D.C.L.I Gunner Ernest Sampson

[Guest mazzie63]

Hello since putting in my last request about Ernest Richard Sampson, I have found out some more info..

On the 4th Dec 1914 in The St Ives Times and Echo (local newspaper St Ives Cornwall) there is a heading...

PROVISIONAL ROLL OF HONOUR

of St Ives men serving in his majesty's forces.

Under the sub-heading it states

Territorials and then goes on to list names of men, one of which include Ernest Sampson..Then it states this...

Note--It is officially stated that 50% of the R.G.A have volunteered for the foriegn service..

I have also found out that he served in the D.C.L.I

Can any one tell me what all that means please and also can I add this again...

Ernest Richard Sampson is my grandfather, he was born in Hayle Cornwall on the 07/05/1891, he married in 1913 in St Ives Cornwall. I am trying to find a bit more about him and I have a postcard which reads

according to a frankfurt list number 1218 recieved 16th aug 1918 we are glad to inform you that gunner ernest sampson 118553 henswell (hemswell)?? regiment m.g.a is reported prisoner of war, camp not stated, for all further information please apply to the central prisoner of war committee 3 and 4 thurloe place s.w.7, enclosing this card and adding battalion and regimental number.

Then in very faded writing...

regimental number 118553

12 Light??? Battalion or Battery???

Could some kindly let me know what info I can gain from this postcard please and where to gain this info

What does the M.G.A stand for?

What does the Henswell/Hemswell mean?

Was there a 12 light battery and would this tell me his regiment?

Many thanks

Many Thanks to Racing Teapot for helping me to use this site better.

Maz

[Petroc]

Can't help with much, but thought you mightbe interested to know of the pre-war stations of the Cornwall batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery. The DCLI, as you are no doubt aware, were an infantry regiment, with two Territorial battalions in 1914, the 4th and 5th; the 4th served in the Middle East, whilst the 5th, after providing overseas drafts of volunteers for the 4th and the 6th Devons, was reconstituted and trained as a Pioneer battalion; check out E.C.Matthews, 'With the Cornish Territorials on the Western Front'. There is no reason why a soldier from the Cornwall RGA should not transfer, either voluntarily or by compulsion, to the DCLI, but without further information it is difficult to provide a real answer. Anyway, in 1914, Cornwall was the home of a number of Territorial RGA units, forming part (with their Devon equivalents) of the South Western Coastal Defences; they were officially kown as constituents of the RGA (Defended Ports). The HQ was at Falmouth (where there were also Territorial Royal Engineers companies), with drill stations at St Merryn, Bugle, Par and Charlestown. The batteries were based at Penzance and Looe, with outlying units at St Just, St Buryan, Marazion, Looe, Falmouth, St Ives and Truro.