1st Wiltshire Battery, Royal Field Artillery
1st Wiltshire Battery, RFA III Wessex Brigade, RFA 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment, RA | |
---|---|
The 1st Wiltshire Battery, Royal Field Artillery, and its successors were part-time
Territorial Force
When the
III Wessex Brigade, RFA
- Brigade HQ at The Armoury, Swindon
- 6th Hampshire Bty at Victoria Drill Hall, Lansdowne Road, Bournemouth[9]
- Dorsetshire Bty at Barrack Street, St Michael's Lane, Bridport[10]
- Wiltshire Bty at The Armoury, Swindon
- 3rd Wessex Ammunition Column at Malmesbury, Wiltshire
The Commanding Officer (CO) of III Wessex Bde was
Before
World War I
Mobilisation
On 29 July 1914 the Wessex Division was on Salisbury Plain carrying out its annual training camp when 'precautionary orders' were received, and next day the division took up emergency war stations in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. The order to mobilise arrived on the evening of 4 August. Between 10 and 13 August the division concentrated on Salisbury Plain and began war training.[6][13]
On 24 September, at the special request of the
All those Territorials who had not volunteered for overseas service, together with the recruits who were flooding in, formed reserve or 2nd Line units, the titles of which were the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. The 2/III Wessex Brigade formed immediately after the 1st Line sailed for India. Recruitment and training for the 2nd Wessex Division proceeded so quickly that on 25 November it was decided to send that to India as well, and most units embarked on 12 December 1914, becoming the 45th (2nd Wessex) Division in 1915. The remaining Home Service men remained with 3rd Line training units.[4][14][15][16][17]
1/III Wessex Brigade
On arrival in India the batteries of 43rd Divisional Artillery were sent to separate stations (those of 1/III Bde apparently to
The three batteries were redesignated again in 1917, becoming 1091 (1/6th Hampshire), 1092 (1/1st Dorsetshire) and 1093 (1/1st Wiltshire). 1092 Battery was then disbanded, providing a two-gun section to each of the other batteries to bring them up to six guns. CCXVII Bde was attached to 16th Indian Division from April 1917, when 1091 and 1093 Btys were at Lahore. In June 1917 the brigade was joined by 79 (Howitzer) Bty transferred from VI (Howitzer) Bde, a Regular unit that had remained in India and was also attached to 16th Indian Division, giving the following organisation:[6][8][14][18][19]
- 1091 Bty (1/6th Hampshire + half 1/1st Dorsetshire)
- 1093 Bty (1/1st Wiltshire + half 1/1st Dorsetshire)
- 79 (Howitzer) Bty
2/III Wessex Brigade
The 45th Division also remained in garrison in India, supplying drafts to the First Line and other theatres throughout the war until its units had virtually disappeared. The batteries of 45th Divisional Artillery were eventually re-equipped with 18-pdrs during 1916 and were numbered, 2/III Wessex Bde becoming CCXXVII (227) Brigade, RFA and the batteries A, B and C. The batteries were numbered in 1917 as 1102, 1103 and 1104, and then 1102 was broken up to bring the others up to six guns, In April 1917 1104 Bty left and two others arrived giving the following organisation for the brigade:[4][14][18][15][16][17][19]
- 1098 Bty (2/2nd Hampshire) – from 2/I Wessex Bde
- 1103 Bty (2/1st Dorsetshire + half 2/6th Hampshire)
- 1105 (H) Bty (2/1st Devonshire) – from 2/IV Wessex (H) Bde; stationed at Adenuntil March 1919
1104 Bty (2/1st Wiltshire + half 2/6th Hampshire) at
Other fronts
Officers and men from both 43rd and 45th Divisions were continually being posted all over India to fill various posts. In addition they provided reinforcement drafts, mainly to Mesopotamia.[6][15] The Earl of Suffolk, OC 1/1st Wiltshire Bty, took command of a battery in Mesopotamia in 1916 and was killed in action on 21 April 1917.[12][21]
The III Wessex also supplied drafts to the Western Front. One of these was Sergeant William Gosling, a Swindon man, who was attached to V/51 Heavy Trench Mortar Battery in 51st (Highland) Division, when he won the Victoria Cross on 5 April 1915 during the bombardment for the Battle of Arras.[22]
North West Frontier and Afghanistan
16th Indian Division was formed in December 1916 as a reserve for the North West Frontier. CCXVII and CCXVIII brigades were both assigned to it by 1918 and were still with it in 1919 after World War I had ended.
