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Royal Artillery Unit Histories


rflory

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Hello Dick,

I would be most grateful for any information on the service/movements of the 2nd City of Edinburgh Battery, RFA during 1914-1918. Did the 1st City of Edinburgh Battery, RFA serve with its sister Battery during this period or were they transferred to other Field Artillery Brigades ? Thanks.

Regards

Ron Hartley

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Mark wrote: "Does anyone have anyinformation of 325 siege battery RGA other than the war diary of 1HAG?"

325th Siege Battery, RGA

Went out to the Western Front on 14 May 17 with four 6" Howitzers (26 cwt) and joined 1 HAG on 23 May 17. Transferred to 66 Brigade, RGA on 3 Dec 17 and was made up to six howitzers with the addition of personnel from 361 Siege Battery, RGA on 20 Jan 17. No subsequent changes.

The war diary for 325 Siege Battery, RGA has not been traced, but the war diary for 66 Bde, RGA from May 1917 to Mar 1919 can be found under WO95/395. Dick Flory

Many thanks Dick

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  • 3 months later...

Just picked up a copy of "133 War Service of a Siege Battery 1916-18".

Not great on names to put it mildly - only lists deaths and medal winners.

Example of kind of information-

"Among the casualties was unhappily the wireless Operator who had been with us throughout, killed with two others, on July 10th, by a gas shell which hit the one vulnerable spot in their cellar. At the same tiome we had an Officer wounded; which was unfortunate, as we were very short at the time."

Seems a bit callous.

Mark

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Hi Dick,

I see you have the history of the 42 Siege Battery. I have the history of the 133 Siege Battery which they joined later in the war. Would you mind telling me, when you get achance, when they were formed, when they went to Egypt and where were the gunners from.

Thanks,

Mark

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  • 2 months later...

I see Dick Flory seems not have been active hereabouts since January. Does anyone know whether everything is OK with him as he used to be a most dedicated replier to queries (and I have one for him!!)?

Trusting everything is OK.

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bmac: Thanx for the concern. Actually I am fine and answering requests on other parts of the forum. For some reason I am not getting email notifications when people place requests on this topic. I am not really sure why. Send your question and I will attempt to answer it and also other requests that have been asked since my last replies. Regards. Dick Flory

I see Dick Flory seems not have been active hereabouts since January. Does anyone know whether everything is OK with him as he used to be a most dedicated replier to queries (and I have one for him!!)?

Trusting everything is OK.

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Dick,

Glad to hear everything is fine.

Question is about this man and any information you might have about the circumstances surrounding his death:

Capt. John Archibald Scot Morin, 149th Siege Battery, R.G.A., died on the 4th November 1918 and buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, grave XLVIII. D. 8.

Cheers

Bill

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Mark wrote: "I see you have the history of the 42 Siege Battery. I have the history of the 133 Siege Battery which they joined later in the war. Would you mind telling me, when you get achance, when they were formed, when they went to Egypt and where were the gunners from."

Mark: 42 Siege Battery was formed from a section of 22 Siege Battery, RGA. It went to Alexandria on 22 Jul 15 and arrived at Sulva Bay on 13 Oct 15. It left Sulva Bay on 3 Dec 15 and arrived at Alexandria on 11 Dec 15. On 9 Apr 16 it went to the Western Front. I can see nothing to indicate that the ever joined 133 Siege Battery; 42nd Battery served as a battery through the end of the war.

Would you be willing to trade a photo copy of the 133 Siege Battery history for a similar amount of something that I could photocopy for you? Regards. Dick Flory

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Bill wrote: "Question is about this man and any information you might have about the circumstances surrounding his death:

Capt. John Archibald Scot Morin, 149th Siege Battery, R.G.A., died on the 4th November 1918 and buried in Etaples Military Cemetery, grave XLVIII. D. 8."

Bill: Here is what I have on Capt. Morin:

The soon of A H Morin, Public Works Department, India

Educated at Clifton College from Sep 1910 to Dec 1913 and at RMA Woolwich

Captain RGA

KIA on 4 Nov 18.

Unfortunately nothing about how he died.

Regards. Dick Flory

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Dick,

Thanks, Officers Died has him as Died rather than KiA and Etaples suggests wounds or illness. Will have to investigate further.

