Grandad's regiment(s)

[MarkCDodd]

Can you figure out the regiments from his medal card.

His war records did not survive.

I have a feeling he was posted to Ireland for a while before heading back to France. Something to do with the uprising.

[gardener]

Hi Mark
He was a driver in the Royal Field Artillery.
Some stuff here: http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_units.htm
These brigades were said to be in Ireland ( http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33837 )
295th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
296th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
297th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
298th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (H)

So perhaps he was in one of those though there may have been others sent to Ireland.

[MarkCDodd]

So his Victory and British medals were awarded when he was with the 231st Brigade of the RFA.

His first deployment, the one he got the 14/15 Star for, is the one I can't quite figure out.

[apowell]

Hi Mark,

This is only a guess and I would recommend you check the 1915 roll index to confirm the details but what about this:

9th Batts XLI Brigade of the Royal Field Artillary (2nd Division)
The history of 2nd Division
One of the first British formations to move to France, the 2nd Division remained on the Western Front throughout the war. It took part in most of the major actions, including:
1914
The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, including the the Affair of Landrecies, the Rearguard affair of Le Grand Fayt and the Rearguard actions of Villers-Cotterets
The Battle of the Marne
The Battle of the Aisne including participation in the Actions on the Aisne heights
First Battle of Ypres
1915
Winter Operations 1914-15
The Battle of Festubert
The Battle of Loos

The 9th Batt R F A were decimated during the early stages of the war and required large numbers of replacements during 1915.

On Horace's MIC it mentions 9 on the medal roll and the 9th Batt of the R F A was the only Batt I could find and the dates and service in France match Horaces's entry.

It's only an idea but hope it helps.

Regards
Adrian

[MarkCDodd]

He would have been part of the 46th North Midland Division (who were famously sent to Egypt for a couple of days before another General ordered them back to France).

There is an excellent book called "A Lack of Offensive Spirit? The 46th (North Midland) Division at Gommecourt"

The 231st Brigade of the R.F.A were known as the 2nd North Midland.

They were recruited from Stoke-on-Trent and Leek.

The "B" Battery he was in was known as the 2nd Staffordshire.

I assume that whatever he was in at the beggining of the war, it was merged into the 231st.

Just prior to Gommecourt the artillery brigades were re-arranged and renamed.

I suspect the name on the medal card reflects the old name of one of the batteries of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th North Midland Brigades that were renamed as the 230th, 231st, 232nd and 233rd.

There is also another book called "Over There – A Commemorative History of the Old Leek Battery 1908-1919' that covers all the battles of the 231st.