50th Battery, 34 Brigade, RFA

[bearpaw]

My uncle (Canadian) served as a 2nd Lieutenant with this Battery and was wounded in the attack being carried out on September 18, 1918 (hit in the back of left shoulder by a MG bullet while acting as a FOO). I would like to know where they were on this day and what attack was being carried out. Is it possible to trace the movement of this Battery? Where does one look for this information? Any information gratefully received.

[Hoplophile]

34 Brigade was a pre-war Regular Army brigade that started the war with the 2nd Division.

On 25 January 1917 it became an army field artillery brigade.

[bearpaw]

On April 10, 1918 my uncle writes in a letter home, "You understand this is an Army Bde. and is not permanently attached to any Division and is on the go filling up bad palces. I'm told that whenever they see our Bde. people say 'Hello, here's something doing'". In another letter he mentions a cousin who is in the "Divisional Artillery". What is an Army Field Artillery Brigade? What is Divisional Artillery? As you can tell I need three easy lessons in Orders of Battle of the Artillery.

[rflory]

A Divisonal Artillery is the headquarters for the artillery units in a Division. The Divisional Artillery is commanded by a Brigadier General, who is known as the Commander, Royal Artillery, and is referred to as the CRA. The Divisional Artillery is composed of a number of Royal Field Artillery brigades (the number of brigades varied throughout the war). An Army Field Artillery Brigade was a Royal Field Artillery Brigade assigned to a particular Army, rather than to a division. AFA Brigades were temporarily attached to divisions or corps to support particular operations. They were constantly moved around as needed for supporting attacks or for assisting in the defense of a particular area.

The 34th Brigade was originally part of the Divisional Artillery of the 2nd Division, but on 25 January 1917 it was redesignated as an Army Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. From 15 September 1918 to 24 September 1918, the 34th Brigade was attached to the 17th Division, V Corps.

On 18 September 1918 the British Army attacked all along the Hindenberg Line. V Corps composed of the 21st, 17th and 37th Divisions attacked to the left of the Third Army and the 17th Division, supported by the 34th AFA Brigade secured all of its objectives but suffered severe casualties from German artillery. It is very likely that your uncle was wounded while acting as a FOO supporting this attack.

I have a rather large database on Royal Artillery officers for the Great War. Send me you uncle's name and I will see if I have anything on him.

Regards. Dick Flory

[bearpaw]

Thank you Dick.

You have really added to my understanding of the WWI Artillery organization. It is great to now have an idea where my uncle was when wounded. I'll have to see if I have a map that will show the general area to familiarize myself with that neck of the woods. I have the IWM Trench Map CD so no doubt that would be the place to start. Is there any chance that the positon of the 50th Battery's guns can be determined. for example "in front of the village of Pasdebon"? Also can you determine the Battalion he would have been with while acting as a FOO?

My uncles' name is Gordon Ince from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from the Royal Military College, Kingston , Ontario after a 1 year course.

While you are in your database, could you see what you might have for Lieutenant (acting Major) Hugh Ethelred McCarthy Ince, 53rd Battery, 2nd Brigade, RFA. He is a cousin of Gordon's and was KIA Nov 3, 1916 near Les Beoufs. He was in command of the Battery and "he was killed instantaneously by a shell while laying out lines of fire near the O.P.". He is buried in Guards Cemetery, Les Beoufs. I have a map of that area of the Somme for Oct. 25 to Nov. 5 but it doesn't show a 2nd Brigade there.

His initial address when he first went to France was 14th Brigade, RHA, 7th Division, BEF, France.

Thanks again, Bill Ince

[bearpaw]

Another small nugget of information that might help delineate which Battalion he was with is from a letter Gordon's brother, my father, wrote home to their parents on Sept. 23, 1918.

"He was hit last Wed. being liaison officer to the second Bgde. which went over in the push on that day".

Which Army was 2nd Brigade part of? Which Battalions were in the 2nd Brigade?

Bill

[bcerha]

Dear Bill,

It may well be that copies of the detailed war diary and records of 50 Battery 34 Bde RFA are held at the Royal Artillery Museum and Libaray, at Woolwich in SE London. For more information paste this link in to your browser:

http://www.firepower.org.uk/research/enquiries.cfm

The man you need to speak to is Major Dennis Rollo, a retired RA officer who is a real fount of information (dick flory will undoubtedly back me up on this)and will no doubt be able to get you some more info.

Hope this helps

Regards

David Luck

[rflory]

I agree with David that contacting the RA Library, and especially Major Rollo, may be of some use, but I will warn you that they now charge and are somewhat slow. Alternately the 34th Brigade War Diary can be found at the National Archives (PRO). For the period August 1914 to April 1917 it can be found at WO95/1324 and for the period May 1917 to April 1919 it can be found at WO95/385. Regards. Dick Flory