Calcutta Volunteer Battery

The Calcutta Volunteer Battery was established during the First World War to serve overseas.

There appear to be three distinct groups in the Calcutta Volunteer Battery, one group which served in Africa, one which served in Mesopotamia, and one which served in Egypt and Palestine.

The group of volunteers who served in East Africa during the First World War as the Calcutta Volunteer Battery was formed from Volunteer regiments based in Calcutta, the Calcutta Port Defence Volunteers and the Cossipore Artillery Volunteers.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists three deaths in Africa where the regiment is listed as Indian Defence Force Artillery Calcutta Volunteer Bty., Calcutta Port Defence Volunteer Corps.

There is also one death listed on the Basra Memorial where the regiment is listed as Indian Defence Force Artillery, 1st (Calcutta Port Defence) Group Garrison Artillery. Another death is listed at the Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery. These men fought in Mesopotamia as part of the Volunteer Artillery Battery who fought at Kut and became Prisoners of War - see Prisoners of the Turks (First World War).

There is a War Diary for service in Palestine, April 1917 to December 1918. In July 1917, when stationed at El Arish (Arish), Egypt, (this part of) the Calcutta Volunteer Battery was renamed 204th "Calcutta" Battery RGA

Note: For some Army record purposes, it seems this Battery had no formal existence, and the men are regarded as part of their original Volunteer Regiments.

Also see

• East Africa (First World War)
• Egypt, Palestine, Syria (First World War)
• Mesopotamia Campaign

Records

• National Archives catalogue reference WO 329/2939 Calcutta Volunteer Battery, East Africa miscellaneous: medal rolls. 1914-15 Star. This database is on Ancestry.
• Ancestry database for the British War Medal and Victory Medal roll, Indian Army/ The Cal.Port Def. Garr.Arty. AF page 494 (of 618) contains a list of names for Mesopotamia and East Africa, and pages 431 and 432 are stated to have more Calcutta Artillery Volunteers for Africa. This appears to be TNA catalogue reference WO 329/2384.
• National Archives catalogue reference WO 95/4728 War Diary: Lines of communication Palestine: 204 Calcutta Battery Royal Garrison Artillery 1917 Apr. - 1918 Dec.
• Seventeenth Annual Report of the Calcutta Port Defence Volunteer Corps, season 1915-1916 is available at the British Library. This may possibly contain a reference to those serving overseas.

External links

• "Calcutta Contingent. Splendid Services in East Africa Stirring Experiences" The Straits Times, 5 December 1916, Page 3 Newspapers SG
• "Seven Lions" Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 3176, 24 February 1917, Page 4. Comments by a member of the Calcutta Volunteer Battery re East Africa. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
• Indian Volunteers in the Great War East African Campaign by Harry Fecitt, now an archived webpage. Western Front Association.
• 1916 Photograph: Calcutta Volunteer Battery with a 12 pounder gun, Bura Camp, Kenya, East Africa, during WW1. Select image 33 from the On Call in Africa Collection Mary Evans Picture Library.
• The 29th Punjabis in British East Africa: September to December 1914 by Harry Fecitt. Harry’s Africa kaiserscross.com. Contains a brief reference to the Cossipore Artillery Volunteers (Calcutta Volunteer Battery)
• CWGC record: Pacey, F A Died between 04/08/1914 and 31/12/1914 Indian Defence Force Artillery Calcutta Bty.1st (Calcutta Port Defence) Group. Nairobi British And Indian Memorial
• CWGC record: Turner, Thomas Melville Indian Defence Force Artillery, Calcutta Volunteer Bty., Calcutta Port Defence Volunteer Corps, Nairobi South Cemetery
  • Photograph: Grave: 24 Gunner T. M. Turner Calcutta Volunteer Battery died 28th October 1915 age 30 Nairobi Kenya flickr.com
• CWGC record: Dawson, W Indian Defence Force Artillery, Calcutta Volunteer Bty. Moshi Cemetery Tanzania. Date of Death: 10/04/1916
• CWGC record: Thomas, C H Indian Defence Force Artillery 1st (Calcutta Port Defence) Group Garrison Artillery Basra Memorial Date of Death: 06/06/1916. He was buried in the Mosul Prisoners of War Cemetery, and had been taken prisoner at the fall of Kut. See Prisoners of the Turks (First World War).
• CWGC record: McGrogan, John Strain Died 07/01/1917. Royal Field Artillery Calcutta Volunteer Artillery Bty. Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery. The documents attached to the record show McGrogan died at Angora (Ankara) [Turkey], He was a Prisoner of War, captured in Mesopotamia, at the fall of Kut. See Prisoners of the Turks (First World War).