SFayers Posted 31 March , 2007 Share Posted 31 March , 2007 Hi folks,The following is the only war-time photo I have of my granddad George James Fayers, he served as a Gunner (86289) in the RGA. From his service papers he was mobilised for active service in May 1916 and went to No. 1 RGA Depot at Fort Burgoyne, Dover and then to No. 40 Training Company RGA, 162 and then 155 Battery RGA for further training. In August 1916 he then went to "B" Siege Depot RGA before going to France in the October.Where these last 4 units were based in the UK I have no idea. The back of the picture-postcard photo says "H. Phillips, Peabody Road, Farnborough, Hampshire", which I assume is the address of the photographer.Does anyone know if or what RGA units / training centres may have been in the Farnborough area at this time? There were no relatives living in the area who he might have been visiting whilst on leave (the nearest, who I know he visited, were in London), and I can't think of any other time or reason why he would have been in Hampshire apart from during his training period and before being posted to France.Incidently, from the photo, does anyone know what the looped strap is under his right arm above and behind the pocket - is it part of the bandolier?Any ideas greatly appreciated!cheersSteve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 1 April , 2007 Share Posted 1 April , 2007 Steve 162 Siege formed at Dover 23 May’16 162 Siege at Aldershot in July At Aldershot in August At Stockcross in September, Stockcross was, I think, a camp near Newbury. 162 are listed as going to F & F 4th Sept -------------------------------------- 155 Siege are formed at Newhaven 23 May’16 155 Siege at Lydd in August 155 Siege listed as going to F & F 29th August --------------------------------------- I have ‘B’ Depot ( S ), S = siege, at Bexhill. If he went in October he may have gone with one of the following batteries: 169, 173, 174, 175, 178, 179, 180, 181, 184, 185, 186, 188, 206 & 207 Siege or 173 Heavy. The white thing over his left shoulder is a lanyard and is separate from the bandolier. Is it my eyes or has he got a bandage around the index and middle fingers of his left hand? It also looks like what could be a splint underneath his sleeve running up the forearm. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 2 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 April , 2007 Steve 162 Siege formed at Dover 23 May’16 162 Siege at Aldershot in July At Aldershot in August At Stockcross in September, Stockcross was, I think, a camp near Newbury. 162 are listed as going to F & F 4th Sept -------------------------------------- 155 Siege are formed at Newhaven 23 May’16 155 Siege at Lydd in August 155 Siege listed as going to F & F 29th August --------------------------------------- I have ‘B’ Depot ( S ), S = siege, at Bexhill. If he went in October he may have gone with one of the following batteries: 169, 173, 174, 175, 178, 179, 180, 181, 184, 185, 186, 188, 206 & 207 Siege or 173 Heavy. The white thing over his left shoulder is a lanyard and is separate from the bandolier. Is it my eyes or has he got a bandage around the index and middle fingers of his left hand? It also looks like what could be a splint underneath his sleeve running up the forearm. Stuart Thanks very much for the info Stuart, From his service papers it seems my granddad went out to France as part of a replacement draft rather than with a particular battery. When in France he was first in a Reserve Army Pool prior to being posted to 5th and then 136th Siege Battery in March 1919. Bexhill, that's Surrey isn't it? Newbury I know is in Berkshire, and I'm showing my ignorance here, but where are Lydd and Newhaven? The looped strap I was refering to is that leather-looking piece beneath his other arm - and you're quite right, the left arm does look like it's been splinted! cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 2 April , 2007 Share Posted 2 April , 2007 Steve Newhaven & Bexhill are in East Sussex, on the south coast east of Brighton. Lydd is further east still and is in Kent, to the left of Folkstone. I see what your referring to now, whatever it is runs back up into his pocket. Someone who his up on uniforms/equipment may be able to say. The apparent injury may have held him back from going to F & F with his battery? Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 2 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 April , 2007 The apparent injury may have held him back from going to F & F with his battery? Stuart Thanks Stuart, Possibly, but my granddad's cousin who was moblised at the same time (they had consecutive numbers in the RGA) went through exactly the same training units and also went out on the same replacement draft. They were both posted to 5th Siege Battery in early 1917. cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keggy65 Posted 2 April , 2007 Share Posted 2 April , 2007 Steve I don't know if it'll be any help at all but my Grandfather was also RGA (177th HB). He was sent to Fort Brockhurst, Gosport (which is certainly in Hampshire) for training before being sent to Mesopotomia. (I don't know how far Gosport (Portsmouth) is from Farnborough however.