daggers Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 A man served with the H.A.C. and his medal roll entry shows 2/HAC with entry into F&F as 2 Oct 1916. This appears almost to tie in with the date of arrival in theatre 2/1st HAC: 3 Oct 1916. I know the HAC has always had its oddities, but can nayone please confirm that 2/ and 2/1st are the same unit? Daggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Daggers, Findmypast has a collection of H.A.C. records, which may help. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 5 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Alf Indeed they are and they did help to fill in many details. Many thanks for the tip. D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 D Only two units of the HAC went overseas,they didn't have the complication of 2nd and 3rd line units,so just 1/1 which was overseas earlier on than 2/1,which, as you say,first landed in 1916. I have a SWB for one of their soldiers,and having read a bit about them,see that they turned out,as a matter of course,many who went on to be Officers. Almost like an OTC I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 One of those battalions with pages of medal rolls showing commissions. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin astill Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 A history of the HAC can be obtained - The Honourable Artillery Company in the Great War, ed G Goold Walker, Seeley, Service, London 1930. Edwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Only two units of the HAC went overseas A history of the HAC can be obtained - The Honourable Artillery Company in the Great War, ed G Goold Walker, Seeley, Service, London 1930. In case Sotonmate's post is misread, ref to the excellent history mentioned by EA will clarify: see the Introduction (p.4), which states - quote “the units with the dates they left England, were: 1st Battalion ... September 18th, 1914 'A' and 'B' Batteries ...April 10th,1915 2nd Battalion … October 1st, 1916 Siege Battery … April 25th, 1917 2/A and 2/B Batteries … June 21st, 1917.” regards Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Michael Thank you - likely to be misread because in my mind I was referring to the infantry arm of the HAC and ignored other (artillery) units,and failed to add the important word "infantry" ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 5 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 February , 2015 Thanks, one and all. Yes, it was infantry 'my' man served with. Thanks to the FMP link to HAC records I found he was twice wounded, returned to UK with the rank of corporal and when discharged with a SWB in 1919 he was an acting serjeant instructor, with the Army Gymnastic Staff, attached to the HAC at the Tower of London. He had been, and resumed life as a civil servant. Did the HAC draw many from that pool? Daggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin astill Posted 5 February , 2015 Share Posted 5 February , 2015 He had been, and resumed life as a civil servant. Did the HAC draw many from that pool? Daggers Harold Bertram Pitts, who had been a student at St. Luke's College, Exeter, was an elementary schoolteacher. His parents ran a Childrens' Home provided for my the West Ham Poor Law Guardians. Harold was KiA 16 July 1915. He joined the HAC before the war. I'm working on a book on St. Luke's Roll of Honour. Edwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 6 February , 2015 Author Share Posted 6 February , 2015 Thanks, Edwin D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerd.deboeck Posted 10 May , 2015 Share Posted 10 May , 2015 Thanks, one and all. Yes, it was infantry 'my' man served with. Thanks to the FMP link to HAC records I found he was twice wounded, returned to UK with the rank of corporal and when discharged with a SWB in 1919 he was an acting serjeant instructor, with the Army Gymnastic Staff, attached to the HAC at the Tower of London. He had been, and resumed life as a civil servant. Did the HAC draw many from that pool? Daggers Sorry for my late reply but Yes the HAC did draw many from the middle classes (being a "posh" territorial unit). Achiel Van Walleghem priest at Dikkebus, Ypres writes about them in his diary: March 26 (1915), friday, Festival of Our Lady of 7 contractions. The new English troops we have here, are from the 5th division. These were the first to arrive in Belgium. They have fought at Mons. They passed through Dikkebus on October 20th and first fought beyond ‘t Hoge and later around Kemmel and Wulvertem. There are also new soldiers who just arrived from England. At Dikkebus there is a regiment H.A.C., mostly consisting of rich families from London, many of them become officers. Everywhere they arrive they spend a lot of money. And they are very decent too. No wonder the folk like them. An electrician and a student of medicine from London are busy sweeping the church. In the evening a lot of guns pass. In the church there is now a postal service installed. This won’t disturb our services to much. Does your man have a name? Gerd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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