HAA RA

[JohnRA]

Hi GusW,

Received your note about the photo.

All the men in your photo are officers - a BQMS is a Battery Quartermaster Sergeant - each battery was looked after by this person and he was responsible for the battery -  he in turn reported to an officer. As I understand batteries were then grouped in three's my father was for battery 361 and with them were batteries 365 and 367. Do not know at present how many guns per battery.
Have a look at www.RoyalArtilleryunitsnetherlands1944-1945.com and look under 115th. It is a Dutch sight and they have listed actions & battery movements thru' Belgium and Holland together with officers and men & casualties. There are some from the 361 who were personally known to my father.
Hope this helps.
JohnA

[whizzer15]

My Grandad Alan Gray was in the 115th RA HAA regt and was a gunner. All I know is he was in Holland and Germany during the war. Like so many he never really talked about the war to me, some information came from my mum but very vague. Its good to read everyone else's stories and information.

[GusW]

Hi all,

I've recently received my grandfather's personnel files which gives a very interesting insight to his time in this regiment.  It mentions initial mobilisation in Dunfermline, some time training in Shrivenham before being posted to Stromness in Orkney in 1941/42 then onto embarkation / disembarkation in NW Europe in August 1944 up until he was "moderately / severely" injured in a battlefield accident resulting in a compound fracture of his elbow and lacerations December 1944.  Once I decipher all the handwriting I'll share some more information / images. 

I've now requested quotes for obtaining the relevant war diaries for his time in the UK and in Europe.  hopefully not prohibitively expensive!

Hope you're all well,
Best wishes, Gus