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42nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery    42nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery saw action at Gallipoli from the 11th of July 1915 and later transferred to the Western Front. The Siege Batteries were deployed behind the front line, tasked with destroying enemy artillery, supply routes, railways and stores. The batteries were equipped with heavy Howitzer guns firing large calibre 6, 8 or 9.2 inch shells in a high trajectory. Sep 1914 Reorganisation Mar 1915 Reorganisation 12th July 1915 Departure from Devonport  42nd Siege Battery RGA 42 Siege Battery embarked on board the SS Karoa sailing from Devonport to Alexandria, Egypt, departing on the 12th July 1915. It was to form part of 24th Heavy Artillery Brigade as GHQ Troops for Australia/New Zealand Division in Egypt. 5th October 1915 move to Sulva 8th December 1915 Return to Egypt  42nd Siege Battery RGA The Battery returned to Alexandria on board the SS Varsova. 9th April 1916 On the Move 14th April 1916 Entrainment to Heilly  42nd Siege Battery RGA The battery moved by train to Heilly in the Somme area. 17th April 1916 In action 30th May1916 reinforcements   42nd Siege Battery RGA Captain(?) Burtenshaw arrived from England with two more 9.2 Howitzers and personnel from right half of the battery. 24th June 1916 Somme bombardment  U day: 42nd Siege Battery RGA under Major WN Burden OC Battery, had 4 x 9.2 Howitzers in action from the start of the Somme bombardment. 15th September 1916 Ongoing actions  42nd Siege Battery RGA Ongoing activity in Somme Offensive with the great Allied Tank attack and encounters at Highwood, Longueval, Delville Wood, Switch Trench, Guillemont and Gavinchy. Incessant bombardments by the Germans at Warlencourt/Bapaume and Thilloy. 1st October 1916 Winter quarters 1st January 1917 Reserve position 1st April 1917 Further Action 1st March 1917 Further Action   1st June 1917 Relocation 12th August 1917 Relocation 30th September 1917 Relocation 1st October 1917 Further moves 3rd November 1917 rest and relocation 21st March 1918 German Spring Offensive  The start of the German Spring Offensive and a continuous series of defensive retreat movements are made by 42nd Siege Battery RGA in the face of German Advances: Templeux la Fosse Bussu Peronne Mount St Quentin Bouchavesnes Clery Maricourt Bray Corbie Lavieville Candas, west of Amiens, saw the end of the retreat and the Battery managed to make it into Abbeyville to get kitted out. Querrieu - Dispatch rider Bombardier Law's Triumph motor cycle was reported missing (taken by the Australians?) The Germans broke through to advance on Corbie but were repelled by the Australians. 1st May 1918 Back to start 15th June 1918 Rest and further advances   1st September 1918 Final Advance   13th Oct 1918 Closing actions in WW1 If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Want to know more about 42nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery? There are:5255 items tagged 42nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War. Those known to have served with 42nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery during the Great War 1914-1918. Hodgson Joseph Ward. Gnr. Houston MM. James. Cpl. Law . Simmonds George Henry. Cpl. Surcomb Robert. Gnr. All names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List Records of 42nd Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery from other sources. The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website. 1st of September 2023 marks 24 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the Great War? Our Library contains many many diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Looking for help with Family History Research?    Please see Family History FAQ's Please note: We are unable to provide individual research. Can you help? 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Robert Surcomb 42nd Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Robert Surcombe was posted to the 42nd Siege Battery in July 1915 and served with the battery in the Dardanelles before moving to France in June of 1916. The battery saw action on the the first day of the Somme Offensive and was involved in heavy action at Carnoy, near Pozierres, in July 1916. Shortly after 22nd July, Robert Surcombe was wounded, taken to Vecquemont to a Clearing Station, then taken to hospital at Outreau. He was eventually sent back to the UK suffering shell-shock and other physical injuries. He was classified as unfit for further military activities and was discharged in April 1918. That month, at the age of 20, he was also awarded the Silver War Badge, number 400360. In 1923, Robert was to marry my widowed grandmother, whose husband 2/Lt. James Alec Rattray was killed in action serving with the 5th Siege Battery, RGA near Ypres on 23 September 1917. Both Robert and James had served in the 38th (Heavy) Battery at the same time in February 1914 whilst based at Devonport. James Stewart-Rattray Add to this record. 212887 Cpl. James Houston MM 42nd Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery My Grandfather, James Houston, was awarded Military Medal in the first Battle of the Somme, he served with 42nd Siege Battery on the 9.2 inch Howitzer. John van-Vegchel Add to this record. 204909 Gnr. Joseph Ward Hodgson 42nd Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Joseph Hodgson was my maternal grandfather, he was the headmaster of the local C of E Board school that took children from the local villages of Gleaston, Leece, and Dendron (on the north side of Morecambe Bay) to the age of 14. He signed up, aged 34, for service on 10th December 1915 and was called up for service with the RGA on 8th April 1916 at Fort Brockhurst, Gosport and was posted to BEF in France on 8th August 1916 and joined 42nd Siege Battery on 24th August that year, staying with his unit from that time until his discharge on 17 January 1919. Unfortunately he died in 1946, three years before my birth, but my mother said that like so many of his generation who were close to the front, he never spoke of the War. However, she did tell the storey of going on a painting holiday to Belgium (he was a keen amateur watercolourist) in the early 1930s and all was normal until they visited a graveyard when this six foot 2 inches tall man, her daddy and a pillar of the local establishment in her home area, collapsed to the ground sobbing and shooed her and her stepmother away until he could regain his composure Peter Tate Add to this record. Recomended Reading. Available at discounted prices.

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