teabreak Posted 3 August , 2015 Share Posted 3 August , 2015 does anybody know anything about Cecil W Longley, who wrote a book called "battery flashes" under the pseudonym "wagger" in 1916? The book is a diary of life in a TF RFA Battery 1914-16, but it is unclear whether the book is meant to be a real first hand account or is simply an imagined account of life in an RFA battery. I'm putting a similar post under "books". If the book is genuine it is an interesting addition to the gunner literature; if it is simply a journalist's attempt at a war-book, it is not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 3 August , 2015 Share Posted 3 August , 2015 There was a a Cecil W Longley (2nd Lt) in the RFA and a gunner Cecil W Longley in the medal rolls (the same man commissioned in August 1917). Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabreak Posted 3 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2015 Thanks for such a quick reply. If it is the same man, the diary is about somebody who was already in the TF in Aug 14 and who had signed up for the imperial service obligation (although may have transferred from another unit, or just joined - he starts by saying that in Aug 14 he knows nothing about the RFA). Does this fit with anything else in the records? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss002d6252 Posted 3 August , 2015 Share Posted 3 August , 2015 Thanks for such a quick reply. If it is the same man, the diary is about somebody who was already in the TF in Aug 14 and who had signed up for the imperial service obligation (although may have transferred from another unit, or just joined - he starts by saying that in Aug 14 he knows nothing about the RFA). Does this fit with anything else in the records? Thanks. He appears to have possibly been a pre-war T.F. gunner - his original number was 1613 which would generally suggest pre-war enlistment but you'd need to be familiar with the particular battery to know for certain (not sure which battery it was) as it may be an early war time number. If it is a war time number then he may well have had prior service with another unit. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Porter Posted 3 August , 2015 Share Posted 3 August , 2015 Looks genuine to me. The going overseas in late March 1915 ties in with the 1st line South Midland Brigades as does staying in Witham beforehand. I'd say he is in the 2nd Warwickshire battery of 3rd South Midland Brigade who came from Birmingham. I think he is in the 1901 Census for Warwickshire but I don't have full access right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabreak Posted 3 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2015 Many thanks to both Craig and David for really helpful replies. I asked the question originally because the book (or the version I have of it) doesn't have any preface which explains the context of the diary, whereas many genuine diaries even if published without a named author tended to have some prefatory material (eg an intro by somebody else) which reassured the reader about provenance. However, as you say, there are lots of factual tie-ins and details here which support the idea that it is a real diary. I hadn't come across "Battery Flashes" until recently, despite an interest in British Army diaries/memoirs from this period - do you think it counts as a 'little known' book, or perhaps it is just that I had missed it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Porter Posted 3 August , 2015 Share Posted 3 August , 2015 Little known to me too, but I was pleased to find it available as a download. It didn't take me long to guess where Longley was from, though I was surprised that they initially went to Plymouth. Therefore I'm grateful to you for bringing the book to my attention. There are a few facts in there that are useful to know. Also the newly created cathedral in 1914 was at Chelmsford, which he mostly refers to as "C" but gives it away when he leaves the area by train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabreak Posted 3 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 August , 2015 David, your deductions about Chelmsford as a location are in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 3 August , 2015 Share Posted 3 August , 2015 Cecil William Longley, MC, RFA served went to France as a 2nd Lieutenant with 46th Battery, 39th Brigade, RFA on 18 Aug 1914; he served with 179th Brigade, RFA from July 1915 to January 1917; with 39th Div. Ammo. Col., RFA in Jan 1917; with 174th Brigade, RFA from January 1917 to June 1917; and with 64th DAC from Nov 1918 to Jan 1919. His Military Cross was awarded in the London Gazette of 26 Sept 1917 (citation 9 Jan 1918) "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as Forward Observing Officer. Having got into touch with the attacking infantry, he continued throughout the day to send back most useful information, although the whole time exposed to heavy machine gun and shell fire, displaying splendid resolution and courage under the most trying circumstances." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Porter Posted 3 August , 2015 Share Posted 3 August , 2015 Dick Flory, There appear to be more than one Cecil William Longley. The one who is credited with writing the "Battery Flashes" book was not an officer when going overseas. The medal index card of 1613 Gunner C. W. Longley gives an entry date of March 29, 1915 and ties in with what is written the diary. All evidence given in the book points to him being in 2nd Warwickshire Battery of 3rd South Midland Brigade (B/242). He was not commissioned until August 10, 1917 and was awarded a Military Medal not a Military Cross. If you have not already got access to the book it can be found and downloaded free via a simple search, and is well worth a peek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 4 August , 2015 Share Posted 4 August , 2015 David: Yes, there does seem to be two of them and as you indicated the OR seems to be the more likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabreak Posted 5 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2015 In terms of trying to further identify the two men called Cecil W Longley, I've had a look at ancestry, and have found as follows: (1) Cecil William Longley born 1886 in Aston (Saltney, Birmingham), in 1911 census is to be found in Bristol living at 1 Portland Square (occupation bank clerk), marries Helen Dorothy Holloway on 17 Sept 1912. (2) Cecil William Longley died 1970 Bristol, but shown as being born on 28 Dec 1884. (3) The MIC for the Cecil William Longley who starts his service as an OR (Gnr 1613), and is commissioned in Aug 1917 (ie the likely candidate for authorship of Battery Flashes) has an address in 1919-1922 - 16 Manor Park Redland Bristol. Are these all the same man (despite two different birthdates being given)? If so, I can't find any records for the other CWL (ie the 2/Lt with an MC). In particular, I couldn't find a MIC for the other CWL but this could just be ancestry (or I missed something). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Porter Posted 6 August , 2015 Share Posted 6 August , 2015 All of those details appear to be the same man. By 1911 he has moved to Bristol so I'm now more inclined to say he was in the 2nd Gloucester battery of 1st South Midland Brigade RFA (240 Bde) but obviously had a knowledge of Warwickshire Yeomanry. When he refers to "B" early on it could be Birmingham or Bristol !! There is an unreleased service record, still held by the MOD, for a C W Longley (P48013).The P code is for ex-officers and date of birth is given as December 28, 1885. The number 1613 is missing from the list of Bristol gunners here - http://www.thebristolgunners.webspace.virginmedia.com/Nominal%20Roll%201916-1920.htm The officer rflory found was 2/Lt. Charles William Longley. His citation is here - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30466/supplement/624/data.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabreak Posted 7 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2015 All of those details appear to be the same man. By 1911 he has moved to Bristol so I'm now more inclined to say he was in the 2nd Gloucester battery of 1st South Midland Brigade RFA (240 Bde) but obviously had a knowledge of Warwickshire Yeomanry. When he refers to "B" early on it could be Birmingham or Bristol !! There is an unreleased service record, still held by the MOD, for a C W Longley (P48013).The P code is for ex-officers and date of birth is given as December 28, 1885. The number 1613 is missing from the list of Bristol gunners here - http://www.thebristolgunners.webspace.virginmedia.com/Nominal%20Roll%201916-1920.htm The officer rflory found was 2/Lt. Charles William Longley. His citation is here - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30466/supplement/624/data.pdf David, This helps a lot - I did end up thinking that there was only one Cecil William Longley, even if there was some uncertainty about his year of birth. I notice on the national archives website that Bristol Record Office has a copy of CWL's brother's post-war diary, and the cataloguing meta data for the diary refers to Cecil. However, it would be unlikely, I imagine, that this post-war diary made any specific references which identified CWL's pre-commissioning 14-16 unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabreak Posted 7 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2015 A clarification: The Longley records at Bristol Record Office are from CWL's brother but are general family records: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r/?_q=Cecil+Longley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWF1967 Posted 26 March , 2018 Share Posted 26 March , 2018 (edited) On 8/7/2015 at 00:08, David Porter said: All of those details appear to be the same man. By 1911 he has moved to Bristol so I'm now more inclined to say he was in the 2nd Gloucester battery of 1st South Midland Brigade RFA (240 Bde) but obviously had a knowledge of Warwickshire Yeomanry. When he refers to "B" early on it could be Birmingham or Bristol !! There is an unreleased service record, still held by the MOD, for a C W Longley (P48013).The P code is for ex-officers and date of birth is given as December 28, 1885. The number 1613 is missing from the list of Bristol gunners here - http://www.thebristolgunners.webspace.virginmedia.com/Nominal%20Roll%201916-1920.htm The officer rflory found was 2/Lt. Charles William Longley. His citation is here - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30466/supplement/624/data.pdf A little late in the day, but I recently purchased this postcard, three men have T-R.F.A. Gloster shoulder titles; The man in the back row, second from left is. Gnr. Cecil William Longley. M.M. 1613 / 825445. (B/240) 1st South Midland Brigade. Commissioned 10/8/1917 On 8/3/2015 at 11:17, teabreak said: does anybody know anything about Cecil W Longley, who wrote a book called "battery flashes" under the pseudonym "wagger" in 1916? The book is a diary of life in a TF RFA Battery 1914-16, but it is unclear whether the book is meant to be a real first hand account or is simply an imagined account of life in an RFA battery. I'm putting a similar post under "books". If the book is genuine it is an interesting addition to the gunner literature; if it is simply a journalist's attempt at a war-book, it is not. Edit. The full line up. Photographer. J.W. Hack. Suffolk Rd, Cheltenham. " The Lads of the Nook " T - R.F.A. - Gloster Shoulder Titles on Foot, Phillips and Poolman. Tptr. Edward Flynn. - 1135 / 805551. T.F. R.F.A (231st / 2nd N/Midland Bde.) Gnr. Cecil William Longley. M.M. - 1613. Comm. 2Lt. T.F. R.F.A (B/240 / 1st S/Midland Bde.) Bdr. Edwin Coulston Lee Foot. - 1646 / 825476. T.F. R.F.A. Gnr. William Phillips. - 1644 / 805576. T.F. R.F.A ( 2nd N/Midland Amm. Column ) Gnr. Ernest Phippen. - 1661 / 825485. T.F. R.F.A. Gnr. Sidney H. Carey. - 825395. T.F. R.F.A. - Pte. 354223. Lab. Corps. Gnr. Bertie Poolman. - 1658 / 825482. T.F. R.F.A. (1st S/Midland Bde.) Edited 26 March , 2018 by GWF1967 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullerTurner Posted 27 March , 2018 Share Posted 27 March , 2018 The autobiographical musings of Gunner subalterns are among my favourites, capbadge pride stand fast! I think it was because the average Gunner sub saw such a cross section of life at the Front. So anecdotes cover rear areas, frontline and all points in between. Campbell's Ebb and Flow of Battle hooked me completely on the "corps that is first with the ladies and amazing first in war". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonraker Posted 24 September , 2018 Share Posted 24 September , 2018 On 03/08/2015 at 22:36, David Porter said: ... If you have not already got access to the book it can be found and downloaded free via a simple search, and is well worth a peek. I've just found the book on-line (Some good stuff about life at, probably Lark Hill, in January 1915.) I too wondered about the author and Googled - which led me to this thread. Moonraker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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