Royal Field Artillery 5 C Reserve Brigade

[Yarnold66]

Does a war diary exist for this brigade? I cannot track one down on the National Archives website. They were based at Hemel Hempstead and then Charlton Park.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

As the unit did not serve outside the UK there was no requirement for them to complete a War Diary, so the answer to your question is - no.

Dave

[alantwo]

You may like to contact the Firepower Royal Artillery Museum, they hold some Digests of Service for 5C Reserve Battery which may help.

http://firepower.org.uk/

Regards

Alan

[charlie962]

I see an MM to 88835 gunner Charles E Sibley (LG 21:9:16) marked on rim 5C Res Bde RFA. If the unit never left UK, how would this unit get an MM?

[Chris_Baker]

He earned his MM while serving with B Battery of 86 Bde RFA. He had been wounded too and, judging by the respective dates of the casualty list and the London Gazette announcement of his MM, possibly in the same event.

[charlie962]

fast work mr Baker. Thus the unit on a medal doesn't neccesarily represent the unit with which it was gained? I presume if he was wounded seriously he might have been sent back to UK hence Reserve Brigade.

Can I ask how you managed to identify the correct unit so rapidly please?

[charlie962]

Further to my prev post I realise my error in not recognising the founder of long long trail. appologies

[Chris_Baker]

No problem. The information about his unit comes from an index card (held at the National Archives and available for a fee from their Discovery) that tells us the date of the London Gazette announcement.

[Guest]

On 06/11/2014 at 11:26, HERITAGE PLUS said:

As the unit did not serve outside the UK there was no requirement for them to complete a War Diary, so the answer to your question is - no.

Dave

My g-grandfather's records show he served with 5 C Brigade and that he was shell gassed in action in France, so it looks like they did serve overseas.

[tullybrone]

27 minutes ago, khart said:

My g-grandfather's records show he served with 5 C Brigade and that he was shell gassed in action in France, so it looks like they did serve overseas.

 

Does the record show he was serving with 5C Brigade at the time of his gassing in France?

 

My gf passed through 5C Brigade in 1916, post evacuation from BEF, whilst recovering from sickness on his journey back to BEF.

 

If you can attach a link to his records I’m sure a member will interpret it.

 

Steve

[Guest]

My father Henry Robert Adams served with royal field artillery from 1914 to 1918. For most of the war he was in France. From

February 1917 until may 1917 he was with 5c res brigade royal field artillery. So I assume he would have been taken out of the

front line for a period of time, maybe for medical reasons or for retraining.

[David Porter]

Welcome to the Forum Robert,

 

5C Reserve Brigade RFA was used for returning invalided soldiers for “toughening up” (re-drilling) after hospital and two weeks furlough. He may have spent some time at No. 7 Depot RFA, Frome, if his medical category was below A(i). Do you have his service record and what was his number in the RFA?

[Guest]

Thank you David for your response to my post regarding my father Henry Robert Adams.  He was a driver service no.1037798 R.F.A. No.89136.  The statement of services did, indeed, show him to be at no.7 depot in February 1917.  Until your post, I was unable to trace any info on no.7 depot, so thank you.  He returned to France in may 1917 and was posted to 34DAC.

[Amanda Crittenden]

On 13/02/2020 at 03:31, Robert Austin Adams said:

Thank you David for your response to my post regarding my father Henry Robert Adams.  He was a driver service no.1037798 R.F.A. No.89136.  The statement of services did, indeed, show him to be at no.7 depot in February 1917.  Until your post, I was unable to trace any info on no.7 depot, so thank you.  He returned to France in may 1917 and was posted to 34DAC.

May I ask where  you obtained the Statement of Service you refer to?  My great grandfather Leonard Evans, #19933 too is listed as a Driver with the 5c Reserve Brigades; but having served in France (qualifying date: 18-7-15).  I also assumed maybe he held a different position until being wounded (gsw to his right hand and loss of 2 fingers) and then sent to the 5c Reserve Brigade where he was discharged from on 10-7-1917.  On his WWII enlistment (rejection) it also makes mention of having served in the British Expeditionary Force (no dates or place noted), but aside from his medal index card and roll, I CANNOT find his service record

[Guest]

Hi all! 

hope everyone’s well and safe in these crazy times.

