3rd Gloucestershire Battery RFA (T)

Starting in 1906, the Secretary of State for War Richard Haldane's Reforms were designed to better prepare the armed forces for future wars and involved a reorganization of the regular, volunteer and militia forces. The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act of 1907 saw the formation of the Territorial Force which consisted of fourteen infantry divisions, fourteen cavalry brigades, and a large number of support units including fully established divisions, provided with field artillery, companies of engineers and crucial supply services, including medical provision. The GVA became part of the Territorial Force, an army tasked with the defence of the UK, and came under the control of the War Office.

The volunteer forces were reformed into a Territorial Force (TF) which had its own organisation and was tasked with the defence of the UK homeland. The TF was organised into divisions that were structured in the same way as the Regular Army, but which were based on geographical regions and soldiers were committed only to home service, that is, were not required to serve overseas except by voluntarily agreeing to do so.

Under Haldene's Reforms, the units became the 2nd South Midland (Gloucestershire) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA), but this was changed in 1910 to 1st South Midland (Gloucestershire) Brigade, RFA. It formed part of the South Midland Division of the TF, with the following organisation (each battery consisted of four 15-pounder guns):

HQ: Artillery Grounds, Clifton
1st Gloucestershire Battery, Artillery Grounds, Clifton
2nd Gloucestershire Battery, Artillery Grounds, Clifton
3rd Gloucestershire Battery, Barracks, Gloucester
1st South Midland Ammunition Column, Clifton

The Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery became the 1st (South Midland) Brigade RFA (T) in 1908, with a further change of name in 1915 to the 240th Brigade RFA (T), under which it served throughout the First World War.

Nominal Roll

This Nominal Roll covers the period 1900 to 1914. The entries marked No. 8 Bty are from the Gloucester based battery of 1st Gloucester RGA Volunteers from 1897 to 1913. 1st Gloucester RGA Volunteers were mostly based in Bristol. Battery Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, were based at Bristol; No. 7 at Newham-on-Severn; No. 8 at Gloucester; No. 9 at Clevedon; No. 10 at Portishead; and No. 11 at Weston-Super-Mare.

Sports

Rugby Football Team 1909 - 1910

Back row: left to right: Sgt E. J. Williams; Sgt G. F. Hibbins; Sgt Major Instr T. E. Eames; Sgt A. G. Merrett; Sgt Saddler T. Adams
3rd Row (standing): Orderly Room Sgt S. J. White; Gnr B. E. Toomey; Gnr E. F. Martin; Gnr A. E. Strange; Gnr H. Welshman; Gnr W.H. Strange; Gnr L. B. Stafford; Bdr C. Ady; BSM W. J. Parker; Cpl B. Woodward
2nd Row (sitting) Gnr L. S. Price; Gnr W. T. Dorn; Bdr W. Haines; Staff Sgt Farrier B. Baldwin; Bdr A. C. Hickman; Cpl J. Hooper; Bandsman E. Johns
Front Row: Bdr H. Hiam; Dvr W. E. Sysum

Picture details Photographer: H.E. Jones, of the Day and Electric Light Studio, 75. Northgate street, Gloucester. My thanks to Mr. G. Stacker who found this picture in a second-hand shop in Cheltenham and kindly sent it to Derek.

The "OFF" August 1914

The following page is from the Cheltenham Chronicle and Gloucestershire Graphic of August 15, 1914.

Departure of the 3rd Battery (Gloucester) 1st South Midland Brigade of Field Artillery
Click for larger image

The above battery under the command of Colonel Metford, left Gloucester on Saturday, august 8th in two trains for war service. Gloucestrians giving their men a splendid send-off.

1 - Sergt Merret saying goodby to his wife and children.
2 - Colonel K. F. S. Metford with his colour-sergeant Lieut. Metford on his right.
3 - Lieut. Ryan saying good-bye to a friend
4 - Lieut. Ryan and Capt. G. D. Browne just "off"
5 - Some of the men after loading their guns on trucks
6 - Falling in
7 - Crowd outisde station
8 - Serving out rations

Photos by Cheltenham Newspaper Co., Ltd.

Gloucester Artillerymen at Northampton

Gloucester Artillerymen at Northampton, Saturday March, 20 1915

The 3rd Battery R.F.A. 1st South Midland Brigade, now stationed at Northampton. They are mostly Gloucester boys.

