Major Reginald Arthur Corsan D.S.O. M.C. (1894 - 1942)

Many thanks to the Corsan family, especially Jon, the grandson of Major Corsan, for the use of the photos.

Corsan seems to have started WWI with the County of London Brigade. On 24 March 1915, 6th County of London Brigade RFA reported that Lieutenant R A Corsan had contracted measles and was taken to a Clearing Hospital. After a term in England, he returned to duty on 11 June at Lapugnoy in France.

On 1 August 1915, he was promoted from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant.

On 13 September 1915, he was sent by 15th London Battery as part of a detached section to the front lines as a Captain. On 25 Sepember, he was wounded in the neck by a bullet whilst fixing in Maroc for the detached secton. He rejoined the detachment on 20 October.

On 31 October the 15th London Battery officer's dugout was collapsed and he had to be dug out. He returned to duty from base on 18 November.

On 29 November 1915, the commander of 15th London Battery was on leave and Captain Corsan was placed in charge of it. On 11 December he was on a week's leave himself. On 11 April 1916, he was given a week's leave in England. For some reason he had to spend part of August in hospital and returned to his unit on 30 August. He was awarded the Military Cross on 19 December 1916, "For conspicuous gallantry in action. He showed great courage and determination in bringing guns, ammunition and supplies up to advanced positions under very heavy fire."

On 17 March 1917, 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery reported that Captain R. A. Corsan MC, A236 Battery appointed to command B236 Battery with effect from 16th inst in place of Major Gordon DSO. But on 25th March he was posted back to A236 Battery. On 2 April, he was transferred to command C102 Battery. On 23 April, he was given the appointment of Acting Major, on 27 April, he was awarded the appointment of Temporary Captain. On 23rd August, his Acting Major appointment was removed.

On 6 March 1918, Captain F. S. Gedye MC wrote that battery commander Browne had been killed and replaced by Pridmore, a junior Captain. Pridmore was killed shortly after and Major R. A. Corsan replaced him. This wa an Acting appointment and the London Gazette reported him as being in 240 Brigade on 22 March 1918, but he reported for duty with them on 23 March, 1918 from 23rd District Artillery to command C battery, 240 Brigade.

Acting Major R. A. Corsan was awarded the Distinquished Service Order on 20 September 1918, "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when the enemy broke through and advanced on the flank of the battery position. He withdrew the personnel, covering the retirement with rifle fire, and from a new position held up the enemy till driven out by close machine-gun fire. He then assisted to get the guns of another battery into action. The whole of the time, some fourteen hours, he was under machine-gun and rifle fire at close range, in addition to a heavy gas and high explosive bombardment. His courage and leadership at a most critical period were splendid."

He was also mentioned twice mentioned in despatches; in December 1917, and 26 October 1918.

His Acting rank of Major was removed on 9 April 1919, when he was demobbed. The London Gazette also lists him as back to being with 6th london Brigade. On 14 May 1920, he was promoted to full Major.

He went on to serve in WWII as a Brigadier, and was killed in action on 9 February 1942, aged 48. He is buried in St Stephen's Cemetery, Sparsholt, near Winchester, with his wife Ella Doris Corsan. Doris died on 18 December 1977, aged 80.

Major Reginald A. Corsan

Major R. A. Corsan on his charger Sultan, Italy, 1918

Major R. A. Corsan;s two horses Sultan and Rosie with Driver Lamb

Air photo of the frontline in Italy

C Battery, B gun sub. 240 Brigade

C Battery, left section, 240 Brigade

C Battery, right section, 240 Brigade

Swapping bully beef for eggs on a leave train

Bully or corned beef had been a staple of a British soldiers's diet from the Boer War in 1899, to the Second World War.

Postcard of San Vito di Leguzzano showing A Battery mess in December 1918

Beatles Concert Party

Back row: Bombardier Howell (H.Q.), Sergeant Beavis (A Battery, 240 Brigade), Lieutenant Flint M.C. (B Battery, 240 Brigade)
Centre: Lieutenant Houghton (P of W. attd), 2nd Lieutenant H. A. J. Seeley (C Battery, 240 Brigade), Captain Gordon-Cheyne RAMC
Front: Driver Doyle (A Battery, 240 Brigade), Lt Brook-Taylor (B Battery, 240 Brigade)

At the end of November 1918, the 240 Brigade was moved to San Vito di Leguzzano (St. Vito) just north of Verona and Venice in northern Italy. In his diary Captain Frncis S. Gedye MC TD wrote about the Beatles Concert Party saying:

The brightest feature of the time at St Vito was the forming of the "Beatles", a Brigade concert Party that really became excellent - young John Seeley made a most ravishing girl and was reputed to have spent hundreds of lire on underwear - his high kicks were certainly one of the features of the show.

A last feat of my decaying memory was to write out for them what I remembered of A.A. Milne’s "The Boy Comes Home" that what I seen twice on leave and it was performed several times with great success and no Royalties.

C Battery, 240 Brigade Rugby Team

Malo horse sale

In his diary Captain Frncis S. Gedye MC TD wrote about the horse sales as the horses had to be disposed of before the troops came home to England, saying:

The most tragic times were the horse sales, when our dear old hairies, also known to the drivers in moments of annoyance as those "long faced – er – Blighters", had to go off in batches to Malo to be sold to the Italians.

The less said about the treatment of animals by the Southern races the better - sufficient to say that it was simply beastly work to hand over our faithful old nags to their keeping.

Canada and Kathleen, my two chargers, who had come out with the battery from England as Major Todd’s and Capt Stone’s chargers, I got in to the occupation battery; a number of those who had gone blind with the eye disease that so many horses had, were shot, but many were sold.

Very big prices were obtained as the Italians had nothing to compare with the fine build of our heavy and light draught. Mares fetched very high prices and funny old jigs, who looked as though the gift of a lira would cause ecstasy, paid out their thousands of lire for a pair of A.S.C. heavy draught, then went back to buy more.

There was a great shortage of meat in Italy at this time. We had an old nag, Lomas, a veritable giant among horses, who used to be in the wheel of the G.S. wagon who died slowly of pneumonia and after the post mortem, the village wanted to have the carcase. but Weber, the Vet got the interpreter to explain it was unfit for food (and so it was - very) and we buried it. Next morning when, as orderly officer, I had to detail a party to complete the filling in of the grave which was only partly finished the night before, Lomas had vanished - there was a sinister sequel two days later when the village meat store was literally wreathed with sausages.

Officers Skinner, Corsan, Seeley, unknown, and Morris at Tezze, Italy, 1919

Disembarking at Southampton
This would have been March or April 1919

1936 reunion dinner

The 1936 reunion dinner was held on 28 March at the Grand Hotel, Bristol.

Sources and Resources

We would be very grateful for any further information on members of the 1st South Midland Bde RFA/ 240th Bde RFA (TF) from 1908-1919.

Derek Driscoll's original pages

Corsan Family Album
1st South Midland /240 Bde RFA (TF) Nov 1917 - 1919
London Gazette 1914 - 1915
London Gazette 1916 - 1917
London Gazette 1918 - 1919
London Gazette 1920 - 1921

Other References

47th (2nd London) Division in the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project
Bully beef - Wikipedia
Reginald Arthur Corsan - Time Note
Royal Field Artillery during the Great War - The Wartime Memories Project
Sparsholt - Hampshire Memorials