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Hello Everyone.
My wife and I are researching her Grandfather's military history in South Africa 1900-1902. Ernest Richardson, (21692), served in the Royal Artillery / Royal Garrison Artillery and has the QSA medal with clasps for Orange Free State, Transvaal & Cape Colony and also the KSA medal with clasps for 1901 & 1902. We have received a good response from members of the forums and we are building up a clearer picture of his movements / actions during the campaign. Unfortunately, we have virtually no military experience and would like to ask if anyone could clarify for us, the difference between a 'battery' and a 'company'. For example...
1. Does a company exist of so many batteries, or vice versa?
2. How many men would be in a battery / company?
3. How many Sections would be in a battery?
4. How many men in a Section?
5. How many guns in a Section?
6. How many men would form a Gun Crew?
The answers to these questions would give us a better understanding of some of the information we have discovered so far thanks to the help of members.

We would appreciate any help you may be able to offer.
Many thanks in anticipation, Dave & Sheila

Dave
I have to say that I had an honest "go" at answering your post; however, you have cast your net very widely - so much so that the questions are difficult to answer. For example, RGA was organised in Companies; wheras RA/RFA were organised in batteries. The numbers of men in a Company or a battery would be laid down in regulations and yet the reality in the field would be quite different. There would be an irreducible minimum, of course; layer, loading numbers, fuze setter, trainers. I am quite certain that reality (i.e., being shot at) meant multi-tasking. And then there is the Battery/Section commander and the lads with the spare ammunition! Did you know about them?
At one stage during the ABW, I am pretty sure that batteries were of four guns; two sections. However, in the later stages of the conflict, Columns were supported by only one gun.
I realise that my answer will not help you very much. Might I suggest that a request to the RA Museum might well give you some of the answers you seek.
IL.

Hi Linneyl,
Many thanks for your reply. It looks like we have asked a very difficult question due to our inexperience. However, we appreciate your response and suggestion about contacting the RA museum. We are not familiar with the roles of gun crew members but are keen to learn whatever we can about the ABW and the men who fought it. We certainly didn't know about the lads with the spare ammunition! never crossed our minds!
Your help has provided another piece to the jigsaw puzzle in as much as we now realise that the military operations in place at the time are not as straight forward as we first thought. We'll keep our eyes peeled for any books or articles which may explain in detail the operational methods and tasks employed by the RA / RGA crews during the ABW.
Note the use of the term 'ABW'!!!... We're picking up the lingo already!!
If anyone can suggest books or articles which may be helpful we'd love to hear from you.
Many thanks again for your help, regards Dave & Sheila.

Good Morning Dave.......

Here are a couple of artillery books:

DUELLING WITH LONG TOMS, 16TH BATTERY SOUTHERN DIVISION R.G.A., DURING THE ANGLO-BOER WAR 1899-1902, by David Martin, Impression Print, 1988

H.A.C. (The) IN SOUTH AFRICA, A record of the Services Rendered in the South African War by Members of the Honourable Artillery Company, by Basil Williams and Erskine Childers, Smith, Elder and Co., 1903

Also suggest you possibly look at my book list......

www.angloboerwar.com/forum/11-research/1...n-the-boer-war#23116

Mike

Hi Mike,
Many thanks for your book suggestions. We will also have a look at your book list. Seems like a good place to start! I think we need to build up some background knowledge of the campaign in order to make progress. We really appreciate your help.

Best wishes, Dave & Sheila

Hi Dave......

Just thought of something and looked in a book called The Hall Handbook of the Anglo Boer War and found just about all the answers you are looking for...... They show up on eBay and here is one that is listed......

eBay item number 141469458874

It is a good book to get and read......

Mike