242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

   3rd South Midland Royal Field Artillery Brigade, were based at The Drill Hall, Stoney Lane, Birmingham. later renamed 242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, they served as Divisional artillery with 48th (South Midland) Division. The South Midland Division was a formation of the Territorial Force formed in 1908 The units had just departed for their annual summer camp when war broke out in August 1914 and they were at once recalled. They mobilised for war service on 5 August 1914 and moved to concentrate in the Chelmsford area by the second week of August 1914 and commenced training. They proceeded to France in March 1915 with the Divisional HQ, the Gloucester & Worcester and South Midland Brigades embarking from Folkestone and sailing to Boulogne whilst the remainder sailed from Southampton to Le Havre. The Division had concentrated near Cassel. In 1916 They were in action in the Battle of the Somme, suffering hevy casualties on the 1st of July in assaulting the Quadrilateral (Heidenkopf). They were also in action at The Battle of Bazentin Ridge, capturing Ovillers, The Battle of Pozieres Ridge, The Battle of the Ancre Heights and The Battle of the Ancre. They left the Division on the 20th of January 1917.

9th May 1915 Artillery in Acton

1st of October 1917 Orders to Attack

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There are:5232 items tagged 242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery available in our Library

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Those known to have served with
242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
during the Great War 1914-1918.

Andrews James Watt. Whlr. (d.19th Oct 1917 )
McKenzie William. Dvr.
Pittaway William Edmund. Sjt. (d.24th Mar 1917)
Rouse William Henry. Gnr. (d.16th Jun 1916)

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263064

Whlr. James Watt Andrews C Battery, 242nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery (d.19th Oct 1917 )

James Andrews is remembered by our community, Archattan Parish.
Ardchattan Parish

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236611

Dvr. William McKenzie 242nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery

William McKenzie was my grandfather. He was born in October 1899 and enlisted at the outbreak of war in 1914, at only 14 years old. His parents found out from his friend what had happened and contacted the War Office. William was found and, like Saving Private Ryan, was sent home. A few weeks later he re-enlisted and was attached to 242nd Brigade RFA.
He saw action across France and at the Somme where he contracted malaria. We believe he was convalescing in Belgium after the war and won a medal in the football league which was organised there. The medal is silver, plain generic design and bears the inscription "243 Bgd de RFA, AF League, Belgium 1919". He survived the war and the convalescent home and died in June 1942.

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216063

Gnr. William Henry Rouse 242 Bde, C Battery Royal Field Artillery (d.16th Jun 1916)

In 1911, William Rouse was 17 years of age and was â€˜learning electric motors'. He was at that time living with his parents and two siblings in Sheep Street (the location of which has now made way for the Aston University Campus) His father, William Henry (Senior) was a caretaker at a working menâ€™s residence.
William joined 3rd South Midland Brigade Royal Field Artillery Territorial Unit, in November 1915. The Brigade's Headquarters were in Stony Lane Sparkbrook, Birmingham, where, at this location a memorial still remains. The Brigade had been mobilised at the outbreak of war and therefore when William joined, or was drafted, he was very soon at the front line in France.
On 13 June 1916 the RFA 242nd Brigade were mobilised at Sailly-au-bois, Hebuterne, France. It was here, on 16th June 1916 that William died as a result of a direct hit from an enemy shell, this was along with the other six members of his gun crew. They were incredibly unlucky: this was two weeks before the commencement of the main Somme offensive, both sides were firing occasional ranging shots at each other and to suffer a direct hit was truly tragic and highly unusual. Artillery crews were some way behind the front line and direct hits were rare. It was something of a moonscape, they were very close to the front lines. From information contained within William's diaries it is recorded that at times there were 'more trenches than men to fill them' and that the field guns were unusually exposed.
William is buried in the Military Cemetery at Hebuterne, France along with other members of his gun crew:-

Sjt Leonard Wilson
Bdr Edwin Henry Prince
Gnr TW Holloway
Gnr Watkin William Henry Hughes
Gnr George Davis
Gnr W Rouse

John Hatton

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1006

Sjt. William Edmund Pittaway 242 Brigade, A bty. Royal Field Artillery (d.24th Mar 1917)

I have a copper bracelet that is handmade and engraved by, I assume, Mr Pittaway. It has been engraved with his name and various battles that took place in the Somme which, again I assume, that Mr Pittaway took part in. These are "Somme", "Albert", "Hebuterne", "Poizieres", "Ovilliers", "Arras", "Mesnil", "Le Sars", "Martinpuich", "Thiepval" and "Au Bois". I have checked on a map and all these places are located just south of Arras. One or two of the place names have been spelt incorrectly and I have spelt them above as they appear on the bracelet in case the names or spelling has changed in the last 95 years.
Above his name Mr Pittaway has engraved the following: 2335 R.F.A. A-Battery 242 Brigade and either side of his name are the dates 1914 and 1916, these are the dates, I believe, during which 242 Brigade was in existence.
I would like to try and find out more about Mr Pittaway.
Update: Information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Serjeant William Edmund Pittaway, who served under the name of Thompson, was killed on the 24th of March 1917, age 33. At his death he was a Sergeant with the King's Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), 'A' Company, 1st Battalion. He was the son of William Edmund and Maria Pittaway and also served in the South African War. He is buried in Birmingham's Witton Cemetery.
Robin Mortiboys

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242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
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242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery

Want to know more about 242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery?

Those known to have served with242 Brigade, Royal Field Artilleryduring the Great War 1914-1918.

Can you help?

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.

Announcements

Recomended Reading.

Links

The Wartime Memories Project
- 242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery during the Great War -

Those known to have served with
242 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
during the Great War 1914-1918.