Misdemeanors

[brownegaz]

On searching through my granfathers war service record I have found a couple of entries where he has been deprived of a days pay, on 25th May 1917 for being late on parade whilst on active duty with A Battery 300 Brigade RFA "in the field"

Then on 25 September 1917 he was deprived of a days pay for quitting parade without permission and he was also awarded 14 days CO or CC it is not clear enough to read however the place that it occured is B?ulogne it is unclear from his active service form although it looks like he was with what appears to be 7 Con? Depot, I would love to know if anyone recognises either the place name or the Depot.

In the remarks column on both occasions it mentions what appears to be B2069.

I would be greatful if someone could tell what his punishment was (14 days CO, CC or whatever it is)

Also I was hoping that I may be able to find out where he was serving at the time of his midemeanors, I am pretty sure he arrived in France with the 5th London Brigade(Later 300 Brigade) RFA on 21 June 1916.

Any assistance appreciated

Gary

[jay dubaya]

Boulogne...perhaps 14 days confined to camp (CC)? What's your Grandfathers name and no.?

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Gary

Boulogne; 7 Conv(alescent) Depot; 14 days Confined to Camp. B2069 is the offence report, the equivalent of a civil police charge sheet.

The War Diary of 300 Bde RFA from June 1915 to August 1916 is in the National Archives at Kew in file WO95/3027. At the end of August the brigade was broken up amongst 301, 302 and 303 Bdes, which went with their division (60th) to Macedonia and therefater to Egypt for the rest of the war.

If he was still at Boulogne in May 1917 he must have been transferred to another unit of the RFA, or possibly to the Labour Corps if medically downgraded.

Ron

[jay dubaya]

Boulogne...perhaps 14 days confined to camp (CC)? What's your Grandfathers name and no.?

cheers, Jon

[brownegaz]

Thank you Jon and Ron for your contributions I am gradually getting more information on my grandfather with the invaluable assistance of pals like you, it is very much appreciated.

My grandfathers name is George Lewis Brown although he seems to have used Lewis as his preferred name as all his army records I have are for Lewis G Brown including his MIC.

I have laid out his service as best I can from his records although some of the entries are very hard to decipher.

I am mainly interested in where he may have served during his war service so that one day I can travel from Australia to England and France to retrace his steps.

2 Oct 1914 At age 17 years 5 months embodied and posted 5th London Brigade RFA Territorial Army Regimental number 1792 this number was later changed to 950638.

17 May 1916 Mustered as Gunner

21June 1916 Embarked Southampton disembarked 22 June 1916 at Havre (I assume this means Lehavre)

30 Aug 1916 Posted to B Battery 302 Bde then 2 Oct 1916 Posted to A Battery 300 Bde

3 Jan 1917 Mustered 300 Bde then 21 Jan 1917 posted to what appears to be 95 Bde (hard to read this entry from Statement of Services)

16 Feb 1917 Admitted to hospital, 13 FA (Field Ambulance?) Remarks column B213 also on same date admitted to PUO ?- Remarks column A36 then on 19 Feb 1917 back to duty Remark B213.

24 May 1917 Deprived of one days pay for being late on parade whilst on active duty, no mention of where this occurred.

4 June 1917 Wounded Shell Shock no mention of treatment or where this occured.

25 Sept 1917 Deprived of one days pay plus awarded 14 days CC (Confined to Camp)for quitting parade without permission, at the time of offence he was with 7 Convalescent Depot at Boulogne

13 Dec1917 Posted to 27 AA section no mention of where they were serving.

1 Jan 1918 Compulsory Transfer to RGA with regimental number 319390 under authority of GenHQ AC Jb 2081/16th 1183/17th WO letter No1979/AGb d/27Nov 1917 3rd Echelon CR No74319 A d/24Dec1917

4th to 25th July 1918 Lewis Gun School at Rouen completed course in Lewis and Hotchkiss Gunnery then proceeded to E---pple- (place name is very hard to decipher from his active service casualty form)

3 Aug 1918 Rejoined 27AA section

31 August 1918 Discharged to ? (indecipherable) but Place name looks like Reinf Remark Column HA 28407 there is mention of a WO list.