Bill

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I have an original copy of 1 BTY RFA diary / XLV Bde.

It was poorly maintained and has large gaps

Anyone with any more info i would be grateful

paul

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Dick,

Amongst your archive do you have anything about 2nd Brigade Eastern Division Royal Artillery (Militia) circa 1888-9 please? A relative was a member of this force prior to his enlistment with the RMLI.

Lionboxer

Dick,

You may have missed this earlier. Grateful for anything you can find.

Lionboxer

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Dick,

Once again, thanks for the info which you recently supplied re Capt. Braithwaite

In the same action in which he fell, Jordan Valley 23rd Sept. 1918, there is ref to the Hants Battery

[from 'PoW's Own, The Scinde Horse' by Maunsell]

"The Turks made a further effort to advance. This was, however, frustrated by our fire. A helio message was sent to Brigade Head-quarters asking for artillery support.............

Shortly after this the Hants Battery, which had been hastily despatched from Beisan, came into action on the right bank of the river.

It engaged the Turks fronting Jacob's Horse. A few rounds had been fired when a hostile 5.9 battery, hitherto silent, opened on it. We could see its heavy shells bursting right in the middle of our guns, temporarily silencing them. For some extraordinary reason no casualties were inflicted on the personnel, though the guns themselves were splintered all over with fragments.

The few shells the Hants Battery had fired had, however, shaken the Turks."

Another report [The Advance of the Egypt Expeditionary Force] has

not 'a hostile 5.9 battery' but rather "two concealed enemy batteries"

also "the Hants battery coming into action in the open had every one of their guns hit."

Do your sources have anything to add?

Thanks again

Michael

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Michael: Reference the Hants Battery on 23 Sep 18. The "History of the 1/1st Hants Royal Horse Artillery during the Great War, 1914-1919", pages 70-72 covers the events of that day which I will attempt to summarize:

The 1/1 Hants Bty, RHA was left behind as the 11th Cavalry Bde. advanced in order to save the artillery horses in the great heat. At 0615 the 11th Cavalry Bde. passed throught the battery position and an hour later the brigade advanced guard came in contact with "a strong body of the enemy, supported by machine-guns and two batteries of artillery". The F.O.O. with the brigade telephoned the gun position and warned that they would be needed.

At 0930 the battery was ready to move and at 1000 received orders from division to join the brigade as soon as possible.

The battery went into action in the open 100 yards SW of Tell Abu Haj and established observation from a hillock which also contained HQ, 29th Lancers. Fire was at once opened on machine-guns concealed in rough ground on the opposite bank, which were holding up the squadrons at the fords. The enemy turned accurate fire on the battery from eight guns, "Shells burst all around and between the guns, and three telephone wires were cut by splinters, visual signalling having to be resorted to in consequence."

"The 29th Lancers reported the fords on their front clear, and it was therefore deemed advisable, owing to the continuance of the enemy's fire to withdraw the detachments from the guns to a small ditch on the left flank. Later a galloper from 36th Jacob's Horse delivered a note asking for fire on two machine-guns, and describing their location by plan. The detachments were at once led back to the guns, under increased shell-fire, and a fire was opened which enabled the 36th Jacob's Horse to advance to the south. A large number of prisoners were taken, and the Middlesex Yeomanry succeeded in capturing the enemy batteries."

Because of marshy ground encountered as the enemy retreated it was not possible to get within effective range so the battery retired and took the opportunity to feed and water the horses. At 1715 a verbal order was received from Brigade HQs to advance to Ayun-el-Beida and after a difficult night march the battery joined the brigade.

Regards. Dick Flory

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Lionboxer wrote: "Amongst your archive do you have anything about 2nd Brigade Eastern Division Royal Artillery (Militia) circa 1888-9 please?"

I am somewhat confused by the nomenclature that you use. The Eastern Division RA Militia was not divided into brigades. In 1888 the militia of Eastern Division, RA consisted of: The Kent Artillery, The Prince of Wale's Own, Norfolk Artillery, The Suffolk Artillery, and The Sussex Artillery. Did he serve in one of these militia units? Dick Flory

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I have an original copy of 1 BTY RFA diary / XLV Bde.

