, at Golden Hill Fort,Isle of Wight,where his 33 Company RGA commanded a view over the Needles and the Western approaches to the Solent waterway.

[archangel9]

SDGW

Name: Jonah Weston

Birth Place: East Harptree, Somerset

Residence: East Harptree

Death Date: 10 Jun 1917

Death Location: France & Flanders

Enlistment Location: Bristol

Rank: Gunner

Regiment: Royal Garrison Artillery

Number: 33030

Type of Casualty: Killed in action

Theatre of War: Western European Theatre

John

[sotonmate]

This is what a siege gun looked like:

http://www.1914-1918.net/siege-battery-index.htm

The page is from the Long Long Trail,at top left of this page.

[clairec79]

Thanks - will have to make a trip to Kew at some point