William Kirk Kidd

The 294th Battery arrived at Le Havre on the 31/03/1917 and were part of 98th Heavy Artillery Group from the 27/12/1917. In a theatre of war, Siege Batteries of the Royal Garrison Artillery were usually under command of a Heavy Artillery Group (sometimes called an Royal Garrison Artillery Brigade), which in turn was usually under command of a Corps headquarters. On occasion, a Battery might be under direct command of the Corps headquarters or even an Army headquarters. Siege Batteries used the 6-inch, 26-hundredweight howitzer from late 1915 onwards. Towed by a horse team or 3-ton 4WD lorry. Maximum effective range 8,700m.The first Commonwealth burial took place in the Communal Cemetery in October 1915 and the last on the 01/07/1916. By that date, field ambulances had come to the village in readiness for the attack on the German front line eight kilometres away, and the extension was begun on the eastern side of the cemetery. The fighting from July to November 1916 on the northern part of the Somme front accounts for the majority of the burials in the extension, but some are from the German attack in the spring of 1918. William is also remembered on the Stewarts and Lloyds Roll of Honour (see photos x 2). See photos for William's Medal Index Card, the Kirkcaldy War Memorial x 2, his name on the Kirkcaldy War Memorial, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls, his name on the stone in Bennochy Cemetery, Kirkcaldy (his Father and Mother also mentioned), Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, another photo of William's grave, 294th Siege Battery information, his Pension Records x 2 and the Royal Garrison Artillery Cap Badge. Finally, SEE PHOTOS x 22 FOR THE 98th BRIGADE WAR DIARY MAY 1918 (the 294th Siege Battery are mentioned here).