ROYAL
FIELD ARTILLERY
During World War One the British Army
used two mobile artillery units, The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal
Horse Artillery (RHA). Both units used horse-drawn gun limbers; however the RHA
limbers were navigated by two drivers, each riding one of the six
light-draughts horses, whereas the RFA drivers sat on the limber while handling
the horses.
Since the RHA used smaller caliber guns they were mobile and served with
Cavalry brigades, whereas the RFA used heavier calibre weapons and served with
Infantry Divisions.
When supporting infantry divisions, the RFA batteries would position
their guns behind the infantry to support either their advancement or
protection if under attack. If the infantry were attacked, the guns would
continue their support until the very last minute, before being withdrawn.
Fred was assigned to the RFA 43rd
Brigade, which was formed prior to the British Expeditionary Force’s deployment
to France. The 43rd included the 30th, 40th and 57th
(Howitzer) Batteries, which were equipped with 4.5 inch Howitzers[i]
Upon formation, it was attached to the 1st Infantry Division, I Corps; which
was commanded by General Haig. [ii]
The 1st Infantry Division was under the command of Major-General S.H.
Lomax, and comprised of a number of brigades, each containing multiple infantry
regiments. The following list displays the brigade’s number, then the quantity
and name of the regiments, such as, 2nd Brigade: 2/ Royal Sussex Regiments,
denotes that two Royal Sussex Regiments served in the 2nd Brigade:
1st (Guards) Brigade : 1/Coldstream Guards; 1/Scots
Guards; 1/Black Watch; 2/Royal Munster Fusiliers
2 nd Brigade: 2/Royal Sussex Regiment; 1/Loyal
North Lancashire Regiment; 1/Northamptonshire Regiment; 2/King Rifle Corps
3rd
Brigade: 1/Queen’s
(Royal West Surrey Regiment); 1/South Wales Borderers; 1/Gloucester Regiment;
“A” Squadron, 15th Hussars
5th Brigade: 2/Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire
Light Infantry; 2/Worcester Regiment; 2/Highland Light Infantry; 2/Connaught
Rangers
6th
Brigade: 1/King’s
(Liverpool Regiment); 2/South Staffordshire Regiment; 1/Royal Berkshire
Regiment; 1/King’s Royal Rifle Corps; “B” Squadron, 15th Hussars
In 1914 each RFA brigade contained three
artillery batteries. Each battery included two gun sections with six guns.
There were a total of 198 men, who included a battery commander, who held the
rank of Major (or Captain), a second-in-command with a rank of Captain. Others
who served within a battery included: a Battery Sergeant-Major, Battery
Quartermaster, who held the rank of Sergeant, a Farrier-Sergeant, 4 Shoeing
Smiths, 2 Saddlers, 2 Wheelers, 2 Trumpeters, 7 Sergeants, 7 Corporals, 11
Bombardiers, 75 Gunners, 70 Drivers and 10 Gunners acting as Batmen[iii]. Each battery section had 3 Lieutenants (or 2nd
Lieutenants) in charge. [iv]
A battery also had a small contingent of men trained as signalers /
telephonists, which were responsible for maintaining open phone lines between
forward observation posts and the battery, which was critical for reporting
fire accuracy or target locations. Lines were repeatedly severed by shellfire,
forcing signallers to crawl along the wire in order to locate and repair the
break, usually while under shell and or rifle fire. Their lives were often
placed in jeopardy in order ensure the battery’s ability to continue firing. As
a signaler, Fred’s journal accurately describes the hazards faced by this small
contingent of men.
Howitzer brigades used a 4.5 inch gun, which were manned by a six man
crew and could fire 4 rounds per minute; with a maximum range of around 7,000
yards.
Loading a shell required the shell to be loaded first and rammed home
with a short wooden rammer, then cartridge case was placed into the chamber and
the breech closed then the gun fired.
Mounted on the inside of the gun shield near the top was a slide-rule-
like fuse indicator. The indicator was used for setting the time on shrapnel
shell fuses made them burst at the ideal point for greatest effect. Each shell
contained 480 lead alloy balls, which would be released when the shell
exploded.
SIGNALLERS
When a battery arrived at a battle
position, the signallers were responsible for immediately running wire to a
forward observation post, each battery section, and to headquarters. When messages
from the forward post were received at headquarters, assessments were made
before sending firing instructions to the gun batteries.
Two signallers were always on duty serving as operators Inside the Battery
Telephone dug-out.
The most commonly used field phone was the Fullerphone called the D3
(pronounced Don 3) telephone, as well as the Fuller Four-plus-three exchange[v].
Both of these phones were invented by Captain
Fuller.[vi]
The lines to each station would be
tested by sending a Morse code ‘OK’; if
a station didn’t respond it meant that the line was broken – termed ‘Dis’. A
break in a line required two signallers to be sent out immediately to find and repair
the break. During a battle this task was extremely dangerous for signallers
were exposed to both artillery and rifle fire.
During a battle, and contrary to their
training, signallers would run phone lines over open ground, hang them in trees
or bury them.
Because weather impacted the flight of shells,
a weather reports would be sent to each battery twice a daily; then artillery
officers would use various calculations and adjustments before ordering the
guns to fire.
When the batteries were firing, observers
in forward observation post would watch where the shells landed and report back
to the Battery the range, and degrees left or right[vii]
of the intended target.
[i]
a cannon with a bore diameter greater than 30 mm and a maximum elevation of 60
degrees
that fires
projectiles in a curved trajectory
[ii]
The Long, Long Trail, The British artillery of 1914-1918 http://www.1914-1918.net/whatartbrig.htm
[iii]
[iii] Batman: A soldier that takes care of
everyday life so that an officer could concentrate on commanding.
[iv]
The Long, Long Trail, What was an artillery brigade http://www.1914-1918.net/whatartbrig.htm
[v]
This portable field telephone exchange created in
miniature the same service rendered by an ordinary permanent exchange. The
exchange could take four incoming lines, all of which could be connected to
each other by the exchange operator, who could also send and receive calls on
each of the four lines
[vi]
Hanson, Ivor J., Plough & Scatter
Haynes Publishing, Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset, UK pp 175-176
[vii]
Hanson, Ivor J., pp 175-176
