The Territorial Force Artillery Training Schools

[David Porter]

As this is my 1000th post, I thought I'd make it a good one.

 

 

 

 

I've looked in some detail at the home based Territorial Force Artillery Training Schools that were set up to train men as reserves for the RH & RFA. Established by War Office Instruction 212 of May 1915, there were to be five schools but this was later expanded to eight as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

No. 1 T.F. Artillery Training School initially at Leyton Buzzard then South Camp, Ripon.

 

 

(Northern Command) 3rd Line Northumbrian, 3rd Line West Riding and 3rd Line North Midland were Affiliated Depots.

 

 

Reallocated to Ripon Training Centre for training purposes only.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 2 T.F. Artillery Training School initially at Dorking then Bettisfield Park Camp

 

 

(Western Command) 3rd Line West Lancs., 3rd Line East Lancs. and 3rd Line Welsh were Affiliated Depots.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 3 T.F. Artillery Training School initially at Kettering in May 1915, then Rollestone, then at No. 9 Camp, Bulford in 1916

 

 

(Southern Command) 3rd Line South Midland, 3rd Line Wessex and initially 3rd Line Lowland & Highland were Affiliated Depots.

 

 

Reallocated to Salisbury Training Centre for training purposes only.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 4 T.F. Artillery Training School at High Wycombe.

 

 

(Eastern Command) 3rd Line East Anglian, 3rd Line Home Counties and initially both 3rd Line London were Affiliated Depots.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 5 T.F. Artillery Training School initially Howitzer and Heavy to be at Aylesbury in May 1915, at Halefield Hutments, Wendover July 1915, then Kettering in December 1915, finally at Scotton Camp, Catterick.

 

 

(Scottish Command) 3rd Line Lowland, 3rd Line Highland became Affiliated Depots.

 

 

Reallocated to Ripon Training Centre for training purposes only.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 6 T.F. Artillery Training School at Biscot, Luton which was to be final destination of No. 5 (T.F.) ATS but changed.

 

 

(London District) 3rd Line of 1st & 2nd London became Affiliated Depots.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 7 T.F. Artillery Training School initially Luton, then Avington Park Camp, Winchester then Louisburg Barracks, Bordon by November 1916, then Durrington, Wilts in late 1918.

 

 

(Howitzer and Heavy) all 3rd Line Howitzer Batteries. Plus 4 Heavy batteries (No.1 and 2 Reserve Brigade RGA T.F.) which remained at Avington Park.

 

 

Reallocated to Salisbury Training Centre for training purposes only.

 

 

 

 

 

No. 8 T.F. Artillery Training School at Larkhill before July 1916 - "K" & "L" Training Batteries - then at "D" Lines, Bulford.

 

 

(Royal Horse Artillery) 2nd and 3rd Line RHA T.F. batteries (if established)

 

 

 

 

 

In July 1915 the schools were required to also take 50% of the establishment of the 2nd Line Divisional Ammunition Columns in addition to those from 3rd Line Depots. You occasionally see the batteries described as Divisional Training Batteries in 1916 (numbered as per intended division). In January 1916 all 3rd Line Artillery Depot units moved permanently to their affiliated Artillery Training School built to accomodate 2,100 men and 426 horses. The 2nd Line RHA T.F. were also concentrated at Larkhill (as 3rd Lines were still very small) with accomodation for 1,100 men and 250 horses. There were also remount horses housed at each site.

 

 

 

 

 

When call ups started as a result of the Derby Scheme and then conscription, new regulars were also sent and attached to these schools, which were renamed Reserve Brigades T.F. by August 1916. They were given regular numbers but if they were posted to a T.F. Battery or Ammunition Column after training and before the end of 1916 their number would have be changed to reflect the T.F. renumbering to six figures as per A.C.I. 2198 (Appendix 183) of November 1916. Often you will see two changes of number within a short space of time to reflect old and new T.F. numbers. Likewise, a T.F. man might gain a regular number if he was sent to a regular reserve brigade and posted on to a regular unit. Confusion continued into 1917 until it was decided that the number should reflect the attestation the soldier was serving under. This led to a good many men gaining a second six figure number within the RH & RFA.

