Can I find out more about my great uncle’s Albert Frederick Mayne WW1 service?

[MaxD]

You are absolutely correct, I apologise and I have amended my post*.  However 31 Brigade RFA was in Salonika with 28 Division Nov 1915 to Mar 1919 so Mesopotamia doesn't fit at all.


MaxD


* Excuses excuses, 31 Bde was a pre war regular brigade all (almost all?) of which had numbered batteries.  The letter convention obtained within the New Army brigades and the TF brigades had a mix of numbers and letters but the numbers were later changed to letters.  69 was a new army brigade so letters from the start.

[MaxD]

Those are both very useful indeed in showing where A Battery 69 Brigade was on two dates in 1917.  It also clearly demonstrates the difficulty of following Gunners around the battlefield, here is the battery under command of two different brigades within 6 months but, tellingly, retaining its identity as part of a brigade that didn't exist but that has been parcelled out (all four 69 Bde batteries are in both ORBATs).

Pity that the Mesopotamia diaries are not digitised, it might have been possible to follow the battery beyond Nov 1917 (unless Nafziger has more?)  Although, caveat, we don't know for sure that our man stayed with that battery throughout.  Does the Amara hospital record have a unit?


MaxD

[ShaunJ]

A/69th Battery still with 30 Brigade on 30 March 1918 (page 7)

http://www.314th.org/Nafziger-Collection-of-Orders-of-Battle/918BCMA.pdf

and in October 1918 ( 4 x 4.5" howitzers)  (page 5)

http://www.314th.org/Nafziger-Collection-of-Orders-of-Battle/918BJMA.pdf

[MaxD]

That is splendid (why didn't I consult my Nafziger?)  Thanks indeed. 

Gardenshed, ShaunJ's diligent work would has produced evidence to place A/69 after Gallipoli and the first month in the Mesopotamia theatre.  Great Uncle Albert appears with them in March 1918 which argues strongly for him remaining with them throughout.

Certainly the movements of the battery are clear.  Fitting the battery's movements to war diaries after the first month will be interesting.

Great work ShaunJ as ever.

MaxD

[Gardenshed]

Thank you so much Shaun and Max. Something woke me very early this drizzly spring morning so it was a wonderful surprise to find all the hard work and excellent information.

[MaxD]

Building a little on ShaunJ's work (and finding my own Nafziger collection!) we can build an outline time line for A Battery 69 Brigade showing the divisions it was supporting.  It is easier to find general reading material on those than on individual units.

July 1915 to Jan 1916 - primarily Gallipoli with 13 (Western) Division.
Feb 1916 to May 1916 - Mesopotamia with 13 (Western Division) still part of 69 Brigade.
Next spot is November 1916 - Mesopotamia still 13 (Western) Division but as an attached battery not allocated to a brigade  - https://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/CGSC/CARL/nafziger/916BKMA.pdf
May 1917 - Mesopotamia still with 13 (Western) Division still unallocated
November 1917 - still Mesopotamia but now supporting 14 (Indian) Division under 30 RFA Brigade
March 1918 and November 1918 - still supporting 14 (Indian) Division under 30 RFA Brigade.

There are three war diaries for the Commander Royal Artillery 13 Division who would have controlled the activities of A/69 when it was unallocated.  First three on this page   http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/481c794f55834ab6bf0152a5ff91d0b1
There is just one diary for 30 Brigade RFA in 14 Indian Division which would include the activities of A/69.  http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/c105237de0f54c829da0c74c66ab1b59
These and the two previously mentioned should enable you to follow A/69.

MaxD

[Gardenshed]

Just to mention I have belatedly seen Great Uncle Albert’s RFA attestation on FindMyPast.

In the column for Campaigns etc it has Med 15-16 and Mespot 16-18, confirming the information you have provided. I should have searched for this before, sorry, but to be honest without your explanation I probably would not have understood the references.

Thanks again - your help is greatly appreciated.

P.S. Have just seen the latest post and that is terrific and takes care of my Sunday morning.

There have been a couple of references to Howitzers. Is it reasonable to assume he would have been part of the team (sorry, don’t know the correct term to use) firing Howitzers?

[MaxD]

Yes.  Apart from all the other changes (!) his battery seems to have been equipped at different times with 18 pounder guns and 4.5 inch Howitzers - quite normal for such changes to happen.  He could well have been one of a gun detachment (team is the term for the fourlegged members of the battery) or one of the signallers or command post men we don't know but in any event his day to day business would have been serving the guns in some capacity.

MaxD

[Gardenshed]

Much appreciated and oops re the use of ‘team’.

I keep thinking of the bit in the trailer for “They Shall Not Grow Old”, with the men and horses pulling large guns through a stream at considerable speed. It puts a different perspective on things when I realise that somewhere in the Middle East my great uncle would have been doing the same kind of thing, though presumably less water and mud involved.