Royal Artillery

[Hullwebs]

'W' Coy, 15th TM Battery, Royal Field Artillery

 Is anyone able to assist us to discover the diary pages fro the period 25th-29th March 1917 please?  I have a copy of the War Diaries for the R.F.A. but have been unable to trace this unit.  I do not know the Division (etc) and would be very appreciative of any support.  

Alan B.
Hull People's Memorial

[kildaremark]

Considering the date, it is most likely that this will be a trench mortar battery of the 15th Division, however, "W" Company will not be accurate. It will be "V", "X", "Y" or "Z" Trench Mortar Battery which will be referred to as X/15, Y/15 et al.

 

You should look up the divisional trench mortar batteries to find the correct war diary.

 

Edit: Had a look at the 15th Divisional TMB diary which appears to be one diary only kept by the DTMO. On 29th March 1917 at Arras, an enemy shell hit a store causing the explosion of 300 rounds of 9.45 inch ammunition [now that would have been a fairly big explosion!] killing 13 other ranks and wounding 10 other ranks. They also had two other ranks killed on 23rd March by a premature explosion. Looks like all the casualties were with V/15 TMB. Diary not quite clear so that the 13 might include both incidents. Some Scottish rifles also killed. I presume that CWGC will have them all buried together which will help identify them however you should note that they are most likely primarily RGA rather than RFA as V/15 will be a heavy TMB.

 

I presume you are after a particular casualty?

 

Mark

Edited 9 May , 2017 by kildaremark

[kildaremark]

I see the casualties are listed on CWGC including a Gunner Bartlett with W/15 TMB. I think this is a transcription error for V/15 as listed for the others killed that I checked.

 

Mark

[Ron Clifton]

There were a few divisions which had a W/ Heavy TMB as well as, or instead of, a V/ Heavy TMB. However, according to Becke's Orders of Battle volumes, 15th Division does not seem to be one of them. It seems more likely to be a transcription error but it is not impossible that W/15 Heavy TMB did exist briefly and somehow disappeared "under the radar".

 

Ron