tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64303906687759067612024-03-12T21:12:41.240-07:005th Sussex (Reserve) BatteryIn Honour of the Men who served with the 5th Sussex (Reserve) Battery, Royal Field Artillery.alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-56585086215422179252009-03-25T02:42:00.000-07:002009-04-03T04:07:04.310-07:00<div align="center">The 5th Sussex (Reserve) Battery was formed on the South Coast and would spend its time in England until October 1917 when it would join the Indian Division in Mesopotamia and take part in the Afghanistan War of 1919. </div><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317064168321835362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScoBsKjH4WI/AAAAAAAAAu0/lfIoG4h7zgU/s320/scan0010.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center">An advert appeared in the Eastboune Gazette calling men to enlist.</div><p align="center"><br /><em><strong>5th Sussex (Reserve) Battery R.F.A.<br /><br />Eastbourne recruits needed</strong><br /><br />Colonel Astley Roberts commanding 2nd H.C. Brigade RFA is strongly desirous that the new battery now being formed should complete its establishment at an early date. Recruiting is proceeding briskly in St. Leonards, Bexhill and Hastings, but it is hoped that Eastbourne and district will be well represented in the new unit.<br /><br />All men between the ages of 17 and 40 who are thinking of joining are urged to do so at once. Recuits can be enrolled any Monday and Wednesday or Friday evenings at 8 at the drill hall, the Goffs.<br /><br />Artificers, such as shoeing smiths, saddlers and wheelers, are especially required. Pay and allowances, at Army rates, will be issued to all ranks.<br /><br />If desired, an interchange with other batteries of the brigade will be arranged subsequently, so that members may be with their friends.<br /><br /></em></p><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><p align="center">A young 17 year old man Edward Midmore would enlist on 24th September 1914. He stayed with the Battery until he was demobilised on 19th December 1919.<br />He saw service in Mesopotamia in 1918 and the Afghanistan uprising and war in 1919, although he was not directly involved in the fighting.<br /><br />His grandson Brian Midmore has kindly let me publish his Grandfathers photographs for this website.<br /></p><p align="center"><br />Contents:</p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/An%20Explanation%20of%20the%20RFA.">An Explanation of the RFA.</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Work%20of%20the%20Royal%20Field%20Artillery.">The Work of the Royal Field Artillery.</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Afghanistan%20War%20-%20May%201919.">The Afghanistan War 1919.</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/Record%20of%20Service">Record of Service.</a></p><p align="center">Pictures:</p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Men%20-%20Casual">The Men - Casual.</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Men%20-%20In%20Uniform">The Men - in Uniform.</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/Pictures%20-%20Camp%20Life">In Camp.</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/Pictures%20-%20In%20Action.">In Action.</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/Pictures%20-%20The%20Guns">Guns</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/Pictures%20-%20The%20Horses.">Horses</a></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/Pictures%20-%20India">In India</a><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://5thsussex.blogspot.com/search/label/Pictures%20-%20Barracks%20and%20Camp">The Barracks and Camp.</a></p><div align="center"><em></em></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><em></em></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-13884254533327641092009-03-23T09:26:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:28:52.857-07:00Pictures - The Guns.<div align="center"><strong>The Guns of the 5th.</strong></div><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpbf7NXUHI/AAAAAAAAAwM/izTKw0B9-jU/s1600-h/scan0001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317162914092109938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpbf7NXUHI/AAAAAAAAAwM/izTKw0B9-jU/s320/scan0001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpba2-SCAI/AAAAAAAAAwE/l8iQ3Yiw1TU/s1600-h/scan0014.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317162827055761410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpba2-SCAI/AAAAAAAAAwE/l8iQ3Yiw1TU/s320/scan0014.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpbV_vLSKI/AAAAAAAAAv8/W1npI63bt2Q/s1600-h/scan0023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317162743508977826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpbV_vLSKI/AAAAAAAAAv8/W1npI63bt2Q/s320/scan0023.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-71719180362989535132009-03-23T09:20:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:24:39.774-07:00<div align="center"><strong>Record of Service.</strong><br /><br />In a pocket New Testament given to him on joining, Edward Midmore kept his own personal record of the places he was posted.<br /><br />Starting in September 1914 at his enlistment in Eastbourne it lists the places up until his involvement in the Afghanistan War of 1919.<br /><br /><strong>1914</strong><br />September 28th – Eastbourne<br />October 5th – St. Leonards<br />November 20th – Slough<br />November 22nd – Windsor.