Interwar
When the TF was reconstituted on 7 February 1920, the Wiltshire part of III Wessex Bde reformed as a battery of 2nd Wessex Brigade along with three Hampshire batteries. The following year the TF was reorganised as the
55th (Wessex) Field Brigade- Brigade HQ at the Drill Hall, Ryde, Isle of Wight
- 217, 218, 219 (Hampshire) Btys
- 220 (Wiltshire) Bty at Swindon
220 (Wiltshire) Bty was commanded by the Marquess of Ailesbury, DSO, TD.[11] The RFA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery in 1924 and its units were redesignated 'Field Brigades' and 'Field Batteries'.[11][27][28]
During 1927 the brigade was reorganised: two of the Hampshire batteries left to join
- Brigade HQ & 373 (West Somerset Yeomanry) Field Bty at Taunton
- 217 (Wiltshire) Field Bty (H) at Swindon
- 220 (Wiltshire) Field Bty at Swindon
- 374 (West Somerset Yeomanry) Field Bty at Glastonbury, later Shepton Mallet
The brigade continued as 'Army Troops' in 43rd (W) Divisional Area.
In 1938 the RA modernised its nomenclature and a lieutenant-colonel's command was designated a 'regiment' rather than a 'brigade'; this applied to TA field brigades from 1 November 1938.[11][27][30]
112th (Wessex) Field Regiment
Mobilisation
After the
Part of the reorganisation was that field regiments changed from four six-gun batteries to an establishment of two batteries, each of three four-gun troops.[33][37]
Home Defence
In May 1940 43rd (W) Division was preparing to go overseas to join the
It was only in the autumn of 1940 that the RA began producing enough battery staffs to start the process of changing regiments from a two-battery to a three-battery organisation. (Three 8-gun batteries were easier to handle, and it meant that each infantry battalion in a brigade could be closely associated with its own battery.)[3][45] 112th Field Rgt formed a new 477 Field Bty on 25 March 1941 at Sarre, Kent.[26][34] The regiment was granted its '(Wessex)' subtitle on 17 February 1942.[4][34]
Normandy
43rd (W) Division moved into its concentration area in
The division was committed to its first action in the Battle of the Odon (
The division's first major offensive action of its own was
After a short rest 43rd (W) Division moved to XXX Corps to launch an attack towards the dominating height of Mont Pinçon as part of Operation Bluecoat. Casualties were heavy, particularly from mines, and the advance was slow. After a succession of pre-dawn attacks, the division was still 4 miles (6.4 km) from Mont Pinçon on 5 August. In the end the hill fell to a surprise attack by a few tanks on the evening of 6 August. By daybreak the summit was firmly held by tanks and infantry, despite heavy German bombardment.[56][57][58][59][60]
43rd (W) Division then participated in XXX Corps' pursuit of the broken enemy, many of whom were caught in the Falaise pocket. The main opposition came from mortars and booby-trapped mines.[61][62]
Seine crossing
The breakout achieved, XXX Corps drove flat out for the
The assault was followed by two days of bitter fighting as the defenders counter-attacked the bridgeheads and shelled the bridging sites. The divisional artillery assembled on the hillside overlooking Vernon and fired with the assistance of air observation post aircraft against the counter-attacks on the other side of the river. By 28 August the Sappers had bridged the river, the armour had begun to cross in numbers and 130th Bde was clearing the high ground opposite, allowing 112th Field Rgt's reconnaissance parties to follow up. After the Seine crossing, 43rd (W) Division was 'grounded' while the rest of XXX Corps raced across northern France and Belgium.[67][68][69]
Operation Market Garden
When 43rd (W) Division next moved, the war was now 250 miles (400 km) away. The first elements moved up to Brussels to protect headquarters, then the division concentrated at Diest to take part in Operation Market Garden, beginning on 17 September. In 'Garden', the ground part of the operation, XXX Corps was to link up river crossings as far as the Nederrijn at Arnhem via a 'carpet' of airborne troops. 43rd (W) Division was to follow Guards Armoured Division, carrying out assault crossings if any of the bridges were found to be destroyed, and guarding the 'corridor' to Arnhem. The advance up the only road ('Club Route') was slow but on 21 September 43rd (W) Division caught up with the Guards at Nijmegen. Further progress was blocked by strong German forces, and 1st Airborne Division holding out at Arnhem was in a desperate plight. 43rd (W) Division fought its way through to the Nederrijn, with the road behind being frequently cut by German tanks. During the night of 23/24 September the division ferried a few reinforcements across to 1st Airborne, but another assault crossing on the night of 24/25 September suffered heavy casualties and few supplies were got across. By now 1st Airborne had been effectively destroyed, and the only course now was to evacuate the survivors. This was carried out on 25/26 September, a dark night with heavy rain. The whole divisional artillery opened up at 21.00, while the sappers crossed and recrossed the river in stormboats ferrying around 2300 exhausted survivors of 1st Airborne back to the south bank.[70][71][72][73][74]
