Alfred Darrington Boer War and WW1 3rd Hampshire Bty Gosport

[grandsonenfield]

I am vibrating.  I literally got my account password reset while I was attending our Annual AGM for The Ontario Regiment Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Museum in Oshawa.  I've been a volunteer member and help operate a 1944 Sherman tank.  I am the gunner at the shows but have started helping with the shows we do monthly at tank Saturdays.  I am so waiting for your response and am so exited.

[grandsonenfield]

To the members keeping my dream alive to find my Great Grandfather's medals.  I thank you. This has been the best Christmas gift ever.  Thank you @Birdog56for connecting the dots and getting in touch with me here.  I had lost my account credentials and this time of year I always reflect back on a year and realize I had not kept up with my constant research and reset my password and account and blam.  You showed up here.  Thank you again.

[Birdog56]

8 hours ago, grandsonenfield said:

To the members keeping my dream alive to find my Great Grandfather's medals.  I thank you. This has been the best Christmas gift ever.  Thank you @Birdog56for connecting the dots and getting in touch with me here.  I had lost my account credentials and this time of year I always reflect back on a year and realize I had not kept up with my constant research and reset my password and account and blam.  You showed up here.  Thank you again.

For my small part, it's been a pleasure. I know that when you receive the medal you will again have an amazing feeling. Good news all round. Thank you to those on here that guided me to grandsonenfield. 

[charlie962]

Great result. Happy Christmas 

[grandsonenfield]

Letting everyone know, this is the best site ever.  Thank you to Mike and James for the returning of these medals to our family. We probably will never see his Boer War medals as we think when he died, they went with him.  Having his WW1 medal is amazing.  Thank you @Birdog56  

 

 

[grandsonenfield]

On 22/06/2015 at 06:52, Alan24 said:

I'm looking for the location where the 3rd Btn Hampshires would have been in training between Feb & July 1916.

A member of staff at the Hampshire Regt. Museum suggested that the location may have been at the "former" RMLI barracks, for which an internet search thows up Forton Barracks, but also suggests that the RMLI were there until 1923.

I also recall a local news item last year in which the dry summer of 2014 had shown up, on ariel photos, some practice trenches in the Gosport area - could this be in the same area where the 3rd HR were traning?

Alan.

My Great Grandpa Alfred Darrington was in this unit. Boer wars and for WW1.

[grandsonenfield]

Finally getting all the records together for my Great Grandfather Alfred Darrington 31880 and 3188
He was in both Boer wars,

3rd Hampshire Battery went with 74th Battery RFA (Need more research)
Africa Nov 3 1899 to Oct 20 1902
India Oct 21 1902 to Nov 9th 1906
Home Nov 10th, 1906 to Nov 27, 1910

Then home guard for WW1
Sept 9th, 1914 to Oct 8th 1914
Dec 17th 1915 to Apr 14th, 1916

Anyone know the best place to get the Boer War Diaries?

[Chris_Baker]

They do not exist, I am afraid. They came about as a learning point from the Second Boer War.

[Alan24]

4 hours ago, grandsonenfield said:

My Great Grandpa Alfred Darrington was in this unit. Boer wars and for WW1.

This thread relates to the 3rd Infantry Battalion of Hampshire Regiment which was a home establishment.

In your other thread, you indicate that your GGF was in the Artillery. 

[Alan24]

There is a record on Fold3 for an Alfred Darrington of Gosport born 1880 in the RFA with number 1388 not 3188.

CLICK HERE

AND HERE

Edited 6 April by Alan24

[Alan24]

3 hours ago, grandsonenfield said:

He was in both Boer wars,

The first Boer War was 1880, so maybe not?

[grandsonenfield]

Yes sorry! Forgot that.

[grandsonenfield]

I appologize. You will see my posts are a little old. I had to reset my account. I found it. It was from 2015. Thanks for the reminder.

Edited 6 April by grandsonenfield
Found post

[Keith_history_buff]

His surviving service record will provide further details as to his postings from 1914 to 1916. He was awarded one campaign medal, the British War Medal. He appears on the medal roll for Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force) other ranks, archive reference WO 329/258. It is noted that he was discharged from the army on 14 April 1916.

The Home Guard came into existence in 1940.

[Michelle Young]

Duplicate threads merged. 

[grandsonenfield]

On 06/04/2024 at 00:41, Chris_Baker said:

They do not exist, I am afraid. They came about as a learning point from the Second Boer War.

Thx Chris. What a shame.

[grandsonenfield]

I’m trying to figure out what reserve Regt cap badge my great grandpa may have worn while with the 3rd Battery in Gosport. Would that have been the Hampshire regiment as a reserve organization? I’d like to buy one to go with his image and medals. Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

[Alan24]

4 hours ago, grandsonenfield said:

I’m trying to figure out what reserve Regt cap badge my great grandpa may have worn while with the 3rd Battery in Gosport. Would that have been the Hampshire regiment as a reserve organization? I’d like to buy one to go with his image and medals. Thanks in advance if anyone can help.

He would have worn the standard Royal Artillery cap badge post 1908 as a member of the 1st (Wessex) Brigade RFA of which 3rd Hampshire Battery was one of three batteries and an ammunition column which made up the Brigade.

