ALFRED JOHN PERRY (MM) D Battery RHA #68846

[Greenland]

I have sought help with this soldier before regarding his MM.  Now I wonder whether someone could help me interpret the uploaded MIC and combined RH & RFA medal roll for him?

 

I am aware that the RA comprised three distinct groups during WW1: RA, RGA and RFA&RHA combined is it possible that John was a driver, then a gunner or were these jobs done in parallel or what might have been the sequence?  He seems to have completed service as a L/Bdr or Bdr.  The Gazette for his MM award simply states D Battery, RHA, 68846.

 

Please can someone guide me on how he served?  Thank you!

 

Greenland

[Peter Le Duc]

Hi Greenland,

attached is the service record of my Grandfather who was also in the RFA starting as a driver and ending up as Bombardier.

hope this helps

[charlie962]

D Battery RHA was part of 3rd Bde and as at 1st Aug 1914. It landed Le Havre 17/8/14.  (source LongLongTrail)

 In Newbridge, Kildare, Ireland when ordered to mobilise on 4 August 1914. Under command of (1st) Cavalry Division. Landed at Le Havre 17 August 1914. Brigade transferred to 2nd Cavalry Division on 15 September 1914. Battery then remained with this formation for rest of the war, but was placed under tactical command of 3rd Cavalry Brigade.

 

So Perry may have been with D Battery throughout?

 

You have seen, I think, Perry's entries on RA Attestations. His postwar service number 1007642 doesn't seem to come up on the MoD retained service file lists ?

D Battery's war diary is here at NA

[charlie962]

The discrepency on dates is probably that the Battery embarked in Ireland on 15th Aug and sailed late that night but didn't disembark at LeHavre until 17th.

 

[Greenland]

Peter - thank you for your response and for sight of your grandfather's service record of postings confirming that it was possible to start as a driver and finish up a gunner with promotion, in time, to bombardier.  Although I understand that the RFA and RHA were effectively one unit, in the absence of a record such as your grandfather's, can one tell from the MIC the sequence of his service?  It seems as though John served as a driver with the RHA, then a driver with the RFA and then back to the RHA as a gunner and then bombardier.  But, does this make sense?  Is it possible to have served with one battery as both a driver and gunner?

 

charlie962 - thank you too for your contribution to this topic.  It is possible that as a reservist until 1932, Alfred's service record is still available.  Unfortunately, my budget is limited and I have not applied for it (research involves 20 soldiers).  I cannot say therefore that he was with D Battery for his entire service but he was at the end of the war (MM award in London Gazette, 1/1/21). And thank you, I had seen the Register of RA Attestations which included his post-war service number.

 

Thank you both again.

Greenland

 

[battiscombe]

I would think quite/very likely that he was D Bty RHA throughout war unless some more definite evidence is found to the contrary [I would not see Medal Index Card reference to RFA as suggesting that ... more likely clerical carelessness I would think ..and the medal roll RFA/349B page 50182 you post also lists him as RHA. Examination of other medal cards for 3rd Bde RHA men might clarify if this was more widespread].

 

Full wartime service with his Bty might well also contribute to  his 1921 MM award? ...  serving as Driver and Gunner is not unusual..

[Greenland]

Thanks so much for your input.  It was the medal roll which threw me - I know it is typed very feintly but on looking carefully I noted "R.H. & R.F.A.".  Up until noticing that, I had always thought the three groups of the RA to be RFA, RHA and RGA, but research shows that it was Combined RH AND RFA, RGA and RA.  Within this 'combined' group, there was obviously some distinction betweem RFA and RHA and perhaps the men identified with one particular unit rather than the combiined group.  Movement between the individual components of this one group may have been quite fluid.  It is only his service record which would confirm things absolutely, if it is still available, unfortunately, on running into problems with this soldier some while back, I set him aside, and now that I have returned to him, despite budget concerns, it really is too late to obtain a suriving record prior to project end with Armistice approaching!  I am really grateful for your thoughts on this.  Thanks so much.

Greenland