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 2 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 April , 2007 Steve I don't know if it'll be any help at all but my Grandfather was also RGA (177th HB). He was sent to Fort Brockhurst, Gosport (which is certainly in Hampshire) for training before being sent to Mesopotomia. (I don't know how far Gosport (Portsmouth) is from Farnborough however.) Thanks Mabel, I used to live in Portsmouth some years back - I seem to recall Farnborough being not overly far away. From the info Stuart's provided wrt the different batteries my granddad trained with it seems he was based in Kent and Sussex before going to France. I guess maybe he went to Farnborough for a visit one time when not on duty. cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 3 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 3 April , 2007 Is it my eyes or has he got a bandage around the index and middle fingers of his left hand? It also looks like what could be a splint underneath his sleeve running up the forearm. Stuart Stuart, Just been scrutinising the original photo, and I really can't make out if his fingers are bandaged or not! His index finger is curled round the end of his 'swagger stick' / crop and his middle finger extended beyond it. The lighting seems to suggest there's something ~1/2 inch wide wrapped around both fingers just above the knuckle - I suppose it could be a small bandange, or maybe a fabric strap attached to the end of the 'swagger stick' / crop?. Anyway, here's what I've come up with wrt the movements of my granddad and his cousin based on your information: Moblised 22nd May 1916 Posted to No. 1 Depot RGA at Dover 28th May 1916 Posted to No. 40 Training Company 5th June 1916 (I'm guessing this is still Dover) Posted to 162nd Siege Battery the next day 6th June 1916 (from your info this would also have been Dover - he would have then moved with the Battery to Aldershot) Posted to 155th Siege Battery 26th August 1916 (this would have been when the Battery was at Lydd) Posted to "B" Siege Depot at Bexhill 28th August 1916. It's curious that both my granddad and his cousin were only with 155 S Battery for two days when they were transferred to "B" Siege Depot the day before the Battery went to F & F. Thanks again for your help! Cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 3 April , 2007 Share Posted 3 April , 2007 Steve RGA Barracks Dover pic attached. Sorry about it being in sepia but the kids were messing with the camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 3 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 3 April , 2007 Steve RGA Barracks Dover pic attached. Sorry about it being in sepia but the kids were messing with the camera. Fantastic! Thanks very much Stuart! cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger D Posted 3 April , 2007 Share Posted 3 April , 2007 I live in Farnborough and work in Aldershot as it happens. The two are just a handful of miles apart (and the term Aldershot in those days often included North Camp which is now effectively a developed area in its own right between the two towns.) Indeed Peabody Road would probably be classified as North Camp rather than Farnborough these days I suspect (but admit to being no expert in where one ends and the other starts.) My suspicion is that he was in the vicinity for training as suggested rather than visiting. Whilst Portsmouth is not a million miles away, I think there are more likely places from him to have visited from Pompey than Farnborough to be honest. Incidentally Peabody Road is pretty close to Farnborough airport so he would probably have seen some of the aviation pioneers working out of there at close quarters if he was around that part of town regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 3 April , 2007 Share Posted 3 April , 2007 Steve RGA Barracks Dover in Colour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 4 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 April , 2007 I live in Farnborough and work in Aldershot as it happens. The two are just a handful of miles apart (and the term Aldershot in those days often included North Camp which is now effectively a developed area in its own right between the two towns.) Indeed Peabody Road would probably be classified as North Camp rather than Farnborough these days I suspect (but admit to being no expert in where one ends and the other starts.) My suspicion is that he was in the vicinity for training as suggested rather than visiting. Whilst Portsmouth is not a million miles away, I think there are more likely places from him to have visited from Pompey than Farnborough to be honest. Incidentally Peabody Road is pretty close to Farnborough airport so he would probably have seen some of the aviation pioneers working out of there at close quarters if he was around that part of town regularly. Roger, That sounds a very likely explanation - thanks very much. cheers Steve Steve RGA Barracks Dover in Colour Thanks again Stuart, very much appreciated. cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 4 April , 2007 Share Posted 4 April , 2007 Winchester is the other Hampshire RGA location being No2 (?) Reserve Brigade. