Langdon Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 Hello, I'm trying to find out about my grandfather's service - he was in the RGA, but his MIC is virtually blank - no theatre of war or date of entry - and refers (I think erroneously) to the RFA . He is first mentioned in the War Lists in late 1918 linked to Munitions/Labour... Is there anything in these photos that may help to locate him? The TOW photo is from Roffey Camp in Horsham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 Can you repost the picture and give his name and service number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Posted 9 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 June , 2014 Herbert Eyre Dalrymple Townsend reg. no. on MIC (RFA) 157915 HerbertRGATOW.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyH Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 The photograph is of an Officer, and the medal index card tells you that he was No.157915 in the Royal Field Artillery, before being commissioned in the Royal Field Artillery on 12.10.1916 The theatre of war and date of entry are not given, so he did not go overseas until 1.1.1916 at the earliest, but he is not credited with a British War Medal or Victory Medal either. This means that he did not go overseas at all, or perhaps he may have a separate card as an officer? I tend to think that he didn't go overseas at all. His service record as an officer may be available at Kew. BillyH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin RussT Posted 9 June , 2014 Admin Share Posted 9 June , 2014 I understand that an officer had to apply for his medals - so he could have been overseas but didn't apply for medals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Posted 9 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 9 June , 2014 Thanks Billy and Russ. I discovered from TNA that his file is at the MOD and applied for it (with payment) a few days ago. TNA said he was in the RGA not RFA - and the cap badges are very similar, aren't they? I've also found a 1916 letter at TNA from his brother (a Lieutenant in the RFA) which says that Herbert is "away in the RGA". My hunch is he didn't serve abroad, unlike his two brothers, and I'm curious as to why this elder brother didn't..... Regards, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony paley Posted 9 June , 2014 Share Posted 9 June , 2014 Thanks Billy and Russ. I discovered from TNA that his file is at the MOD and applied for it (with payment) a few days ago. TNA said he was in the RGA not RFA - and the cap badges are very similar, aren't they? I've also found a 1916 letter at TNA from his brother (a Lieutenant in the RFA) which says that Herbert is "away in the RGA". My hunch is he didn't serve abroad, unlike his two brothers, and I'm curious as to why this elder brother didn't..... Regards, Mike The cap badges are the same. I believe that Horsham was an RGA Depot and trained signallers. Tony P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Thanks Billy and Russ. I discovered from TNA that his file is at the MOD and applied for it (with payment) a few days ago. TNA said he was in the RGA not RFA - and the cap badges are very similar, aren't they? I've also found a 1916 letter at TNA from his brother (a Lieutenant in the RFA) which says that Herbert is "away in the RGA". My hunch is he didn't serve abroad, unlike his two brothers, and I'm curious as to why this elder brother didn't..... Regards, Mike If he did not go overseas then he might well have been employed on coastal defence, which was one of the specialisations of the RGA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Or he may have gone to an overseas garrison which saw no active service, such as Bermuda or Ceylon. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 10 June , 2014 Share Posted 10 June , 2014 Or he may have gone to an overseas garrison which saw no active service, such as Bermuda or Ceylon. Ron Where again he would have been part of the coastal defences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony paley Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 My uncle served on a coastal defence company of the RGA at Gibralter. He was awarded the BWM. So clearly some overseas units did qualify for the BWM but not the Victory medal. I am sure that other overseas units qualified eg Malta, not sure about Bermuda but highly likely. Tony P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyH Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 As far as I know the British War Medal was awarded to anyone serving overseas during the period of the war. N.A. link seems to confirm this, at least for the army : http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/medal-index-cards-ww1.htm BillyH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 11 June , 2014 Share Posted 11 June , 2014 As a RGA Supplementary Officer in the RGA Special Reserve [as May 1917 Army List shows] it is not unlikely he served only in UK.. checking a few men in RGA [sR] Army List commissioned at the same time, their medal cards show men who went overseas.. and some others who did not T L Poulton [153342], for example, commissioned the week before [5/10/16] also has no medals, Stanley Rutherford Gibson, commissioned same day, went to France 3/11/1916 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Posted 11 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 11 June , 2014 Thank you battiscombe for the May 1917 info. and all for the possible explanations. I await his MOD file which may shine a light. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langdon Posted 13 June , 2014 Author Share Posted 13 June , 2014 Battiscombe, any idea why he might have been a "supplementary officer" in the 'special reserve"? These are terms I don't really know about although I think I know about the SR. Is this a voluntary status or could this be because of orders or incapicity/illness - or even choice/influence..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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