<br />December 5th – Stoke Poges<br /><br /><strong>1915</strong><br />June 4th – Brasted<br />Redhill<br />Maidstone<br />December 22nd – llyd.<br /><br /><strong>1916</strong><br />Sundridge<br />Sailsbury Plain<br />Patrixbourne<br />Canterbury<br />Ramsgate<br />Margate<br />Herne Bay<br />Canterbury (2nd Time)<br />Salisbaury Plain (2nd Time)<br /><br /><strong>On Active Service</strong><br /><br />Left England on 12th October 1917.<br /><br /><strong>France</strong><br />Le Harve<br />Marseilles<br /><br />Malta<br /><br /><strong>Egypt</strong><br />Port Said<br />Port Suez<br />Suez Canal<br /><br />Mesopotamia - November 1917<br />Magil<br />Qurnah<br />Ezras Jamals<br />Aalaf Sabel<br />Amarah<br />Kut<br />Baghdad<br />Samara<br />Tekrit<br />Bagre<br />Fattah<br />Sharqat<br /><br /><strong>India</strong><br />Karachi<br />Ouetta<br />Charriam<br /><br /><strong>Afghanistan 1919</strong><br />Spin Boldak (Capture of).<br /><br />Scilly<br />Corsica.</div><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpaZSjzmKI/AAAAAAAAAv0/pC6QeG-QxsM/s1600-h/1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317161700589541538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpaZSjzmKI/AAAAAAAAAv0/pC6QeG-QxsM/s320/1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpaQF86NrI/AAAAAAAAAvs/Dtk_4v3IjyI/s1600-h/2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317161542586349234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 262px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpaQF86NrI/AAAAAAAAAvs/Dtk_4v3IjyI/s320/2.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpaHU_2OnI/AAAAAAAAAvk/b42HoWRrHrw/s1600-h/3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317161392006380146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpaHU_2OnI/AAAAAAAAAvk/b42HoWRrHrw/s320/3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpZ72oHuiI/AAAAAAAAAvc/NpwtsJdEuAU/s1600-h/4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317161194875238946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 252px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpZ72oHuiI/AAAAAAAAAvc/NpwtsJdEuAU/s320/4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div> </div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-88617905634787288692009-03-23T08:02:00.000-07:002009-03-25T08:10:16.798-07:00The Afghanistan War - May 1919.The 5th Sussex (Reserve) Battery, were involved in the month long Afghanistan War, which started on 3rd May 1919 and ended with an armistice on 3rd June 1919.<br /><br />On 3rd May 1919, Amanullah, the new ruler of Afghanistan, suddenly attacked the British. Amanullah knew how fragile the British positions were on the Afgan border. Together with growing unrest in India, a feeling of British fatigue after the First World War, he tried to strike home a blow that he hoped would consolidate his power at home.<br /><br />Amanullah gave the British ample warning of his intentions. He wrote to the viceroy clearing stating that he rejected the control Britain had over his foreign policy and announced that Afghanistan was fully independent.<br /><br />At the start of the war, the British and Indian forces, not including frontier militia, totalled eight divisions, as well as five independent brigades of infantry and three of cavalry. But whilst they had this large force in existence, it was needed elsewhere as well, and at least initially, within the immediate North-West Frontier area, the resources that the British could use were limited to two horse-mounted cavalry brigades, two infantry divisions, and three frontier brigades as well as a number of frontier militia and irregular corps. Artillery was also in short supply, and the two divisions on the frontier each had only eight 18-pdrs, four 4.5-inch howitzers, and eight 2.75-inch mountain guns. The cavalry brigades were each equipped with four 13-pound guns that were crewed by the Royal Horse Artillery. Machine guns, at least on the Khyber front, were old .303 Maxims.<br /><br />The British gained a command and control advantage with their use of motor transport and wireless communications while armoured cars and RAF detachments increased their firepower and reach, the latter being demonstrated to the Afghans by a bombing raid on Kabul itself.<br />But the main problem for the British was manpower. The troops in India were no longer of the standard that they might otherwise have been at another time. Coming just after the end of a very costly war in Europe, the British will to fight and military-industrial capability to fight another war was very low. The Indian Army had been heavily committed to the First World War and had endured a large number of casualties. Many of its units still had not returned from overseas, and those that had begun a process of demobilisation and as such many regiments had lost almost all their most experienced men.<br /><br />Likewise, the British Army in India had been gutted. Prior to 1914 there had been sixty-one British regiments serving in India. However, of these all but ten (two cavalry and eight infantry) had been withdrawn in order to fight in Europe or the Middle East. In their place, units of the Territorial Army, part time soldiers usually only intended for home defence but who had volunteered for overseas service, had been sent in order to release regular units for the fighting in France. After four years of mundane garrison duty, away from their families and disaffected, most of these men were understandably really only interested in demobilisation and returning to Britain to get on with their lives. They were in no way prepared for a hard fought campaign on the Indian frontier.