3rd Glos Bty RFA (T) - January 29 1916

3rd Gloucestershire RFA Brigade, 2/1st South Midland Division - Right Section

Back Row: W. Watts, A. H. Humphries, H. Stowell, H. Hurmham, A. Carpenter, H. Smith, T. Hallam, A. W. Darlan, F. Clements, S. A. Wingate, O. Elliott, E. Derrick, J. Stagg, W. F. Hands.
Second Row: F. L. Duncombe, H. J. Stuge, W. Collard, Bdr W. Famrin, H. Taylor, N. Y. Kingsman, T. Sharp, A. J. Birt, E. Armitage, G. Hodges, W. George, G. Belcher, B. H. Sweet, D. Griffiths.
Third Row: Bdr A. Jason, Bdr W. L. Harris, Bdr. L. Stafford, Cpl. Turel, Sgt. T. Hubanks, Sgt. A. J. Haslam, Sgt Major Taylor, Major V. H. Hillman, Lieut. W. N. Unwin, Staff Sgt Parrior, K. P. Handley. Sgt S. Wood, Bdr T. J. Harber, Bdr S, N Bigwood, Bdr Toomay, Bdr J. W. Funder, F. Brooks, J. H. Johnson.
Front Row: A. Ward, Y. Mills, W. O. Jones, A. E. Taylor, F. Phelps, W. Cuddrick, J. R. Wear, Cpl S. Smith, Morris, E. C. Latham, A. Watts, E. J. Walkley, Moore.

3rd Gloucestershire RFA Brigade, 2/1st South Midland Division - Left Section

Back Row: Bishop, ?, Lambert, Morris, Davis, Hill, ?, Clarke, Box, Niehulle, Alleworth, Burroughs
Second Row: Hubber, Clutterback, Parsons, ?, Hamforth, Harris, Bdr ?, Bdr Wilkes, Jones, Turner, White, ?, Frankum, Pitt, Burden
Third Row: Williams, Hawkins, Sgt Sadler Miller, Bdr Poole, Cpl fitter Davis, Sgt Langston, Sgt Lerer, Maor V. H. Hillman, Lt S. R. Bowden, Lt Logan, 2nd Lt Fielding, Sgt Sharpe, Cpl ?, Bdr Bowles, Bdr Nunn, Bdr Griffin, Bdr K. M. Allen, W. Little
Front Row: Scott, Gardner, ?, S. R. Jones, Pearce, ?, Roberts, T. Watts, Hale, Evans, N. U. Jones

Photos by J. W. Hark, Cheltenham

Gloucester Men Re-enlist - Saturday, March 11, 1916

Gloucester Men who don't mind Going Back to the Front

Standing: Sergt. E. L. Murray, Corpl H. Woodwards, Gunner A. Levinson, Driver F. Blake, Driver V. Woodwards, Sergt. E. C. Drinkwater
Sitting: Sergt. F. A. Langston, Bat.-Q.-M.-Sergt. E. J. Williams, Batt-Segt. Major W. J. Parker, Sergt. J. E. Gibbs

Photo by Horace Dudley

Churchdown men at the Front - July 1916

Churchdown men at the Front, July 1916

Churchdown men in the 3rd Gloucester R.F.A., now fighting at the front in France.

Standing: Privates E. Bannister, W. Haing, A. Conway and F. Shurmer
Sitting: Lance-Corpl Bert Conway, Sergt. Merrett and Pvt. W. Leach

Photo by C. Sprague, Churchdown

Sources and Resources

Derek Driscoll's original pages

3rd (Gloucester) Battery 1908-1913
3rd (Gloucester) Bty RFA, Rugby Football Team
3rd (Gloucester) Bty RFA, Rugby Football Team
3rd Glos Bty, Northampton, Saturday March, 20 1915
3rd Glos Bty, Northampton, Saturday March, 20 1915
3rd Glos Bty RFA (T) January 29 1916
3rd Glos Bty RFA (T) January 29 1916
3rd Gloucester Bty RFA (T) Photos
3rd Gloucester Bty RFA (T) Photos
3rd Gloucestershire Bty RFA Nominal Roll
3rd Gloucestershire Bty RFA Nominal Roll
Churchdown men at the Front, July 1916
Churchdown men at the Front, July 1916
Glos Men re-enlists, Saturday March 11 1916
Glos Men re-enlists, Saturday March 11 1916
The "OFF" Aug 1914
The "OFF" Aug 1914