 

I am new here, just discovered my great grandfather Thomas Moore served in the Royal Field Artillery 5 C Reserve Brigade in 1916 as I found his medal record from TNA and came across this thread. I am struggling to decipher what it all means bar that he was a driver. Would be awesome if anyone more experienced could help out!? I know he suffered a few injuries in his time, and lost his legs at some point just not sure how. 
 

thanks!

WO-372-14-74821 2.pdf

[tullybrone]

10 hours ago, Gingerfreak said:

Amy

 

You have supplied 4 cards and they all have different service numbers on them. They look like they are for four different people.

 

However the information on the cards tell us the following:

The cards with Victory, British and star on them are medal cards.  The information next to them tell you which book they are recorded in. eg. RFA/233b pg.26589.They are like a massive ticklist. Each page lists a man by his service number. Each Regiment and Corps has one each.  There are three 'books'. One for the 1914 Star. One for the 1915 Star and one for the Victory and British War Medal. 

 

The bottom right card says Theatre (2b) Balkans and gives a date.  The theatre is were your relative entered the war. France is 1, Egypt 3 etc. The date is known as a 'Disembarkation date'. A posh term for arriving and stepping off the boat. 

 

The top left card and the bottom right card are different cards. The details on these cards are:

Date of enlistment: The date a man joined the military.

Date of discharge: The date the man left the army.

The 'List RA/154' is the discharge book or the Silver Wound Badge. If a man of military age was not in uniform people would think he was a coward. The badge told people that the man had served and couldn't anymore.  

 

All of the cards have ranks on them. 

Dr - Driver

Abdr - Acting Bombardier - similar to a modern day LCpl. (one stripe)

Bdr - Bombardier = Corporal = 2 stripes

 

The bottom left hand card has "Rev to Gnr -06.05.16". This means the man had done something wrong. Had been in front of a military court or a court martial, found guilty and has reduced in rank from a Bombadier (2 stripes) to a Gunner (Gnr - No stripes).

 

There are Royal Field Artillery guru's on here. They have spent the best part of a lifetime piecing together people's military service. Someone is bound to add more detailed information to this in die course.

 

Good luck

 

 

The OP has attached the 6 person sheet National Archives version of the mixed SWB/Medal Index Cards that are available as individual documents on Ancestry. 

11 hours ago, AmyM said:

Hi all! 

hope everyone’s well and safe in these crazy times.

 

I am new here, just discovered my great grandfather Thomas Moore served in the Royal Field Artillery 5 C Reserve Brigade in 1916 as I found his medal record from TNA and came across this thread. I am struggling to decipher what it all means bar that he was a driver. Would be awesome if anyone more experienced could help out!? I know he suffered a few injuries in his time, and lost his legs at some point just not sure how. 
 

thanks!

WO-372-14-74821 2.pdf 1.39 MB · 5 downloads

You have attached the Silver War Badge card from the National Archives. You have not attached his medal index card - see copy below from Ancestry. From his date of arrival in France I’d say he served in one of the Artillery units in 12th (Eastern) Division - unless he went overseas as a replacement.

 

He was discharged on sickness grounds. 5 C Brigade was a unit at Charlton Park near Woolwich, London for wounded/sick men to pass through to either be discharged or returned to BEF on their recovery. My grandfather spent time there in May 1916 following his evacuation sick from RFA 12 Division in March 1916. He went overseas again in July 1916.
 

Steve

Edited 19 January , 2021 by tullybrone

[Guest]

11 hours ago, Gingerfreak said:

Amy

 

You have supplied 4 cards and they all have different service numbers on them. They look like they are for four different people.