<br /><br />The Afghan forces achieved some success in the early days of the war as Pashtun tribesmen from both sides of the border joined forces with them. The military skirmishes soon ended in stalemate as the British recovered from their initial surprise. The war did not last long, it had started on 3rd May 1919 and the armistice was signed on 3rd June 1919, however, because both sides were soon ready to sue for peace; the Afghans were unwilling to sustain continued British air attacks on Kabul and Jalalabad, and the British were unwilling to take on an Afghan land war so soon after the bloodletting of World War I. The month long war resulted in about 1,00 Afghan dead and 2,000 British and colonial deaths. What the Afghans did not gain in battle they gained ultimately at the negotiating table.<br /><br />The British virtually dictated the terms of the 1919 Rawalpindi Agreement, a temporary armistice agreement that did provide-somewhat ambiguously-for Afghan autonomy in foreign affairs. Before signing the final document with the British, the Afghans concluded a treaty of friendship with the new Bolshevik regime in the Soviet Union; Afghanistan thereby became one of the first nations to recognize the Soviet government, and a "special relationship" evolved between the two governments.<br /><br />For more information and a timescale : <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Afghan_War">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Afghan_War</a>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-28914616411868947432009-03-23T07:30:00.000-07:002009-03-25T07:35:10.561-07:00Pictures - Camp Life<div align="center"><strong>Pictures of the 5th Sussex enjoying camp life.</strong></div><div align="center"></div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpAZ1Jh29I/AAAAAAAAAvU/-aDYQjZtQJQ/s1600-h/scan0020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317133122572245970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 209px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpAZ1Jh29I/AAAAAAAAAvU/-aDYQjZtQJQ/s320/scan0020.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpASElnfrI/AAAAAAAAAvM/OH9_deiubVM/s1600-h/scan0008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317132989277634226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpASElnfrI/AAAAAAAAAvM/OH9_deiubVM/s320/scan0008.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpANRl1LeI/AAAAAAAAAvE/_GHXgBYsv9Q/s1600-h/scan0011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317132906868846050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpANRl1LeI/AAAAAAAAAvE/_GHXgBYsv9Q/s320/scan0011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpAHuo4hOI/AAAAAAAAAu8/ckwvsDVVNgA/s1600-h/scan0026.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317132811587060962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 204px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpAHuo4hOI/AAAAAAAAAu8/ckwvsDVVNgA/s320/scan0026.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-88044228553322205762009-03-22T09:30:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:32:32.476-07:00Pictures - The Horses.<div align="center"><strong>The Horses.</strong></div><div align="center"><strong></strong> </div><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpccvBpMsI/AAAAAAAAAws/3G7aXgY-0b0/s1600-h/scan0015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317163958793745090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 215px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpccvBpMsI/AAAAAAAAAws/3G7aXgY-0b0/s320/scan0015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpcXtMeHbI/AAAAAAAAAwk/3qXTWQVgcDU/s1600-h/scan0018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317163872402939314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpcXtMeHbI/AAAAAAAAAwk/3qXTWQVgcDU/s320/scan0018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpcTGz8kNI/AAAAAAAAAwc/qTcMQiCzkFs/s1600-h/scan0024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317163793380053202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpcTGz8kNI/AAAAAAAAAwc/qTcMQiCzkFs/s320/scan0024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpcM2muQjI/AAAAAAAAAwU/BWryWOYp79A/s1600-h/scan0027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317163685950407218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpcM2muQjI/AAAAAAAAAwU/BWryWOYp79A/s320/scan0027.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-57740018047164067282009-03-21T09:50:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:54:44.931-07:00Pictures - In Action.<div align="center">The 5th Sussex (Reserve) Battery in Action.</div><div align="center"> </div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScphXDYdGDI/AAAAAAAAAxk/PpvUZRIUNMY/s1600-h/scan0007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317169358737053746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScphXDYdGDI/AAAAAAAAAxk/PpvUZRIUNMY/s320/scan0007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScphIlNgoXI/AAAAAAAAAxc/CLEUy0ObchA/s1600-h/scan0016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317169110119915890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScphIlNgoXI/AAAAAAAAAxc/CLEUy0ObchA/s320/scan0016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScphDsn4MfI/AAAAAAAAAxU/Q37QyLdH7Dk/s1600-h/scan0017.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317169026210214386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 204px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScphDsn4MfI/AAAAAAAAAxU/Q37QyLdH7Dk/s320/scan0017.