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About this blog

Royal Artillery topics

Information and topics relating to the Gunners of the Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Field Artillery, and the Royal Garrison Artillery during the First World War. 

As I meander through research, battlefield tours and contributions to the GWF Forum, certain topics arise an interest which I record here. 

 

Entries in this blog

Royal Artillery

Artillery Ordnance Ranges

An interesting graphic I came across shows the range of a number of pieces of ordnance and where they could be located and able to engage the Tower of London. The Tower of London is one of the locations where a Royal Salute is fired during commemorations, the Honorable Artillery Company firing 105 mm Light Guns on ceremonial occasions. A thought came to mind as to where they could hit if they fired HE rather than blank. With a maximum range of 17,300 metres, they could engag
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RA Personnel

Lt Colonel Edward Henry Eley CMG CBE DSO TD ADC

A post on Lt Colonel Edward Henry Eley CMG CBE DSO TD ADC piqued my interest. Some research on his service during World War One.  ---------------------------------------------------- Edward Henry Eley was born in 1874, the son of Henry Eley of Colnbrook, Buckinghamshire. He married Beatrice Eleanor, youngest daughter of Colonel  W. Narborough of Woolwich. They would have one son and one daughter. [1] By profession he was a chartered architect and surveyor. [2] Edward Hen
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RA Units

444 Siege Battery RGA

The 444th Siege Battery was formed on 31st May 1917 at Horsham and deployed to the Western Front 10th December 1917 equipped with two 12 inch Mark V Railway Howitzers. The success of the 9.2 in Mk1 Howitzer (290 lb shell firing out to 10,600 yards / 130 kg - 9,965 m ) which had been introduced in 1914 and the continuation of trench warfare led to a demand for ordnance which could fire heavier shells and at a longer range. The Elswick Ordnance Company designed and manufactured a 12 inch how
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Artillery Operations

Trench Mortar Development

A post from @new3.2 regarding Trench Mortars lead to some research I had meaning to do for while, understand the development of Trench Mortar capability. The initial arrangements were very much ad hoc, both in terms of the ordnace and the organisation,  as the British Expeditionary Force transitioned to positional warfare. The ordnace and the organisation developed over the period of the war.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mortars were firs
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RA Units

45 (Battle Axe) Company RGA

A very fascinating photograph posted by @BMB shows a Signalling Class of 45 (Battle Axe) Company RGA. It records all the names of those on the course, which includes @BMB's great grandfather and grandfather.  45 Company was based at the Citadel in Plymouth. The Coastal Artillery Units during the Great War acted as training locations and places where Siege Batteries were formed. Many men would therefore not stay with 45 Company RGA. The younger Baker would be posted to the Middle E
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RA Personnel

Shanghai Contingent Gunners

Whilst reading Betrayed Ally - China in the Great War [Pen & Sword - Frances Wood / Christopher Alexander] there was a reference to 110 men working in China at the beginning of the Great War volunteering to join the British Army.  Did any of these men end up as Gunners? ----------------------------------------------------------- China at the beginning of the Great War China was a republic, though European Powers and Japan had spheres of influence in the country. In those areas
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Guns and Equipment

3.7 inch Mountain Howitzer Mule loads

The 3.7inch howitzer was introduced in 1917 and deigned to be transported by pack animals. 3.7in QF Mountain Howitzer  It would see action in Palestine, Mesopotamia, East Africa, and post Armistice, in Russia and on the North West Frontier of India. 3. 7 inch mountain howitzers on pack mules, Sadleir-Jackson Brigade, Troitsa, 1919. The mountain howitzer broke down in to eight mule loads. Additional mules carried ammunition, gun stores, signalling equipment, with spa
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RA Personnel

Arras Faubourg Cemetery - 40 Brigade RFA Officers

Whilst wandering around the Arras Faubourg Cemetery, I observed Gunner graves where all had been killed on the same date buried together. Often the sign of a gun detachment who lost their lives because of a single incident. In Plot V Row F, there were four Gunner graves together. A closer examination revealed it was four Gunner Officers, all killed on the 19th May 1917. Who were these Officers? What had happened on 19th May 1917 ? The CWGC records revealed the Offer
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Artillery Action

Conveying A Field Gun Across The Yser Canal Under Fire

An interesting pistol gun action took place in early 1915,  conducted by a gun from 135 Battery, 32 Brigade RFA, part of the 4th Divisional Artillery. The 4th Division were located north of Ypres, bounded by the Ypres to Thourout railway. The 32nd Brigade RFA were in support of an assault by 1st Battalion Rifle Brigade which took place on 6th July 1915 south of Boesinghe. The assault would be conducted in 4 phases with each of 32 Brigade's batteries allotted objectives to eng
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RA Personnel

Gunners of the Great War

From the long running thread Postcards, extracts of pictures of  the men who served as Gunners during the Great War. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/153347-postcards/ Many thanks to all who have posted on the thread. Updates: Image 1 to 329 29-Aug-2022 | Image 330 to 340 31-Dec-2022 | Image 341 to 343 14-Jan-2023 | 344 to 345 27-Jan-2023 | ========================== 1 https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/153347-postcards/?do=findComment&comment=1478721
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War Art