 

 

 

 

 

Also towards the end of 1916, selected men from each Reserve Brigade were formed into Howitzer batteries in the 500 series. See

After a short period of training (mostly at Aldershot or Bordon) these men were sent overseas, some before their 2nd Line counterparts. An injured or sick man from any RH & RFA T.F. unit who was returned to the UK would ultimately find himself back at a Reserve Brigade once fully recovered, ready for posting again. He may have also gone through Royal Artillery & Tank Corps Command Depot at Catterick or possibly Woolwich RHA Depot (No. 10 Reserve Brigade).

 

 

 

 

 

ACI 469 (Appendix 47) of 1916 laid down the Establishments for Permanent Cadre and those attached to the schools. The numbers appear to increase slightly when becoming Reserve Brigades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ianjonesncl]

Well worthy of your 1,000th post.

Interesting that the TF continued to expand even though the New Army was very much the mechanism to met the demand for more men.

[battiscombe]

very useful to have that framework to work with - thanks for sharing it.

[E Wilcock]

That is invaluable.. Thank you. You have taught me so much this morning. The school place names keep cropping up in service records for "my" 243 Brigade but I knew nothing about them. I need to copy your post and file it away.

[bcarleton]

I have a photo of my grandfather at Artillery School No. 2 circa 1912. It says 'Devon' - so I'm thinking the lineup was different prior to this 1915 listing (which I really appreciate).

Any chance you have a similar description of the 1912-1914 Territorial Force training camps or schools?

[battiscombe]

I am not sure there were any 'Artillery Schools' as such in 1912. These were wartime creations.. There were Depots 1,2,3,4 ... by 1914 there are 6 ... and specific 'Reserve Brigades' linked to Depots which have a training role. but none in Devon

If he was a territorial [Wessex brigade?].. Devon would be 4th Wessex... 2nd Devon Battery was at paington .. artillery ranges at Okehampton [Devon], used by regulars and Territorials.

RFA No.2 Officer Cadet School was later in Exeter.. but this was a wartime [1916? maybe] creation [ it had both officer cadets, officer instructors and a staff of artilleryman..]... might this be it..?

some details of your grandfather might help clarify ...

[CSMMo]

David, thank you for your post. Also at #5 School (or later, when at Scotton Camp, Catterick, 5th Brigade) was the school for Mountain Gunners. While I am studying the 4th Highland Mountain Brigade, RGA (TF) with 6 digit numbers starting at 300000 and 301000, I was seeing gunners with 4th HMB numbers assigned to mountain gun units all over Mesopotamia, Africa and Salonika where the 4th HMB was assigned. If I read your post correctly and can infer therefrom, all TF soldiers (newly enlisted or returning to duty) belonging to the TF who trained in mountain guns at Catterick, would have been numbered with these 300000 + numbers, regardless of whether they were assigned to the 4th HMB in Salonika or sent out to fill up a mountain gun unit in another theater. Does that sound right?. If so, that would clear up some confusion I have had. I found it hard to believe that all of these men transferred from assignment to the 4th HMB in Salonika to other mountain gun units in other theaters.

I think I understand, but correct me if I am (still) wrong. Thanks again for your interesting post.

Mike Morrison

[David Porter]

Mike,

You are quite right, I forgot to add "C" Mountain Battery RGA to No. 5. School at Catterick. I'm pretty sure this is where some 3/4th Lowland Bde RFA transfers to 4th Highland Mountain Bde RGA happened in late May 1916. They were shipped out from Devonport to Alexandria shortly afterwards and to Salonika in September 1916. As you say they were renumbered in the 300xxx range. The RGA numbers were assigned by local TF record offices before the records were centralised at Dover at the beginning of 1917.

[CSMMo]

Thanks again David. A little more clearing has occurred!

Mike Morrison

[dagraves79]

Excellent delving work David Porter.