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-1712120083962378602009-03-21T09:35:00.000-07:002009-03-25T09:46:55.702-07:00Pictures - India.<div align="center">Pictures in India.</div><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpd9KYxMBI/AAAAAAAAAxM/fiAmx4DAHpI/s1600-h/scan0029.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317165615405936658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpd9KYxMBI/AAAAAAAAAxM/fiAmx4DAHpI/s320/scan0029.jpg" border="0" /></a> Temple at Ouetta.</div><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpdnYS9v7I/AAAAAAAAAxE/nOXWKaDcLbo/s1600-h/scan0030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317165241182568370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 222px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpdnYS9v7I/AAAAAAAAAxE/nOXWKaDcLbo/s320/scan0030.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpdhrvvZKI/AAAAAAAAAw8/nvWfktFDlCg/s1600-h/scan0031.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317165143324320930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/ScpdhrvvZKI/AAAAAAAAAw8/nvWfktFDlCg/s320/scan0031.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpdaj0nW5I/AAAAAAAAAw0/nUoXWzp7AN0/s1600-h/scan0032.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317165020938197906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 211px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/Scpdaj0nW5I/AAAAAAAAAw0/nUoXWzp7AN0/s320/scan0032.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-11064254627726767482009-03-21T07:24:00.000-07:002009-03-31T07:25:39.749-07:00An ExplanationOn 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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:-<br /><br />No.1 in command, (usually a Sergeant)<br />No.2 Operates breech mechanism.<br />No.3 Limbers and unlimbers (with no.2) and fires the gun.<br />No.4 Limbers up and unlimbers ammunition wagon (with 5 and 6).<br />No.5 and 6 Hook in and unhook ammunition team<br />No.6 operates the fuse indicator.<br />No.7 and 8 are Reserves at the wagon line and assists with ammunition and replacing any casualties on the gun.<br />No.10 "Coverer" takes over in the event of an injury to number 1, but looks after wagon teams in the mean time.alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-8289495598451088632009-03-21T04:00:00.000-07:002009-04-03T04:03:42.351-07:00The Work of the Royal Field Artillery.This article comes from <a href="http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/Goliath_Gun/Hunger_01.htm">The Great War in a Different Light.<br /></a><br />Entitled 'The Insatiable Hunger of the Guns' by Major George W. Redway (the Marvellous Organisation of our Artillery)., it describes the work of the Royal Field Artillery.<br /><br />It looks at the process of firing 18 pounder guns and the ammunition it takes.<br /><br />"Nowadays the brigade, not the battery, is the tactical unit, and like the battalion of infantry and regiment of cavalry, it is commanded by a lieutenant-colonel, who is assisted by an adjutant. The battery in our regular service consists of six guns, the brigade of eighteen guns; but a brigade is not merely three batteries, for it comprises what is called an ammunition column— that is, a reserve of everything likely to be required by the three batteries in action— ammunition, of course, in the first place, but also men, horses, waggons, and spare parts, to repair or renew whatever may be lacking in the batteries in the course of a duel with the enemy.<br /><br /><strong>Artillerymen's Three Rules</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />The battery par excellence is the field battery, which works with infantry, the gunners riding on the limbers and waggons. The horse battery works with cavalry, and in order to go the pace it must lighten the weight behind the teams, and, therefore, the gunners ride on horses. The "horse" guns, too, are lighter. But the brigade organization is adopted both for Royal Field Artillery and Royal Horse Artillery, and how this unit would look upon a road in Flanders may be imagined if the reader will conceive a procession of eighteen 18-pounder quick-firing guns.<br /><br />Each gun proceeded by its limber and followed by two wagons; every pair of guns (a section) is in charge of a subaltern, and every three sections (a battery) is commanded by a major, who is assisted by a captain. Following the third battery come half a dozen baggage, store, and supply waggons, called the train, and then a collection of thirty-four waggons which form the brigade ammunition column, the entire cavalcade filling about one and a quarter miles of road space, and taking about nine minutes to pass at the trot. Including bicycles and water-carts, cooks'-waggons, and medical carts, there might be counted one hundred and seven vehicles drawn by five hundred and sixty-eight horses. Add one hundred and ninety-eight riding horses and seven hundred and ninety-five officers and men, half of whom are drivers, and you may realise what a prodigious quantity of machinery is needed to get even eighteen guns to the front.<br /><br />The 18-pounder; the gun limber contains twenty-four rounds, and the two waggons seventy-six rounds each—total per gun with battery, one hundred and seventy-six rounds. Another waggon-load per gun is with the brigade ammunition column. Some miles in rear is the divisional ammunition column, conveying another one hundred and twenty-six rounds per gun. Thus with the division are three hundred and seventy-eight rounds, the whole of which could be fired away in twenty minutes. From the advanced base another one hundred and fifty rounds per gun could be brought up by motor-lorries, and from an ordnance depot another four hundred and seventy-two rounds might be forwarded at a day's notice by rail to complete 1,000 rounds per gun.