KONDOA Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 545 Siege Battery was formed from the gunners and officers of the 11th (Hull) Heavy Battery RGA in Feb/March 1918 under the command of Major B.E. Floyd. It then went into position (July) around the Lys salient until the German withdrawal. The battery then joined 47th Brigade RGA for a while but then disappeared? Last known position was Saulsoir on Nov 11th 1918. Can anyone fill in the gaps (July - Nov). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 545 Siege Battery was allotted to XIII Corps for the crossing of the Selle 11 - 17/10/18. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenwoodman Posted 24 August , 2004 Share Posted 24 August , 2004 Got your PM. Info came from Farndale "History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery Western Front 1914-1918" - its the only mention. Good luck with the hunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rflory Posted 25 August , 2004 Share Posted 25 August , 2004 11th (Hull) Heavy Battery, RGA served in East Africa until late January 1918. It then returned to the UK landing at Plymouth on 31 January 1918. It was rearmed with four 6" guns and redesignated as 545th Siege Battery, RGA on 1 March 1918. It went out to the Western Front on 17 July 1918 (the guns did not arrive until 21st July 1918) and joined Second Army on 27 July 1918, becoming Army Troops. (This information is from "Allocations of Siege Battys., RGA" [WO95/5494]. "Order of Battle of the British Armies in France" issued by General Staff, GHQ, on 11 Nov 18, on the other hand, indicates that 545 Siege Battery served with 4th Army. The Battery's War Diary from January 1918 to September 1918 is in the National Archives at WO95/476. Major Basil Edward Floyd commanded 11th (Hull) Heavy Battery, RGA in East Africa from 6 February 1916 until 31 January1918. For his services in East Africa he was awarded a Military Cross (London Gazette, 1 January1918) and French Croix de Guerre with Palm (London Gazette 31 August 1917) and was Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 8 February 1918. From 17 July 1918 to 11 November 1918 he was Officer Commanding of the 545th Siege Battery, R. G. A. and was again Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette of 6 August 1918. He served in the Royal Artillery in the years between the wars and was promoted to Brigadier in 1941. Floyd served as Commander, Royal Artillery, Malta from May 1940 to May 1941; Brigadier, Antiaircraft Artillery, Desert Force, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force; and as Brigadier, Antiaircraft Artillery, 9th Army, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force until he retired on 18 July 1942 with the rank of Honourary Brigadier. Regards. Dick Flory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 19 April , 2006 Share Posted 19 April , 2006 Roop I was looking back at some diary extracts and Order of Battle maps for June/July 18 and I am fairly sure the attached is 545 Siege position during this period. At this time X1 Corps had under its command 3 X 6 inch batteries - 521, 544 & 545. 49th Brigade had under its control 521 battery and for administration purposes 544 Siege in squares J27a & J21d respectively. Therefore the attached would indicate 545's position 6 inch batteries are circles with dots. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 20 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 20 April , 2006 Morning Stuart, Thanks for that extract. I shall have a look at my info and see if it ties up. According to my information though 545SB did not reach their positions until August 4th - 8th but did later take over positions from 521SB.The map reference looks familiar though. Which map is this you are using it looks rather interesting. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 20 April , 2006 Share Posted 20 April , 2006 Thanks for that extract. I shall have a look at my info and see if it ties up. According to my information though 545SB did not reach their positions until August 4th - 8th but did later take over positions from 521SB.The map reference looks familiar though. Which map is this you are using it looks rather interesting. Roop If 545 siege took over a position from 521 siege it throws a spanner in the works. The following map is an artillery map for 1st Army from WO153. I had to reduce it a fair bit so the definition may suffer. The little green square at the bottom is a 6 inch Howitzer battery from 13 Corps HA, which is the corps 545 were attached to and posted with. The dots are 60 pounders, the triangles 4.5 Howitzers and the square inside a square 8 inch/9.2 Hows. The chequered flat usually indicates Army HQ. Any bit of info on 521 Siege you have would be useful, it was one of my grandfathers batteries. Odd to think that when the batteries changed over they may have met. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 21 April , 2006 Share Posted 21 April , 2006 Roop Here's the key to the dots and blobs Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 21 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 21 April , 2006 Morning Stuart, I am away from my files at the moment. I shall have a look over the weekend and extract what I have although it is not a great deal re 521SB. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KONDOA Posted 21 April , 2006 Author Share Posted 21 April , 2006 Stuart On the night of the 1st August 1918 two guns were got into position at 36A J26a a position recently vacated by 521SB (Left Section) Third gun positioned J31b 8.2 on the 10th August, fourth gun joined it on the 14th August.(Right Section) August 23rd one gun moved to K31C 4.5 from J31C second gun joins it 24th. (Right Section) 545 would be classified as a 6" Gun Battery on your map rather than a Siege Battery them being equipped with Mk19 Guns. Roop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essdee Posted 24 April , 2006 Share Posted 24 April , 2006 Roop Many thanks for the diary extract. I will have to go back to the maps and look again to see if there is a later, updated version of X1 Corps HA artillery for July/August. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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