270th Brigade Royal Field Artillery

[Guest 914man]

I have been researching my uncle - Gunner George England - who died on 14th April 1917 and is buried in the Deir El Belah War cemetery. Can someone point me to any information about battles around that time so that I might find out how he died.

Many thanks.

Roger England

[Stebie9173]

Do you know if George died of wounds, was killed in action, or died of sickness or accident?

The date of his death is between the first Battle of Gaza on 26th March 1917 and the 2nd Battle of Gaza on 17th April 1917.

It may be that he was wounded at the first battle of Gaza and died at one of the Casualty Clearing Stations at Deir El Balah.

His numbers from his MIC...

Medal card of England, George
Corps Regiment No Rank
Royal Field Artillery 177 Gunner
Royal Field Artillery 895996 Gunner

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...1&resultcount=6


....would suggest an early - 1908, 1909 (or earlier) - member of the East Anglian Brigade RFA.

His renumber in 1917 would suggest a man from the 54th Division ammunition column so his transfer to 270 Brigade may have been quite near to his death, provided that the CWGC information is correct.

I have the books for both "A" (Hertfordshire) and "B" (Northamptonshire) batteries. (Great-uncles Charlie served in B battery as a gunner.

What part of the world was George from? Most Territorial Brigades recruited very locally.

The Northamptonshire battery lost amazing few men (four ordinary ranks, 2 from one shell..) and George is not amongst those.

Hopefully someone will be able to look him up in Soldiers Died in the Great War to narrow down the cause of his death.


Steve.

[Robert Dunlop]

270th Brigade RFA was attached to the 54th (East Anglian) Division in the First Battle of Gaza, 26th March 1917. The Second Battle of Gaza started on 17th April, after your uncle died. Did he die of wounds, which might have been received in the First Battle of Gaza or might have occured as a result of sporadic Turkish counter-battery fire? Or illness?

Robert

[Guest 914man]

Goodness - so much information so quickly - thank you.

To answer the questions - George came from Watford, Hertfordshire and was under age when he first joined up. I don't know where he fought initially, but he was returned home for some reason. According to the family it was because of shell shock. Having pretty well recovered he was then seen by a recruiting Sergeant in Watford (who knew him) and encouraged to re-enlist, which he did. The family story was that he died on the beach at Gallipoli but this now appears to be incorrect. Other than the fact that he was 15 at the outbreak of war I know little else, but do have the bronze medallion the family were given. I believe I used to play with his campaign medals as a boy but these have long since disappeared.