Royal Garrison Artillery at Lydd, Kent

[Nick Keyes]

Grateful for help in researching what Royal Garrison Artillery units and training school(s) were in Lydd during WW1, and for any recs on relevant books.  My grandfather Major Arthur V. Langton RGA’s very sketchy record of service has him posted to ‘Siege Artillery Lydd’ on 16 June 1916 (after two years with 43 Company RGA with coastal guns at Fort Carlisle, Queenstown, County Cork).  Perhaps he was an instructor at a Lydd training establishment, perhaps he went to France with a battery?

[FROGSMILE]

Nick this information is from a website covering WW1 activity in Kent:

“Similarly to Hythe, Lydd was also renowned as a military town even prior to the First World War, housing an established Army Training Camp for the Royal Garrison Artillery.  The School of Siege Artillery was based there and served as an important training facility. As well as this, as a sister to the Hythe Ranges, the Lydd Ranges were a part of the Cinque Ports Firing Ranges, which also included a military hospital. The Lydd Ranges had been used for trials of techniques and munitions, with the explosive Lyddite taking its name from the place where it was developed.

The First World War saw the expansion of Lydd as a military garrison, and the Camp was extended through the building of metal huts which were known to the locals as Tin Town. Men from Lydd served in all theatres of the War, and those who lived and trained at the Army Barracks were joined by a variety of combatants from Canadian riflemen and the Australian forces.

It is interesting to note that within the Army Camp itself there were over five miles of railway track. The railway link from Lydd to Ashford was operated by the South Eastern Railway, and traffic was greatly increased during the war as it was a direct route for supplies to the Camp and for other training facilities within the area. In 1916 the No 2 Royal Flying Corps Balloon School was established in partnership to the Siege Artillery Brigade. Balloons were used for artillery range spotting and the balloon sheds and camp were noticeable from the town due to the flat terrain.”

Edited 11 December , 2021 by FROGSMILE

[ororkep]

Nick,

To fill in some gaps:

Major A V Langton left 43 Company, Fort Carlisle on 23/11/1915 for a posting at 13 Company RGA, Landguard Fort, Felixstowe. During the month of June 1916 he left for Siege Depot Lydd on the 19th; where he served for less than a month as he was reposted to 13 Company from Lydd in July 1916.  He remained at 13 Company until struck of the strength in August 1917 after which I know no more. Forum member Dick Flory is the man to contact where Arty Officers are concerned.

Rgds Paul

[Nick Keyes]

Dear Frogsmile

 

Many thanks!   Nick Keyes

[Nick Keyes]

Dear Ororkep

Very many thanks!  I got Langton’s record of service from the MOD at Bourne Avenue, Hayes in 1991 - it is prob at the NA now - no mention of 13 Company.  Less than a month at Lydd between postings suggests a course, and I know the school at Lydd ran a Battery Commanders Course which would be about right at his rank.  Thanks to you, I have a unit to follow up on, and you have saved me from chasing wild geese in the shape of the various batteries which formed, trained at Lydd and went overseas, I’m very grateful.

Nick 

[CharlesPeter]

Nick

There is a  c1920s  aerial photo of the Lydd camp on the Britain from Above website - see EPW000066 ENGLAND (1920). Lydd Camp, Lydd, 1920 | Britain From Above.

The site has a history stretching back into the later 19th century when it was a training establishment for use of the largest guns of the RA. The large expanses of the shingle associated with the Dungeness peninsula provided an excellent place to carry out artillery research and various structures were constructed so that these could be bombarded and the results observed. Such pre WW1 activities included the use of balloons for observation and the site retained an association with such training during the subsequent conflict.

The site remains in active military training use and you can get a good idea of its current character using GoogleEarth - the time slider function will take you back to c 1946. What is shown then are  mainly post WW1 ranges for anti tank training. The 1906 OS map available via the NLS website - see View map: Kent LXXXIV.SW (includes: Lydd; Old Romney.) - Ordnance Survey Six-inch England and Wales, 1842-1952 (nls.uk) gives an idea of the early 20th century camp and it will have grown significantly during the Great War.

 

Peter

[Nick Keyes]

Very many thanks, Charles Peter.  

Nick