Acting Bombardier John Turpie (50366), RGA

[charlie962]

11 hours ago, RCD said:

6th Group HAR.

HAR is Heavy Artillery Reserve. These Groups HAR were responsible for tactical issues. Otherwise for administrative and ammunition supply the reporting line for Brigades was to Corps. That was the case in 1915 and I don't know for how long after this continued. The relevance is that probably more likely to find Awards etc up the Admin reporting lines than the tactical. ie Corps rather than Group HAR.  However it always comes back to the quality of the diarist.

 

charlie

[RCD]

On 09/08/2020 at 22:56, battiscombe said:

Farndale states this for the summer 1916 [which the MM would seem to relate to, according the the newpaper] that their HQs were attached to the RA HQs of Divisions they were supporting - which would also fit with the "he received the compliments of the General and Staff of the Division he is attached to."

 

I'm trying to square this with what Charlie said:

 

On 13/08/2020 at 11:10, charlie962 said:

for administrative and ammunition supply the reporting line for Brigades was to Corps

 

I'm currently going through the VIII Corps Heavy Artillery HQ war diary April-Dec 1916 (TNA, WO 95/825/1) on the assumption this was the relevant reporting line for 16 HAG HQ at the time (16 HAG HQ appears to have joined the command of VIII Corps on 1/5/16). But should I be looking for the war diary of a Division within VIII Corps instead?

 

The Long, Long Trail includes this snapshot of VIII Corps in 1917 (to which 16 HAG is still attached), which shows 3 Divisions (8th, 14th and 30th). Would 16 HAG be associated with any of these Divisions within VIII Corps? As Battiscombe says, "he received the compliments of the General and Staff of the Division he is attached to" suggests Division rather than Corps as the relevant structure.

[charlie962]

32 minutes ago, RCD said:

But should I be looking for the war diary of a Division within VIII Corps instead?

Ah! I suspect you have to look at both. But with war diaries you never know who records what. I know Divisional Commander's commendations exist but am not aware they exist at a corps level.

My note on reporting lines was valid in 1915.

Battiscombe knows a lot more about this than I do, but I'm learning !

 

charlie