Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 30 October , 2013 Share Posted 30 October , 2013 Does anybody know of any headstone for a named WW1 soldier which shows him serving in the "Royal Artillery" ? (Royal Artillery - nothing else). Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 31 October , 2013 Share Posted 31 October , 2013 Tom A search on the CWGC database with the parameters First World War and Royal Artillery (as opposed to RHA /RFA / RGA) brings back 40 records. A member may be able to verify what is on their headstone. Ian surname forename initials cemeterymemorial gravereference BEGG ROBERT HENDERSON R H KUT WAR CEMETERY P. 22. BROUGH JOHN J LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY IV. C. 80. BUCKLE ARCHIE STEWART A S HEILLY STATION CEMETERY, MERICOURT-L'ABBE II. F. 23. BUDWORTH CHARLES EDWARD DUTTON C E D KIRKEE 1914-1918 MEMORIAL Face 1. BURTON B FALMOUTH CEMETERY, CORNWALL L. B. 27. CAPE GEORGE AUGUSTUS STEWART G A S PERONNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION I. C. 40. CATTLEY EDMUND E CROYDON (MITCHAM ROAD) CREMATORIUM CHAPMAN PERCEVAL CHRISTIAN P C ALEXANDRIA (CHATBY) MILITARY AND WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY J. 3. CHRISTIE LINDSAY BRUCE STARK L B S EDINBURGH (DEAN OR WESTERN) CEMETERY E.E. 82. CLOSE FREDERICK MACDONALD F M PUTNEY VALE CEMETERY AND CREMATORIUM Block S. Grave 77/78. COTTER GEORGE EDMUND SACKVILLE G E S MUNDESLEY (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD West of Church. COWAN HENRY VIVIAN H V BIDEFORD CHURCH CEMETERY D. 15. 18. DALLAS A S MADRAS 1914-1918 WAR MEMORIAL, CHENNAI Face 3. DENTON ALBERT LEWIS A L MESNIL COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION III. D. 5. EARDLEY-RUSSELL EDMUND STUART EARDLEY WILMOT E S E W BERECHURCH (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD SO38 EAST LIONEL WILLIAM PELLEW L W P LAPUGNOY MILITARY CEMETERY X. D. 1. EDWARDS W E CHARLTON CEMETERY, GREENWICH "C." F2. 497. ELLERSHAW WILFRID W HOLLYBROOK MEMORIAL, SOUTHAMPTON FINDLAY NEIL DOUGLAS N D VAILLY BRITISH CEMETERY IV. A. 53. GEDDES JOHN GORDON J G OLD SHOREHAM CEMETERY 40 GRANET EDWARD JOHN E J VEVEY (ST. MARTIN'S) CEMETERY 60A. HARDING JAMES HERBERT J H GREENWICH CEMETERY Screen Wall. 3. Gen. B. 556. HARRISON GEORGE CARMICHAEL G C LIJSSENTHOEK MILITARY CEMETERY IX. B. 19. HASSELL ROBERT De BRAY R De B WALDRON (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD In South part. HOOPER STUART HUNTLY S H HIGHCLIFFE (ST. MARK) CHURCHYARD South. 4. 3. HORNCASTLE C C S CAIRO WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY P. 95. HOWELL ERIC MAURICE E M MOXLEY (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD West of Church. JACKSON ARTHUR LLOYD A L POZIERES MEMORIAL Panel 10. JENNINGS HERBERT ALEXANDER KAYE H A K DELHI WAR CEMETERY Special Memorial. KIDDY GEORGE HENRY G H CHATBY MEMORIAL LEET ARTHUR RICHARD A R HISTON CEMETERY MARSH A ATHERTON CEMETERY New. C.E. 351. McNEILL PATRICK KERR P K EXETER HIGHER CEMETERY 51 PAGET WELLESLEY LYNDOCK HENRY W L H NORTH CHERITON CEMETERY 221, near gate. PEAKE MALCOLM M NOEUX-LES-MINES COMMUNAL CEMETERY I. U. 2. PHILLPOTTS LOUIS MURR L M CITADEL NEW MILITARY CEMETERY, FRICOURT II. A. 1. PIERREPOINT JAMES H. J H SAVONA MEMORIAL PINFOLD S J THE HUTS CEMETERY VIII. C. 8. STOKES JAMES J CURRAGH MILITARY CEMETERY 572 THOMAS Sir GODFREY VIGNOLES G V HARLOW (ST. MARY) CHURCHYARD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 31 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2013 ... A search on the CWGC database with the parameters First World War and Royal Artillery (as opposed to RHA /RFA / RGA) brings back 40 records. Ian - thanks for that. (Clearly I have done something wrong as the same search for me gave a "0" result ) Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoppage Drill Posted 31 October , 2013 Share Posted 31 October , 2013 Would there be any significance in the fact that half of them in Ian's list are buried in UK/Eire ? Would a gunner under training be listed as a member of the generic "Royal Artillery" until such time as he was posted to a battery or brigade in one of the three artillery branches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 31 October , 2013 Share Posted 31 October , 2013 During the war years and upto IIRR 1924 the generic term Royal Artillery applied to Clerks only Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianjonesncl Posted 31 October , 2013 Share Posted 31 October , 2013 Very difficult to post the information on the board - hope this is better. Quite a number of senior ranking officers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 31 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2013 Would there be any significance in the fact that half of them in Ian's list are buried in UK/Eire ? Would a gunner under training be listed as a member of the generic "Royal Artillery" until such time as he was posted to a battery or brigade in one of the three artillery branches? I have actually seen two headstones in front-line cemeteries in France (Pont-du-Hem MC and Vermelles BC) to an unknown "soldier" in the "Royal Artillery". Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CGM Posted 31 October , 2013 Share Posted 31 October , 2013 EARDLEY-RUSSELL EDMUND STUART EARDLEY WILMOT E S E W BERECHURCH (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD SO38 This grave has a family memorial and includes his wife who died after him. The inscription is on two flat slabs which took some finding as they were totally covered by grass and creeping plants. The inscription is certainly just Royal Artillery. From The London Gazette: 7) General Staff Officers— 2nd Grade— Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund S. E. W. Eardley-Russell, M.V.O., Royal Artillery, in succession to Major P. W. Game, Royal Artillery. Dated 30th November, 1914. http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29020/supplements/11124/page.pdf 9) The undermentioned temp, appts. are made: — Attache.—Lt.-Col. Edmund S. E. W. Eardley-Russell, M.V.O., R.A., from a G.S.O., 1st Grade, at the War Office. 4th Mar. 1916. http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29564/pages/4348/page.pdf 8) The undermentioned temp, appts. are made: — Uilitary Attache.—Col. E. J. Granet, C.B., from the h.p. list, and to be temp. Brig.- Gen. whilst so empld., vice Lt.-Col. E. S. E. W. Eardley-Russell, M.V.O., R.A. 4th June 1917. http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30193/supplements/7406/page.pdf CGM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 31 October , 2013 Share Posted 31 October , 2013 I have actually seen two headstones in front-line cemeteries in France (Pont-du-Hem MC and Vermelles BC) to an unknown "soldier" in the "Royal Artillery". Tom Would the ID for the unknown be a capbadge rather than shoulder tabs? Thus ID as RA only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 31 October , 2013 Author Share Posted 31 October , 2013 Would the ID for the unknown be a capbadge rather than shoulder tabs? Thus ID as RA only. That had previously occurred to me, but I had (rather tentatively) discounted it - for two main reasons. 1. I have only ever noticed three such headstones - two for soldiers and one for an officer. Given the huge number of "artillery" unknown headstones which exist, why so few which dont specify a particular branch - Horse, Field, or Garrison ? 2. A "Royal Artillery" only inscription would depend upon a cap badge with the body, but no shoulder titles. Which of those is least likely to be with a body ? - cap badge, surely ? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scalyback Posted 31 October , 2013 Share Posted 31 October , 2013 True points Tom. The other thinking high ranking officers and clerics, not possible. A conundrum, never will understand the RA fully! EDIT clerks, not vicars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay dubaya Posted 1 November , 2013 Share Posted 1 November , 2013 It would be interesting to know when these two unknown artillery men were interred in their respective graves. Just a thought, but if they were interred post 1924 when the three RA branches were amalgamated back under the generic term of Royal Artillery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NigelS Posted 1 November , 2013 Share Posted 1 November , 2013 Tom, if you haven't already seen it, there's the one covered in this thread Click, but it has its own issues ! NigelS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Woodger Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 Tom The headstone of Denton in Mesnil CCE reads Royal Field Artillery as does the stone of Phillpotts in Citadel New. The headstone of Brig.Gen. Buckle in Heilly Station reads Royal Artillery and states that he commanded the 17th Division Artillery. The interesting thing is that his stone uses the badge in a triangle with a "thin" cross for none of the usual reasons. peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Woodger Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 Tom Looking at Somme cemeteries with initials from A to F there are 5 unknowns with just Royal Artillery. Bancourt 2 B 6 and 10, 2 C 8 and 2 E 14. Caterpillar Valley 21 E 7 I did not check cemeteries with initials G to Y. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 2 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2013 Tom The headstone of Denton in Mesnil CCE reads Royal Field Artillery as does the stone of Phillpotts in Citadel New. ... Peter - thanks. Situation not as clear-cut as the CWGC database suggests then. I'll have to start checking the others. Tom Looking at Somme cemeteries with initials from A to F there are 5 unknowns with just Royal Artillery. Bancourt 2 B 6 and 10, 2 C 8 and 2 E 14. Caterpillar Valley 21 E 7 I'll check those next time I'm over. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Tulloch-Marshall Posted 2 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2013 It would be interesting to know when these two unknown artillery men were interred in their respective graves. Just a thought, but if they were interred post 1924 when the three RA branches were amalgamated back under the generic term of Royal Artillery If by any chance that did happen then it would be an error. The men should have a headstone which accurately reflects their service at time of death (though many thousands don't !). Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Evans Posted 2 November , 2013 Share Posted 2 November , 2013 Tom, Boy, James Herbert Harding is recorded on the Screen Wall at Greenwich as Royal Artillery. Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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