Trench mortar batteries

[Ron Clifton]

Thanks for that - it seems to confirm my understanding in the previous post, that they had no dedicated transport.

Ron

[kildaremark]

The TMBs generally used handcarts and the war diaries show this. The TMBs had no support services I.e. No transport, cooks or separate admin which is why the medium/heavies were put with the DACs and later with the FA brigades for admin, discipline and support and the light TMBs with the Infantry brigades. Plenty of examples in war diaries of infantry carrying up the ammunition and the engineers building the emplacements which is not to say that they didn't also have to do this.

At one point in early 1916 they were going to have a TMB Corps like the Machine gun corps but it never proceeded.

Mark

[Curlew1919]

I have 2 TMB formed mainly of RFA early 1915, but replacements coming in soon from RGA , from Base

22nd TMB - a Trench Howitzer Bty.. formed from RGA [this usually seems to be the case in the early units identified as 'Trench Howitzer Bty' ].. lots of RGA in Btys in the 20s.., also 32nd Tr How Bty

35th Tr How Bty not untypical ... 8/7/1915: formed at Berthen : Lt T G Du Boisson RHA, 1 Sgt, 4 Cpls, 17 gunners RGA

from some records I have of later units most of 34th Div TMBs and 39th Div TMBs for example look to be mainly RFA rather than RGA.. many later [1916+] units were formed by men drawn from the DACs, who were ready sources of manpower .. so RFA

some Divisional records [CRA] also record when TMBs are being formed and where men are found to serve in them ..

i think most of the later Corps Heavy TMBs were RGA manned

This is my great uncle Tom Wadey

I wonder if one of you experts can shed something on it

CWGC

Name: WADEY, T

Rank:Gunner

Service No:3291

Date of Death:03/12/1915

Regiment/Service:Royal Garrison Artillery 32nd T. Howitzer Bty.

Grave Reference: III. C. 4. Cemetery: MENIN ROAD SOUTH MILITARY CEMETERY

Medal Index Card

R.G.A. Gnr. 3291

R.G.A. Gnr. 278291

Kia. 3.12.15

Date of entry therein (Havre) 6.6.15

His headstone (Menin Road South Military Cemetery)

3291 GUNNER

T. WADEY

ROYAL GARRISON ARTILLERY

3RD DECEMBER 1915

1911 census Willington Quay, Wallsend

Thomas William Wadey age 32 Farm Labourer born Willington Quay

Living with his wife and four children (His wife and one child was born Jarrow)

Note:

Thomas William Wadey

Born Willington Quay Wallsend 1879

His wife Catherine Wadey (nee Monaghan) and children were living 46 Lord Street Jarrow when he died

On his Concentration of Graves Document at CWGC (exhumations and re-burials) it has the map reference of where his body was found as 28.I.9.d.2.7.

On the same document it has the map reference of were re-buried as 28.I.9.d.2.4. In Menin Road South Military Cemetery

So he was originally buried (north across the road from the Cemetery) and reburied 200 yards (180 metres) apart

He is the only one in the Cemetery to have died that day (3rd December 1915)

There is no one from the Royal Garrison Artillery that died before him in that cemetery

The next RGA is 6 months later is on the 18th May 1916

How did Tom come to be in the Royal Garrison Artillery 32nd Trench Howitzer Battery and what/where/who had he done his training? (in some Northumbrian Division?)

What was Tom Wadey doing 3rd December 1915 North of the Menin Road?

Was Tom Wadey picked off by a sniper?

Did his Trench Howitzer explode?

ps

There is a Lance Serjeant with the 7th Border Regiment who is down for that cemetery who died that day

And his Concentration of Graves Document at CWGC is also (exhumations and re-burials) it has the map reference of where his body was found as 28.I.9.d.2.7.

But according to the the same document he died 2nd December 1915? (not 3rd December?)

[kevinrowlinson]

Gnr. Wadey's number indicates he was a Special Reservist enlisting for 1 yr (or Duration of War if lasting longer) at the start of Oct 1914. These terms were open to old soldiers, either time expired regular, TF or Volunteer.

The war diary for the battery may be downloaded from the Nat Archives site, http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352910, although there is nothing to indicate what occurred.

He wasn't the only one to be wounded and the records have survived for RFA Gnr. 90799 William Douglas who was hospitalised to England on the 4th Dec 1915.

Kevin

[Curlew1919]

Thanks Battiscombe for the info

Thanks kevrow for the link to a 32nd Trench Mortar Battery Diary (I did not know one existed)

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=C0ED711084457EF5!4917&authkey=!AB1K5KCIX3xCGvs&v=3&ithint=photo%2cjpg

[Guest]

My great uncle,  Sergeant Joseph Shires, served with the 103rd Trench Mortar Battery in France in mid June 1918.  He suffered mustard gas exposure while in France and was evacuated.  I have postcards he sent from England to my grandmother dated 2 June, 1918 and his deployment to ... first Belgium and then France on the 7th of June.  Was this a separate American unit or a blended unit.  He died in 1952 at a V.A hospital in Ohio as a result of his lifelong pulmonary impairments incurred as a result of the gas.  Any information would be greatly appreciated.  

[Haydock]

Hi, I'm just trying to figure out some things about my great grandfather James Herbert Haydock, and reading through the comments has been really helpful.  He was in a medium trench mortar battery (he was in RFA) with the 30th division that was eventually called "30X". He was involved in some terrible fighting on 4th Dec 1916 that resulted in a very bad injury and a MM medal.  Most of the RFA and infantry units attached to 30th division had very quiet days on the Somme in Nov/Dec 1916 as the Battle of the Somme seemed to have kind of ended by then, so I'm not at all sure what happened to those in 30x on that day in France......  If anyone knows anything I would love to hear!

[Colin W Taylor]

Haydock,

 

It may be worth advertising this better through a fresh topic. 

 

I presume this is L/16509 Bombr. J. H. Haydock, attd. T.M. By., R.F.A. who was gazetted on  22 Jan 17 according to the London Gazette. Ancestry MM records have him as B Battery of 149th Brigade Royal Field Artillery.  His service records state MM 19 November 1916 and a bar to his MM 19 Feb 17

 

Nothing in Commander Royal Artillery for 30th Division or 149th Bde RFA diaries.

 

4 December seems quite a short gap between act and award; there does not seem to be an obvious corresponding action of that date.  Can I confirm where you got this date from? 

 

Frustratingly I've just seen your duplicate thread - 

I'd suggest scanning back through the CRA war diaries for 30th Division on Ancestry to see if there are any mentions in lieu of a diary for 30th Div TMB.

 

Regards

 

Colin