Help with researching a soldier in the Royal Field Artillery.

[John_545]

I have been trying to research my Grandfather's role in the Great War, and was hoping that someone here may be able to help me find out some more information.

His name was William Yates, and I have his medal card. From this I know that he was a private, later corporal, in the Royal Field Artillery, regiment 70215 and that he entered service in France on the 6th of October 1915.

I have tried Ancestry as well as Forces War Records, and the only extra piece of information that I can find about him was that he qualified for a wound stripe in April of 1918.

I suppose there may not be any further records specifically relating to my Grandfather, but I would like to know more about his regiment, 70215, and where he likely would have been between October 1915 and the end of the war. I have done a number of searches but I cannot find anything specifically relating to this regiment, so I am hoping that someone here may be able to help me.

I hope that everyone is having a good weekend.

Regards,

John.

[ss002d6252]

Quote

regiment 70215

#70215 is his service number rather than the unit he was in.

Craig

[David Porter]

Welcome to the Forum John,

 

There is another card on Ancestry which says he qualified for the Meritorious Service Medal. His unit is given as Y/15 TMB (A Medium Trench Mortar Battery in 15th Division). His date of entry to France of October 6, 1915 may put him with 10th Divisional Ammunition Column. That is the unit that landed that day, but he could have been a reinforcement for Base at Havre.

[aim]

Yes, I just checked his MIC on the TNA website and can confirm that 70215 was his number in the RFA, and he also got a Meritorious Service Medal. This means that you have got further than I did with my Grandfather!

 

Welcome to the Forum, and I hope you can find his service record and/or a reason for his MSM.

 

aim

[Matlock1418]

18 minutes ago, David Porter said:

qualified for the Meritorious Service Medal.

Not his wartime duty but may be of interest: London Gazette in 1919 for MSM = records he came from Litherland  

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/31370/page/6868

9 minutes ago, aim said:

I hope you can find his service record and/or a reason for his MSM.

Unlikely a specific reason as usually a general catch-all award = "in recognition of valuable; service rendered with the Armies in France and Flanders" as the LG puts it on page 6865.

:-) M

Edited 21 June , 2020 by Matlock1418

[John_545]

Thanks for the information everyone. Apologies over the confusion with his service number, as I'm sure you can tell, I am new to this!

I forgot to mention about the Meritorious Service Medal, I knew about this already as we have the medals, but I don't know exactly what it was for. I would love to find out.

Do you know of a good place where I could find out about Y/15 TMB?

[David Porter]

20 minutes ago, John_545 said:

Do you know of a good place where I could find out about Y/15 TMB?

 

In the War Diary section of Ancestry (France etc.) use the drop down menu (to the right) as follows:

Divisional Trench Mortar Batteries > 15th Division > Piece 1924/3: Divisional Trench Mortar Batteries (1916 Aug - 1919 Mar)

[aim]

Hit the "Long Long Trail" button at the top of this page and you will be able to follow lots of useful links.

 

Also, if you know where he AND HIS PARENTS lived during or just before the war, you could plough through the local newspapers of the time.

 

aim