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 4 April , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 April , 2007 Winchester is the other Hampshire RGA location being No2 (?) Reserve Brigade. Roop Thanks Roop, From the information that Stuart and Roger have posted it seems quite likely the Farnborough connection wrt the photograph is that my granddad was then in training just a few miles away at Aldershot. Incidently, having read Graham Stewarts posting of Royal Artillery locations in July 1913 on your earlier thread, I now know that No. 40 Company RGA was indeed based at Dover - so now I have all the locations where my granddad was in training! cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Eves Posted 7 April , 2007 Share Posted 7 April , 2007 Steve, Just to throw another spanner in the works, or another piece to the jigsaw; I am researching my Great Grandfathers war time history, he was a member of the 152nd (Hackney) Heaty Battery RGA and have uncovered a whole host of information. I do know that he did part of his training in Bordon, Hampshire which is (now) straight up the A3 about 30 miles north of Portsmouth, not far from Farnborough and to answer another of the questions posted, Farnborough is about 40 miles north of Gosport, easiest route is up the M3. I hope this helps a little. Karen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnbulli Posted 28 November , 2013 Share Posted 28 November , 2013 Mabel I know this is an old post but I am new to this Forum and I noticed you too had a Grandfather in 177 Battery in Mesopotamia. I found his entry in the Medal Roll at the PRO in Kew but for his unit it had the dreaded "Base Dtls" - but soldiers surrounding him on the list were all from 177 Battery and I am pretty sure he served in Mesopotamia. I have a close up photo of him from 1915 annotated "Castle Druver" and I was researching whether this was a training location. The only possible clues I could find yielded the IOW. Could you help? Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 28 November , 2013 Share Posted 28 November , 2013 Hi Ian, Unfortunately just because some men have units shown close to your grandfather does not mean he also served with them. It would better to give his name and number and post the photo, or part, showing the "Castle Druver" writing. It may ring a bell with someone. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnbulli Posted 29 November , 2013 Share Posted 29 November , 2013 Thank you for your offer to help Kevin. I attach 3 photos, one of a troupe of soldiers (the one seated on the floor in white is holding a Quaker Oats package & looks like a Cook), plus the photo I refer to of my Grandfather Thomas Turnbull, RGA, 111064, with the reverse of this photo attached also with its handwritten annotation of "Castle Duver 1915". Any help you can be with identifying where these might be would be most helpful. He was not awarded the Star so did not serve in Europe, but he was awarded the Victory & British War medals and judging by his number probably volunteered around mid-1915. The family says Mesopotamia is the most likely theatre. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 29 November , 2013 Share Posted 29 November , 2013 Hi Ian, There are one or two things awry here. His number, while quite possibly attesting after Nov 1915, indicates that he was not mobilised until the very end of July 1916. He would have indeed gone to Dover (Fort Burgoyne) but not in 1915. Possibly it is another way of writing Dover Castle by someone, although the photo is unlikely to have been taken there. It may depend who wrote on the back of the photo. His entitlement to the pair of medals only indicates that he served in a theatre of war and are not geographic; he may have served in France. The absence of a star medal only shows that he did not serve before 1916 in a theatre of war. I am still not convinced he served with 177th Hvy Bty and think it would be interesting to know what the gunners in the group photo are carrying. Perhaps starting a thread in "Uniform & Cap Badges" or "Miscellaneous" and posting the group photo then someone may tell us what they are carrying. If you still wish to research 177 HB then you can see what remains of its war dairy (May-Nov 1918) at Kew using WO 95/4995. The brigade it was attached to at that time will also be in the same box. For the time before this you would need to see the III Indian Corps diary if it still exists, but you would need someone better than me to find this in the Nat Archives search engine. I have the battery leaving Devonport on the 23 June 1917 and disembarking Basra on the 17 Aug 1917. What it was doing to take this long I have no idea. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnbulli Posted 1 December , 2013 Share Posted 1 December , 2013 Thanks Kevin - I have done as you suggested and posted the Group Photo under Uniform & Cap Badges. The 177 HB War Diary @ Kew was of little use when I looked at it but as you say I really need to confirm his battery before going any further. I had just assumed that as all the other soldiers clustered around his number on the Medal roll were from that Battery that Thomas must have been at some point. From some souvenirs he brought back, and another photo with a distinctly desert like backdrop (without Thomas in unfortunately) we had always assumed it was on the Eastern front. Thanks again for all the supplementary information which will be important when I am sure of his allocation. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savysarah Posted 31 March , 2017 Share Posted 31 March , 2017 my great grandad was in 81st siege battery and 160th siege battery 5th brigade Just found dover depot was here do you now when they trained or hat to go there hes got medal rolls stamped by dover. See my grans mum lived in dover he died there and my gran was born its just lovely to think of when they may of met for my gran. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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