221 siege battery RGA

[Guest]

This is my first night of research and i am confused. I have my grandads discharge papers showing that he was with the 221 siege bty from nov 1917 till discharge in nov 1919. When i look up the listings of siege bty 221 does not appear. Can anyone help

[ororkep]

221 siege Battery were formed as part of the Clyde defences in 1916 and embarked to the Western Front on 11th Jan 1917, originally with 33rd Heavy Artillery Group (HAG). They were a 8-in howitzer battery, consisting of 4 guns but made up to 6 by the time your Grandad served with them A diary exists covering this period at the NA reference WO95/305 that can be ordered online.

Regards

[Guest]

Thanks for the information.

I have been round and round on the NA website and can't seem to find a way to order the document you mention. Do many people have this problem or is it just me?. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

My grandad enlisted on 10/12/1915 and was wounded by shrapnel at some point. As he did not join 221 BTY till nov 1917 I presume he was with another BTY of RGA when he was wounded and would have joined 221 on recovery from injuries.

I know his enlistment date, as above, and his regimental number (104584) where would I now go to try and obtain his service history?

Regards

Steve

[Willywombat]

Here's the reference you're after:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalog...mp;Summary=True

If you want to find it yourself:

1. Go to "Search the Archives" in the red banded section of links running along the top of the NA website.

2. Put the cursor over this and a drop-down box will appear.

3. Click "The Catalogue".

4. Click the big link "Search the Catalogue".

5. In the box "word or Phrase" type "221".

6. A page with your hits will appear - the top one will be the "WO" series of hits, of which there are 136. Click the blue number "136".

7. Page through until you find it (bottom of page 2).

There are, of course, many other routes to find what you're looking for on the site, but I find that often "less is more". It means you have to scroll through a few pages, but there's less chance of missing what you're after. You could, for example, narrow it by putting 1914 & 1918 in the to & from boxes, or perhaps by putting "WO 95" in the series box (if, as in this case, you know that what you're after is a war diary which are in WO 95).

To actually order it, click on the blue document reference you've found at the bottom of page 2 of your list of hits ("221 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery") and then click the red "request this" box on the right.

For guidance on getting his service record click the "Long, Long Trail" link at the top of this page and then the "service records" link in the first, orange coloured column of links.

Hope this helps.

Bob.

[Guest]

Thanks Bob

Have ordered the diary tonight.

I look forward to the day that I am able to navigate seamlessly through the system

Cheers

Steve