SFayers Posted 27 November , 2007 Share Posted 27 November , 2007 Hi folks, Don't know if any of the artillery specialists among the Pals can help me out here. I'm currently transcribing part of the War Diary of the 5th Siege Battery (around the time of the 3rd Ypres), and I've come across some terms and abbreviations that I'm not familiar with. If any one can help me out I'd greatly appreciate it! I've listed them below (those in italics are direct quotes from the diary). 1. 2nd Lieutenant R. Wood (S.R.) - the (S.R.) turns up quite often after 2nd Lieutenant's names, what does it stand for? 2. One N.F. engaged. and The battery engaged 5 N.F.s - what is N.F.? 3. 300 rounds fired including very successful shoot with aeroplane observation on CX27 [10K, 6Y, 15Z, 5MZ] and observation on CX23 [20X, 8Y, 8Z, in ranging] - I guess CX** is a map quadrant (the reference in the diary is the Langemark sector) but what is meant by [10K (might be an X), 6Y, 15Z, 5MZ] and [20K (again might be an X), 8Y, 8Z, in ranging]? 4. Similar one this - Successful aeroplane shoot on PD61; 1OK during ranging - what is '10K' (or 10X)? 5. Howitzer No. 412 condemned by I.O.M. - what or who is I.O.M.? 6. One G.F. call answered and One G.F. call taken up - what is G.F.? 7. B.C. post, ammunition dump, and stores destroyed - is 'B.C. post' Battery Command post? 8. 30 rounds fired on night lines - what is meant by 'night lines'? 9. Ground gained 500x to 1000x on the Corps front - the 'x's are as superscript in the diary, clearly relating to an area or distance measurment, but what? Yards? 10. Two guns were man-handled onto the PILCKEM road at 5 CHEMINS EST. - anyone recognise the name and whereabouts of this last location? (the battery had been located at Hindenburg Farm, C8d81 and were in the process of relocating to Cockcroft, C6a24) 11. 147 rounds fired in registration with visual observation and in bursts on O.P.s north of WESTROOSEBEKE - what are 'O.P.s'? 12. And finally - 267 rounds fired, of which 249 on WA31 (east of WESTROOSEBEKE) with aeroplane observation, 2 OKs and 2 explosions during ranging - what are 'OKs'? Any help with interpretation here would be most welcome! cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 27 November , 2007 Share Posted 27 November , 2007 I'm very far from being an artillery expert, but I think I can fill in some of your requests. 1. S.R. It could mean Special Reserve. Someone who has completed a period of service both in the army and on the reserve. However its incidence with 2nd Lts might suggest another meaning. 3. & 4. I would suggest that these are grid references (grid sub-squares) within the grid square. 5. A guess - Inspector of Munitions? 9. The superscript x should refer to yards. 11. O.P.s should refer to Obsevation Posts, presumably here referring to identified enemy observation posts. I look forward to learning more from our artillery experts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ororkep Posted 27 November , 2007 Share Posted 27 November , 2007 7 Correct 8 Night Lines is the process of leaving the guns ranged on pre registerted targets, ready to fire immediately with shells in the barrel and the lanyards attached. The night guard on seeing a prearranged sequence of flares from the forward trenches requesting artillery help, would run down the line and pull all the lanyards giving immediate support, and wake the sleeping gunners. 4 & 12 Suspect this reads 1 OK (meaning one direct hit) and not 10k Rgds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Clifton Posted 27 November , 2007 Share Posted 27 November , 2007 I'm not an expert either but here goes! 1. S R is Special Reserve but it has nothing to do with previous service. A number of young officers were given SR rather than Regular or temporary commissions, especially in the artillery. 5. I O M is Inspector of Ordnance Machinery. 10. Est is Estaminet, and refers to a "pub" at a five-way crossroads, rather like the one by the Indian Memorial at Neuve Chapelle. It is about 1.3 km due south of Pilckem although the map only shows four roads! Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 27 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 27 November , 2007 Hi Greenwoodman and ororkep, Many thanks for your feedback - that's a great help! cheers Steve Hi Ron, Thanks for your help also! cheers steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 27 November , 2007 Share Posted 27 November , 2007 Did what I should have done in the first place on SR, look in Charles Messenger's "Call to Arms". The men I was describing more properly fit into the National Reserve, which became part of the TF Reserve. Men for the Special Reserve were originally recruited from the militia, and therefore did have some training, which for some of the SR, was required to be kept up. SR for instance supplied many old soldiers as drill sgts for new army battalions.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 28 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 28 November , 2007 I've just found out the 'N.F.' refers to enemy batteries identified as they come into action ('Now firing'). Does anybody have any ideas what 'G.F.' means? cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 28 November , 2007 Share Posted 28 November , 2007 Gun Fire Daggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 28 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 28 November , 2007 Thanks Daggers! cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 28 November , 2007 Share Posted 28 November , 2007 Steve Please see the map attached, Cockcroft is at the top right hand corner of the map 5 Chemins Est is on the road south of Pickem opposite Mauser Cot. