kildaremark Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Hi Roop / Graham / Essdee / anybody This unit appears to have gone to France in August 1916 and later served in Messopotamia? Anyone got any further details, war diary etc... or could anyone do a search on soldiers died to give me an indication of the service number range of casualties (if that is possible?) Thanks Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 3 May , 2006 Share Posted 3 May , 2006 Mark It appears this battery went directly to Messpot Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 4 May , 2006 Share Posted 4 May , 2006 Mark, Looking at the date of formation it would seem unlikely that there is any number pattern for this unit.However, I shall have a look at the weekend to see if this is correct. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kildaremark Posted 4 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2006 Thanks Guys. I found a photo of this unit on ebay and my grandfather is in it!! - photo says taken at Aldershot prior to Activer Service August 1916 which ties in nicely with the allocation. I knew he had served in the Sudan which ties in with this unit but he also is believed to have served on the Western Front so will have to presume that he was wounded and perhaps posted to a Battery in France or else went to Mespot with this unit on its formation after previously sefving with another unit in France .... more research required. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 4 May , 2006 Share Posted 4 May , 2006 Mark, Sudan??? This unit did not go near Sudan, do you mean at a different time? Was he with Kitchener in 98. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kildaremark Posted 5 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2006 Roop, His obituary in 1966 states that he served in the Sudan late in the war but I have no evidence of any description to back this up. It would appear that no RGA units served in the Sudan late in the war so perhaps from Ireland, the sands in the Sudan were no different to the sand of Mesopotamia. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 6 May , 2006 Share Posted 6 May , 2006 Thats interesting Mark. I'll have a look at that a bit. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 6 May , 2006 Share Posted 6 May , 2006 Mark, Sorry, all I have is that 159th(Siege)Bty,R.G.A. were formed at Fareham on the 23rd May 1916 and disbanded in 1919. What you require is a Mespot ORBAT, which may help you out. Graham. P.S. I do have a number of Discharge Certificates to RGA men in my collection and if anyone requires dates of enlistment for databases then I'll be only too willing to help out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kildaremark Posted 6 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2006 Thanks Graham, .... what's an ORBAT?! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Stewart Posted 6 May , 2006 Share Posted 6 May , 2006 Mark, ORBAT = Order of Battle. Regards, Graham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kildaremark Posted 6 May , 2006 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2006 I found the War Diary on the NA site - starts in May 1916 and finished in January 1919 so I may (for once) be luckier that other researchers! which confirms Graham's formation date so I will order a few of the early pages from the diary to see what it gives me. Farndale's "History of the Royal Artillery: Forgotten Fronts and the Home Base" mentions the battery a few times confirming the allocation schedule although Farndale's is a bit confusing to understand and misleading without the Allocation List to tie it together (Thanks Essdee). It also states that the battery was horsedrawn whereas a lot of the others seem to be tractor drawn - the poor sods! I will see what the War Diary produces and hopefully won't have to remortgage to get some details from it! So far I found only two casualties on the CWGC site a Sgt Newnham (No. 30487) and Gunner Lucas (No. 79891). Thanks Guys! Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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