Photographs from WO 167/551 4/7 Medium Battery, 2 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery. This one is captioned A Troop, 4/7 Medium Battery. Factory position under construction, Orchies 815186. Sergeant Powell and Gunner Shepherd G. Using the Battery War Diaries nominal roll they are 815626 Lance Sergeant L J Powell and 797235 Gunner G Shepherd.
Captioned A Troop, 4/7 Medium Battery. Factory position under construction, Orchies 815186. Gunner Powell and L/Bdr Sherlock. No Powell listed on the nominal roll but there is a 798765 Gunner W Sherlock listed. Looking at the two photographs the chap with the braces and wearing the cap is one and the same - 815626 Lance Sergeant L J Powell ?
Captioned A Sub-Section, A Troop, 4/7 Medium Battery. Gun Positions NE of Orchies 831191. Right to Left: Gunner Slowman (?) Gunner Sheddon (?) Gunner Arrgeant (?) Sergeant Pearce Gunner Buckley (?) (Layer) Gunner Shepard G. Using the batteries nominal roll: 1028706 Gunner F E Sloeman, 3050458 Gunner J Sneddon, 822929 Gunner E G Argent, 1416626 Sergeant J Pearce, 4608323 Gunner J Buckley and 797235 Gunner G Shepherd.
Captioned A Sub-Section, A Troop, 4/7 Medium Battery. Gun Positions NE of Orchies 831191. Left to Right Gunners Slowman, Sheddon, Buckley and Shepherd G. Nominal roll lists them as - 1028706 Gunner F E Sloeman, 3050458 Gunner J Sneddon, 4608323 Gunner J Buckley and 797235 Gunner G Shepherd.
Captioned B Sub-Section, A Troop, 4/7 Medium Battery. Gun Positions NE of Orchies 831191. Left to Right Gunners Shead, Sideway, Bdr Cunclife, Sgt Sargeant, Gunner Paylon. Ngc - Gnr(?) Herring, L/Bdr Sideway. The nominal roll gives the following: 1065852 Sergeant W Sargeant, 791920 Bombardier N Cuncliffe, 797655 Gunner A Sidaway, 798226 Gunner J Snead, 838188 Gunner S H Paylor and 4264990 Gunner G A Herring.
Captioned B Sub-Section, A Troop, 4/7 Medium Battery. Gun Positions NE of Orchies 831191. 1065852 Sergeant W Sargeant,
Captioned A Sub-Section, A Troop, 4/7 Medium Battery. Gun Positions NE of Orchies 831191. Gunner Horsfall Gunner Buckley Nominal roll gives the following info: 3521216 Gunner C Horsfall and 4608323 Gunner J Buckley
Interesting! The soldiery are still in Service Dress, and what is that gun? The Royal Artillery site says 60 pdrs in 1939, so I guess it's that! Do you think those guys in the first two pics were constructing the position, or bailing it out? Chris
Chris - I think they are acting out for the camera's. I think I've seen the original film footage on Pathe? The guns are indeed 60 pounders according to the war diary. It states: 8 - 60 Pounder Mark II, fully pneumatised. Also from the diary dated 18th November 1939 at 1130 hours in Orchies: A Troop filmed by official newsreel officers. Films taken: (A.) Men working on pits in alternative battle position. (B.) Three guns elevating in tc(?) in active position. (C.) Men being pushed into covered(?) pits, as come relief. Film company approached for negative clippings to attach to war diary.
Superb stuff me old chum. Cheers for posting them with names & numbers. Be great if some relatives of those chaps find this thread.
797235 Gunner George William Shepherd, 2 Medium Regiment, Royal Artillery. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2767176/SHEPHERD,%20GEORGE%20WILLIAM There are no specific details of Gunner Shepherd's death in the battery war diary and the battery fragment's around this date but there is a mention of a rear party of sorts, a small detachment of 10 armed men under the command of Captain M Flash that join up with the remainder of the regiment commanded by the CO march to a position on the canal at Nieuport Bains and on the 29th May 'hostile elements' approach the canal and the detachment came under small arms and artillery fire. They are not relieved until 2100 hours.
4264990 Gunner George Albert Herring, 4 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2810161/HERRING,%20GEORGE%20ALBERT
Well done old chap, very nice find & follow up. Very WW1ish bailing out the gunpits, nothing changes! Thanks for posting them up Best Rob