In the aftermath of Market Garden, 43rd (W) Division was stationed on 'The Island' (between the Rivers Waal and Nederrijn), fighting off some serious counter-attacks in early October.[75]
Operation Clipper
43rd (W) Division was relieved on 10 November and then shifted east with XXX Corps to cooperate with the
Planning was under way to renew the offensive when the Germans attacked in the Ardennes (the
Rhineland
Once the German Ardennes Offensive had been halted, 43rd (W) Division returned to the offensive in early 1945 in
Operation Plunder
Although 43rd (W) Division was not scheduled to take part in the assault crossing of the Rhine (Operation Plunder) on 23/24 March. However, the division's leading brigade crossed the river on 25 March behind 51st (Highland) Division, and found itself in immediate combat, but had broken through by 29 March.[88][89][90] During the subsequent pursuit, 43rd (W) Division was given the task of opening 'Club Route' for XXX Corps. The division combined with 8th Armoured Brigade to form five battle groups for the first 25 miles (40 km) drive. The advance began on 30 March: after initial traffic jams, the groups either overcame or bypassed German rearguards and Lochem was liberated on 1–2 April. The division was then given the task of taking Hengelo to secure the flank while Guards Armoured Division drove for the Dortmund–Ems Canal; 43rd (W) by-passed the end of the Twente Canal and liberated the town. It then moved back into Germany to capture Cloppenburg on 14 April after a stiff fight and fight off a final counter-attack next day.[91][92][93]
The pursuit continued through April and ended with the division's capture of Bremen against spasmodic opposition and XXX Corps' drive into the Cuxhaven peninsula. The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath came on 4 May, and hostilities ended at 08.00 next day.[94][95][96]
The division's units were then employed as occupation forces in XXX Corps' district in Germany.[35] The regiment was serving in British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) when it passed into suspended animation on 26 April 1946.[4][34]
Postwar
When the TA was reformed on 1 January 1947 the regiment was revived as 312 (Wessex) Medium Regiment. The new regiment was based at Bristol and had little or no Wiltshire connection. It formed part of 90 (Field) Army Group RA.[4][34][97][98][99][100]
Later the regiment was merged on 30 August 1950 into
Footnotes
- ^ In contemporary RA usage a brigade was a lieutenant-colonel's command consisting of independent batteries 'brigaded' together; it was not comparable with an infantry or cavalry brigade commanded by a brigadier-general.[2][3]
Notes
- ^ Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 55–6.
- ^ Litchfield, pp. 1 & 5.
- ^ a b Sainsbury, Chapter 1: 'Historical Background to the Territorial Artillery, 1920–1945', pp. 1–12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Litchfield, p. 244.
- ^ Frederick, p. 682.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 43–8.
- ^ Swindon at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ a b c d 43rd Divisional Artillery at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ Bournemouth at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ Bridport at Drill Hall Project.
- ^ a b c d e f Monthly Army List, various dates.
- ^ a b Suffolk at Winchester College at War.
- ^ a b c 43rd (1st Wessex) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ a b c d Forgotten Fronts, pp. 354–5.
- ^ a b c d e Becke, pp. 55–60.
- ^ a b 45th (2nd Wessex) Division at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ a b 45th Divisional Artillery at Long, Long Trail.
- ^ a b c Frederick, p. 695.
- ^ a b c d Perry, pp. 137–40.
- ^ Perry, pp. 67–71.
- ^ Suffolk at CWGC Records.
- ^ Gosling in Gliddon.
- ^ Robson, pp. 26–7.
- ^ Robson, p. 281.
- ^ Robson, pp. 57, 77, 86, 99–103.
- ^ a b c Frederick, pp. 489–95
- ^ a b c d Frederick, p. 516.
- ^ a b Litchfield, pp. 93–5.
- ^ Frederick, p. 524.
- ^ a b Litchfield, pp. 208–9.
- ^ Titles & Designations 1927.
- ^ Farndale, Years of Defeat, p. 4.
- ^ a b Sainsbury, Chapter 2: 'The Development of Field Artillery Tactics, Organisation and Equipment, 1920–1945', pp. 13–29.
- ^ a b c d e Frederick, p. 528.
- ^ a b c d e f Joslen, pp. 69–70.
- ^ Joslen, pp. 11, 73.
- ^ Farndale, Years of Defeat, Annex A,
- ^ Collier, Chapter VII.
- ^ Collier, Map 5.
- ^ Collier, Map 6.
- ^ Collier, Maps 17.
- ^ Collier, Map 20.
- ^ Collier, Map 27.
- ^ Essame, pp. 2–4, Appendix C.
- ^ Farndale, Years of Defeat, pp. 99–100.
- ^ Essame, pp. 13–17.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 77–82.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 279–86.
- ^ Essame, pp. 20–34.
