9 New Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery

[ianshuter]

Me again and this is more in hope than expectation and in the near certain knowledge that I have missed the bleeding obvious again.

I am now looking for information regarding the 9th New Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery for 19th August 1918 and in particular any information regarding the circumstances of death in relation to Gunner 41329 Edward Woodward of Haselor, Warks was was KIA on 19 Aug 1918 (KIA per his Medal Card, Register of Effects, Pension Card and Soldiers Who Died in Great War record). I know KIA is a broad term and that it is most likely that these is no information available but wanted to at least try.

He is buried at Rosieres Communal Cemetery after his remains were found nearby at 66E.F.3.d.1.6 which is just NE of Rosieres and south west of Lihons (see map below). It seems that Rosieres itself was recaptured by the Canadians after heavy fighting on 9 Aug 1918, having been overrun during the German Spring Offensive. He seems to have been the only man buried there on that day. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/314591/edward-woodward/#&gid=2&pid=1

The attached 1918 BEF Army Line up on page 21 shows them to have been part of the 2nd Army - Army Brigades - 77th (Mixed) Brigade of the RGA. (this document would have helped with the answer to a number of questions I have seen asked on here).

War Diary - WO 95/324/2   Army Troops. 77 Brigade Royal Garrison Artillery - 1917 Aug - 1919 Feb

The very brief War Diary entry for the period 15th to 20th August 1918 states "Harbonnieres - 15th - 20th - Batteries remained silent in position manning guns with skeleton detail ?"see"

So according to this nothing really was happening when he was killed. There are no appendices, reports or details of casualties. The days previous to the 15th have no reported casualties.

This Brigade location fits with burial as Harbonnieres is first town to the NW of where he was found and later reburied.

 

 

BEF-1918.pdf

Edited 3 December , 2023 by ianshuter

[busterfield]

From this book.

https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/2400279?sid=144004457

After a bit of scrolling down to August, pretty close to Rosieres.

 

[ianshuter]

Brilliant thank you! I have transcribed that section of the book and updated Edward's page and given you and the forum a mention.

https://www.swfhs.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2857:gnr-e-woodward&catid=16:the-men-who-fell-in-ww1