Royal Field Artillery - WW1

[lizlyon]

Thankyou very much, Phil, for your help, I will certainly look at the website you suggested and see what that tells me.  Regards liz

[forester]

Liz,

These are all probables, so treat with a large pinch of salt:

Attested in the last minute rush to avoid compulsory conscription in December 1915.
Remained on the Reserve until the last week of March / first week of April 1917.

Posted to HAC Reserve Battery at Leeds and/or 2nd Reinforcing Siege Depot at Catterick.

Posted overseas around September 1917.

Posted to either 126th Army Field Artillery Brigade (which is what A & B Batteries became in France) or 309 (HAC) Siege Battery.

There are a couple of books on the HAC, including one specifically about 309 SB, which contains a nominal roll, but I don't know if it includes later arrivals.

I would advise contacting the HAC archives first and working from there.

Phil

[lizlyon]

ALL information is gratefully received and thank you for your time and interest.   From snippetts I overheared as a child, your info has a ring of truth to it. My own father was killed in the next war, and my step-father was a P.O.W in the Far East for three years, and I always got the feeling that in my mother's eyes  'Percy' was a somewhat reluctant warrior!!! This is what has provoked my interest in him, it would appear that this could well have been the case! having said that, I expect he was one of many,  so I feel loathe to be judgemental, just interested in  facts!

[forester]

Liz,

As I said, I've just put together the common denominators from half a dozen or so service records. Most of the men were in their late twenties / early thirties and clerks or civil servants of various sorts. Many were married and with young families. Does Percy fit this description?

Also, thanks to you, I may have found another man not commemorated by the CWGC. He was a solicitor from Bromley, discharged due to TB.

Phil

PS Let us know if you make any progress.

[lizlyon]

Although I don't know what Percy did when he left school, knowing him in later life I think this does fit him.  He was married in  1913, so would have been 27 when the first war broke out. my stepfather was not born till 1919, so no young family but certainly a young wife!  Glad to have been of help!!    Thanks again!

[Ange30]

Hi I HAVE A QUESTION,MY GTGT COUSIN SERVED WITH D BTY 48 BGDE BUT ON HIS DEATH CERT IT SAYS B BTY (EVERYTHIN ELSE SAYS D) WOULD THERE BE A REASON FOR THIS OR IS IT A POSS MISTAKE?

[km1971]

Here is a link you may not have seen - http://www.1914-1918.net/whatartbrig.htm

It mentions that most units were understrength, so it is likely that men were transferred within the Brigade to another Battery. If the move was meant to be temporary then it would not have been recorded.

Against that B and D look similar so it may be a transcription error. If you can find a war diary for the Brigade covering the date it may have something.

You should search for CLVIII as well as 48.

Ken

[chrisharris76]

Hello everyone.  I've just taken on  a project for my mother to find out a little more about certain family member and having a forces connection ended up with a great, great uncle James Clayton, he served with the Royal Field Artillery ( Service number 168578 Sjt. J. Clayton, R.F.A. (Doncaster). He was awarded the Military Metal 18th July 1917 and then the Distinguished Service Medal 19th November, 1917, strangely though there is another mention of a DCM with a description on the 6th February 1918 with I'm confused about.  I would be really grateful if anyone could shed some more light in his deeds, where he was stationed, back ground to his regiment and Battery.  I have his medal card which I must admit I find confusing.  ANy help would be wonderful.

Regards Chris

[km1971]

Hi Chris

The LG entry for November 1917 is for the DCM - http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30389/supplements/11954

The problem is that the LG use OCR so often finding entries can be difficult. Using j.clayton I also found these - http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31173/supplements/2083 - If you go to the previous page you see it is for the award of a bar to his MM

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30512/supplements/1729 - his citation, probably for the DCM. You need to press PREVIOUS to find out.

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/30188/supplements/7277 - first MM?

So no sign of a DSM.

Doncaster is the parish of birth as given on his enlistment. Local newspapers would scan the LG and discover items of local interest. There may be more in the local newspapers. If you print off the page with his name on; plus the page from the start of the section describing the award; plus the first page in the supplement with the royal crest; you can staple them together to make a nice commemorative booklet.

Ken