- ^ Saunders, Epsom, pp. 87–9, 100–6, 143–9.
- ^ Saunders, Hill 112, p. 124.
- ^ Buckley, p. 92.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 317–8.
- ^ Essame, pp. 37–50.
- ^ Saunders, Hill 112.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 153–68.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 388–90, 402, 409–10.
- ^ Essame, pp. 53–7.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 189–90.
- ^ Hunt, Mont Pinçon.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 180–1.
- ^ Essame, pp. 73–89.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 184–7.
- ^ Ellis, Normandy, pp. 453–5, 465–6.
- ^ Essame, pp. 91, 94–109.
- ^ Ford, pp. 28–34, 49–59; Appendix 1.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 187–9.
- ^ Essame, pp. 109–13.
- ^ Ford, pp. 59, 107, 176.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 228–30.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 42–3.
- ^ Essame, pp. 113–38.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 221–30.
- ^ Ryan, pp. 462–5, 477–8, 486, 489, 509–13, 515–31.
- ^ Essame, p. 140–56.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, p. 161.
- ^ Essame, pp. 164–86.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 233–6.
- ^ Essame, p. 176.
- ^ Essame, pp. 186–94.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 265–8.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 241–7.
- ^ Essame, pp. 195–200.
- ^ Buckley, pp. 274–7.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 261–76.
- ^ Essame, pp. 202–31.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 250–5.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 288–9, 293–4.
- ^ Essame, pp. 233–40.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 261–2.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 306–8, 311–2.
- ^ Essame, pp. 241–56.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 260–2.
- ^ Ellis, Germany, pp. 307–16, 338–40.
- ^ Essame, pp. 256–70.
- ^ Horrocks, pp. 246, 261–6.
- ^ a b Frederick, p. 1004.
- ^ a b Litchfield, pp. 86–8.
- ^ Litchfield, Appendix 5.
- ^ a b 289–322 Rgts RA at British Army 1945 onwards.
References
- Maj A.F. Becke,History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56), London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, ISBN 1-84734-739-8.
- ISBN 978-0-300-13449-0.
- Maj ISBN 1-84574-058-0.
- Maj L.F. Ellis, History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series: Victory in the West, Vol II: The Defeat of Germany, London: HM Stationery Office, 1968/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2004, ISBN 1-84574-059-9.
- Maj-Gen H. Essame, The 43rd Wessex Division at War 1944–45, London: William Clowes, 1952.
- Gen Sir ISBN 1-870114-05-1.
- Gen Sir Martin Farndale, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The Years of Defeat: Europe and North Africa, 1939–1941, Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1988/London: Brasseys, 1996, ISBN 1-85753-080-2.
- Ken Ford, Assault Crossing: The River Seine 1944, 2nd Edn, Bradford: Pen & Sword, 2011, ISBN 978-1-84884-576-3.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol I, Wakefield, Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-007-3.
- J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
- Gerald Gliddon, VCs Handbook: The Western Front 1914–1918, History Press, 2013
- Lt-Gen Sir Brian Horrocks, A Full Life, London: Collins, 1960.
- Eric Hunt, Battleground Europe: Normandy: Mont Pinçon, Barnsley: Leo Cooper, 2003, ISBN 0-85052-944-1.
- Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2003, ISBN 1-84342-474-6.
- Norman E.H. Litchfield, The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, ISBN 0-9508205-2-0.
- Norman Litchfield & Ray Westlake, The Volunteer Artillery 1859–1908 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1982, ISBN 0-9508205-0-4.
- F.W. Perry, History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 5b: Indian Army Divisions, Newport, Gwent: Ray Westlake, 1993, ISBN 1-871167-23-X.
- Brian Robson, Crisis on the Frontier: The Third Afghan War and the Campaign in Waziristan 1919–20, Staplehurst: Spellmount, 2004, ISBN 978-1-86227-211-8.
- Cornelius Ryan, A Bridge Too Far, London: Hamish Hamilton, 1974/Coronet 1975, ISBN 0-340-19941-5.
- Lt-Col J.D. Sainsbury, The Hertfordshire Yeomanry Regiments, Royal Artillery, Part 1: The Field Regiments 1920-1946, Welwyn: Hertfordshire Yeomanry and Artillery Trust/Hart Books, 1999, ISBN 0-948527-05-6.
- Tim Saunders, Battleground Europe: Operation Epsom: Normandy, June 1944, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2003, ISBN 0-85052-954-9.
- Tim Saunders, Battleground Europe: Normandy: Hill 112, Battles of the Odon – 1944, Barnsley: Pen & Sword, 2000, ISBN 978-0-85052-737-7.
- War Office, Titles and Designations of Formations and Units of the Territorial Army, London: War Office, 7 November 1927 (RA sections also summarised in Litchfield, Appendix IV).