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 29 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 29 November , 2007 Many thanks for the map John - and I see Hindenburg Farm (where the battery was located prior to The Cockcroft) is just to the NE of 5 Chemins Estaminet. If you don't mind me asking and have the map, would you by any chance be able to show me where La Belle Alliance Farm (map reference - C20d3826) and Chateau Trois Tours (map reference - B38b06) were located? These were the 5 Siege Battery locations before the battery moved up to Hindenburg Farm. Many thanks Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnreed Posted 29 November , 2007 Share Posted 29 November , 2007 Steve Both locations are on Map 10-28NW2-4A-160117 St Julien.See attached maps Chateau Trois Tours location should read B28b06. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 29 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 29 November , 2007 Many thanks John, that's a great help! Much appreciated! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhill Posted 29 November , 2007 Share Posted 29 November , 2007 I've just found out the 'N.F.' refers to enemy batteries identified as they come into action ('Now firing'). Does anybody have any ideas what 'G.F.' means? cheers Steve I believe these codes relate to what were termed "zone calls". I have seen various lists of these, but the only ones I remember (and which are by far the most common) are these: GF followed by a location means "fleeting target at .. ". NF means "batteries in position at .. ". LL was only to be used in case of really important targets and demanded "as powerful a concentration of fire as the situation admits". These were usually sent from aircraft by wireless. Although communication was only one-way, the system became rather efficient; each aircraft being expected to coordinate two "shoots" simultaneously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 30 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 30 November , 2007 I believe these codes relate to what were termed "zone calls". I have seen various lists of these, but the only ones I remember (and which are by far the most common) are these: GF followed by a location means "fleeting target at .. ". NF means "batteries in position at .. ". LL was only to be used in case of really important targets and demanded "as powerful a concentration of fire as the situation admits". These were usually sent from aircraft by wireless. Although communication was only one-way, the system became rather efficient; each aircraft being expected to coordinate two "shoots" simultaneously. Thanks for that jhill, much appreciated. In that case, as a matter of interest, do the following terms relate to "zone calls"? Initially to me they look like map references, but they don't seem to relate to the normal practice of referencing used on the British 'trench maps' (e.g. C20d3826): 300 rounds fired including very successful shoot with aeroplane observation on CX27 [10K, 6Y, 15Z, 5MZ] and Extremely successful shoot with aeroplane observation on CX23 [20X(or 2OK?), 8Y, 8Z, in ranging] I wonder, if 'OK' relates to "direct hits" (see ororkep's post), could Y, Z, & MZ relate to other types of "hit"? cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 1 December , 2007 Share Posted 1 December , 2007 Steve Attached to the observers dashboard map was a transparent sheet with a number of concentric circles radiating out at distances of 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400 & 500 yards each circle lettered y, z, a, b, c, d, e, & f. respectively, an ok was a direct hit. The circle was then divided 1 to 12 as per a clock face. The diaries tend to note the number of OK's, Y's, A's etc as opposed to the exact nature of each ie 9Y = 10 Yards left of target. M added to one of the above means mostly The other references you quote are target references for enemy batteries. The attached shows enemy batteries which have been identified and their positions plotted. The little triangles, dots and semicircles denote the number and nature of enemy guns. Each of these squares UB, VA etc covered nine normal trench map squares. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 1 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 December , 2007 Hi Stuart, Many thanks for the information - that's a great help. As you've probably gathered from the posting I'm currently transcribing the 5 S Bty diary for March to December 1917 (as a Word document). I can easily email you a copy once finished if it'll help with your RGA research. cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 2 December , 2007 Share Posted 2 December , 2007 Steve I would be grateful for a copy, the March - July period is of most interest as our grandfathers batteries fought along side each other within 43rd HAG, 5 Corps, 5th Army. 171 Siege took over 5 Siege's postion when they moved out to join the 46th HAG in July. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SFayers Posted 3 December , 2007 Author Share Posted 3 December , 2007 Hi Stuart, I've emailed you a copy. Hope your research is going well! cheers Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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