Royal Field Artillery Boer War - WW1

[brownwest]

Photo (below)is my Great Grandfather - Francis (Frank) West -born 1877, Hucknall Notts.

Served with the 75th Bty in the Boer War - I have just an amazing amount of stuff on his service there - thanks to a Midland historian who had a 1911 newspaper article on soldiers interviewed from that war.

I have his Queens Medal also.

However WW1 service is proving far more difficult.

His WW1 pension record shows plenty of detail from his regular service between 1897-1913. But has little on his time in WW1. He transferred to 1st class reserve in 1913, I suspect he was called up sometime in 1914 as he earnt 1914-15 star on ( eligible -20 Sept 1915 - France.)

Family Story always goes that he also served in Greece  / Med and Egypt in WW1. (Perhaps Gallipoli Campaign)

His WW1 medal roll is not much better or easier to decipher. I know he was an acting WO 2 at the end of service (on his medal roll). I also know (from the family) he was badly gased in France -thus he was pensioned off for life.

I can't decipher from the roll whether he served in the 160 Brigade or 160 bty RFA? Obviously this will determine what Division he was with.

Can anyone assist - I'm in Australia, so can't pop off to Kew in a Hurry.

I'm very keen to learn his WW1 unit history and battles associated.

[battiscombe]

the 160 is not his unit but a roll number -- the 'date of entry' on the medal card is the best bet.. september 1915 saw 22nd and 26th divisions enter France.. and both later went on to fight in Salonika .

... i guess perhaps 26th division for his date of entry .. that is 114, 115-116 or 117th Brigades..if you check medal cards of someone with a search for "116th Bde artillery", or similar ,you may find some officers (or more rarely ORs) identified by Brigade.. and then see if the date of entry matches .. I checked a couple for 22nd division units and they have arrived a bit early (98th, 99th 100th 101st Brigades..). . I see for example a 2Lt maclean landed in France 20/9/1915 with D battery 117th Brigade..
david

[brownwest]

Thanks David,

that's good start, I do recall seeing something previously about 117th bde??? Can't for the life of me remember where, but at least I can try your suggestion and see what comes up?

Brownwest

[Jim_G66]

Brownwest, found your post during a web search as I research men from Hucknall who served during the Great War.

I have a copy of your great-grandfather's First World War pension record.  If you haven't traced a copy yourself since you posted here, let me know and I'll be happy to send a copy onto you.

Regards,


Jim

[AdrianB38]

Ancestry has the details - if you can get into it, search the British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920 for Frank West born 1877 plus or minus 5y. There are several sets - one is 3 images for his early service, the 2nd set is for his WW1 service, and it looks like the 3rd set of 6 is for his early service again.

He was in the Sherwood Foresters for a very short time, transferred then to Royal Field Artillery, 3rd Reserve Battery, then RFA C Battery 117th Brigade, then 117th Brigade AC (Ammunition Column??)

Allocations of 117th Bde might be found in several places but start with http://www.1914-1918.net/

[Antony G Seville]

Dear    brownwest,

My post is about the Boer War history: my Great Uncle, Alfred (Fred) Seville also served in the 75th Battery RFA and I am just embarking on a search to track down his military career.  I would be very interested in the materials you have found on the campaigns of the 75th Battery RFA in South Africa - would you be able to point me in the right direction to these soruces?

Many thanks,
Antony Seville

[jim1]

If he's Alfred GW Seville 12017 RFA his pension records are online.

jim

[Antony G Seville]

Hi Jim,
That is him!
How do I go about finding the pensions records?  I have been able to find the WW1 medal cards but not much else.
Many thanks,
Antony

[jim1]

They're on Ancestry.