What does this mean? (Medal roll index card)

[cjjc123abc]

Is anyone able to provide me with what the information in the highlighted boxes are and what else I can find out about his military career from it?

[Ruskie]

My guesses until the experts come along to help ....

Gnr = Gunner
TF = territorial forces
RFA = Royal Field Artillery

 

If that is correct there is plenty of information on the net, such as:
http://www.denniscorbett.com/seek.html

Others will be able to help further and point you in the right direction to find out more about your soldier.

Added: Welcome to rootschat! 

[Rosinish]

Most of the info. was on the Catalogue description;

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D4022913

Annie

[philipsearching]

And a warm welcome to Rootschat from me.

MODIFIED - deleted section as per the correction from MaxD

(TF) RFA / 107B - I believe this refers to the 107th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery which was part of the 24th Division.  Raised in 1914 as part of "Kitchener's New Army" the Division was at Loos (1915), The Somme (1916), Vimy Ridge and Messines (1917) and several other engagements.

The links below may help:

http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-royal-artillery-in-the-first-world-war/batteries-and-brigades-of-the-royal-field-artillery/cvi-cvii-cviii-and-cix-howitzer-brigades-24th-divisional-artillery/

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions/24th-division/

Many service records were burned in WW2 due to enemy action.  If Gunner Melvin's record survives it will be on a paysite such as Ancestry.  It would give a date of enlistment, physical description, next of kin, and a record of postings, promotions etc.

If the service record has not survived, all we can say is that Gunner Melvin was a volunteer (date of enlistment unknown) who first entered the France/Belgium theatre of war on 24 October 1915.  There is no reference to the "Silver War Badge" so he was not discharged from the Army as unfit for further service (wounds or illness).

It may be possible to draw some inferences from his service numbers.  805 is low, suggesting that he joined up fairly early.  Six-digit numbers were issued in January 1917 to replace the Territorial Force numbers for those men still serving (but I don't know what system was used for allocating these numbers).

Philip

[MaxD]

Sorry Philip, (TF) FA 107B and (T) TFA /17 A &B are the numbers of the two medal rolls on which this chaps' medals are entered.  On the ight is the page number in each roll where his entry is to be found.

His 1914/1915 Star is in this roll (although the title has Royal Horse Artillery it includes Royal Field Artillery)
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4437774

His British War and Victory medal are on this one:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4435258

Both rolls can be seen on Ancestry (if you have access).  They add no further information to that on the medal card.

The 1917 re-numbering system is described in www.longlongtrail.co.uk.  It shows that his second number was allocated to men originally in either 257 Brigade or 325 Brigade Royal Field Artillery (need to check that).

Max

[MaxD]

A brief PS.

Deleted - see next post

MaxD

[MaxD]

A brief correction to my earlier post.  The Lowland Brigade was (first line) 1/1 and (2nd line) 2/1.  1/1 went overseas, 2/1 didn't.

More in a mo.

MaxD 

[philipsearching]

Sorry Philip, (TF) FA 107B and (T) TFA /17 A &B are the numbers of the two medal rolls on which this chaps' medals are entered.  On the ight is the page number in each roll where his entry is to be found.

Thank you for this, Max.  I have amended my earlier post.

Philip

[MaxD]

Having taken advice, and with some more research, a clearer scenario emerges.  Gnr Melvin, in all probability, went overseas with what was originally entitled 1/1st Lowland Field Artillery Brigade, having been embodied with the rest of the Territorial Force in September 1914.  The brigade  arrived in France on 24 October 1915 (the date on his medal card) joining 51st (Highland) Division in November.

The brigade became 257 Brigade on 15 May 1916 changing yet again to 260 Brigade in the period 3 - 15 Jun 1916.  On 1 Feb 1917 the brigade was disbanded and left 51st Division with A Battery becoming C Battery 315 Army Field Artillery Brigade, B Battery becoming C Battery 86 Brigade and D Battery becoming B Battery 84 Brigade (C Battery 260 Brigade had left, split in two sections, in January 1917).

In all of this, the brigade had 3 batteries, later four.  In all probability Melvin served with 1/1 City of Edinburgh Battery which became A Battery 257 Brigade (A/257) , then A/260, then C/315.

Without his service record though, we cannot be sure which battery he served with, or even if he left the brigade in its various disguises, which means saying where he was would be difficult. 

Complicate but no unusual for the RFA which underwent a number of fairly drastic re-organisations in the course of the war.

MaxD