<br /><br />Now, curiosity has been excited by discussions about the supply of shells as to how many projectiles a gun or a battery will consume in a day's fighting. Fabulous stories have been told of the consumption of ammunition, some of which may be true in the sense that on special occasions a large number of guns had to fire as rapidly as possible for a short period. But we must be on our guard against exaggeration in this matter. The first rule of the artillery is to find what is called a "remunerative" target, and this is not so easy in days when the art of tactics so largely depends on concealment by every artifice that ingenuity can suggest. The second rule is to hit, and that implies ranging—a tedious process when the target is a moving one. The third rule is to keep the reserve of ammunition under cover and well to the rear of the guns, which involves bringing up supplies by hand over ground that is not altogether immune from shrapnel bullets and splinters from high-explosive shells. All these factors being considered, you would have found, if serving with a field battery, less activity than might be expected from the unofficial reports that reached us.<br /><br />The British field-gun is capable of discharging twenty aimed rounds a minute and a certain Krupp gun with complete automatic action can double this rate of fire. But needless to say, artillery is not taken into the field to give a pyrotechnic display, and economy in the use of ammunition is only second in importance to accuracy of fire. "alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-59569485384102773832009-03-01T06:24:00.000-08:002009-04-01T06:26:59.126-07:00Pictures - Barracks & Camp<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNrgMCHeFI/AAAAAAAAAz0/rCqQdq96cKw/s1600-h/scan0004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319713785584777298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNrgMCHeFI/AAAAAAAAAz0/rCqQdq96cKw/s320/scan0004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNrcKmvZaI/AAAAAAAAAzs/En1vszhL5rY/s1600-h/scan0022.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319713716482041250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 217px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNrcKmvZaI/AAAAAAAAAzs/En1vszhL5rY/s320/scan0022.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNrVtP3WYI/AAAAAAAAAzk/2AE7KlkJ0VU/s1600-h/scan0028.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319713605522250114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNrVtP3WYI/AAAAAAAAAzk/2AE7KlkJ0VU/s320/scan0028.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-45680309795770337972009-03-01T06:21:00.000-08:002009-04-01T06:24:07.304-07:00The Men - Casual<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNq2hKAyfI/AAAAAAAAAzc/meg3rT7mOok/s1600-h/scan0002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319713069700532722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNq2hKAyfI/AAAAAAAAAzc/meg3rT7mOok/s320/scan0002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqxTtFOBI/AAAAAAAAAzU/CB42i0ybCDk/s1600-h/scan0005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319712980190181394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqxTtFOBI/AAAAAAAAAzU/CB42i0ybCDk/s320/scan0005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqssI13wI/AAAAAAAAAzM/zGMto5kl8kA/s1600-h/scan0006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319712900849721090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqssI13wI/AAAAAAAAAzM/zGMto5kl8kA/s320/scan0006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqnhvCbWI/AAAAAAAAAzE/KfwB5psEn-A/s1600-h/scan0010.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319712812157791586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqnhvCbWI/AAAAAAAAAzE/KfwB5psEn-A/s320/scan0010.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqjcku4bI/AAAAAAAAAy8/GzBkyxdB67A/s1600-h/scan0012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319712742052913586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqjcku4bI/AAAAAAAAAy8/GzBkyxdB67A/s320/scan0012.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6430390668775906761.post-16482456889106418782009-03-01T06:19:00.000-08:002009-04-01T06:20:58.738-07:00The Men - In Uniform<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqJvzlf3I/AAAAAAAAAy0/1OweD4hAIzg/s1600-h/scan0009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319712300538888050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 203px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqJvzlf3I/AAAAAAAAAy0/1OweD4hAIzg/s320/scan0009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqFE7mOkI/AAAAAAAAAys/ELkUAfEd9kg/s1600-h/scan0013.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319712220310288962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 209px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqFE7mOkI/AAAAAAAAAys/ELkUAfEd9kg/s320/scan0013.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqAJhrFlI/AAAAAAAAAyk/l1yB-AUUsx0/s1600-h/scan0021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319712135644386898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_X5zywrdSVPE/SdNqAJhrFlI/AAAAAAAAAyk/l1yB-AUUsx0/s320/scan0021.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>alan1704http://www.blogger.com/profile/16068631142963794991noreply@blogger.com0