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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Richmond George WESTWOOD Driver RFA Service No 841139


garlanj

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Hello

I have started researching my family and found 3 of my great uncles were in the artillery during the great war.

 

Richmond George WESTWOOD was born in Kidderminster in 1884 and I have a copy of his discharge document and am awathat he was entitled to wear a wound stripe. 

 

I've signed up to the Forces War Records and will try and see what's held for him at Kew

 

Does anyone have any info on him or can you suggest what else I can do?

Many thanks

Jeremy

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In his discharge record as you see it shows 'GSW Leg R'  that he received on 27th March 1918 in France and admitted to Hospital on 15 April 1918.

Gun Shot Wound received from 'Hostile Artillery Fire' but also fractured his right tibia after 'falling from horse at the same time' . The German Spring Offensive began on 21st March 1918 so I'd guess this is the operation you may want to look into.

 

There is a few other things like dental work, sick and sprained ankle that wouldn't have warranted the stripe. I can't find him yet on the daily casualty list but you could expect to see him mentioned on the British Newspaper Archive on that list mentioned about 4-6 weeks after the wounding which entitled him to wear the stripe.

 

Theres a Silver War Badge record showing enlistment on 28/4/16 and he was posted to 4 Res Bde RFA so you could try find relevant war diary that may mention the operations they were involved in. Although my past research has found RFA a little tricky to find but someone with expertise in them will point you in the right direction for their diary.

Good luck with your research.

Edited by JasonMc
typo
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The documents for him on Findmypast https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search/results?sourcecategory=armed+forces+%26+conflict&firstname=richmond+george&firstname_variants=true&lastname=westwood&keywordsplace_proximity=5&sourcecountry=great+britain have his service and link to his medal card and his Silver War Badge card.  The medal card can be found at the National Archives.  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6429091 and the Silver War Badge card at https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/2456/wo329_2978-00189?pid=50601&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D2456%26h%3D50601%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DdVB1179%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=dVB1179&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true  The wounds/falling from a horse took place in March 1918 when he was serving with 50 Divisional Ammunition Column (the Reserve Brigade would have been where he was in UK when discharged).

 

The war diary for 50 DAC is at the National Archives at

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7354689

It is on Ancestry at:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60779/43849_2820_3-00000?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

 

The records show his other units which we can return to to pick out other relevant war diaries.

 

Max

 

 

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He was a Derby Scheme man who attested in December 1915 https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/a-soldiers-life-1914-1918/enlisting-into-the-army/the-group-scheme-derby-scheme/, Sent on the reserve he was mobilised on 23 April 1916 serving initially in UK with 2/3 South Midland Brigade Royal Field Artillery and then 532 (Howitzer) Battery  532 Bty went to France on 11 Nov 1916 (he went with them) joining 71 Brigade RFA in 15 (Scottish) Division on 16 Nov 1916.  He was with 71 Bde (532 Bty to start and then as a result of a reorganisation, in D Bty from 6 Jan 1917) until Feb 1917 (with a couple of bouts in hospital)  The war diary for that brigade is:https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C7352768  at Ancestry:https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/60779/43112_1923_4-00000?backurl=&ssrc=&backlabel=Return

 

He returned from the base having been in hospital to be posted to 30 Divisions' Ammunition Column (diary cited above) (Please note the initial post #3 said 50 Div in error, now corrected).  He was admitted to No 2 Convalescent Depot with his GSW on 30 March (it is not clear whether the earlier admittance to (unrecorded) on 3 Mar 1918 was the same event).  He was evacuated to UK on 8 April 1918.  This is where he came on the books of 4 Reserve Brigade RFA.

 

His rank was Driver which indicates his prime responsibility was with the horses.

 

His record covers his hospitalisation in UK quite well.

 

Max

 

..

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