126 Battery, Section B, R.F.A. to 7th Reserve Battery

[126BATTERYRFA]

Hello, everyone

I'm recently obtained my grandfather's military papers and so have learned a little bit more about him.

His name: Robert DAVIES. He enlisted in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, in September, 1909.

From what I can decipher from his papers, he began his short military career with the 126th Battery, Section B, 1st Class Army Reserve, R.F.A. Then it looks like he was transferred to the 7th Reserve Battery. His unit mobilized at Preston, August 6, 1914.

He was injured in Ypres on November 11, 1914. Abdominal shrapnel wound and a bullet through the elbow. He was discharged in April 1915.

I've posted 3 photographs of my grandfather and fellow gunners here: http://kindredspirits.rootschat.net

If any of you have any information about this specific unit or it you recognize others in the photograph, I'd be very pleased to hear from you.

Thanks,

Ros

[battiscombe]

This is Gnr Robert Davies (59030) - from Cromer? Wonderful series of photos of him in 126th Bty.

I happen to have seen his pension records on Ancestry and think there is more to this ? - he was presumably in 126th Bty from 1909, but then went back to the Reserve, as you say... but when?

The stamp showing his mobilization at Preston in August 1914 is typical of that received by reservists passing through the depot on call-up. If he was still a regular he would have been with 29th Brigade (?). The second stamp beside the mobilization stamp is very faint but looks to me as if it says:- posted to:- 3 /2nd DAC , i.e 3rd section, 2nd Division Ammunition Column -- (the 2nd DAC diary records that over 1000 regular reservists and 70 special reservists joined at Preston on 5th August and were sent directly that night by train (trains running rather better then...) to Aldershot to bring the 2nd Division (and 1st?) artillery up to strength and provide men for the Ammunition Column, then being formed.

The plot thickens however as his medal index card indicates he was with 41st Brigade when he went to France (I think) - a 2nd Division RFA Brigade.

He could have gone to war with the 2nd DAC , and was then posted to 41st Brigade as a trained replacement in France, but was perhaps re-posted to 41st Brigade at Aldershot.......... and was then wounded at Ypres (his names appears in the Times list of wounded on 8th December, I think). .. in fact..the DAC landed at Havre on 19th August, 41st Bde on 16th August - his MIC says he entered France.... 16th August .. so perhaps this is the one?

After hospital treatment he would have been posted to the Reserve Battery, and discharged from here. It seems to have been normal for wounded men to pass throught the Reserve Batteries at the various Depots before discharge, as with time-expired reservists sent home from France (of which there were quite a lot in 1915-1916 as far as I can see)

so .. those fine photos of his gun subsection and his mates are then prewar it would seem?

does this make sense - perhaps you can read more clearly what his papers say?

if this is indeed the case and he was wounded on 11th November, there is more..... if he was in 41st Brigade, they were busy that day: this was at Nonne Boschen when the 41st Brigade gunners were in the line halting the famous final attack of the Prussian Guards - Lt.Col. H.R. Davies, the c/o of 2nd/ Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry recalled the events in his diary for 11th November 1914:

"At about 10 a.m. we were turned out, as there had been a German attack on 1st Brigade, who were holding the ground a little to the north of the Ypres-Menin road. I was ordered to take the Regiment to Westhoek, and get into touch with the 1st Division, who were bringing up reinforcements on the right.

A certain number of shells were dropping about in different places, but by watching where they were being put, I was able to avoid them, and we reached Westhoek without loss. Here I got the companies into any cover that was available, and I could see the Northamptonshire (1st Division) advancing, on our right, into the southern part of the wood lying to the south of Westhoek. I also found here Colonel Lushington (c/o 41st Bde), commanding a Brigade of artillery, in a dug-out near a shrine just beyond the village. He told me the Germans were in Nonne Bosschen Wood, and that his adjutant had collected some gunners, cooks, etc., armed them with rifles, and put them out facing the Germans in front of us. ... '

in the absence of infantry, gunners were sent out with rifles to hold the line .... the 16th Battery was in one field – Major W E Clark in command .. Capt Carrington organised the defense of the battery, and Lt Lund wassent back to 2nd Division to warn then .. Major Rochfort-Boyd (9th Bty) was in the OP in NonneBoschen wood – but escapes the German troops advancing around him.. the 16th battery was nearly surrounded – Corporal Richardson defended the left flank and building with Cook, Ware, Radson and Eustace ... Lt H O C Anne was commanding the left section and

Major Bond (17th Bty) sent 2Lt R T W Glynn to defend the right with 6 gunners, -- it was very close run thing by all accounts with no one left behind the gunners except Divisional HQ. ..

The 41st Bde are reported as having inflicted 1300+ casualties on the German 2nd Guard Grenadier and 1st Foot Guard regiments that day - firing 1744 rounds.

this may indeed have been where your grandfather caught his shrapnel...

do contact me if you want more details .. I hope I am not barking up quite the wrong tree!

david

I'm recently obtained my grandfather's military papers and so have learned a little bit more about him.

His name: Robert DAVIES. He enlisted in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, in September, 1909.

From what I can decipher from his papers, he began his short military career with the 126th Battery, Section B, 1st Class Army Reserve, R.F.A. Then it looks like he was transferred to the 7th Reserve Battery. His unit mobilized at Preston, August 6, 1914.

He was injured in Ypres on November 11, 1914. Abdominal shrapnel wound and a bullet through the elbow. He was discharged in April 1915.

I've posted 3 photographs of my grandfather and fellow gunners here: http://kindredspirits.rootschat.net

If any of you have any information about this specific unit or it you recognize others in the photograph, I'd be very pleased to hear from you.

Thanks,

Ros[/size][/font]

[James holt]

Can't view images but intrested dude