1/6th Hants Bty TF/RFA

[Guest]

New to this forum. What stunning detail on WW1! Please could anyone suggest a way forward on finding my grandfather's RA unit in late 1918.

My grandfather (William Lloyd) went to India in Oct 1914 (very probably with the TF 1/6th Hants Bty in the Wessex Division). His first home leave was in Sep 1918. Then he went to France and participated in the "Final Advance". I understand that the Wessex Div was a source of men for various destinations throughout the War. (There is no family memory of his having served in Iraq nor is this mentioned in his entry in the National Roll for Porstmouth). There are two possible 6-digit TF renumbers on the MICs that might be his. Can anything be deduced from those numbers eg about the RFA units of these men at the time of the renumbering please? The most likely number is 697433. The other is 706747.

Thank you.

John Guast

[rflory]

John: "697433" is part of the number range of the West Lancs Brigade, RFA TF and "706747" is part of the number range of the East Lancs Brigade, RFA TF. The number range for the Wessex Brigade, RFA TF is 850001 to 875000. Regards. Dick Flory

[Guest]

What a Forum! "Same day service"!

Dick, I'm much indebted to you. There IS a MIC for William Lloyd, driver, in the Wessex Brigade RFA TF number range (850001 to 875000). So now I have William Lloyd 850552. Many thanks. Fingers crossed now for my grandfather's service record...

BTW, there were more than 50 WW1 William Lloyds in the RA.

Best regards

John Guast

[rflory]

John: If he served with the 1/6 Hants Battery you might want to get a copy of The Battery Book: 1/6 Hants Battery R.F.A. by 833 Bombardier Hunt who served with the battery in the Great War. Regards. Dick

[Guest]

Dick, what an astonishing discovery! The 1/6th Hants Bty always sounded too obscure to be likely to be the subject of a book. I got an immediate hit on Derek Hayles. The entry - please see below - though is a bit confusing. Is the book about the battery or is it "autobiography"? I've just dredged the forum and I notice from another posting of yours that you actually have a copy. Do you recall please whether the book is about the battery? If so I'll snap it up from DH.

The orbat.com site has the battery evenutally becoming 1091st battery in the CCXVII Arty Bde - but has the bty staying in the 43rd Wessex Div until the end. Either my grandfather must have got posted out before the end or maybe some more of the artillery units left the Div before the end. Any ideas on that please (given we have incontrovertible evidence my grandfather was at home in Portsmouth in Sep 1918 and the National Roll evidence that he subsequently fought in France)? Eg do you know whether there are Arty movement books extant for Sep/Oct/Nov 1918?

Very many thanks.

Regards

John Guast

--------------------------------

THE BATTERY BOOK.

With 1/6 Hants Battery R.F.A. 1914-17 in India. Card covers. Year published 1971.

HUNT Capt. H.

Autobiography - Touch of the Little Finger. Published by The Friary Press, Dorchester. 1971. 137pp inc. introduction. Plus dedication, note, 7 b/w photographs. Card covers in very good condition.

code no. price (£) VAT (£)

Paperback 10271/PB 12.00($17.28) 0.00 BUY NOW [/font]

[rflory]

John: I do have a copy of the book and it is an autobiography but it does have considerable detail concerning the battery. Regards. Dick