Here is the record from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Debt of Honour Register:
"Name: BRIGGS, HARRY
Initials: H
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Field Artillery
Unit Text: "C" Bty. 277th Bde.
Date of Death: 27/03/1918
Service No: 830507
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 7 to 10.
Memorial: POZIERES MEMORIAL", a village 6 kilometres north-east of the town of Albert.
The reference to the memorial shows that Harry has no known grave, but his name is on that memorial to the missing, with many others.
The Medal Index Card shows that Harry was serving as a Territorial in the Royal Field Artillery. He had two numbers as a renumbering took place in 1917.
The CWGC data shows he was in 277th Brigade RFA, Territorials, based prewar at Admiral Street, Toxteth in Liverpool. It had three batteries, A, B & C. Before a wartime renumbering its title had been '3rd West Lancashire Field Brigade, RFA, TF'.
His second number does not match those allocated to 277th in 1917, so he may have joined as a reinforcement, possibly having served in a different unit earlier on. That may account for you quoting ''C' Battery LXXXIX " That was a New Army brigade formed early in the war but broken up in 1916. Where did you come across that reference?
There is no published history of 277th Brigade and its war diary is not complete, but I have been gathering bits and pieces about it over several years. There is a current TA unit in Aigburth which is a successor to the 277th [and to many other old Gunner units] and this carries all the traditions, but probably has little knowledge of the WW1 days.
You can learn much from this site:
http://www.1914-1918.net/
but post again if you think I can add anything more local.
Daggers
an ex Gunner!
A postscript about the medal entitlement.
Harry earned the two standard medals - British War Medal and Victory Medal. He had no entry on the card for the 1914 or 1914-15 Star which means he did not serve in any theatre of war before 31 Dec 1915.
The references starting 'RFA...' are to the medal rolls which are not available online, but can be seen on application by visitors to the National Archives at Kew. The roll may hold more details of which units Harry served in, but may not.
D
More about Harry's regimental number 830507. It appears to be in a block allotted in 1917 to 2nd West Midland Brigade, RFA (TF) which had its peacetime HQ and a battery at Worcester and other batteries at
Kidderminster and Redditch. By 1917 there was little difference in reality between regular, TF and 'Kitchener' units, and reinforcements were probably unaware of the subleties of their units' history.
D
