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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Mccrorj2512 on Thursday 28 January 21 11:22 GMT (UK)
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Hello, I have attached a photo of my wife’s grandfather, Hugh Boyle born 1902 Rothesay, which purports to have been taken at Suddon Barracks in 1922. Does anyone recognise the uniform, i.e, regiment? Any knowledge of the barracks? Anything else that is obvious to those in the know would be gratefully received. Thanks Jim
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He was a corporal in an Artillery regiment. Posing with an 18 pounder.
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FindMyPast has a 1921 Royal Artillery attestation record for a Hugh Boyle of the right age (mid-1902) but it says that he was born in Greenock. Mother Susan?
https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=GBM%2FROYALART%2F734861-735850%2F00126&parentid=GBM%2FROYALART%2F249243
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If 1922 then he is a bombardier :)
MaxD
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Quite right Max !
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Shaun, definitely born Castle Street, Rothesay, July 5th 1902. To be fair they would have moved to Greenock shortly after his birth and are in the town by 1907. I have other family members in the artillery weren’t there different arms, light and heavy, for instance. My naive reading of the photo suggests Hugh would have been light or have I gotten the wrong end of the stick.
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Shaun, definitely the ancestor I was looking for. Just checked the address on his attestation and it’s the family home.
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I have other family members in the artillery weren’t there different arms, light and heavy, for instance. My naive reading of the photo suggests Hugh would have been light or have I gotten the wrong end of the stick.
In 1922 the Royal Artillery was still divided into Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Field Artillery and Royal Garrison Artillery (Royal Artillery responsible for ammunition supply also existed). Units of the Royal Field Artillery were primarily equipped with 18 pounders or 4.5 inch Howitzers. The designations Light, Medium, Heavy etc came later. Here we see a Field Artilleryman.
MaxD
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Thanks for all of your replies. Has certainly opened up a lot of new opportunities regarding our ancestor. Jim
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While trying to assist with this query I was unable to find any record of a barracks at Wincanton or any barracks called "Suddon". I'm aware there was a TA unit based in the town but they seem to have had a drill hall.
The background to the picture shows bell tents but no buildings. Was this perhaps a temporary "camp"and not a barracks ? Where does the "Suddon, Wincanton" come from ?
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Might it be Buddon Camp in Scotland?
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MaecW, it comes from a handwritten note on the back of the photograph. It appears ShaunJ has come up with a more plausible alternative.
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ShaunJ, that makes sense given the fact that Hugh was a plumber from the West Coast of Scotland. Wincanton in the 20’s feels like a bit of a journey!
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Running in on ShauJ's coattails and finding many newspaper references in the 20s to "the artillery ranges" at Buddon and Buddon Artillery camp including reports that this would be the venue of annual camp for many a Territorial Force unit.
ShaunJ has it (as so often :))
MaxD
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Thanks everyone and apologies for my lack of knowledge tether TA! Assume it worked much like today, you signed up and then committed to minimum number of hours/days per year? Struggling to see where Hugh would have regularly paraded for training other than Buddon. Any ideas?
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hi
i believe there was a depot in gourock
for training and home defence,
hence the name battery park
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Mccrorj2512,
Thank you. I agree with Shaun's identification of the place as likely to be Budden.
I wonder how "Wincanton" got into the description; there's nothing like it near Budden.
Perhaps the inscription on the photo was made years later and the writer confused two place ! :)
Maec
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Loose end:
Struggling to see where Hugh would have regularly paraded for training other than Buddon. Any ideas?
TF units from a wide area of Scotland would have gone to Buddon for annual camp, his "home" base could have been anywhere, examples:
7 batteries of Glasgow RFA territorials arrive mid July 1922
Edinburgh district RFA units later in July
MaxD