48th Reserve Battalion RFA

[David Ingleby]

I have been contacted by a gentleman whose grandfather served in the RFA during WW1. He was assigned to the 48th Reserve Battery on April 28th 1915, but was subsequently admitted to the hospital at the Royal Ordnance Depot at Weedon on May 20th 1915 due to tonsillitis. He was discharged from the hospital on June 5th 1915 and left with his unit for France in the autumn of 1915 serving with, I think, 'V' Battery of the RHA.

 

Weedon Depot was largely manned by a civilian workforce with a company of AOC also in attendance. The associated barracks would have held a cavalry unit or line battalion. I am aware there was always an Artillery presence there - proved by the number of local lads who signed up for the Artillery during the war. Was it a training base or was there another reason for the Artillery's presence there?

 

Many thanks.

[David Porter]

4C Reserve Brigade RFA consisting of 46, 47 and 48 Reserve Batteries was formed at Weedon on April 12, 1915.

Postings at this stage would be from No. 4 Depot RFA, Woolwich, but later they could be from anywhere.

The "C" Reserve Brigades were formed primarily to train new recruits for the New Army artillery, i.e. 9th to 26th Divisions (apart from 16th).

For example, 69669 George Joseph Fowler was posted from Woolwich to Weedon, also on April 28, 1915, and joined 23rd Divisional Artillery in July 1915.

I would say, if he was not directed to a particular division, the grandfather would be part of a reinforcement draft to have ended up with the RHA in France.

V Bty RHA was in the already established 2nd Indian Cavalry Division.

 

[David Ingleby]

That's great, thanks David!