Claire Wilson Posted 6 January , 2008 Share Posted 6 January , 2008 My great uncle, Benjamin William Buss 42135, was a lance bombardier in the 197th Siege Battery. I am trying to find out which battles this siege battery took part in. I have found some information on the Long Long Trail website that says that 197th Siege Battery were with the British Forces in Italy. This would tie up with the fact that my great uncle is buried in Staglieno Cemetery, in Genoa. However, the Military-Genealogy website shows that the Theatre of War that he was involved in was France & Flanders. Does the Theatre of War refer to the area that my great uncle was fighting in when he died? I would be grateful for any information about where the 197th Siege Battery fought. In addition, in what part of the UK were they formed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 6 January , 2008 Share Posted 6 January , 2008 Hi Claire Welcome to the Forum. 197th Siege battery was in 15th Heavy Artillery Group,and de-trained in Italy on 18/12/17. The History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery states that it was based between the Brenta and Asiago where it moved to on 06/01/18, until April 1918 Don't worry about the France and Flanders as theatre of War. My grandad's military Medal card says France, yet he won it in Italy. ToW does not refer to the area in which your great uncle was fighting before he died. Buried in Staglieno, I would think it more likely that he died from injury, illness or disease. Genoa was I think the base hospital for Italy. The above came from the Forgotten Fronts volume, more later, as I'm summoned to take down Christmas lights - Twelfth night! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 6 January , 2008 Share Posted 6 January , 2008 Claire 197 Siege went to Italy in Dec'17 along with a few other batteries and the HQ of the 2nd Army. A diary for the battery during their Italian deployment is at The National Archive, Kew under the following ref: WO 95/4205 197 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery 1917 Dec. - 1918 Feb. This covers their time in Italy, if only for the first two months. 197 Siege first went out to France on the 3rd Nov'1916 moving through various Artillery groups until Dec'17 when they are dispatched to Italy. A diary for this period can be found under the following ref: WO 95/305 197 Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery 1916 Nov. - 1917 Nov. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 6 January , 2008 Share Posted 6 January , 2008 Hi Clair and welcome, His number would indicate one of the early recruits enlisting August 1914. I would say it is highly likely that he started out with one of the new heavy batteries that were being formed then and was later transferred to one or more batteries before joining the 197th SB. I am afraid there is no way of knowing which batteries without his service records. Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Wilson Posted 8 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 8 January , 2008 Thank you all for this information. It is most helpful. Richard - I look forward to hearing more from you when you've taken down the Christmas lights! Stuart - Thanks for the info about the war diary reference numbers - I think a trip to Kew will be on the agenda. Kevin - I have checked out ancestry.co.uk for my great uncle's service records, but there is no trace of them, so I guess they were amongst those destroyed in the bombing in WWII. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ororkep Posted 8 January , 2008 Share Posted 8 January , 2008 Claire, What is the date of entry on this mans Medal Index card? Im hoping you will say its late May 1915 as I think there is a good chance this man went out to the Western Front with 14 Heavy Battery. Rgds Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 8 January , 2008 Share Posted 8 January , 2008 Hi Claire. Christmas is over for another year, apart from starting to acquire the details of books I can add to my list for next year! Not much more, but a little. I checked the Western Front volume of the History, but it contains only one mention of 197 Siege Bty, when they lost a gun to German counter-battery fire on 07/05/17 during the artillery preparation for the Battle of Messines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 8 January , 2008 Share Posted 8 January , 2008 Paul is likely to be right, but it may also be worth checking 10th, 13th and 15th Heavy Batteries. Of course he may have stayed in England on various courses and gone out later with any battery. Paul will soon know if there is a date of entry. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Wilson Posted 9 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 9 January , 2008 Hi Paul and Kevin Re : the Medal Index Card, the 'Date of entry therein' is blank. The only things filled out on the card are Corps, Rank and Reg No, and then letters and numbers in Victory and British war medal roll. The fact that there is no date, does this mean anything? Hi Richard - Thank you for the further information. I haven't mentioned this before, but my great uncle Ben's date of death was 2 November 1918. Using all the info given to me so far about where 197 siege battery fought, is it likely that I would be able to find out how he died, like whether he was injured and then in a hospital in Genoa? I will definitely go to Kew to find out more from the diaries, like Stuart said, but are there any other ways to find out what happened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 9 January , 2008 Share Posted 9 January , 2008 Hi Claire, I was a little surprised that the date of entry is not shown, but when one pulls up his MIC it has him in the RFA. If he did enlist in the RFA it is possible he was compulsorily transferred and they had not given him his new number before he was killed. I am afraid if his number is a RFA one then I have no idea at the moment when he enlisted. A little bit of a mystery at the moment. The trouuble with the MICS is that they may not be 100% accurate. Given that there is not a 14 Star or 14/15 Star listed may mean he was a RFA gunner. Regards Kevin EDIT It does not say RFA but Royal Artillery. What is exactly written beside the medals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Wilson Posted 10 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 10 January , 2008 Hi Kevin The MIC info is as follows : The Victory medal roll no. is RGA / 116B , page no. 1601. It is ditto for the British medal. The Corps is RA, rank is Gunner, no. 42135. Everything else is blank. You mentioned that MICs may not be 100% accurate - the rank is shown as Gunner on MIC, however, on the CWGC certificate, the rank is shown as Lance Bombardier. The certificate also shows Ben being with 197th Siege Battery, RGA. I would guess that the CWGC certificate is more accurate? Regards Claire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinrowlinson Posted 10 January , 2008 Share Posted 10 January , 2008 Hi Claire, The roll number is consistant with his service number being in the Royal Garrison Artillery. Still strange that a Star is not mentioned, although he could have stayed in England and went abroad after January 1916. At least you can still research the 197th Siege Battery by the War Diaries. Regards Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ness Battery Posted 21 February , 2012 Share Posted 21 February , 2012 Just spotted this on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/197-Siege-Battery-RGA-artillery-piece-Italy-Rp-/390391977267?pt=UK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ&hash=item5ae52cd533 Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanage Posted 29 February , 2012 Share Posted 29 February , 2012 Hi I have acquired a 197th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery spotters/sighting telescope from my uncle. It's not his, as he was too young and it's not his dad's, as he didn't fight. It may be his father-in-law's (surname Pollard) though, so I'm trying to find out if that's a possibility. I'm not sure how to find out if this person was in 197 RGA though, and would appreciate a steer. Many thanks. Gordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanage Posted 29 February , 2012 Share Posted 29 February , 2012 His full name was Victor Baden Powell Pollard. Many thanks in advance Gordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanage Posted 29 February , 2012 Share Posted 29 February , 2012 Since my first post I've found the National Archives (this is all new to me!). Whist there were about 70 pollards in the RGA in WW1, none were Victor. Now looking at the possibility of it belonging to a brother of Victor, but need to find out names first. Gordon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz Posted 15 January , 2020 Share Posted 15 January , 2020 I am hoping to find out more about my relative who was in the 197th siege battery RGA. Do I have to go to Kew to read the war diaries, as there doesn't seem to be any access on line?? James Shaw 132703. He won the gallantry medal (m.m). Does anyone have any other leads I could follow? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 15 January , 2020 Admin Share Posted 15 January , 2020 Welcome to the forum. As this is an old thread, it would be better if you start a new topic about James. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loz Posted 15 January , 2020 Share Posted 15 January , 2020 ok, will do thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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