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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Dvr. James Hughes
British Army 2nd Battery Royal Field Artillery
from:Dipton, Co.Durham
James Hughes, RFA in 1919
James Hughes was born on 23 September 1893 at Joicey’s Cottages, Hill Top, Dipton, Co.Durham, the eldest son of Thomas and Catherine Hughes. He was educated at Flint Hill National School, before working in the colliery as a Pony Putter(1911 census).Three years later in Newcastle on 28th December 1914 he enlisted for six years in the Royal Field Artillery (RFA). The Royal Regiment of Artillery combined the RFA and RHA and as the war progressed a recruit could expect to be moved between the two depending on service demands.
This photograph c.1915 shows James in combat uniform posing with ‘E Sub’. This would be a Sub Section of E Battery in the RFA. The Batteries were designated by the letters A to F; each battery had six guns, one gun for each sub section manned by 20 men. James appears to have started with the 2nd Battery RFA on 12/01/1915.
The description of James on enlistment gives us a snapshot in time. He was 21 years and 3 months, height 5’ 6â€, weight 124 lbs, chest expanded 37â€, complexion ruddy, eyes brown, hair auburn. He was passed fit for the Army based on medical examination and his own declaration that he did not suffer from anything that would be an impediment to him.
He was part of the British Expeditionary Force that was sent to fight in France. He alternated the duration of the war between France and home leave. In total spending 5 years and 86 days in the service up to the time of his discharge on 22/03/1920. He spent 2 years and 29 days in France.
The record stated that he was wounded on 29/08/1918 and sent to Queen Mary’s Military Hospital in Whalley, Lancs on 29/08/1918 By his discharge he had suffered deafness and defective vision, enough to merit his discharge from the Army as being ‘no longer Physically Fit for War Service’. One record stated he was awarded a single man’s pension of 12/- per week. At the end of the war he was awarded the ‘Star Medal 1914-1915’, the ‘British War Medal(1914-1920) and ‘Victory Medal’, awarded in 1919 and affectionately known as ‘Pip, Squeak and Wilfred’.
A photo of James(c.1920) wearing military khaki plus medal stripes and what appears to by a lance-corporal’s cord but his left arm is out of view which would have shown a single stripe.
There is another photo of him in the full dress jacket of the RHA taken at Aldershot (c.1920). So it seems likely after the war ended he was briefly in the RHA.
On 14 May 1921 James Hughes was married to Isabella Smith at St. Joseph’s RC church in Stanley, Co.Durham. He had survived the carnage of WWI and went back to being a coal miner, raising his family in the colliery villages near Stanley.
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