jaykayu Posted 2 November , 2019 Share Posted 2 November , 2019 Hi All Having searched already online at the National Archives with no luck, is there an artillery expert who can help with the below please? I am trying to find the War Diary references (WO 95 etc.) for the Royal Garrison Artillery units on the dates shown below please. I understand from other posts that these may have to be at Brigade level as individual units might not have diaries for the dates shown. My plan is to then download or visit the NA to view these diaries. 116 Siege Battery RGA - May 1918 146 Siege Battery RGA – May 1917 & March 1918 10th Trench Mortar Battery RGA. – September 1915 120th Heavy Battery RGA – March 1918 3rd Heavy Artillery Group RGA - War diary for May 1917 If no diaries exist for any of the above can anyone suggest a history or similar alternative please? Many thanks for any help provided. Regards J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 3 November , 2019 Share Posted 3 November , 2019 (edited) Hi jaykayu, I'll kick off with: 116 Siege Battery RGA - May 1918 . 77th HAG WO 95/324/2 Army Troops. 77 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery. Note: Diaries for Mar-Apr 1918 not included It doesn't appear that a separate diary for 116SB exists apart from May 1917. 146 Siege Battery RGA – May 1917 . 58th HAG 14/4/17 to 12/5/17 , then 46th HAG till 28/6/17 Can't find a HAG diary for 58th HAG for this period. It doesn't appear that a separate diary for 146SB exists apart from June 1916 - March 1917. 46th HAG ( WO 95/543/1 ): Army Troops. 46 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery. Note: Diary for July 1917 not included 146 Siege Battery RGA –March 1918 . 47th HAG ( WO 95/473/1 ) Army Troops. 47 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery 3rd Heavy Artillery Group RGA - War diary for May 1917 ( WO 95/297/2 ) Army Troops. 3 Heavy Artillery Group I think the links are correct. Check them though, and if you're happy of the correct dates, you can download each as a PDF (usually about 50MB) for £3.50 Edited 3 November , 2019 by Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 3 November , 2019 Share Posted 3 November , 2019 War diaries were not required at battery level at this date so brigade diaries are the source to search. Having said that, some unofficial diaries are retained by the RA museum. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 3 November , 2019 Share Posted 3 November , 2019 120 Hy Bty RGA - to 85 HAG 19 12 17, no subsequent change (except later in Aug/Sep 1918) https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=85+brigade+garrison Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 3 November , 2019 Share Posted 3 November , 2019 Not sure that 10th Trench Mortar Battery existed as an RGA unit (although pleased to be put right). That said - 1915 was early in the gestation of TMBs and an earlier thread addressed the early days: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/218875-trench-mortar-batteries/ although I didn't spot 10 Battery there. Hopefully one of the real experts will happen along. If not, try a sperate thread with 10 TMB in the title. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaykayu Posted 3 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 November , 2019 Thank you everybody for the feedback. I am looking forward to working on this over the next week. Cheers J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris_Baker Posted 3 November , 2019 Share Posted 3 November , 2019 Some info on 10 TMB at https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/battles/battles-of-the-western-front-in-france-and-flanders/the-battle-of-loos/british-trench-mortars-in-france-at-the-battle-of-loos-and-before/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaykayu Posted 3 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 3 November , 2019 24 minutes ago, MaxD said: Not sure that 10th Trench Mortar Battery existed as an RGA unit (although pleased to be put right). That said - 1915 was early in the gestation of TMBs and an earlier thread addressed the early days: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/218875-trench-mortar-batteries/ although I didn't spot 10 Battery there. Hopefully one of the real experts will happen along. If not, try a sperate thread with 10 TMB in the title. Max Hi Max FYI My query about the 10th TMB Royal Garrison Artillery comes from researching second Lieutenant Oswald Langley Pulling, which CWGC data shows was with the 10th TM Battery RGA. However, as we know there are errors in this so you may be right that 10 TMB isn't an RGA unit. Thanks J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battiscombe Posted 3 November , 2019 Share Posted 3 November , 2019 (edited) my notes on 10th TMB have 2Lt Pulling initially listed as missing 25th Sept 1915, a Gnr Michael Creed was killed that day and Cpl Edward Willard (both RGA men) wounded [GSW arm]. As far as I can tell this unit looks to have been usually listed as a RGA TMB and was formed largely of RGA men.. . [among early TMBs, RGA units were most commonly referred to a 'Trench Howitzer batteries', but not in this case in records I have seen.. sometimes as "10th Trench Battery RGA"]. The unit looks to have been forming midJune 1915.. several men being posted to it on 14th June.. mainly from Base with a few more experienced men.. (Cpl Willard had been a Bdr in 22nd Trench Howitzer Bty). I may add that i have not found a war diary for them and only fragmentary mentions in divisional diaries, and occasional surviving personal records of RGA men. The unit became Z/12 TMB in spring 1916 . Edited 3 November , 2019 by battiscombe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 4 November , 2019 Share Posted 4 November , 2019 Thank you both from me, hate mysteries! Chris - if I had bestirred myself to look at the link at the bottom of your main page on TMBs I'd have found this gold mine - mind bogglingly complex bit of research, salaams! Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 4 November , 2019 Share Posted 4 November , 2019 Guided by the info in Chris's piece on 10 Trench Mortar Battery, I'd suggest 22 Inf Brigade's diary is worth a read. The battery and its location during the attack on the Quarries (Battle of Loos) is indeed in the diary as he notes. 2 R Warwicks diary ignores them! Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaykayu Posted 4 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 4 November , 2019 Thanks to Chris, Battsicombe and Max for the additional feedback. I have looked at 22 Inf Brigades War Diary on Ancestry and do see the mentions of 10 TMB, including the one on 24/9/15 of them near Gonnehem and ' to left of the Warwicks'. Cheers J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 4 November , 2019 Share Posted 4 November , 2019 Jaykayu, I'm glad the forum has helped your research. I forgot to mention that some war diaries are available on Ancestry (sub required). Unfortunately, the mechanical transport companies of the ASC, and HAGs don't seem to be there and are only available from the National Archive. Each diary can be downloaded from the NA for £3.50, but if you attend in person, you can download them free of charge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 4 November , 2019 Share Posted 4 November , 2019 10th TMB dates from the period before the allocation of TMBs to divisions. My notes, derived from orders of battle held at Kew, show that it was under First Army, and specifically I Corps, throughout the period June 1915 to March 1916. You may find some further references to it in the diaries of the I CCRA (Commander Corps RA) or the Commander of First Army Artillery. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaykayu Posted 5 November , 2019 Author Share Posted 5 November , 2019 Many thanks DByS & Ron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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