More about Alexander William Rennie

Alexander William Rennie was born in 1871 at Blairgowrie, Perthshire. A joiner by trade he enlisted with the Royal Garrison Artillery on the 5/1/15 at the Dundee Depot and was given the service number 70206. He was posted to the 54^th Reserve Battery on the 13/2/1915, he successfully completed an 8-week course as a Wheeler (wheelwright)  and was promoted to the rank on 12/1/1917. He was transferred to the 325^th Battery 1/2/1917 and deployed with them to France 12/5/1917.

The 325^th Siege Battery was initially a 4 gun battery equipped with 6’ howitzers, this was later expanded to 6 guns in 1918. The Battery was part of the 1^st Heavy Artillery Brigade.

Wheeler Rennie’s M.M certificate is dated 10^th October 1917; at the time the Brigade was in the Nieuport area. A search of the Brigade War Diary shows that on the 17/9/17 the 325 Battery took heavy casualties suffering 3 killed and 19 wounded in action, it is probable that his M.M. was awarded for this action.

On the 6/12/1917 the Battery was sent to the 66 Brigade RGA and remained with them for the remainder of the war. He was issued with the new service number 149200. Wheeler Rennie demobilizing on the 28/2/1919. His postal address being 262 Blackness Rd, Dundee.

The war Diary’s for the 1^st & 66^th Brigade are available on line from National Archives at Kew.

12 December 1915 the 325th Siege Battery was formed at Prees Heath, Whitchurch, England.

January 1916 Moved to Queenstown as part of 3rd Depot RGA.

October 1916 moved to Citadel, Plymouth.

12 May 1917 Embarked Southhampton

13 May 1917 arriving Le Harve, France.

14 May 1917 moved to Western from to relieve French Forces on the Belgium Coast, West of Nieuport. this could be between Oost Dunkerke Bain and Oost Dunkerke.

23 May 1917, 325th SB RGA joined 1 Brigade RGA.

20 June 1917 Additional personnel from 361st SB RGA joined to make it 6 guns.

325th SB RGA was a mechanised Siege Battery and therefore did not consist of any horses.

An OS Military Trench Map (Sheet 12 SW revA) dated 03 July 1917 shows a Siege Artillery unit based just south of Nieuport but no map has been uncovered of Sheet 11 SE of around the same date.

325th SB RGA could have been involved in the Battle of the Dunes that started 10 July 1917 in the Niewpoort area.

03 December 1917 moved to then joined (06 December 1917) the 66 Brigade RGA and remained with them till the end of the war.

January 1918 325th SB RGA made up to 6 guns.

No Diaries exist of 325th SB RGA, however other diaries exist, WO 95/209/1 (for 1st Brigade RGA)

And WO 95/395/2 (for 66th Brigade RGA)