An Explanation

On the 1st July 1899 The Royal Artillery was divided into Garrison and Field Artillery. The Royal Field Artillery was then divided into: Horse batteries, Field batteries and Mountain batteries.

The field batteries were numbered 1-103 and had their depot at Woolwich. A battery was commanded by a major with a captain as 2nd in command. It was divided into 2 or 3 sections each commanded by a lieutenant and consisting of a detachment of two guns.

The field batteries were stationed around Britain, 2 or 3 being garrisoned together under a lieutenant-colonel. In a war situation 3 batteries would form a brigade division and added to an infantry division.

There were ten Mountain batteries (numbered 1-10) and they served in India. Their uniform was the same as that of the Field Artillery except for their lace boots and gaiters which were brown instead of black.

At the outbreak of the First World War, a typical Battery was made up of four units. named "A" battery, "B" battery, "C" battery and "D" battery.

A, B and C batteries consisted of six guns to each battery. These guns were 18 pounders. The fourth Battery “D” usually consisted of Howitzers.

An 18 Pounder field gun fired 3.3inch (84mm) caliber shells, which weighed 18.5lb (8.4kg) each. There were four types of shells, High explosive, Shrapnel, Smoke and Gas. A well trained crew could fire 30 rounds a minute.

Each field gun had a crew of ten men. Six of these operated it in action. The limber is drawn by a team of six horses with a driver on one side of each pair, each of the artillerymen on the gun would have a number:-

No.1 in command, (usually a Sergeant)
No.2 Operates breech mechanism.
No.3 Limbers and unlimbers (with no.2) and fires the gun.
No.4 Limbers up and unlimbers ammunition wagon (with 5 and 6).
No.5 and 6 Hook in and unhook ammunition team
No.6 operates the fuse indicator.
No.7 and 8 are Reserves at the wagon line and assists with ammunition and replacing any casualties on the gun.
No.10 "Coverer" takes over in the event of an injury to number 1, but looks after wagon teams in the mean time.