Military Chat

Hello can anyone help me with a search i have Alfred H Brookes who was born 1897 Birmingham . Wounded at Vimey ridge in 1917 so family story goes .
what i would like know what unit or regiment he served in .
Any tips help i would be grateful
Dave

61st Battalion,South Midland Div,
Ammunition Column,

Service number--1061.

A Driver.

His service records can be viewed on here for a small fee......there is a few interesting inncidents in them at a quick glance.2 sets of service records but are duplicated in parts.

On enlisting in 1915 aged 19,he was asigned to,
3rd South Midlands Div,
Ammunition Column.


Service number 2255,,,,,,,,then transfered to the above unit also in 1915,

First name(s) Alfred
Last name Brookes
Service number 1061
Regiment -
Unit / Battalion 61st Battalion, South Midland Divisional Ammunition Column
Event year 1915
Age 19
Birth year 1897
Birth town Birmingham
Birth county Warwickshire
Birth country England
Residence town Birmingham
Residence county Warwickshire
Series WO 363
Record set British Army Service Records 1914-1920
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Record collection First World War
Collections from Great Britain

Had appendicitis in April 1917 and his appendix was removed 19/4/17. Returned to hospital in England 11/5/1917 on HS Warrior.

First name(s) Alfred
Last name Brookes
Service number 2255
Regiment Royal Field Artillery
Unit / Battalion 3rd South Midland Divisional Ammunition Column
Event year 1915
Age 19
Birth year 1897
Birth town Birmingham
Birth county Warwickshire
Birth country England
Residence town Birmingham
Residence county Warwickshire
Series WO 363
Record set British Army Service Records 1914-1920
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Record collection First World War
Collections from Great Britain

As we can see from the posts above Alfred was in the Royal Field Artillery:

Unit / Battalion 3rd South Midland Divisional Ammunition Column
Unit / Battalion 61st Battalion, South Midland Divisional Ammunition Column

He appears on the Medal Index Rolls on FMP & Ancestry:

First name(s) Alfred
Last name Brookes
Service number 1061, 845798
Rank Driver
Corps Royal Field Artillery
Service record Soldier Number: 1061, Rank: Driver, Corps: Royal Field Artillery
Service record 2 Soldier Number: 845798, Rank: Driver, Corps: Royal Field Artillery
Archive reference WO372/3
Archive reference description Campaign Medal Index Cards and Silver War Badge Cards
Url http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D1505431
Country Great Britain
Record set World War One British Army medal index cards
Category Military, armed forces & conflict
Record collection First World War
Collections from Great Britain

He was entitled to the Victory Medal and the British Medal.

You should be able to check online what British units fought at Vimy Ridge.

Wow thank you all so much for all your time and help and all the extra infomation you have given thank you all again
Dave

"Had appendicitis in April 1917 and his appendix was removed 19/4/17."

The Battle of Vimy Ridge took place from 9 to 12 April 1917. One wonders if he was on the front line, or if it was a little white lie? ;-)

He spent 37days in hospital,,dates given ,,,,,30/4/17--5/6/17.2nd West General Hospital Manchester uk,but he was possibly injured at the front,,,,,,,,he may have had the onset while at Vimy Ridge.?

he was demobed at Charlton London SE7 12/7/1919.

I'd be tempted to research which battalions/regiments participated in Vimy Ridge.

Ok thank you everyone i will indeed look up battle of Vimey ridge .
Im sure many of us have come across family stories/ legends while researching
that turn out not 100% true

gibbo,

Why not invest £5 and download his actual records so you can see all the entires on the actual paperwork at that time.. from enlistment 1915-- demobed 1920.its all family history related for you to file away.

Good idea i will do just that

The main part (7km) of Vimy ridge was assaulted by the 4 (Canadian) divisions of the Canadian Corps.
The simultaneous attack on the continuation of the German line to the S was made by Allenby's 3rd Army, and went by the name of "The First Battle of the Scarpe" - (the 51st (Highland) Div was the adjacent div).
The Lorette Spur was the continuation of Vimy Ridge to the N, across the Souchez R from the 4 Can Div. The spur and the Bois En Hache were assaulted a couple of days after the main attack by the UK I Corps (24th div). Both I Corps and the Can Corps were in Horne's 1st Army.
So there was no infantry component from 61st div involved.

The 61st was one of the Divisions employed in the cautious pursuit of the enemy, when the Germans carried out a deep withdrawal from the area of the Somme to formidable pre-prepared positions that the British called the Hindenburg Line, in March 1917. On 17 March, it captured Chaulnes and Bapaume.
(This would have been part of IV Corps in Rawlinson's 4th Army just a bit S of Vimy).
http://www.1914-1918.net/61div.htm

However, in early 1917 many RFA Brigades were detached from Divisions and placed under orders of higher formations. From this point they were known as Army Brigades. This change in command and organisational structure affected regular, Territorial and New Army units alike.
http://www.1914-1918.net/rfa_units.htm

I know the Canadian Corps didn't have enough artillery for an attack against a strong position like Vimy Ridge. I think they had 2 brigades (9 batteries) of heavies at this time. They needed the supplement of 9 British heavy brigades.
I've no doubt they needed supplement of medium artillery too, so you'ld need to see the 61st's artillery war diaries to see exactly what they were doing in the first 2 weeks of April.

Incidentally, I've seen old newsreels of the ammunition columns bringing ammo up to the guns over broken ground. A trooper rode a horse fitted with pannier bags carrying shells, leading by his side a second horse fitted with bigger shell-laden pannier bags.
They also used narrow gauge tramways, sometimes with hand-pushed rolling stock (shell-laden flatbeds), and sometimes with little engines pulling them, about the size of ride-em lawn mowers, and sometimes horse-drawn.
(Having laid the most track in the Empire in the 20th cent pre-WW1, the Canadians were in charge of all railway/tramway repair and construction in the British sector.)

You might try contacting http://staffordshireregimentmuseum.com/
They might be able to tell you where the 61st div ammo col was in March-April 1917.

Incidentally, if you mention Vimy in that contact, I would recommend your spelling it correctly.