Royal Field Artillery Help

[Guest Blue Carrots]

Hi All

I'm new to this forum but hope that someone can help me unravel some more information about my Gt Grandfather William Price.

I have recently learnt that William Served in the Royal Field Artillery and served sometime in Limerick and possibly in France.

Currently I know that he was definatley in Ireland, as that is where he married my Gt Grandmother. The Marriage Certificate (dated May 1904) has his occupation down as Gunner 88 Battery R.F.A

The next record I have of him is a Medal Card some 10 years later from the national archive this shows the follwoing information.

Service Number 26776

Corps 36/RFA

Qualifying Date 16-8-14

And if I have read the card correctly he was awarded the 1914 Star, the British and the Victory Medals.

Can anybody please tell me how the 88 Battery and 36/RFA corps are related (If at all)

Also there are some other numbers on the Medal Card what do they mean.

I hope someone can help.

TIA ... Blue

[Compo]

Not a super expert on this but to start the ball rolling for you:

You normally have a number of (numbered or lettered) batteries in a regiment, a number of these in a Division and number of these grouped as a Corps then a number of Corps in an Army.

Field artillery is usually divisional artillery but can be attached to Corps.

Date of enrty is the date the gunner was posted overseas (To France not Ireland).

How does this help you? I am not sure, but I think it would help a lot if you posted a picture of the MIC on the forum. There are some very experienced members who can list the information shown for you.

The numbers/letters gobbledygook beside each medal is only the medal rolls which are organised by unit and reference the authority to issue the medal, not very informative usually.

Regds,

[Andrew Hesketh]

Welcome aboard Blue Carrots - interesting name!

I'd follow Compo's advice and stick this into the 'Interpreting Medal Index Cards' part of the forum. There are several knowledgeable people who lurk therein!

[Stebie9173]

A date of entry of 16-8-1914 means he went to France with the first wave of soldiers at the very start of the War and that he was in the Army at the start of the War, either already serving or a Reservist.

Chris Baker's Long, Long Trail site (connected to the Forum) has a very informative page of RFA allocations here:

http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_units.htm

As you can see 88 Battery was part of 14th (XIVth) Brigade in 4th Division (one of the original Divisions to go to France)

XIV Regular army

4th Division to January 1917.

Left Division and became an Army Brigade.

Originally 39,68 and 88 Batts. 39 moved to XIX in February 1915. 86 (H) Batt less a section joined May 16.

This all means that 88th Battery and 14th Artillery Brigade was attached to 4th Division until 1917, then transferred to being an Army Brigade.

The 36 Reference is a little more mysterious but may mean he transferred to 36th Battery or 36th Brigade at some point.

36th Battery:

XXXIII Regular army

8th Division from formation in October 1914 Originally 32,33 and 36 Batts. 55(H) Batt less a section joined May 16.

36th Brigade:

XXXVI Regular army 2nd Division Originally 15,48 and 71 Batts. 22 left May 1915. A section from each of 47(H) and 56 (H) Batts joined May 16 and redesignated D Batt.

If you follow the Divisional links on the RFA ppage you will see where each of the Divisions fought. 4th Division were, for example, heavily involved in the Battle of Le Cateau right at the outbreak of war.

Steve.

[Guest Blue Carrots]

Thank you so much to all who have replied. I will look to post the medal card as suggested.

Thanks again ... Blue

[Gunboat]

Woah

Blue Carrots

My Grandfather served in xxxvi brigade RFA as a driver...!