tjec Posted 14 November , 2006 Share Posted 14 November , 2006 Hi, Can anybody tell me what the following references in Siege Battery War Diaries mean? S.O.S received and responded to MQNF shoots Regards, Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy21020 Posted 14 November , 2006 Share Posted 14 November , 2006 Hi Norman My grandfather was in 20th Heavy Battery. I have his diary and in it he lists the signals and what they mean. I don't know if they would be the same but this is what he says. S.O.S Barrage fire MQ Stop firing or wait NF Guns in firing position at I hope this helps. Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjec Posted 14 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 14 November , 2006 Thanks Tracy, Just trying to absorb the content of the war diaries I have, your information is very helpful. Do you have any more examples of abbreviations? Not urgent! Regards, Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 14 November , 2006 Share Posted 14 November , 2006 Norman, S.O.S received and responded to; When the guns had been stood down, they would be set to fire at a specific area of the front line "Registered" and would be able to respond immediatly, this was in case of an attack or a build up for an attack. The front line troops would send up an SOS for the battery to respond to, the duty men on the guns would shoot straight away and the rest of the crews would then attend. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy21020 Posted 14 November , 2006 Share Posted 14 November , 2006 Hi Norman This is a scan of the pages from the diary. Hope you can read it as I haven't written this page out yet. His writing is quite difficult to work out sometimes! Any problems and I can send you an e-mail of it or if you can wait I can send you a copy when I've typed it out. Best wishes Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjec Posted 15 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2006 Dear Charles, Thanks very much for the information, complete opposite of my thinking, I imagined it was something like shoot on sight! Regards, Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjec Posted 15 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 15 November , 2006 Dear Tracy, Thats fantastic. I have saved it to hard disk and can then zoom in on the writing. It is clear enough then. Best regards, Norman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALANJONES Posted 1 January , 2007 Share Posted 1 January , 2007 Dear Tracy I was interested in your mention of your grandfather's diary - when does this date from please? Also what else does he cover - was he a signaller in the battery? Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy21020 Posted 2 January , 2007 Share Posted 2 January , 2007 Hi Alan The diary starts at the end of August 1915 and ends in August 1917. He is in France to start with then tells of the journey in November 1915 from Marseilles to Salonika and his time there. Some of it is a day to day account but there are some months missed out and he writes about it afterwards. I think he was a linesman. He says about laying the telephone wires and also answering the phones. The diary also has lists of targets and some diagrams and codes that I don't really understand. I am writing it all out and I've nearly finished the diary part. I'm just going back over it trying to work out the words I couldn't figure out the first time! He mentions the other Battery's that were around him, when they fired on the enemy and the results of the action. I think it is very interesting ( but he is my Grandad!). Is there anything specific you wanted to know that was in it? Best wishes Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 2 January , 2007 Share Posted 2 January , 2007 Hello Tracy, I would be very interested in any mentions of the Bute Mountain Battery, the Argyll Mountain Battery, the Ross & Cromarty Mountain Battery of the 4th Highland Mountain Brigade in Salonika. One of the duties of the Signal folks in Artillery units was to be a part of the Forward Observation Officer (FOO) party which went forward with the infantry and signaled back target and effects data to the gun crews. They were often in the thick of it. I have a signalman's journal from Gallipoli. Repairing damaged wires under fire, movement under fire, etc. One of the signalers in "my" unit was awarded the Serbian Gold Medal for Bravery in Salonika for delivering a message across fire swept area, stopping a bullet with a breast pocket bible. Thank you for taking the time and effort to transcribe the diaries. Mike Morrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy21020 Posted 2 January , 2007 Share Posted 2 January , 2007 Hello Mike, I'm really sorry that none of the Battery's you mention are in the diary. They are all mentioned by numbers such as 19HB, 18HB, 98th Brigade, 10 Div. Thank you for your information. I don't know if my Grandfather was part of a FOO, he did have to repair lines and mentions some near misses. He was awarded a MM that is in the Gazette in March 1919 but I don't know what it was for. If you would like to read it when I have finished it, pm me your e-mail address and I will send you a copy. Maybe you will be able to tell me what he was doing as I'm learning as I'm going along! Best wishes Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSMMo Posted 3 January , 2007 Share Posted 3 January , 2007 Thanks for looking! PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ALANJONES Posted 4 January , 2007 Share Posted 4 January , 2007 Dear Tracy Many thanks indeed for your reply. I am working on a history of a Heavy Battery at Second Ypres and keen to study first hand accounts of day to day actions etc. I will PM my email address if I may. In 11 H Bde three soldiers were awarded DCMs - all were linesmen, I guess this signifies how dangerous their work was and how vital communications were for the guns. ta Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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