royal field artillery

[jabant]

My father Walter William Kerry served in the RFA during the first world war. I have obtained the following info
From a photo taken in uniform with his unit onin March 1916 he was in the 33rd battery sec A.
I have also found that the battery was part of the XXX111 brigade under the 8th division and have seen where they served in Farnce.
Two points one does anyone know more of history of this battery also when I was young my father wouldnt really talk about the war only to say he served in India and only finished the end of the war in France where he stayed when demobbed for some time. This doesnt relate to the information seen on the net.
Jabant

[mmm45]

Jabant... was he was a regular soldier ? He may have been in India when war broke out and he came over to Europe to join 8th Div they went to France in Nov 1914..do you have his Medal Index Card it may give entry to theatre date..if he has a 1914 Star it could give pointers to when he arrived.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=3392496&queryType=1&resultcount=17

If you have access to Ancestry it should be on there...this card above could be his??

Many soldiers transferred between units due to wounds sickness and manpower needs.

Ady

[forester]

Hello Jabant,

It looks like Walter did not see active service pre-Armistice.

His MIC shows that he was awarded the British War Medal only. (No Victory Medal).
This is consistent with his being in India.

He was discharged on medical grounds and awarded Silver War Badge.

Are you sure that it is 33 Battery and not 38 Battery?
The lattter was in India for the duration.

Phil

[jabant]

Hi Ady and Phil

Thanks for your comments, which were very helpful, but still leaves questions unanswered if there are any answers.
Ady I had checked medals, but checked again as refernce slightly different to mine but still it was the same.
I didnt know what SWB but have now checked, thanks Phil
Ady on the link sheet for the medals it shows dates as 1914 - 1920. Does this indicate the period served and that he was discharged in 1920. From memory he returned from India to France at end of war, was discharged, worked in France (diamond polisher) and returned to uk to be married in April 1922. Does being discharged in 1920 tie in with medical reasons 2 years after end of war. Dad or Mum never mentioned anything and he was always fit and well.
Phil Although dad mentioned the rfa when there were pictures or tv with salutes by artillery however the only info I have now is a photo-postcard taken of A Sub Sec (47 men). along the bottom of the postacrd is 33rd Battery A Sub Section 1916.
Any help gratefully appreciated 
John     

[forester]

Hello John,

Are there any clues on the postcard that give an idea where it was taken?

Ignore the 1914 - 1920 as far as individuals go. It's more of a cataloguing reference than anything  else.

How many medals have you got and is the rank and service number exactly as on the card?
It is possible that there may be / have been another card.

Phil

[jabant]

Hi Phil

The section is grouped outside a stone (Granite?) structure. To the side is part of a sash widow with an half curtain. The group is covering two other possible windows, with the top quarter black and then what looks like wood below, cant see too much because of group.The window must be a good 6 foot high and the stiil is 5 feet from the ground, giving an high ceiling interior. It does look French or possible N England/Scotland.
I have no medals only the info from the medal card
Do you know of any books or records where I could find some info on the 33rd battery. I pressume difficult as such a small unit.
I do have other letters and photos, but some could be of my dad or an uncle, mums brother or possible one of two brothers in law. Its all very difficult


Many thanks for all you suggestions and help

Regards John

[forester]

Hello John,

I'm afraid that Northern and French architecture are beyond me. I was hoping that there might be a publishers name, or similar, on the card.

To get any more detail I think it is going to have to be the National Archives at Kew. The actual medal rolls may, if you are lucky, pinpoint which brigade. The SWB rolls should yield enlistment and discharge dates.

I don't know of any battery/brigade histories. There is, as you probably saw on Long Long Trail, a history of 8th Division. The war diary for 33rd Brigade is held at Kew in WO 95/1694.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/076w/

Phil

 

[jabant]

Hi phil

On reverse of photo there is Post Card  with normaal layout, no printer, and  no message.
Yes I will have to make the trip to Kew sometime to try and find out more.
Thanks for sharing your valuable knowledge. Are there special reasons for your interest and is it RFA or ww1 in general. Its good to contact someone willing to share their knowledge in such a helpful way

Many Thanks   Johh

[forester]

I've just got a draw towards RFA/RGA. Chronologically, I don't know one end of WW1 from the other. It wasn't until a year or so ago that I discovered that my granddad was in the RFA (no service record of course).

We may be getting somewhere. It's a British postcard by the looks of it and to your architectural knowledge, being better than mine, could it be Scotland?

I have a feeling that it is 33rd Reserve Battery, which appears to be part of 6C Reserve Brigade. The documentation/ references for the home based reserve brigades is extremely thin on the ground. One reference to 6C Res. Bde, however, places them at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh. The Battery was certainly in existence throughout 1916.

Phil