Daniell's Battery

[johnshep]

I have been looking at the WDs of the artillery units that were assisting 9 Corps from the northern part of the ANZAC sector in late August 1915 and I could do with a bit of help in identifying Daniell's Battery. Its difficult to tell from the diaries whether they are a 'stand alone' Australian unit or a 2-gun section that had been put under the command of 2nd Battery NZFA and were a constituent part of that battery. Contexts sometimes imply the former, at other times they seem to point to the latter.

Can anyone clarify please?

Many thanks

John

[corisande]

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1N...y-d1-d6-d5.html

and

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1N...body-d1-d6.html

Have references to Danniels's Battery. Not sure from reading them whether it helps answer your question or not

[johnshep]

Not sure from reading them whether it helps answer your question or not

It does indeed help, and thanks for reminding me about this source. I had looked at it many months ago but for some reason it had gone off my radar.

It is now possible to reconstruct Daniell's Battery in a way that is consistent with this account and the references in the WDs. Capt G E Daniell is mentioned first on 26 July when he is i/c 6th (Howitzer) Battery. On 7 August, a Battery is formed as a scratch unit with 2 unused 18pdrs awaiting collection from the Anzac sector by 9 Corps (nice one!), and 2 borrowed guns from the Australians. The CO is Capt Daniell. After firing with open sights on counter-attacking Turks near The Farm on 10 August, they are joined by 2 guns of 2nd Battery NZFA at Taylors Hollow, and on 19 August by the remaining 2 guns of 2nd Battery. Sometime before 21 August, Daniells is down to 2 guns - 9 Corps having reclaimed theirs.

From this I would infer that when it was formed it was treated as a stand-alone unit. On being reduced to a section of two guns it seems to have been tacked on to 2nd Battery under Maj Hume. Presumably being near 2nd Battery and with Maj Hume being his senior, Daniell had 'dotted line' reporting responsibility to Hume who at this stage had a de facto battery with 3 sections.

When the OH referes to 2 Australian guns assisting 9 Corps on 21 August, it is presumably therefore referring to Daniell's Battery/Section.

Does this look plausible?

John

[Bryn]

'During this period, however, there were a number of 18prs. lying idle on the beach at Anzac, waiting to be taken over by certain of the batteries which were to land at Suvla Bay. As the 9th Corps had as yet displayed little signs of life, the likelihood of these guns being claimed for a day or two seemed small, so it was decided to man them with such men as could be spared from other batteries and bring them into use. One battery of two of these guns, and two 18prs. borrowed from the Australians was placed under command of Captain G. E. Daniell. It was emplaced on the flat immediately to the north of the old line, whence it shot at Chunuk Bair over open sights, and in return got freely shelled and shot at by enemy snipers to a very uncomfortable extent. A second battery, formed in a similar manner, was commanded by Lieutenant H. J. Daltry, but the guns were taken away very soon after the battery was formed.' (The History of the NZ Artillery NZEF, 1914 - 1918 pp81-2).

From this description the battery appears to have been located somewhere out in the vicinity of Fisherman's Hut, northern Anzac.

There is another mention of the 'scratch battery manning the 18prs. of the R.F.A.' firing into the masses of Turkish troops pouring down the slopes of Chunuk Bair on 10 August (p85), two guns of the 2nd Battery were moved from Plugge's Plateau to the north and joined the scratch battery (p86). 'Daniell's' Battery (two Australian guns)' is said to have supported the Hill 60 attack on 21 Aug, so it appears that by then the 9th Corps guns had been retrieved.

'Late on the afternoon of the 21st one of the guns in 'Daniell's' Battery was completely destroyed by a shell which burst in the bore, fortunately without wounding any of the crew. The gun, which had been borrowed from the Australians, was replaced by one from the 2nd Battery.' (p88).

Daniells is mentioned as commanding the 6th Battery in October 1915.

[bluedog]

Byrn

Well done Mate , you have done it again , locating a battery.

Not that long ago you solved the mystery of Holgate's.

Peter

[johnshep]

Thanks very much for that Bryn. I think I can fill in another gap in the story.

It looks to me as if 4 guns from 9 Corps belonging to C Battery 58th Brigade RFA were landed in the Anzac sector (not sure exactly when), 2 of which were borrowed by Daniells Battery. The men and horses from C Battery arrived at Suvla on 7 August but had to wait until 11 August before being disembarked. There was a bit of further delay so that they could organise 8 horse teams to collect the guns, but they set off for Anzac at 18.00 on 13 August and hauled the guns back overland with the help of a guide from the New Zealand contingent as the route along the beach would have been too soft. The guns were overhauled on arrival early morning 14 August and fired their first rounds when dug in at 08.30 on 15 August.

Some familiar themes about all of this.

John