59th Siege Battery RGA

[Guest]

I am researching 40913 Gnr Horace Bywaters who died of wounds on the 29th March 1918 age 21, he was treated in the 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospital in Doullens and is buried in  Extension 1 of the  Doullens Cemetery,  France.

 

The Cemetery record states that he was in the 59th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery, I am trying to locate the War Diaries for the 59th for the period leading up to the 29th March, can anyone help?      

[Ron Clifton]

Hello rincewind

 

There does not appear to be a surviving diary for the battery, but from Jan 1918 onwards battery diaries all seem to have been discontinued in favour of brigade diaries. The one you want is this one:

WO 95/225 48 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery 1915 Aug. - 1919 Feb.  
 

It can be downloaded from the Kew website, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for about £3.50. You may need to add a suffix such as /1, /2 etc as there are two or more diaries in each file. I don't think that is available on Ancestry yet.

 

 

War Diaries rarely mention individuals by name other than officers, but numbers of casualties each day are nearly always given, and the location of the unit, with a short description of its activities, is given on each day.
 

Good hunting!

 

Ron