Prior to 1908 the unit was known as 2nd Hampshire Artillery Volunteers and the cap badge would have been the standard RA badge but the bottom scroll would have read "2nd Hants Artillery Volunteers".

The above units were Portsmouth and surrounds based.

1st Hampshire Artillery Volunteers were Southampton (and surrounding towns) based. Post 1908 this unit became 'Hants & Dorset RGA' and simply 'Hants RGA' after 1910. 

There are quite a lot of 1st HAV cap badges on ebay but I've not seen any 2nd HAV. 

He was not in the Hampshire Regiment.

Edited 18 April by Alan24

[grandsonenfield]

This is awesome info thank you so much. I'll keep an eye out for a 2nd hants RFA Volunteer badge.  I have seen this one you are talking about. I've attached one. But I've seen the 2nd with online before. I would love to have one.
There are men in this photo of the unit he was in.  I have been trying to figure out what most of the have on their jackets that almost looks like a Hampshire Cap badge but I don't know what it is.  There is also some sort of diamond shaped pin. This picture was shortly after ww1 before my GGrandpa had passed.

[Alan24]

15 hours ago, grandsonenfield said:

 There is also some sort of diamond shaped pin.

It could be some sort of 'Old Comrades' association badge. 

There are at least 2 men (extreme left and right) wearing the circular Silver War Badge on their right lapels.

[Matlock1418]

On 19/04/2024 at 03:33, grandsonenfield said:

This picture was shortly after ww1 before my GGrandpa had passed.

I too believe the circular badges on right lapels are Silver War Badges for those men discharged as no long fit for service [various reasons possible]

The Western Front Association have a pension index card relating to his unspecified disabilty pension claim

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Though there are a couple of pension references I cannot find more records - we can see when his file was destroyed

Plus they have a couple of pension index cards for dependants - this is the most complete [the other one just shows widow and the same address as the struck-through one]

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Most of it is pretty self-explanatory but it may be of interest to know that Art. 18 is Article 18 of the 1919 Royal Warrant.

Art. 18 dealt with pension allowances for 'Motherless children'.

Though it is not shown on the card the most usual motherless children's awards were 12 shillings per week for the first child and 11 shillings per week for subsequent children at the same household or institution, up to age 16.

The DEAD is when/after the claim become dead - not necessarily the recipients.  I would think quite likely when/shortly after the youngest child had reached 16.

M

Edited 21 April by Matlock1418
add

[grandsonenfield]

On 19/04/2024 at 15:09, Matlock1418 said:

I too believe the circular badges on right lapels are Silver War Badges for those men discharged as no long fit for service [various reasons possible]

The Western Front Association have a pension index card relating to his unspecified disabilty pension claim

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Though there are a couple of pension references I cannot find more records - we can see when his file was destroyed

Plus they have a couple of pension index cards for dependants - this is the most complete [the other one just shows widow and the same address as the struck-through one]

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Most of it is pretty self-explanatory but it may be of interest to know that Art. 18 is Article 18 of the 1919 Royal Warrant.

Art. 18 dealt with pension allowances for 'Motherless children'.

Though it is not shown on the card the most usual motherless children's awards were 12 shillings per week for the first child and 11 shillings per week for subsequent children at the same household or institution, up to age 16.

The DEAD is when/after the claim become dead - not necessarily the recipients.  I would think quite likely when/shortly after the youngest child had reached 16.

M

Oh my. I have never seen this before. Thank you so much!

[grandsonenfield]

On 19/04/2024 at 15:09, Matlock1418 said:

I too believe the circular badges on right lapels are Silver War Badges for those men discharged as no long fit for service [various reasons possible]

The Western Front Association have a pension index card relating to his unspecified disabilty pension claim

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Though there are a couple of pension references I cannot find more records - we can see when his file was destroyed

Plus they have a couple of pension index cards for dependants - this is the most complete [the other one just shows widow and the same address as the struck-through one]

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Most of it is pretty self-explanatory but it may be of interest to know that Art. 18 is Article 18 of the 1919 Royal Warrant.

Art. 18 dealt with pension allowances for 'Motherless children'.

Though it is not shown on the card the most usual motherless children's awards were 12 shillings per week for the first child and 11 shillings per week for subsequent children at the same household or institution, up to age 16.

The DEAD is when/after the claim become dead - not necessarily the recipients.  I would think quite likely when/shortly after the youngest child had reached 16.

M

What is amazing on this is, I knew my great grandmother died while at war and when he ended up home remarried but died in 1921. The new stepmom could not look after 6 kids so my Grandpa Berti, his Brother Alfred were shipped to St Mary’s orphanage in West Grinstead. Their sister Annie went to a different orphanage. I’m so glad you gave me these docs to go with my other records. Thank you.

[Matlock1418]

3 minutes ago, grandsonenfield said:

What is amazing on this is, I knew my great grandmother died while at war and when he ended up home remarried but died in 1921. The new stepmom could not look after 6 kids so my Grandpa Berti, his Brother Alfred were shipped to St Mary’s orphanage in West Grinstead. Their sister Annie went to a different orphanage. I’m so glad you gave me these docs to go with my other records. Thank you.

Thought you might like to see those records since there was clearly some unwritten family history to go behind these cards.

Glad to have been of help.  All the best.

M