D Battery, CCLVII Bde RFA, 51st Div

[brownag]

When the 1st Lowland Brigade Royal Field Artillery joined the 51st Highland Division in May 1915 the brigade and the batteries were renamed. What I can't understand from looking at the "Order of battle of Divisions" is that as far as I can see there were three batteries in the 1st Lowland Brigade RFA but they became four batteries in CCLVII brigade?

1st City of Edinburgh Battery became A/CCLVII later A/CCLX

2nd City of Edinburgh Battery became B/CCLVII later B/CCLX

1st Midlothian Battery became C/CCLVII later C/CCLX (and broken up between A and B batteries in August 1916)

So my question is where did D Battery CCLVII Brigade come from?

When the brigade was renumbered to CCLX in June 1916 D/CCLVII was replaced with the former 2nd Renfrewshire Battery RFA which was then called D(H.)/CCLX

I have a secondary question here too. Does anyone know where the former D/CCLVII battery went to after it was replaced on 15.5.1916?

Regards

Adam

[ianjonesncl]

Adam

As a general point the Territorial Force Brigades reorganised from being 3 x gun batteries into 3 x gun Batteries and 1 x howitzer Battery. During this reorganisation the Brigades were re-numbered.

My understanding was the Lowland Brigades of the RFA were part of the 52nd Lowland Division, not the 51st Highland Division. According to this LINK the 1st Lowland Brigade remained on Scottish Coast Defences.

Ian

[rflory]

Ian wrote: My understanding was the Lowland Brigades of the RFA were part of the 52nd Lowland Division, not the 51st Highland Division. According to this LINK the 1st Lowland Brigade remained on Scottish Coast Defences.

I Lowland Bde, RFA TF composed of 1/Edinburgh, 2/Edinburgh and Midlothian Batteries and BAC) remained with the Forth Defences when the 52nd Lowland Division went to France in October 1915. The Brigade went to France on 24 October 1915 and joined 51st (Highland) Division on 10 Oct 15.

Adam wrote:

So my question is where did D Battery CCLVII Brigade come from?

A very good question as Becke seems to ignore that in his discussion of I Lowland Bde, RFA TF.

Regards, Dick Flory

[ianjonesncl]

From the Warpath Orbat SITE I can see the 1st Lowland Brigade ariving in the 51st Division.

The detail outined for D Battery is:

"D Bty. ??(Don't know if this Bty joined before or after the Bde joined the Div).- 15 May 1916. To the CCLVIII Brigade where it became C Bty."

If I have this correctly:

• the 4th Highland Mountain Brigade left the 51st Division March 1915, to be replaced by the 1st Lowland Brigade October 1915.
• D Battery joins 1st Lowland Brigade 15th May 1916
• During the re-organisation of the RFA in May 1916 the Battery moves to what was the 3rd Highland Brigade (Howitzer Brigade) which has now been numbered CCLVIII (258 Brigade) as C Battery
• C Battery 258 Brigade is broken up 21st August 1916
  • Half to A Battery of CCLV (255 Brigade)
  • Half to C Battery of CCLVI (256 Brigade)
• Presumably the 1st Lowland Brigade - now CCLX (260 Brigade) - was left as a 3 gun battery Brigade

The reorganisation of the Lowland Divisional Artillery is even more confusing !

[Ron Clifton]

Hello Adam

To amplify a little what Ian and Dick have said -

In 1914 the RFA of a TF Division consisted of three three-battery brigades of 15-pounders (later replaced by the more modern 18-pounders) and one two-battery brigade of 5" howitzers (similarly replaced by 4.5" howitzers). Each battery had four guns.

In early 1916 each brigade received an extra battery, newly raised in the UK, to bring them up to the same strength as the artillery of a New Army Division.

D Battery, 1 Lowland Brigade was such a new battery, joining the brigade (in 51st Highland Div) at the end of April. Only two weeks later it went to 258 Bde RFA, receiving in exchange the former 2/Renfrew Battery from III Highland (Howitzer) Brigade, which then became D(How) Batt 260 Bde, 257 Brigade having been re-numbered 260 at around the same time.

Yes, it is a very confusing story! If Major Becke, who compiled the Orders of Battle, had not been an officer of the RFA himself I doubt if it would have been possible to decipher even that much: half of the footnotes to the Order of Battle tables seem to deal with the various battery swaps and break-ups in the RFA!

Ron

[brownag]

Many, many thanks for all your help gents. That makes sense now how three batteries became four.

Presumably the 1st Lowland Brigade - now CCLX (260 Brigade) - was left as a 3 gun battery Brigade

Ron

It was but only for a short time. According to Becke C/CCLX was broken up in August 1916 and half went to A/CCLX and half went to B/CCLX.

Kind regards

Adam