Royal Field Artillery

[minor]

I am new to the Forum, so please bear with me if the information I require is already contained on the site.

My grandfather: James Wason served as a Driver in the Royal Field Artillery in France and Belgium during WW1. I have had searches made in Kew (including the burnt records) and at the Royal Artillery Museum in London.

So far all that has come to light is his medal card.

From that and his medals I have established his Regimental No. as 821702. The entry on the card for his unit is given as: RFA/TF/144B while his medals are engraved with his No. Name and R.A.

From the Royal Artillery Firepower Museum I received the following reply:

The documentation you have provided does not allow us to identify his unit. The Medal Roll entry seems to suggest 144 Brigade RFA. The problem is that no such brigade was ever raised. Nor can it be 144 Battery – this was a reserve unit which never served overseas.

Can anyone identify what the unit may have been?

Thanks

[Chris_Baker]

His number was issued for the North Midland Divisional Ammunition Column. This had two units, one with 46th (North Midland) Division and the other with 57th (2nd North Midland). The "Firepower!" reply is as daft as their name!

[minor]

His number was issued for the North Midland Divisional Ammunition Column. This had two units, one with 46th (North Midland) Division and the other with 57th (2nd North Midland). The "Firepower!" reply is as daft as their name!

Thank you for your quick response. It is much appreciated.

I assume the No. you are referring to is his Regimental No. Is there any way that I can find out which specific unit my grandfather was part of. He enlisted in Glasgow and I assumed it would be a RFA Scottish Unit he was attached to. Have you any idea of the significance of 144B in the Medal Card entry.

Thanks again

[rflory]

Chris is correct about the two possible units based on his service number. Your reference to 114 B appears to come from the "RFA/TF/144B" reference on the Medal Index Card. If so, this is an incorrect assumption - that notation refers to the volume and page number for his entry in the BWM/VM medal rolls.

Regards. Dick Flory

[minor]

Chris is correct about the two possible units based on his service number. Your reference to 114 B appears to come from the "RFA/TF/144B" reference on the Medal Index Card. If so, this is an incorrect assumption - that notation refers to the volume and page number for his entry in the BWM/VM medal rolls.

Regards. Dick Flory

Thank-you for your assistance. I've learned more in the past hour than I have in the time I've been searching. If I can establish the specific unit then I may be able to find some information. During the war he was evacuated from France to a military hospital in the south of England suffering from blood poisoning. He was not expected to survive. Happily he did. Any other advice on possible searches?reading material gratefully accepted.

Regards Willie O