WW1 Illustrations of Fortunino Matania

A number of iconic paintings and illustrations I have viewed over the years have  included the Last Absolution of the Munsters, Good by Old Man, and L Battery RHA at Nery. It was when I was looking at war artists depicting the Gunners during WW1 that I realised that they were all the work of Fortunino Matania. Delving into Fortunino Matania revealed that his work included other areas where I have come across his work including illustrating the sinking of the Titanic pre war, and travel post
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Artillery Action

First British Artilley round fired on Western Front

At 11:00 hours on the 22nd August 1914 at Bray, Belgium,C Sub-section of E Battery Royal Horse Artillery fired the first British Artillery rounds of the First World War on the Western Front. [1] 1914 - First round fired by RA on the Western Front British cavalry were holding bridges in the area of Peronnes, east of the main BEF positions in the Mons area. In support were the 13 pounder gun batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery. A troop from  16th  Lancers were enraged an enemy pa
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Artillery Operations

Mechanisation of the Royal Artillery

Moving the Guns - Mechanisation of the Royal Artillery 1854 - 1939 by Philip Ventham and David Fletcher. Moving the Guns - The mechanisation of the Royal Artillery 1854 - 1939 traces how the Royal Artillery transitions from it's guns being moved by horses, to the mechanised force that began the Second World War. I was supprised that the story began in 1854, though with the advent of the Railways from 1825 onwards, the thought for steam traction engines had been considred for some time.
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Artillery Operations

9.2 inch Howitzer Deployment

Whilst researching the  first ever 9.2 inch howitzer 'Mother'  9.2 inch Howitzer "Mother" - Northumbrian Gunner meanderings - The Great War (1914-1918) Forum (greatwarforum.org) I realised that whilst one had seen many pictures of the 9.2 inch howitzer, read accounts of their deployment and it being the weapon system that is on the Royal Artillery Memorial at Hyde Park, I must admit I was not sure how this multi-part howitzer actually fitted together. 9.2 inch howitzer Royal
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Artillery Operations

Artillery Narrow Gauge Transport

A visit to Beamish Open Air Museum revealed a Simplex 40HP Armoured Locomotive. The locomotive, LR3098, never saw war service having not been completed until 17/12/1918. Over 900 locomotives would be manufactured between 1916 and 1918 for use within the UK and on the Western Front. Simplex 40HP Protected Loco Beamish June 2022 The Motor Rail & Tram Company won a tender in January 1916 and produced narrow gauge locomotive for use on the Western Front. A protptype proved succesf
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Guns and Equipment

9.2 inch Howitzer "Mother"

One of the most iconic of artillery equipments that saw action in World War One was the 9.2 inch howitzer. It's influence was such that it was chosen as the weapon system to symbolise the Gunners during the conflict on the Royal Artillery Memorial. RA Memorial Hyde Park - Northumbrian Gunner meanderings - The Great War (1914-1918) Forum (greatwarforum.org) The prototype 9.2 inch howitzer, which became known as 'Mother', fired the first round on operations 1st November 1914. The ho
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Artillery Operations

Chillwell National Shell Filling Factory No 6

Staged through Chillwell, near Nottingham,  en route to and from Salisbury Plain on a number of occasions with out realising it's contribution to the war effort during World War One. It was a vital part of the artillery ammuntion production for the Western Front and the location of the the worst accidental munitions explosion of the Great War in Britain. Chillwell was the location of National Filling Factory No 6. Information Source: Historic England Research Records National Filling F
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Artillery Operations

Chapperton Down Artillery School

An intersting film I came across on the Imperial War Musuem collection features the Chapperton Down Artillery School.  "Taken at the school on 9 March 1916, this film shows in detail the firing procedures for the 6-inch 26cwt howitzer, the 8-inch Mk VI howitzer and the 9.2-inch Mk I howitzer with the new Type 106 graze fuse (not shown). It shows the effects of the fall of shot, giving the distance and line of camera to the point of impact with the direction of wind for each firing. In each
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RA Personnel

Remembered Today: Captain GN WALFORD VC RFA died 26/04/1915 V Beach Cemetery Gallipoli

Remembered Today: Captain Garth Neville WALFORD Victoria Cross Royal Field Artillery who died 26/04/1915 V BEACH CEMETERY Turkey (including Gallipoli) Captain Garth Neville Walford was the only Gunner to be awarded the Victoria Cross during the Gallipoli Campaign, his actions being part of a double award along with Lieutenant-Colonel Doughty-Wylie.  [1] Captain Garth Walford VC Garth Neville Walford was born on the 27th of May 1882 at Camberley, Surrey, in a house within the
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Artillery Operations

British Gun Carrier

The British had 48 tracked carriers for moving guns as prime movers. They were not self propelled artillery, they were designed to transport guns. . http://en.wikipedia...._Carrier_Mark_I During 1916 it became clear that in case of a breakthrough, the very purpose of the first tank, the Mark I, artillery would have great trouble following the advancing troops. Any successful offensive would therefore be in danger of stalling immediately. To solve this problem Major Gregg, an engineer w
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RA Personnel

Remembered Today: 2.Lieut Herbert LUMB RFA who died 08/10/1915 commemorated HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey

Remembered Today: Second Lieutenant Herbert LUMB A Bty. 66th Bde. Royal Field Artillery who died 08/10/1915 HELLES MEMORIAL Turkey (including Gallipoli) Many thanks to @corisande @David Porter @David26 for their assistance to bring together the information about Herbert Lumb. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2nd Lieut. Herbert Lumb RFA  
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