Gallia Belgica Posted 19 November , 2013 Share Posted 19 November , 2013 I am searching for the names of the subalterns and senior officers of E Battery, Royal Horse Artillery during late 1914. Specifically the crew of No. 4 field gun, the Ordnance QF 13-pounder. Which is believed to be the gun which fired the first shot by the British nation on the Western Front - 22nd August 1914 at Bray in Belgium. There is a photograph known to me showing one of these sergeants standing beside No. 4 gun. I have been trying to find his name.According to [http://www.1914-1918.net/whatartbrig.htm] there would have been 7 sergeants serving in each battery. The men listed below are known to have been in E Battery. This has been put together with information gathered on this website, Peter Humfrey's book[Destination Unknown: The Diary of Gunner Bates R. H. A.] and photographs known to me: Battery Commander – Major A. B. Forman. Battery Captain – H. B. Bartram. Section Commander (left section) – Lt. C. L. T. Walwyn. Section Commander (centre section) - Lt. R. L. Palmer. Section Commander (right section) - Lt. E. B. Maxwell. 2Lt. Alfred Geoffrey Neville. 2Lt. D. H. M. Carberry. Battery Sergeant Major – William Henry Lane. Gunner (right section) – Ted Bates (Regiment No. 65331?). Gunner - A. G. Jenkins (Regiment No. 65202). Sapper – Alderson (Regiment No. 51283). Bombardier - Osborn [loaded that first round] (Regiment No. 28942?). Notes: I am aware of a photograph showing Carberry, Neville and Walwyn standing together alone. Apparently the original shell casing is in the Royal Horse Artillery History Room, Tidworth, Wiltshire. D Battery and E Batteries were based at Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. There is a stained-glass window in St. Leonard's Church, Butleigh, Somerset which mentions a Geoffrey Neville R. H. A. and his two brothers who served in the Royal Navy. According to a 1911 New Zealand newspaper (Grey River Argus) Lt. C. L. T. Walwyn, R.H.A. won the Canadian Challenge Cup with his horse The Nut:[http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=GRA19110125.2.35]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastmar Posted 20 April , 2017 Share Posted 20 April , 2017 Hi G B, just found your post re 'E' Battery R H A when looking through T G W F. My grandfather George Thomas Eastman served with 'E' Battery from March 1914 until December 1915. He was a Corporal in August 1914 but I don't know which section he was in. Unfortunately he died 3 days before I was born so I never got to 'interrogate' him. My fathers knowledge of his army career was very sketchy and unfortunately he is now also deceased so I can't seek any further information. One thing my dad told me about his fathers service with 'E' Battery was an event when a enemy she'll pierced one of the Batteries guns shield and exploded, killing or wounding the crew. I have a old faded photo of said gun and when I last visited the Imperial War Museum in London the actual gun was on display to the public. I also have a photo of 'N' Battery R H A taken at Aldershot, October 1924 which includes a Major C L T Walwyn, DSO, OBE, MC who I would assume is the same person as Lt C L T Walwyn, Section Commander of Left Section, 'E' Battery, August 1914. I have a copy of 'E' Batteries war diary, which may be able to shed light on any details you are looking for. Ray Eastman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTracer44 Posted 20 April , 2017 Share Posted 20 April , 2017 Hello Ray Have you tried emailing Gallia, click on his name and you should find a post symbol to click on. Den Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eastmar Posted 20 April , 2017 Share Posted 20 April , 2017 Thanks for that Den. I've messaged Gallia so I hope he picks it up ok Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallia Belgica Posted 20 April , 2017 Author Share Posted 20 April , 2017 (edited) Thanks very much for that information Ray. This is very interesting and yes if you want to add anything more here about it that would be great; names, photographs. I hope the following is useful: My photograph of the Sergeant in E Battery standing beside No. 4 gun: Written in pencil on the reverse it says - 'The gun that fired first round in the war Aug 21 1914'. 2Lt. D. H. M. Carberry, 2Lt. Alfred Geoffrey Neville and Lt. C. L. T. Walwyn. There is more information and photographs here about the Sergeant, E Battery and No. 4 Gun - Edited 20 April , 2017 by Gallia Belgica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 21 April , 2017 Share Posted 21 April , 2017 Gallia Belgica: I have a photo of Major AB Forman and also his medal group. I also have a photo of the medals of BSM Lane. Are you aware of the book by Capt. H. B. Bartram, titled Diary of the Retirement from Mons August 1914? There is a photo of him on horseback in the book. Bertram died of gastric ulcers and internal hemorrhage at Alexandra Hospital at Cosham on the morning of 16 September 1914. There are a number of photos of the E Battery gun that fired the first round on the Western front and at least one with a few of the other ranks who fired the gun in the IWM collection. If you would like scans of any of the photos PM me with your email address and I will email them to you. Regards, Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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