Royal Field Artillery

[Johnny]

Hi guys,

My great uncle served in the 108th battery of the above when he was killed in October 1918 in Northern France. Does anyone have any info about this unit or know where I can get the information from.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards

Johnny

[Tony]

Hello Johnny,

I would think your best bet would be Kew or a good researcher depending on if you want to know more about the 108th Battery or what happened on the day of your great uncle's death.

The battalion war diary could be a good place to start.

Tony

[harribobs]

XXIII Brigade , Regular army unit, 3rd Division to January 1917. Left Division and became an Army Brigade. By November 1918 with Second Army. Originally 107,108 and 109 Batts. Latter left May 1916. A section from each of 86(H) and 128 (H) Batts joined May 16 and redesignated D Batt.

there's a potted history of the 3rd Division here 3rd Div

let me have his name and i'll look him up in SDGW for you, you never know there may be another bit of ifo there

[Johnny]

Hi Harribobs,

Thanks very much for all this help.

My Great Uncle is shown on his grave as W C Vockins, but I believe the W stands for Walter. His service number was 74087 and he was a Gunner with 108th Battery, 23rd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery.

He was killed on 2/10/1918 and is buried at Vadencourt Cemetery, Maissemy, Aisne, France.

I do have one other question. He was buried next to Gunner 217558 John Clunie STOBIE and Sergeant 54895 Charles John BLACKMORE. They were also of 108th Battery and killed on the same day, 2/10/1918.

They seemed to be buried together, away from the other burials. Do you know if this is just because they were from the same unit or could it imply they were manning the same gun? I don't really know anything about the protocols or procedures around military burials. I may be over-romanticising it but it struck me when I visited that there was a clear divide from the other burials in the same row.

Many thanks for any help you can offer

Johnny

[harribobs]

here's his SDGW entry, you're right he is called Walter

as for the others, it's a guess of course, but i think you're right

[Johnny]

Hi Harribobs,

Thanks for your reply, its been very helpful!

I didn't know he had been born in Wallingford which is only about 5 miles from where I live now, or that he'd joined up in Reading.

I'm going to go to Kew to check out the battery war diary. I'm hoping, as they were the only people killed on that day from 108th Bty, they might get a mention with regard to the the circumstances, ie shelling etc.

Thank you again.

Johnny

[harribobs]

no problem

good luck at Kew!

[Berylall]

Hi Johnny,

I have been researching my great uncle W C Vockins and have come across this forum. I am interested in the conversations you had several years ago.

It seems to me that we are related, my grandmother was Ivy Vockins, sister to Walter.

I would love to know what information you managed to find out regarding Walter during the war years and whether any photographs still exist regarding the family.

I can supply you with information regarding my side of the Vockins family tree and would be keen to find out exactly how we are related

Looking forward to a reply,

kind regards, Tony

[Mervyn Mitton]

Tony - that must have been a surprise to find you had a link with Johnny. Welcome to GMIC. Mervyn

[MetPolice]

You can always talk to 'Firepower' The Royal Artillery Museum about the unit .

Zeb

http://firepower.org.uk/

research@firepower.org.uk

[peter monahan]

Johnny

On the burials question: it is very possible, even likely, that he was originally buried somewhere other than the CWGC cemetery where his remains currenly lie and that the re-burial of three men from one unit, killed the same day, reflects the fact that those remains were relo0cated at the same time from their original resting site to their current location, rather than any purposeful 'setting aside'. Just a thought