 

However the information on the cards tell us the following:

The cards with Victory, British and star on them are medal cards.  The information next to them tell you which book they are recorded in. eg. RFA/233b pg.26589.They are like a massive ticklist. Each page lists a man by his service number. Each Regiment and Corps has one each.  There are three 'books'. One for the 1914 Star. One for the 1915 Star and one for the Victory and British War Medal. 

 

The bottom right card says Theatre (2b) Balkans and gives a date.  The theatre is were your relative entered the war. France is 1, Egypt 3 etc. The date is known as a 'Disembarkation date'. A posh term for arriving and stepping off the boat. 

 

The top left card and the bottom right card are different cards. The details on these cards are:

Date of enlistment: The date a man joined the military.

Date of discharge: The date the man left the army.

The 'List RA/154' is the discharge book or the Silver Wound Badge. If a man of military age was not in uniform people would think he was a coward. The badge told people that the man had served and couldn't anymore.  

 

All of the cards have ranks on them. 

Dr - Driver

Abdr - Acting Bombardier - similar to a modern day LCpl. (one stripe)

Bdr - Bombardier = Corporal = 2 stripes

 

The bottom left hand card has "Rev to Gnr -06.05.16". This means the man had done something wrong. Had been in front of a military court or a court martial, found guilty and has reduced in rank from a Bombadier (2 stripes) to a Gunner (Gnr - No stripes).

 

There are Royal Field Artillery guru's on here. They have spent the best part of a lifetime piecing together people's military service. Someone is bound to add more detailed information to this in die course.

 

Good luck

 

 

2 hours ago, tullybrone said:

 

The OP has attached the 6 person sheet National Archives version of the mixed SWB/Medal Index Cards that are available as individual documents on Ancestry. 

You have attached the Silver War Badge card from the National Archives. You have not attached his medal index card - see copy below from Ancestry. From his date of arrival in France I’d say he served in one of the Artillery units in 12th (Eastern) Division - unless he went overseas as a replacement.

 

He was discharged on sickness grounds. 5 C Brigade was a unit at Charlton Park near Woolwich, London for wounded/sick men to pass through to either be discharged or returned to BEF on their recovery. My grandfather spent time there in May 1916 following his evacuation sick from RFA 12 Division in March 1916. He went overseas again in July 1916.
 

Steve

 

Thank you both SO much! I can't believe I hadn't realised that was an entire page of records for different people. it seems so obvious now you've pointed it out - thank you it's really appreciated, definitely a bit of a n00b with all this!! 

 

The information you've provided has been so useful and I finally understand what I'm looking at now, really appreciate you taking the time to do that.

 

Thanks so much for the record from Ancestry too! I am currently using MyHeritage but they are lacking somewhat in some records, so will look to getting an account on Ancestry too. 

 

Again, thank you all so much, doing this on behalf of my mum and she's absolutely loving finding out all this information about her grandad that she never knew before - it's fascinating. 

 

Amy

[tullybrone]

14 minutes ago, AmyM said:

 

 

Thank you both SO much! I can't believe I hadn't realised that was an entire page of records for different people. it seems so obvious now you've pointed it out - thank you it's really appreciated, definitely a bit of a n00b with all this!! 

 

The information you've provided has been so useful and I finally understand what I'm looking at now, really appreciate you taking the time to do that.

 

Thanks so much for the record from Ancestry too! I am currently using MyHeritage but they are lacking somewhat in some records, so will look to getting an account on Ancestry too. 

 

Again, thank you all so much, doing this on behalf of my mum and she's absolutely loving finding out all this information about her grandad that she never knew before - it's fascinating. 

 

Amy

 You’re welcome Amy.

 

Your best bet would be to start a new topic about him as the Royal Artillery specialists would pick up on it more easily than in this topic. 

 

My gf enlisted 12th August 1914 and was posted to Canterbury for his initial training.

 

You may not find his service papers on Ancestry (a lot were destroyed during WW2) but if you look for RFA numbers around his you may turn up some of his contemporaries (caveat is that RFA numbering is not straightforward and some numbers turn up 2 or 3 men).

 

Steve