It was poorly maintained and has large gaps

Anyone with any more info i would be grateful

paul

Hi Paul,

As a matter of interest, in the battery diary does it give an indication where the battery was located during the last week of June 1916?

cheers

Steve

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Hi Paul,

As a matter of interest, in the battery diary does it give an indication where the battery was located during the last week of June 1916?

cheers

Steve

Steve

only entries at that period are

June 5th 2 Sections left billets and marched to BEHENCOURT and into action

July 4th One section relieved by batteries from 12 Div and proceded to BRESLA WOOD

A second document confirms the above and no movement in between

Hope this helps

Paul

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Dick

Thanks, PM your address and I will post on.

Mark

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Thanks for getting back to me Dick. According to my man's RMLI attestation papers of June 1889 under the heading of "Do you now belong to the Militia, or Army or Militia Reserve, to the Volunteers, or the Royal Naval Reserve Force?" he has entered 2nd Bgde E.D.R.A. And after the question "Have you ever served in the Militia?", he has written 1 Training 2nd Bgde E.D.R.A. That's all I know. He was a Norwich man who served 12 years with the RMLI and later re-enlisted at the outbreak of war again with the RMLI, fought at Antwerp and was killed in March 1915 when the Clan McNaughton went down.

Lionboxer

quote name='rflory' date='Jul 19 2007, 05:33 PM' post='728863']

Lionboxer wrote: "Amongst your archive do you have anything about 2nd Brigade Eastern Division Royal Artillery (Militia) circa 1888-9 please?"

I am somewhat confused by the nomenclature that you use. The Eastern Division RA Militia was not divided into brigades. In 1888 the militia of Eastern Division, RA consisted of: The Kent Artillery, The Prince of Wale's Own, Norfolk Artillery, The Suffolk Artillery, and The Sussex Artillery. Did he serve in one of these militia units? Dick Flory

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Steve

only entries at that period are

June 5th 2 Sections left billets and marched to BEHENCOURT and into action

July 4th One section relieved by batteries from 12 Div and proceded to BRESLA WOOD

A second document confirms the above and no movement in between

Hope this helps

Paul

Thanks Paul,

I guess you'd expect a regular army battery to have kept a better record of events! I have an interest in 5th Battery of the 45th Brigade myself (I haven't managed to trace a diary for this battery at all!).

cheers

Steve

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Thanks Paul,

I guess you'd expect a regular army battery to have kept a better record of events! I have an interest in 5th Battery of the 45th Brigade myself (I haven't managed to trace a diary for this battery at all!).

cheers

Steve

Steve

5 Bty itself may hold a copy within it's history room at Larkhill. I do believe they are on operations at the moment. I know a few people from 19 Regt RA so I will ask them. I hope they have kept it together as I am sure that 5 Bty held a much better account during WW1 than 1 Bty.

Paul

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Steve

5 Bty itself may hold a copy within it's history room at Larkhill. I do believe they are on operations at the moment. I know a few people from 19 Regt RA so I will ask them. I hope they have kept it together as I am sure that 5 Bty held a much better account during WW1 than 1 Bty.

Paul

Hi Paul,

It would be great if they did! The NA doesn't have a copy of the war diary, and the from reply I had from Firepower it appears they don't either. For years now I've been trying to find out 5th Battery's where-abouts in the last week of June 1916. If it still exists, I'd be very interested if in the war diary entry for 27th June there was any mention of the incident in which my gg uncle was mortally wounded and 4 of his mates were killed.

cheers

Steve

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  • 4 weeks later...

Dick, You have such an encyclopaedic knowledge! I am not sure whether 252nd Brigade RFA is included in any of your diaries. I am interested in one of my Berkshire Policemen:

George Anton Eales

61777, A Battery, 252nd Brigade RFA

He had already served in the RFA before joining the police, so he was a reservist when called up on 05/08/1914.

He died 15/04/1917.

I would be really grateful for any information you might have on either him or his unit.

Thank you for your time

Anthony

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Wonder if you had any info on these below trying to find out where my great grandad was.

Posted 5th August 1914 2nd Divisional Ammunition Column, with 19th Battery. Thereafter, from 17 September 1915 he was posted to 127 Battery and 2 months later, he was posted to the number 3 Depot.

Thanks

Geoff

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