11 replies to this topic

[andy smart]

Hi

Among others I am researching an ancestor in the RFA who's service number suggests that he was in either

237 1/7 London Brigade
or
302 2/7 London Brigade

How can I find which batteries were in these brigades? I'm sure there is a list but my google-fu is clearly not up to much!

[spyinthesky]

Andy

Not much but this might help
http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_tf.htm

Paul

[HERITAGE PLUS]

This may also help:

http://www.warpath.orbat.com/artillery/aa_arty_index.htm

Dave

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Andy

1/VII London Bde RFA originally consisted of 18, 19 and 20 London Batteries RFA (TF). When the brigade was numbered 237 in May 1916 the batteries were lettered A, B and C. The brigade was disbanded at the end of November 1916.

2/VII London Brigade RFA, formed on mobilisation from those men of the original units who had not volunteered for overseas service or were under-age,  consisted of 2/18, 2/19 and 2/20 London Batteries RFA (TF). The batteries were lettered A, B and C in May 1916 when 2/22 London (Howitzer) Battery joined as D and the brigade was numbered 302.

C Battery was broken up in Jan 1917 to make A and B up to six guns each. In June 1917 D Battery left to join the new 74th Division. It was replaced in Oct 1917 by 413 (How) Battery which became the new C.

Ron

[andy smart]

Thanks  everybody - as always the knowledge pool of this forum is amazing!

[andy smart]

Bumping this thread in search of clarification :-)

I've been looking at this a little further and I'm confused about what might have happened here. It was originally pointed out to me on another thread that the service number 960918 (with which my ancestor Alf Osgood was renumbered from 3228) most plausibly belonged to somebody in one of these two artillery brigades.

However, if I've read this aright, 237 (1/7 London) was disbanded in 1916 and 302 (2/7 London) was sent to Salonika and the middle east in the second half of the war. So far as I know, my great uncle spent the entire war in France eventually marrying there after the war and living in Paris till well after the 1940s

Help? How might he have had these numbers and spent his time in France? Or with these numbers must he have gone to Salonika and we didn't ever know this?

My brain hurts when i deal with Artillery stuff.....

[jay dubaya]

Andy

although the 237th Bde was broken up on 29th November 1916 the batteries joined 235th and 238th Bdes taking them from 4 to 6 gun batteries.

Jon

[jay dubaya]

Andy

have just remembered that there is a book that may be of interest, 'The London Gunners Come to Town' by Bertha and Chris Reynolds, which covers the time the batteries of the 47th (2nd London) Division spent around Hemel Hempstead and their time in France.

Jon

[River97]

Andy,

This is something I have found very difficult. My Great Grand Pa (see the signature) served in the 303rd Brigade, RFA, 60th London Division (so possibly the same division). His service number is 966384. Looking on Ancestry for those of the same Brigade and Battery (doing a wild card search by service numbers) they appear all over the shop.

The majority of them are in the 303rd, however, there is one from the 57th Reserve Battery, another from the 305th Brigade, another from 36th Brigade, and another from the 7th Reserve Brigade.

And, after all that, the wild card search I did was 966* and it only brings up 40 options.

So..... I think if those with the 966* service number can be spread throughout various brigades, then the 303rd Brigade would have had soldiers with a vast combination of service numbers.

Cheers Andy.

[River97]

Just done a service number search by 960* and it's the same as previous, they are spread out all over the shop.

Here is the 40 that came up.

Chas Wm Ashby RFA 65 Bde AC (T) 960764
G S Belcher C/237th Bde RFA Territorial Force 960492
Reginald Hugh Bennett 47th DAC, RFA (Territorial Forces) 960131, 960131
Charles Henry Bishop RFA 3 Esch GHQ 960740
Warwick Vernon Bradley RFA 6 Res Bde (T) 960494
J Brazier C 235 Bde RFA (Territorial Forces) 960044
Henry J T Buckeridge Royal Field Artillery, RFA (Territorial Forces), RFA (Territorial Forces) 1119, 733823, 960309
Arthur Wilfred Chipchace RFA HB Res Bde 96015
Arthur C Clarke Royal Field Artillery, RFA (Territorial Forces), RFA (Territorial Forces) 1221, 727468, 96056.
H F Conway 7th Bde Att C/235 Bde RFA (Territorial Forces) 960008
Edward Jas Coombs RFA 236th Bde 960834
Alec Couldridge RFA 5 Res Bde 960682
Arthur Cox RFA A/302 Bde 960730
Herbert Cox RFA 322 Bde (Territorial Forces) 960719
Christopher John Fisher RFA 302 Bde 960992
Frank Ernest Green RFA 6 Bos Bde TF 960237
C R Hammond 1/16th Lond R, 2/7th Lon Bde RFA 2434, 960795
Oliver Haslett RFA 4th Welsh Bde 960
G W Hill 7th Lon Bgde Royal Field Artillery, 7th Lon Brig RFA (Territorial Forces) 960536, 727786
Frederick Horne RFA 7 Res Bde 960655
Regd Harry Johnston RFA 237th Bde 960784
A Kenning 236 Bde RFA 960478
Arthur Robert King 236 Bd RFA 960425
Walter Robert Lane 236 Bde RFA 960525
George Lewis RFA 343 Bde (T) 960668
Joseph MacFarlane RFA 6 "C" Res Bde 96048
Jack Theobald Marston 306 Bde RFA 960532
Edward McGee RFA Class 'P' Res 9609
Henry Wm Newham RFA 348 Bde T 960102
John Parker RFA 44 Res Bty 9604
Wm Cyril Parks RFA 268 Bde T 960426
Stanley W Parry RFA 236 Bde T 960145
Frank William Plowright RFA London Bde 7th 960089
Edwin Ralph Poole RFA Lo Res Bde 9607
Francis John Puttick RFA 302nd Bde 960387
George Rowell RFA 235th Bde 960207
Harold Claude Smith 20th London Aty RFA (Territorial Forces), Norfolks, att 8/Royal Fusiliers 1466, 960(Z)3, 960(Z)3
Thos Wm Swingler RFA RA Comd Depot S Ripon L/28/960
E Tiltman Royal Field Artillery, 7th Lon Brig RFA (Territorial Forces) 960547, 727459
Thomas Walter Westrop RFA 302 Bde 960556

Now, as you can see there are quite a few from the 302nd, and a few spread through the 235th, 236th and 237th Brigades. I know it doesn't help, but hopefully provides an explanation.

Cheers Andy.

[andy smart]

Thanks folks - I've been on holiday which is why I'm late with my gratitude!

[andy smart]

Andy

although the 237th Bde was broken up on 29th November 1916 the batteries joined 235th and 238th Bdes taking them from 4 to 6 gun batteries.

Jon

Bumping this to add stuff in case anybody searches in future.

According to the War Diary for 237 the following happened:

Right Section of C/237 was added to A/237 and Left Section of C/237 was added to B/237
A/237 became C/235 and B/237 became C/238