No 14499 Peter Daniel Desbrow born on the 14^th July 1881 joined the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1896 at the age of 14 holding the rank of “Boy”, in 1901 he held the rank of Bombardier (equivalent to a Corporal). He served in the ranks for 15 Years and 20 Days. He held the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 for only 37 days obviously showing great potential to become an officer. On the 1st of July 1914 Peter was awarded the Long Service Good Conduct Medal whilst he was serving with 29th Coy which was a coastal defence Coy in Portsmouth. When war broke out in August 1914 he served a short time at home, Peter lost his other ranks service number when he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the RGA on the 6^th March 1915 and was posted to France on the 1^st of November 1915 with 39^th Siege Battery R.G.A. Serving with 39 Siege Battery he was gassed in one of the first gas attacks of the war and was sent back to England for recovery and special duties with the Ministry Of Munitions on the 24^th of January 1916. Peter was promoted to lieutenant on the 8^th of August 1916. Promoted again on the 22^nd of January 1918. When his duty came an end and his wounds had healed sufficiently was sent back to France and Flanders on the 17^th of July 1918 and joined 297^th Siege Battery as a Captain. Peter then played a distinguished part in the Retreat and Advance earning himself a Military Cross, which was gazetted on the 3^rd of June 1919 the citation being “for distinguished work in connection the military operations in France & Flanders. He was still serving in F&F as the armistice was signed now having taken command of 297^th Siege Battery. He returned home in 1919 and continued work as a Siege Battery Commander with 196^th Siege Battery. Peter left France having earned the Military Cross, The 1914-1915 Star, the Victory medal, British War Medal and the Long Service Good Conduct Medal. After the war he was posted to Ireland with the Black and Tans, he worked first as an Intelligence Officer and later as a military judge, Apparently he was on a train in Ireland when the IRA got on and started to check people, he knew he would be caught if he stayed on his own so he joined a wedding party to avoid capture. On the 21^st of December Peter was promoted again to Major. He then retired on the 14^th of July 1926 still holding the rank of Major. As war was declared in 1939 Peter offered his services and worked at Porton Down as a stores officer, he made a mobile surgery, which had to be left behind during the retreat from Dunkirk. He met Churchill on several occasions, he left his second world war with the Defence Medal and in 1947 he was awarded the Imperial Service Medal.

Below is the link to 19 Brigades War-diary

http://www.freewebs.com/dswgreatwar/19%20brigade%20R.G.A%20War%20diary.doc

This is his battery fighting in Fricourt-Mametz Valley During the Battle Of The Somme

The Range watch used by Peter in France and Belgium

It its simplest form sound ranging depends on observing the flash of a gun firing and timing the delay before the sound of firing is heard. That time and the speed of sound allows the range of the gun to be calculated. The calibration of the watch shown seems to include the calculation of distance from time. In the developed form of sound ranging the time that the sound of firing is heard is recorded at a number of accurately survey points and the position of the gun calculated. The method of timing made recorded, on cine film, the displacement of fine wires by the ouput from the microphones. Gun locations could be detirmined precisely and German artillery would control their firing to avoid a single gun firing on its own and being vulnerable to sound location. The system has been referred to as the 'Manhattan Project' of the Great War. (Thankyou to "Old Tom" from the Great War Forum)