Have been specifically researching No' 6 RTB at Biscot (Luton). Lots of information about the camp, including maps, war diaries etc at www.worldwar1luton.com

The war diaries of C and D batteries have already been uploaded, including spotting the posting in of a certain Lt. Dennis Wheatley.

[David Porter]

Amazing to see the War Diaries of "C" and "D" batteries at Luton. Where did you find them and are there more like this?

[centurion]

Presumably one role of these schools was to facilitate the TFs move from the 15 pounder to the 18 pounder.

[David Porter]

I think you are spot on there, Centurion. The first time 1/1st Somerset RHA encountered the 18 pdr was on a short visit to Larkhill in January 1916. These schools were the logical places to have tuition on the new guns. They were then rolled out as and when the units were sent overseas.

[dagraves79]

Amazing to see the War Diaries of "C" and "D" batteries at Luton. Where did you find them and are there more like this?

Firepower Museum at Woolwich holds the files for all the RTB's, although I warn you in advance that every school, apart from Luton, has about 4 sheets of heavily summarised information. I was lucky in that number 6 RTB seems to have 'not got the memo' about keeping their record keeping to a minimum.

I have copies of all the war diaires, that Firepower knows exist, with me here at Luton...My WW1 Project volunteers are presently transcribing and uploading them.

I especially like it when I see something in the diaries that corresponds with information taken from The Luton News etc e.g. Regimental Sports Days in July

[David Porter]

I have copies of all the war diaires, that Firepower knows exist, with me here at Luton...My WW1 Project volunteers are presently transcribing and uploading them.

Does this mean you have information on 1 through to 8? If so, I certainly would like to see it.

Also, have you got the 6th Reserve Brigade, C & D Battery diaries in a downloadable format (e.g. PDF) as it has been split into monthly web pages.

I will also say that the diaries do echo my findings regarding postings and transfers. Thank you for binging this to my attention.

[dagraves79]

Hi David,

The war diaries are being uploaded in sections, purely to facilitate machine reading (i.e. I searched for Wheatley, and found Dennis Wheatley in the database), but they are originally typed into MS Word Format. I will convert them into .pdf

My mail was a bit misleading, I have Number 6's papers. The rest of them, are with Firepower and available in their reading room. Or you can email them requesting photocopies be sent to you of Numbers 1-8 EXCLUDING 6 (it's expensive if you get the Luton wedge in too, but if you do want them, by all means it's another £20+). They will bill you shortly afterwards, and you're helping keep a vital museum resource up and running.

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[clive_hughes]

Nice to know that I'm sitting less than a mile from the site of No.2 TF Artillery School - I'd always assumed it was just called Bettisfield Park Camp! It does explain why some photos of the personnel here have the larger brass shoulder titles T/RFA/ Blankshire or wherever. Nothing to be seen now on site - it's reverted to greenfield, having been rebuilt from scratch as a WW2 camp and then demolished again. A couple of the old WW1 camp huts are still in use locally as village halls!

Alan Wakefield (editor) Plough and Scatter: The Diary-journal of a First World War Gunner (Haynes 2009 hardback, 2012 pb) includes 10 months of J.Ivor Hanson the author's training here.

Clive

[dagraves79]

PDF's of C - D Battery are here.

[dagraves79]

No 6' RTB RA at Biscot Camp, further war diaries have been uploaded. These ones from HQ, showing the move from Kettering & High Wycombe to Luton (Biscot). Plus lots of juicy detail about who the instructors were etc.

http://www.worldwar1luton.com/stories/surviving-war-diaries-biscot-camp-luton.

[dagraves79]

Final batch of diaries from Biscot Camp have been uploaded this evening.

Available as .pdf and readable browser copy.

Try searching the site for any RFA relatives you have...If they're officers and went through No' 6 RTB, then the database will have indexed them.

[Sheffieldguy]

I thought I read that the West Yorkshire RHA left Larkhill for Heytesbury camp (Knook camp) in Wiltshire. I do not see this in the list below. Any ideas where this camp fitted in the scheme?