64th Trench Mortar Battery

[Alan Riches]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm researching the activities of the 64th Trench Mortar Battery during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.  However, I'm struggling to find the unit's War Diary either via Ancestry or the National Archives.  I would be grateful if some kind soul would point me in the right direction - I have a subscription to Ancestry and free access to TNA, but I just can't find the right reference!

 

Thanks,

Alan

[brianmorris547]

Alan

In War Diaries on Ancestry I looked in Divisional Trench Mortar Batteries, 21 Div. According to the header sheets X TMB was formerly 42, Y TMB was formerly 45 and Z TMB was formerly 51. For 18 Div V TMB was formerly 53. You might be lucky and find it. 

Brian

[Alan Riches]

Thanks, Brian, but I think they may be Medium Trench Mortar Batteries.

[Colin W Taylor]

Alan,

 

Sadly many Brigade TMB war diaries have not survived. In many cases those that do mostly cover only the early Somme period. The only other way is to go through the 64 Brigade diaries (http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14054207) for mention of the TMB activities or reports. There may be mention in individual battalion diaries of 64 Brigade (they might have mortars attached for different attacks) but there's no easy answer on this.

 

Kind regards

 

Colin

[Alan Riches]

Thanks, Colin.  As you suggest, I'll have a look at the 64 Brigade and individual battalion war diaries and see what I can find.

[brianmorris547]

Alan

I picked 21 Div to start off because I thought that it might relate to 64 Infantry Brigade. TLLT for 21 Div shows 64 TMB joined before June 1916. It may be one of the other TMBs whose header did not show a previous title i.e. W or V.

Brian

[jay dubaya]

I note forum member Kevin Rowlinson’s research shows 64th TMB became 1 Z TMB on 20th March 1916.

[battiscombe]

Just to clarify.... Yes, the original 64 Trench Battery [as they were in fact usually termed .. sometimes 'Trench Howitzer' ] was formed in c.17 September 1915 in 1st Army [with RGA men mainly] serving with various Divisions including 2nd Division and Guards Division ... and was redesignated as Z/1 TMB on 20/3/1916  ... in the major reorganisation of RA-manned medium/heavy trench mortar units, [creating  the X-Y-Z and sometimes V and W TMBs of each Division]...

 

But by summer 1916, as Alan suggests - this is presumably one of the ('light') infantry TMBs attached to each Infantry Brigade from 1916 ...in this case 64 Infantry Brigade ..  The important difference being that records of the former are usually to be found amongst Artillery diaries, and the latter in Infantry dairies .. if they exist..