Army information Leonard Coleshill

[MaxD]

137 Siege Battery was equipped with four 6 inch 26 Cwt Howitzers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BL_6-inch_26_cwt_howitzer  His record shows he attended a signalling course so he may well not have worked on the guns but alongside them passing messages and perhaps at times forward with an observation officer sending information back to the guns.

Siege Batteries rarely kept individual diaries, they were subordinated to different Heavy Artillery Groups (HAGs) at different times as the requirement of the battles changed.  They do have one individual diary covering Apr - Aug 1917 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/6d0bea36d5244a0da6a481acdf90710c

Their service with different HAGs is attached.  Diaries for these at the National Archives are titled (number) Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery, example, 45th HAG is 45 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery, that is the tern to use in the search area
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/  Take care with the dates.  The diaries are not on Ancestry but can be downloaded for £3.50 a pop.

MaxD

[Luke Elmore]

Wow thank you so much for all this information I was wondering if you check this picture on this site https://wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/rgartillery.php?pid=9526 is that the picture of the Battalion

[MaxD]

It does have the heading 137 Siege Battery (the Royal Artillery didn't use the term battalion at that time), submitted by the grandson it appears. The battery had 250 odd men all told so this is just part of the battery, probably the men directly involved with the guns of one (2 gun) section.  (ie leaving out the ammunition men and the drivers and so on).

MaxD

[Luke Elmore]

So do you think that Leonard is in that picture

[MaxD]

I would have no idea!

MaxD

[Luke Elmore]

So could it be a possibility that he is there in the picture

[MaxD]

Possible although the odds must be against it.  The photo has about 50 men from a battery of 250 odd.  He was overseas with the battery for 19 months, the battery was overseas for at least 10 more months after he left.  Your call!

MaxD