LOOKING BACK - January 10, 2019 edition

The 5th Warwickshire Howitzer Battery old comrades reunion on November 14, 1937

Here’s a wonderful picture of the 5th Warwickshire Howitzer Battery old comrades reunion.

It was taken on November 14, 1937 and the interesting part is that we have everyone’s names in position, if you are looking to spot any relatives.

All the names in the list are numbered, so this might help in identifying relatives

The photograph belongs to Lance Hamnett and not only shows the old comrades, but their immediate family including Lance’s grandmother and late father and grandfather.

A brief history is that the 5th Rugby battery joined with the 4th Coventry and became 243 Brigade.

This in turn was broken up in May 1916 just before the Somme offensive.

They part formed D Howitzer Battery of 241 Brigade.

Some of the surnames in the photo are familiar to Lance and he wonders if any family members like himself still live in Rugby.

He would also be interested to know if anyone can work out where this was taken. He suggests possibly BTH Mill Road?

The names are numbered on the plan.

Starting with the back row, from left: 78 D Hamnett, 77 JA Hutton, 76 HJ Baines, 75 CR Tomes, 74 A Hamnett, 73 C Dashwood, 72 Mr Smith, 71 HE Packer, 70H Seaton, 69 RW Roberts, 68 C Shelley,67 HT Hughes, 66 T Clay, 65 G Loverock, 50 GR Lee, 51 B Cash, 52 R Humphries, 53 WJ Waring, 54 F Shelley, 55 W Howe, 56 W Baines, 57 D Gunby, 58 WJ Boult, 59 GF Lamb, 60 T Pryor, 61 F Roberts, 62 SE Rogers, 63 AH Cronin, and 64 F Whittaker.

Middle row, from left: 49 JW Sumner, 48 E Clarke, 47 OA Hammond, 46 FE Cave, 45 J O’Coy, 44 EW O’Coy, 43 H Weston, 42 HJ Wheeler, 41 T Agar, 40 E Duffin, 39 A Alsop, 38 A Goode. 26 V Sparkes, 27 JW Taylor, 28 GH Hipwell, 29 PT Sharp, 30 B Dunhill, 31 JH Jarvis, 32 TS Carr, 33 TA Hutton, 34 EC Tuckey, 35 F Barratt, 36 L Gilks and 37 J Morton.

Front row, from left: 25 GV Boileau, 24 Mrs W Howe, 23 Master GI Boileau, 22 Miss CM Howe, 21 R Morris, 20 VT Brown, 19 Miss E Goode, 18 Mrs A Goode, 17 Mrs A Hamnett, 16 Mrs Lennox-Connyngham, 15 Miss J Nickalls, 14 Mrs P Nickalls, 13 Mrs CP Nickalls. 1 Major G Fowler DSO TD, 2 Major RHH Over TD, 3 Capt DD Bassett MC, 4 FW Spencer, 5 Dr D Davidson MC, 6 Mrs SE Rogers, 7 Mrs P Painter, 8 OA Widdowson MC, 9 Mrs AH Cronin, 10 Mrs T Pryor, 11 Mrs J Morton and 12 P Painter.