King inspected Battery in May 1916 - Where would photo be?

[kildaremark]

The War Diary for the battery I'm interested states that the battery (103 Siege Battery, RGA) was inspected by King George V at Southampton docks on 29 May 1916 before departure for France. Now that seems to me like the kind of occasion that would not go unphotographed.

Was this type of inspection relatively common, and assuming photographs were taken although, not printed in the press (because of the secrecy of the build-up for the Somme offensive), would the Royal archive have kept a record or any other institution?

Mark

[sotonmate]

Mark

I have a pictorial volume of the King George V years 1910 to 1935,and whilst there are many pics of him with the Military,even in the trenches and with fat artillery pieces at war on the Somme,there is nothing of his visit to Southampton in May 1916.

There are at least two local newspaper microfilms of the time in our Archive and I will try to make a visit when I can and take a peek (and a pic).

[rflory]

Mark: I was just reading a Siege Battery war diary the other evening which mentioned that the King had inspected the guns prior to the battery embarking for France, but I can't remember which battery it was - it was not 103rd Siege Battery.

[kildaremark]

Thanks Soton,

Thanks Dick - The King must have inspected a few batteries so because it is recorded in the War Diary of 103 SB and also mentioned in Alan MacDonald's excellent Pro Patria Mori on the 56th (1st London) Division at Gommecourt. It must have been the king's first chance to inspect the 12-inch railway howitzers in preparation for the artillery bombardment but obviously there was great secrecy. There is a sequence of photo's of the battery in action on 1 July in the IWM but I'm still hoping that it was photographed before departure.

Mark

[sotonmate]

Mark

Looked at four microfilm spools this morning,covering Southampton and Hampshire newspapers of May and early June 1915. The one in which I know there usually quite a few military photos is the Southampton Pctorial,but nothing showing even the King,let alone 103SB. The pics that are there have a parochial flavour,covering local and County connections. The other news have a sparse photo content.

Sorry I can't be more helpful !

[kildaremark]

Thanks Soton - only spotted this reply now!

Mark

[sotonmate]

Mark

Still got one spool to go,they had misfiled the last one I needed and I didn't have time to look through it once they had found it nestling among strangers !

I am not holding out much hope but will look anyway sometime soon,assume nothing as my old boss used to say !

[babyblox]

Hi Kildaremark,

 

Sorry, only just come across this post. My great uncle served with the 2/1st North Midland (Staffordshire) Heavy Battery, RGA. Their war diary records that they, too, sailed from Southampton to Le Havre on 29 May 1916 and it also records that they, too, were reviewed by the king. The occasion warrants only a brief passing comment in the diary. I found that HM King George V travelled down to Portsmouth to inspect the RN barracks on Sunday 28th May and so, I assume, he travelled on to nearby Southampton the following day. Click on the link below.

 

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Uz-IAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT106&lpg=PT106&dq=king+george+v++"29+May+1916"&source=bl&ots=_fCC1iBMUx&sig=lE-_drjSdPYIoghF0jaZWWmHFFQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjEmJuq6anVAhWCb1AKHWfrD4wQ6AEILDAB#v=onepage&q=king george v "29 May 1916"&f=false