Photographs: E Battery crew, R.H.A., August 1914 - First Shot

[battiscombe]

I can add some numbers - and Alderson was a Trumpeter ... I have identified c.70 of 1914 E Bty men amongst 3rd Brigade RHA.. still wondering who that Sgt is..:

Battery Sergeant Major – William Henry Lane.[850]

Gunner (right section) – Ted Bates. [65331?]

Gunner - A. G. Jenkins.[65202]

Trumpeter Edgar Alderson (Regiment No. 51283).

Bombardier - Osborn (loaded that first round). [28942?]

[Gallia Belgica]

Thanks. This is useful information. If you don't mind I'll add this to my lists. I think the photograph of the Sergeant you posted here does looks very similar to the man standing beside the QF-13 pounder. Bearing in mind he'd aged about 4 years.

[Robgarrood]

I am a current serving member of E Bty and I have been working with a historian called chris nation on the story. We have a fairly accurate account of events and names to positions of action. I have also spoken to the artist of the painting, dawn waring. The photos above are new to use and would be an excellent addition to our history room. Any one is more than welcome to come and view our history room, diaries, see the cart case etc, just give me a shout first!

Could someone please send me the pictures above as this site will not let me open them to view. Many thanks. Sgt rob Garrood

[Robgarrood]

The sgt is sgt carter not castle, and I have a letter written by bc E bty in 1927,major palmer, former commander centre section in 1914, mentioning carter by name and the fact that he kept the cart case of the first round fired

[battiscombe]

can you confirm which Sgt we are talking about ... the one in the original photos [posts 3 and 15] , and perhaps the one in my 1918 photo? or the one in the first shot crew [which might not be the same man]... Sgts Edward [or Wiilliam] Carter [there were 2 in the Bde] was/were commissioned in 1915 so could not then be the the same man as in the 1918 photo [quite possible of course.. if a pity..]

[Robgarrood]

Hi!

I suspect they are not the same. But I can confirm that it was Sgt E Carter that was the number 1 of D sub that fired the round. As i said yesterday, i have a letter from Major RL Palmer explaining the story, quoting Sgt Carter as sayin " first one away boss" and then handing him the shell case.

We have the shell case in our history room, clearly scored with the numeral 'I' as described by Palmer in his letter.

Going back to the story as a whole, I have pieced it together through various sources and it has been validated by to independent Historians. Palmer was the O/C that gave the order to fire number 4 Gun, not Walwyn as previously thought. I have three pieces of evidence to coroborate this.

The pictures that have been posted are of great interest to the Bty. we have some original pictures, but nothing like what have been posted on here. I dont think it will be possible to put names to faces, but we can always best guess based on rank, as I have a list of names that crewed the gun.

Again, with names, every man and his dog said they fired the gun. A chap called Dougherty was one such character. even appeared at the IWM back in the 60's to say he fired it. But, I have since found a letter tucked away in the corner of the archives from him to Mjor Ken Perkins who was BC E at the time saying he was on the position with E Battery, but did not fire the gun. He also appeared at the 55th comemoration with another supposed crew member and officer, Lt Maxwell.

The key to the truth, I believe, lay with Bdr John Osborn. He was the easiest man to verify. Clearly, he died in the early seventies, but I have his last known adress and I am currently trying to trace any children he may have had. John must have left a diary, a memoire or at least a verbal story! we think he may have even been in possesion of the second cartridge case as described by Palmer, etched with 'II' on the base.

Peter Walwyn, celebrated race horse trainer and son of Lt CLT walwyn claimed he had it as it was given to him by his father. The historians and |I have had a look at it and sadly it is date stamped 1916. So, Peter is probably not a happy chappy as we can confirm that Lt Walwyn was not the oriiginator of the order to engage.

I could waffle all day...... If you'd like to chat at length about this, please email me robgarrood79@gmail.com and we can take it from there!

Rob

[battiscombe]

That useful, nonetheless. I wonder if that was Felix Dougherty [70444] who was in 3rd Bde RHA.. later a Sgt. But if that is Sgt Edward Carter [12439] in the various [D sub?] gun crew images, that is good to know. Commissioned in June 1915, he was killed 25 Sept 1915. I think in 107th Bty - 23rd Brigade while a FOO.

seeing the other post - the No 1 is Sgt W Carter [23817].. commissioned Nov 1915. .. 330 Bde in late 1917

[Robgarrood]

The letter doesnt have his initials. It says Capt Dogherty (no 'u') though, of 21 wetherby Gardens, London.

It is Sgt William Carter. My error, Im looking at the list now and it says William Carter, along with Gnrs Lee, Jenkins, Ifould, andrews and Bdrs osborn and King, who we know was KIA on 8th September as the result of the round going through the shield at the front of the Gun.

[Robgarrood]

For info, E Battery are,as we speak, travelling to Binche in order to fire the gun on Friday. They will be firing the Gun from the stone memorial which is about 60m away from what we think is the actual position. The crop in the field is too high to gain access to the original site.

[battiscombe]

I wonder who the 'Dogherty' is.. there is no RA officer of that name in the WO338 lists .. some possibles for 'Doherty', no 'Dougherty's

[battiscombe]

I also see that there are 2 Ifoulds in E Battery:- a/Bdr Fred Ifould [63132] kia later as Sgt - MM; and presumably his brother Gunner Harry Ifould [63131] ... joined up together it seems.. from Petworth/Chichester , Sussex according to the 1911 census

[westbrook]

The chap I am researching was buried in the Fauquissant Cemetery.. Joe Harris KIA 15-12-14. The cemetery looks so different now..

http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/28502/FAUQUISSART%20MILITARY%20CEMETERY,%20LAVENTIE

this is a great picture to see, thanks for posting. I would be interested if you can see any names on the crosses though!

[Gallia Belgica]

The original photograph of the cemetery at Fauquissant is quite small. The scanned image, which is many times larger, doesn't clearly display the writings on the crosses; they're blurry. I will however, at some point in the future, attempt to scan a larger and hopefully more detailed one and if they show I'll post it here.

I hadn't posted these on this forum before -

1. the photographer who took these photos. Written in pencil on the back of this photograph - 'A jolly good one of me in observing station, FAUQUISSART'

2. a photograph of the ruined church at Laventie, France

[rflory]

The medal group of Brig. Gen. Alfred Baron Forman (OC of E/RHA 1914) is below.

[rflory]

The medal group of BSM William Henry Lane, RHA (BSM E/RHA 1914

[Guest]

Gentles all,

I would be most interested if anyone has a photograph of, or including, Lt. E.B (Edward Boyd) Maxwell, who commanded the right section of 'E' battery in 1914 as I would love to show it to my mother, his only only survivng daughter. FYI, by the time he accompanied the gun to Bray for the 55th anniversary of that first shot, he was brevetted Lt. Col.

[rflory]

Not a very good photo of Lt Col EB Maxwell, but the best I have.  From The Gunner Magazine July 1928: