Royal Artillery Units from Port Glasgow/Greenock

[climber1960]

Hello Andy,  I'm afraid I don't have any info on it, my grandad was the Sgt major behind the plaque in the picture, all I know it was a greenock battery, gunners, their hall was across from the main gates at greenock cemetery, I remember being taken down to it, the hall ended up being a sports centre, but that's all I know as I left greenock at 16 to join the army and never went back to greenock to live,

[Andy J2022]

According to Wikipedia "171st Heavy Bty [was] at 2 King Street, Port Glasgow". 171 Bty was part of Clyde Heavy Brigade*, RA during the interwar years. Again, according to Wikipedia "The regiment mobilised in the Lowland Area of Scottish Command on the outbreak of war in September 1939 with the single 171 Battery (manning 4 × 6-inch guns) under command until 407 Coast Bty joined on 31 December 1940. The coastal artillery regiments began to be reorganised from September 1940, with the Clyde regiment becoming 538th (Clyde) Coast Regiment in January 1941 with A, B, C (all formed from 171 Bty) and 407 Coast Btys. The Clyde defences consisted of:
    4 × 6-inch guns
    2 × 4.7-inch guns
    1 × 12-pounder gun

Mid-War
On 1 April 1941 A and B Btys were renumbered 152 and 153 Coast Btys, and C Bty was split to form 154 and 155 Coast Btys, giving 538th Coast Regt the following organisation, which it retained into 1944."

However the unit in the photograph formed part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) which went to France and the Low Countries in 1940, whereas according to the Wikipedia account, the Clyde Heavy Regiment RA was responsible for coastal defence around the Clyde  and Lanarkshire region, so remained in the UK. Furthermore, Climber says that the drill hall was "across from Greenock Cemetery". 2 King Street is nowhere near Greenock Cemetery

*At this time, a Royal Artillery Brigade was commanded by a Lt Col and was the equivalent of a regiment or battalion in size.

[Andy J2022]

If member Robdev who started this thread is still monitoring it can he or she confirm if his uncle John Wilson Devine he was asking about is the same person as the 32/3 year old John Wilson Devine who was working as a bus fueller in Port Glasgow when he was accidentally killed on 23 Nov 1955 when a bus reversed over him. If so, he would presumably have been about 18 in 1940.

[climber1960]

Mabey it was king st, I don't know ,I was about 5 or 6 at the time but I do remember coming out of a hall across from the cemetery with my grandad, king st is where the old telephone exchange is, dont remember any other buildings there apart from houses and the town.

[climber1960]

 

[climber1960]

 :)my grandad ,the colour/staff Sgt and his brother