150th RFA, CL (County Palatine) Brigade, 30th Division - Maricourt 1st July 19016

[sunflower]

Hi, looking for info on A Battery & B Battery of the 150th RFA Brigade that was positioned near Maricourt on 1st July 1916. Can anyone tell me how many men looked after each gun, what type of gun this battery had and even better any trench maps of the area around that time? Many thanks in advance

 

Edited 13 April , 2022 by sunflower

[Colin W Taylor]

Sunflower,

'With the Field Guns in France' by Fraser-Tytler is a good personal account by an officer of the Brigade. Not sure which battery he was with from memory, though. It should provide some answers if you can acquire a copy.

Kind regards

Colin

[brianmorris547]

Sunflower

There are maps and other material in the War Diary of the Commander Royal Artillery 30 Div (WO 95/2316), reports of operations in the WD of 30 Div HQ General Staff (WO 95/2310) and further reading in the WD of the Adjutant and Quarter-Master General (WO 95/2315). A and B Batteries would have used 18 Pdrs and D Bty 4.5 in Howitzers but I am not an expert.

Brian

[sunflower]

Thanks Colin, will see if I can get a copy of the Fields Guns in France, sure it will be helpful to me. Brian, this info looks great, Appreciate you both getting back to me on it.  Cheers, Evelyn

[brianmorris547]

Evelyn

I have an interest in the County Palatine RFA (and County Palatine RE) who were recruited locally in the North West of England in 1915. A number of towns raised what were known as Comrade's Batteries for the CPRA. The men who enlisted in Bolton are named in the local papers if that is of any help to you.

Brian

[sunflower]

Hi Brian, I am trying to find out as much as I can about Sgt Fred Fecitt. I believe he came from Blackburn. He served with RFA, 150th Brigade,  A Battery and was killed on 1st July 1916. He has no known grave and is listed on Thiepval. He may have enlisted in Bolton - are the local papers digitised? Many thanks in advance, Evelyn

https://www.cottontown.org/ImageGalleries/library/Military Collection/Forms/DispForm.aspx?ID=1037&RootFolder=/ImageGalleries/library/Military Collection

Edited 15 April , 2022 by sunflower

[brianmorris547]

Evelyn

I was going to suggest contacting Blackburn Library, which has an excellent history section, for a report of his death, but I see that you already have it. According to Soldiers Died Great War he enlisted in Blackburn. I think the Blackburn papers have Rolls of Honour for schools, work etc but I'm not sure about recruits in 1915. 

The only other information I can help with is from the WD of the Commander Royal Artillery 30 Div. On 01/07/1916 at Zero plus 1 A/150 was to move to a more forward position at A 16 c 9 9 (which is a wooded area east of Maricourt) (Ancestry p 325/842). From the WD of 30 Div HQ General Staff regarding the move forward, "A/150 seems to have been found by the enemy and lost heavilly". (Ancestry p 602/760).

Brian

[sunflower]

thank you, this is brilliant. A Battery was almost wiped out I think.

 

Edited 16 April , 2022 by sunflower