Another one from ww1

All matters military, militia, regiments and the like. Army, Navy, Air Force etc.

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Dennis
Posts: 828
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 6:58 pm

Another one from ww1

Post by Dennis » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:47 pm

Hi,

I can't read what is written just beneath 'Private'

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1441


dennis
Names of interest: Lennox McKenna Airth Skirving Veitch Laird Drysdale Bennett Colledge Baird Blades Barker Dow Mitchell Perkins Rielly Stewart Tulloch Wright Ure, Ritch Richardson, Whyte
Places of Interest: Dunbarney, Forfar, East London (S.Africa)

PaulaD
Posts: 216
Joined: Mon May 22, 2006 5:42 pm
Location: Born in Edinburgh, now living in Essex1

Post by PaulaD » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:52 pm

Hi Dennis,

It looks like R.F.A. Royal Fleet Auxiliary maybe??

Paula

Later - on second thoughts, it must be Royal Field Artillery!!
Searching for Barclay Aberdeenshire, Stewart Edinburgh, Brown Edinburgh & Uphall, Finlayson E Lothian, Fairley & Renton E & W Lothian for starters!

Pandabean
Moderator
Posts: 874
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:34 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire - Originally Falkirk

Post by Pandabean » Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:06 pm

Judging by his rank I guess he would be involved in the army.

Reading it further the words 58th Battery Appear followed by RFA. To the best of my knowledge this suggests the Royal Field Artillery.

I had a look on DocsOnline for a Medal Card for Pvt John Watson in the Royal Field Artillery and there are a 103 records for that name.

Do you have any more information on him? Did he die in service, perhaps a service number?
Andy
[size=75]
[b]McDonald[/b]
[b]Greenlees & Fairnie[/b] (Musselburgh area)
[b]Johnston, Whitson, Whitecross, Runciman [/b] (Haddingtonshire)
[b]Rutherford [/b](Dumbartonshire, Airth & Larbert)
[b]Ross, Stevenson & Robb[/b](Falkirk)[/size]

Pandabean
Moderator
Posts: 874
Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 6:34 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire - Originally Falkirk

Post by Pandabean » Mon Dec 03, 2007 11:09 pm

I had a look on the 1914-1918 website and this may refer to the 58th Battery.

XXXV Regular army 7th Division from September 1914
Originally 12,25 and 58 Batts. 31(H) Batt less a section joined May 16.

http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_units.htm
Andy
[size=75]
[b]McDonald[/b]
[b]Greenlees & Fairnie[/b] (Musselburgh area)
[b]Johnston, Whitson, Whitecross, Runciman [/b] (Haddingtonshire)
[b]Rutherford [/b](Dumbartonshire, Airth & Larbert)
[b]Ross, Stevenson & Robb[/b](Falkirk)[/size]

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Post by Currie » Tue Dec 04, 2007 5:06 am

Hello Dennis,

One thing to watch for is that a “Private” in the Royal Artillery is referred to as a “Gunner” but may also be a “Driver”. The official rank would probably often have been corrupted to Private in civilian use. I’m not sure if those ranks would always have been the case but am fairly sure they would have been during WW1.

What does a Driver do? I couldn’t find an appropriate picture however in this one just imagine the Coronation Coach is a large gun. Each pair of horses would be under the control of a Driver. http://www.toysoldiers.org/coronation_coach.jpg

For more information on the Royal Field Artillery set-up see:
http://www.essentialsomme.com/extracts/ ... xtract.htm

Alan