27 Siege Battery and 31 Cork (Fife) Command

[auntynet]

I have just this week come across My Grandfathers service records as he was given a pension.

Have spent the last 2 days with help deciphering his records.  I believe he could have been a volunteer with the Territorials before the war as on his attestation papers he has a service number of 1230 and stated that with Highland Cyclist Battalion for 4 years.  The attestation papers then give him a number of 306386 and signed with the Highland RGA.


From information given by family, although his rank is as a gunner, he was a signaller laying lines and that he suffered Trench foot, and was sent to Ireland for recovery.  My questions are is there any war diaries for the 27th Siege battery.  My grandfather was with them from May 1917 until November 1917  in France when he was then posted to Clearing office AGO (Dar?).. Posted then to RGA Plymouth Garrison in March 1918, the next part still trying to decipher but I then Have Grandad posted to 31 Cork (Fife) command

I am trying to google as much information as I can but not getting any information on this 31 Cork.  I understand that the Highland cycle Battalion were eventually placed in Ireland.  Could this 31 be a hospital.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Jeanette

[forester]

Hello Jeanette,

306386 is certainly a Territorial number and falls in the batch allotted to Highland (Fifeshire) Heavy Battery, following the re-numbering to six digits in early 1917. Their war diary is in WO95/478:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0d6g/

27th Siege Battery were Regular / New Armies and the war diary is in WO95/212:

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0d6f/

If you haven't found it already, you may find this link useful:

http://www.1914-1918.net/cra.htm

Phil

[auntynet]

Thank you Phil

That is most welcome information for the 27.   Very mich appreciated.  Will still leave this open for any forcoming info on the 31 Cork (Fife) Command.

Thank you again  Jeanette

[forester]

Jeanette,

I can find his two medal index cards, but I'm struggling with the Service / Pension record. (I'm blaming Ancestry's indexing).

Any chance of a direct link?

Phil

[forester]

Jeanette,

Are you sure that it is not 31st Coastal Fire Command, RGA. This unit was stationed at Berehaven, Co. Cork.

Phil

[auntynet]

Phil

I found him on ancestry using pension records under the name David Johnston of D Johnston 8 Townhill dunfermline I am sure when I first saw it there were 13 records and clicked on that .  You have the service number and his year of birth is 1891  if that is any help .  Not sure of the info you have given if definate says Cork (Fife) com

Jeanette

[auntynet]

Phil

Apologies have just looked at my scanned record and it could well be Cork fire command,  so used to seeing Fife that I did not study it properly.  Hopefully you will be able to see to records on ancestry if not I can email them to you.

Jeanette

[forester]

Jeanette,

I eventually found the record.

I would definitely say Fire Command.

Phil

[auntynet]

Phil

Thanks for looking.  I agree too now about the fire rather than fife.  lol that is why I could not find anything for cork fife command.

Phil,  if you are accustomed to looking at WW1 records I wonder if you would be able to help further, am slowly getting somewhere with deciphering and understanding these records, but there are 2 parts really I can not understand after France Grandfather was posted to clearing office (Dar) in Nov 1917 I think that could be Dover as researching the RGA their paper office (admin) was there there then seemed to be a posting to RGA plymouth garrison in bracket (27 B ?) in March 1918 so could be posted back with 27 seige battery.  Where would Grandfather have been in that 4 month period Nov 1917 -  March 1918.

Many thanks Jeanette