14 Sept 1918 Transferred to 182 Coy Labour Corps Regimental No 572308 Reason- Benefit of Service.

Thanks to previous posts I have some dates and places that his Labour Corps where serving .

Thank you for any further assistance

Gary

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Gary

302 Bde RFA (formerly 2/VII London) was also in 60th Division and its service was similar to that of 300 Bde. Most British reinforcements entered via le Havre like your grandfather.

95 Bde RFA was part of 21st Division which remained in France, and this ties up with what you know.

13 FA is 13th Field Ambulance which was part of 5th Division. This included 15 Bde RFA: could this be what you have read as 95?

Form B213 was the unit weekly return of men rationed, which gave details of men transferred in and out of the unit (sadly these have not survived so don't raise your hopes). Form A36 was the equivalent for men under medical care. It was from these that the soldier's casualty and postings records were compiled at GHQ 3rd Echelon at the base at Rouen.

PUO is Pyrexia (high temperature) of Unknown Origin. I think doctors still use it today!

27 Anti-Aircraft Section was serving on the Lines of Communication in Dec 1917 and thereafter. All AA sections were part of the Royal Garrison Artillery, which explains his transfer.

THe place name you mention is Etaples, the main reinforcement training and holding base south of Boulogne. AA sections used light m/guns like the Lewis and Hotchkiss which probably explains his re-training.

That should give you a bit more to work on - good luck, and keep 'em coming!

Ron

[ian turner]

Good reply from Ron.

Reinf - might be reinforcements?

Looking at the service history I suspect he was down-graded towards the end of his service due to health reasons.

Ian

[brownegaz]

Thanks Ron and Ian for your replies.

Ron can you please tell me how I might find more info on the 27 AA section, I assume they were part of an RGA Brigade, although he was in 27AA section before being transfered into the RGA and then after attending the gunnery school?

You say the 27AA section were serving on the Lines of Communication in Dec 1917, pardon my ignorance but I dont know what the Lines of Communication is, I am doing a lot of reading up on different aspects of the war in Europe but have a long way to go.

He was in a Convalesent Hospital in Orpington from 12/10/1918 to 18/3/1919 the disease looks like Empylima?

He was aspirated 8 times and was injected with Eusol, he was then transfered to Eastbourne Convalesent Hospital and was discharged on 12 July 1919 to dispersal area NoXC Crystal Palace, he was Category B on a pension of 8/3d a week.

I assume the disease is not emphysema as he lived for another 48 years after 1919.

You have certainly given me something to go on with, as always your help is appreciated

Regards

Gary

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Gary

I think your Empylima is actually emphysema, for which the treatment appears to have been successful if he lived another 48 years! Eastbourne and other places on the Sussex coast have been popular convalescent centres for people with breathing problems for the best part of two centuries now.

AA Sections RGA, of two guns each (usually the 13-pounder) were not part of RGA Brigades. They were sometimes grouped into AA Batteries of four to six sections each, or held under loose geographical groupings for admin purposes.

The Lines of Communication is the official term for the "back areas": the land between the coastal bases and an arbitrary line representing the furthest reach of enemy heavy artillery. This area contained all the base depots of various kinds, the training and rest areas, and most of the hospital facilities. Within this area the only enemy threat was from air attack so AA Sections were scattered around strategic points to provide defensive cover.

I have had a look through the index to WO95, the War Diaries, but sadly I cannot find and diaries for 27 AA Sec (apart from a single month, Oct 1915, before your man joined them), or for the Cenrtal Group of L of C AA Sections to which it later belonged. I am sorry that I cannot be more encouraging but perhaps there is another Pal out there who is an AA expert. It might help you to re-post this particular point on the Units and Formations section as "27 AA Section" as otherwise "Misdemeanours" might not catch their attention.

Good luck anyway,

Ron

[Doc2]

He was in a Convalesent Hospital in Orpington from 12/10/1918 to 18/3/1919 the disease looks like Empylima?

He was aspirated 8 times and was injected with Eusol, he was then transfered to Eastbourne Convalesent Hospital and was discharged on 12 July 1919 to dispersal area NoXC Crystal Palace, he was Category B on a pension of 8/3d a week.

As per another thread on this forum, the disease was probably EMPYEMA (loculated pus in the pleural space), not EMPHYSEMA. Doc2