54th East Anglian Division

[Guest G Walton]

Thought you might find this post to me by MIDMED (Tom) interesting.

My grandfather Willie Hemmingway Clay was in the Herts battery of the Territorials RFA (became 54th) and in the Gaza battles in Palestine.

When you said nothing was written about them, I understand there is a book by JD Sainsbury 'The Hertfordshire Batteries, Royal Field Artillery'

available from Amazon,

By Sept 1914 the 1st Northhants, 1 & 2nd Herts Btys had been embodied and mobilised for active service overseas with the 273rd (CCLXXIII) brigade which at this time was part of the territorial 54th (East Anglian) divisional Royal Field Artillery. The 54th Division was a pre war formation created by the demise of the old volunteer system and the establishment of the Territorial Force in 1908. During the war the 54th Division’s infantry Brigades moved to Gallipoli, landing at Suvla Bay on the 10th August 1915, the three Divisional Artillery Brigades remained in England.

By December 1916 reforms to the field artillery had ment the disbandment of the heavy brigades at divisional level with the heavy’s being reorganised and controlled by Corps commanders .The divisional artillery compliment of four brigades was reduced to three, here we must note the CCLXXIII (273rd) brigade remained with the 54th division and was renumbered and designated CCLXX (270th) brigade.

''The boys were awfully proud of there RFA status, One must note to the consternation of all ranks the batteries of the brigade once relieved of there heavy artillery took up a R.H.A roll and were trained by R.H.A batteries of the E.E.F to attack at the gallop with 18 pdr's . Needless to say this brigade became a 1st class unit and quite fearless in action on the western coast of Palestine.''

By November 1915 the Artillery was assembled at Thetford in Norfolk and made ready to move independently to France. On the 16th and 17th the brigades entrained and moved by rail to Southampton the vanguard arriving at 2.00pm on the 16th, the last elements to arrive at the docks detrained the next day at 3.00pm on the 17th.

The brigades were split into two groups the first embarked on the SS.S.W. Miller, the second on the SS. City Of Benares .On the 17th the sea was calm and the moon was bright as the transports were escorted across the channel to La Havre. The Miller landed at La Havre the next day but the Benares was delayed and had wait offshore for some time before landing the next morning, the last troops had disembarked by 12.30pm on the 19th. On landing at La Havre the CCLXXIII Brigade consisted of a Brigade H.Q, 1ST and 2nd Hertfordshire batteries, the 1st Northampton Battery, the East Anglian heavy battery and Brigade ammunition Column.

Under orders of the 33rd (service) Division the brigade immediately marched to billets at La Croquet, on the night of the 22nd the troops stayed overnight at Morbecque. By the 24th the brigade arrived at billets at Thiennes, On the 26th of November the brigade was handed over to General Officer Commanding, Royal Artillery, 47th (London) division and marched to billets at Lieres. Later that day the brigade fired it first shots in anger during the Great War, the 1st Herts Battery in action in support of 47th division east of Vermelles. On the 10th of January 1916 the brigade was ordered to Lillers, the move to be made in two groups .

The next day the troops marched to Berguette railhead and entrained for Marseilles. The CCLXXIII brigade strength on the 11th of January was.

15 Officers

288 Other Ranks

At this time the 54th divisional artillery was ordered to rejoin its division’s infantry brigades who by February had arrived in Egypt after service in the Gallipoli campaign. On the 23rd of February the brigade embarked on the SS. Andania and sailed from Marseilles for Egypt arriving at Alexandra on the 9th March.

By the end March the 54th Divisional artillery had again been assembled at Mena camp near Cairo, by the end of May the brigade had moved east here they would man the southern defences of the Suez canal. On the 28th of May the 270th (CCLXX) brigade relieved 4th Australian divisional artillery and took over the defence of Serapeum on the east bank of the canal. Here the routine of garrison duties began, gun position were dug and guns registered. At this time C battery (4.5-inch Howitzers) was in positions at El- Ferdan near the railhead east of Ismalia and Moascar camps. Throughout the rest of 1916 the troops manned the south eastern defences of the Suez canal The weeks were marked with training and lectures and in August and September the brigade guns took a prominent role in a live fire exercises with H.M.S Scarab and H.M.S Ladybird, noted were several hostile aircraft In Jan 1917 the 54th and the 53rd divisions were relived of there garrison duties on the Suez canal and at Moascar camp

Throughout February 1917 preparations were made for the march east to positions south of Gaza. On the 25th the brigade arrived and took up defensive positions at El Arish Lieutenant-Colonel H. Sowler commanding . Sir Archibald Murray ordered the first assults on Gaza “the gateway to Palestine”. the 53rd division with the 54th division in support to assault and encircle Gaza on the 26th of March. The start line for the attack was to be approximately two miles south of Gaza, On the 8th the CCLXX brigade had been grouped with the 162nd infantry brigade.This fine territorial infantry brigade in part comprised the 1/10th London and the 1/ 4th Northamptonshire Regiments, by the 25th the brigades batteries were well forward with the infantry at positions east of Deir El Bela. .The Commander in chief E.E.F was instructed to relieve the Turkish threat to Egypt and Suez, then push east with a view to establishing a forward start line for major offensive operations in Palestine during the autumn. The objective would be to take Gaza with its plentiful supply of fresh water.

