96571 Gunner Harry Cotton 290 Siege Battery

[Guest]

Hi

Today I discovered photos of 290 drive barttery with my Grandfather Gunner Harry Cotton born in 1886.

would like to share photos.

[clk]

Hi Valerie,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

I hope you don't mind me rotating the group photos.

 

 

 

If I've got the right man, it seems that your grandfather enlisted on 25.11.1915, served overseas with 290 Siege Battery, and was transferred to Class 'P' of the Army Reserve from 46 Company on 11.6.1918.

 

 

Images sourced from Ancestry

 

Whilst his Silver War Badge record (above) indicates that Harry enlisted on 25.11.1915, he may have been sent home to await active call up. There are some surviving papers for men that served in the RGA with near numbers. For example - 96567 Bussell; 96568 Benham; 96570 Collett; [96571]; 96572 Chatwin; 96573 Chandler; and 96575 Clemson. All theses men were initially posted to #1 Depot on 10.6.1916, then posted to 46 Company on 10.7.1916, before following varying/different subsequent service routes.

 

The overseas unit allocation of 290 Siege Battery was:

Image sourced from the National Archives

 

In addition to the specific diary linked here, you should be able to follow the movements of 240 Siege Battery by looking at the war diary of the higher level HAG (Heavy Artillery Group) they formed part of  at the varying times. After free registration, you should be able to download them (free) from the National Archives - the search page is here. NB - in the search box, drop any 'st'/'nd', etc after the number, and replace 'HAG' by  'brigade royal garrison artillery'. So for example, "71st HAG", becomes "71 brigade royal garrison artillery" and should get these hits.

 

Regards

Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 8 November , 2020 by clk