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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

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
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Personnel

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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
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in Artillery Operations

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Artillery Action

Amiens Gun - 374 SB Paris

Whilst reviewing the Fourth Army A & Q War Diary WO95- 445-2 I came across a Movement Order for a German 11inch gun and a detachment of 374 Siege Battery from Picquigny, 13km north west of Amiens to Paris. The entry sounded as if from Blackadder goes forth;   And might I suggest sir that having left the trenches, it might be a good idea to post our man to Paris Source: Black Adder IV - Episode 1 - Captain Cook.   So why were a detachment of 374 Siege Battery taking a
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ianjonesncl in Artillery Action

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RA Personnel

Notable Persons who served as a Gunner in WW1

I came across a series of postings by Pete Hill posted way back in June 2009 outlining Notable Persons who served in WW1. A fascinating piece of research and I became interested in those who served as Gunners.    Having enjoyed the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, read Dennis Wheatley's books, and admired the illustrations of Winnie the Pooh drawn by Ernest Sheppard, it was pleasing to find they all served as Gunners. I have admired the exploits of George Mallory and his attempts on Ev
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Personnel

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RA Units

TE Lawrence - 10 (Motor Section) RFA

TE Lawrence of Arabia and his exploits, as portrayed in the iconic film with Peter O' Toole, have always intrigued me. I was aware of the irregular Arab Army being reinforced with armoured cars and aircraft, however I did not realise Lawrence's forces were supported by artillery. In November 1917, 10 (Motor Section) Royal Field Artillery joined the Arab Northern Army, equipped with 10 pounder mountain guns.   As ever, a search of the GWF revealed more about 10 (Motor Section) RFA, and
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Units

7
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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ianjonesncl in Artillery Operations

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RA Personnel

Remembered Today: Major Arthur Raymond Boscawen SAVAGE RFA who died 18/05/1921 GRANGEGORMAN

Remembered Today: Major Arthur Raymond Boscawen SAVAGE {Intelligence Officer, Dublin District). Royal Field Artillery who died 18/05/1921 GRANGEGORMAN MILITARY CEMETERY Ireland, Republic of   Major Arthur Raymond Boscawen Savage Royal Field Artillery  is a reminder that some who served would have an ignominious career and death.    Arthur Savage commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery 23rd July 1887 from the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.    Savage came from
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Personnel

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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
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in Royal Artillery

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RA Personnel

WW1 Paintings of Wyndham Lewis

One of the Notable Persons who served as a Gunner in WW1 was artist Wyndam Lewis.   In 1914, Lewis formed the Vorticism movement, a modernist art style inspired by cubism with bold lines and harsh colours.   LEWIS WYNDHAM - SELF PORTRAIT     Wyndham was also a writer and the ideas of Vorticism as rebel artists challenging the norm were published in BLAST, the first issue BLAST: The Review of the Great English Vortex, was published in July 1914, just before
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Personnel

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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
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Personnel

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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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ianjonesncl in Artillery Operations

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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
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Personnel

2
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
ianjonesncl

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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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Captain Francis Victor Wallington MC***

I came across information on the London Gazette which detailed there were four officers who won the Military Cross and three Bars during the First World War. The first to gain this distinction was  a Gunner Officer, Captain Francis Victor Wallington.   The Gazette - World War One Military Cross (MC)   With the help of  GWF Pals  charlie962    |  battiscombe  |   rflory  |   sadbrewer   |    IPT  | David_Underdown   | and Chris Baker's Long Long Trail, an account of his servic
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl

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Home Defence

UK Coastal Defences 1914

Whilst researching the defence of the River Tyne [Tyne Coastal Artillery ] it highlighted how important it was to maintain a creditable deterrent for home defence.  I wondered what preparations were in place to defend the coast around the rest of the Britain when the country went to war in 1914.   In his book History of Coast Artillery in the British Army, Colonel KW Maurice-Jones DSO (late RA) outlines "Coast Artillery in the British Army had never been more ready for war than it was
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ianjonesncl in Home Defence

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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
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in Guns and Equipment

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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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ianjonesncl in RA Personnel

6
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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ianjonesncl in Artillery Action

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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
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in War Art

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RA Units

Bermuda Contingent Royal Garrison Artillery

An interesting unit I came across was the Bermuda Contingent RGA who were employed on the vital task of ammunition handing. As ever, a quick search on the GWF helped point me in the right direction. Many thanks to those who contributed to Bermuda Contingent RGA in paticular @aodhdubh The information has been drawn from many sources, and there are discrepancies in ranks between accounts, possibly due to acting and local rank.  Bermuda Contingent Royal Garrison Artillery The Be
ianjonesncl

ianjonesncl in RA Units

5
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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ianjonesncl in Artillery Operations

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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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ianjonesncl in Artillery Action

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RA Units

Royal Marine Artillery

Royal Marine Artillery - always wondered about these chaps. Source: RMA? Long Long Trail - The Batteries of the Royal Marine Artillery - The Long, Long Trail (longlongtrail.co.uk) A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ROYAL MARINE ARTILLERY Source: Royal Marines Museum inofrmation The Howitzer Brigade, R.M.A. As has been already stated, the Royal Marine Artillery Battalion was withdrawn from the R.M. Brigade for purely Artillery work. A portion of t
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