I don't know if these chaps were the worst in the British Army but I for one are grateful for their contribution.

Regards

Garry

[steve fuller]

I don't know if these chaps were the worst in the British Army but I for one are grateful for their contribution.

Regards

Garry

Nice post Garry - thanks.

No way were they the worst, absolutely not! From their first action to their last, they did everything they were told, despite the casualties & it was only the bigger tactical decisions that withdrew them from their gains:

Kiretch Tepe - 162 Bgde took the positions but were withdrawn to straighten the line out as the irish to their west got slaughtered & ran out of men to make any further progress

1st 2 Gaza'a - held their alloted positions until told to withdraw due to the overall failure of the attack (due in part to the General's nerve not hlding out)

Umbrella Hill raid was so successful that the Divisional symbol was assigned in honour

3rd Gaza & onwards - same stuff. Took their alloted objectives, or held against sozeable raids on their defensive positions every time that Ive read (mainly regrading the Beds of course!).

When mud sticks, its hard to wash off & Stopford very wrongly accused the Division of being unable to attack after the first 2 Bgdes had done damned well at Suvla & the third one hadnt even landed! So (despite the fact he was sacked during thier first battle) it was probably easier to write them off as Trench holders rather than risk further failure that would tarnish the Generals rep's.

Funny things - although I only speak from the Beds perspective, they left gallipoli with just over 200 men, so how they can say they werent any good is beyond me - they certainly gave it everything they could! & they were reinforced with old 1st & 2nd Btn (Regulars & Old Contemptibles) men in Feb 1916, so had a veteran Btn that trained for a further 12 months with little action. So by the time Palestine kicked off, they were a fine force without doubt.

Anyway, waffle over!! Ill shut up now!

[dsowerby]

I would dispute the idea that the 54th were just "laying pipe" in Egypt and Palestine 1916-18. In fact their Artillery (which never made it to Gallipoli, heading to France instead in late 1915 before rejoining the Division in 1916) had a pretty distinguished service with the EEF. The WD's and communiques i have seen about them for this period seem to show as well a respected and professional set of Guns as any Division had.

Thanks,

David

[connaughtranger]

As a result of a raid on Umbrella Hill in July 1917, 19 MM's were awarded to the 54th Division and General Allenby published an order to be read to all units praising the fine fighting of the 1/5th Beds.

[Guest]

My great uncle , a private in the 4th Norfolk’s wrote home ( I have the five page letter) to say he was wounded in the second battle of Gaza. An eloquent letter describing the engagement, the carnage and almost reaching Jacko’s lines with few comrades remaining, his officers dead, his sergeants dead and even his corporal. Hardly a poor show! Carnage worse than the Western front.

[DavidOwen]

15 minutes ago, Graham Hudson said:

My great uncle , a private in the 4th Norfolk’s wrote home ( I have the five page letter) to say he was wounded in the second battle of Gaza. An eloquent letter describing the engagement, the carnage and almost reaching Jacko’s lines with few comrades remaining, his officers dead, his sergeants dead and even his corporal. Hardly a poor show! Carnage worse than the Western front.

Graham

 

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like a fascinating letter. This is an old thread so if you have any questions re your relative's service etc. it might be best to start a new thread in Soldiers and their units with his name, service number and Regt. in the title.

 

Regards

 

David

[rob carman]

Graham,

David's suggestion is a good way to go.  I am a keen fan of 4 Norfolks and so I am looking forward to hearing more of your uncle. 

Rob.

[barkalotloudly]

On ‎06‎/‎08‎/‎2019 at 13:28, rob carman said:

Graham,

David's suggestion is a good way to go.  I am a keen fan of 4 Norfolks and so I am looking forward to hearing more of your uncle. 

Rob.

I purchased a photograph album of the 4th Norfolk`s in Palestine not so long ago with quite a few of the photographs named   

[rob carman]

2 hours ago, barkalotloudly said:

I purchased a photograph album of the 4th Norfolk`s in Palestine not so long ago with quite a few of the photographs named   

 

Are you up for giving any details on the compiler, a name or company, home town? Is there a "Tunaley" featured at all?