44th (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery
XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA XLIV Brigade, RFA | |
---|---|
Active | March 1900 - 26 May 1916 early 1917 - by 10 July 1919 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Artillery |
Size | Battalion |
Engagements | World War I
|
XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was a
XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA
XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA was formed in March 1900 as L (Howitzer) Brigade-Division, RFA commanding 56 (Howitzer) Battery and 149 (Howitzer) Battery and in 1901, 150 (Howitzer) Battery and 151 (Howitzer) Battery joined. In 1903, the brigade was redesignated as L (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA and in 1905, 151 (H) Battery was disbanded.[3]
With a reorganization of the field artillery on 1 August 1913, the brigade was redesignated XLIV (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA. About this time, as the numbers of field batteries were reduced 149 (H) and 150 (H) Batteries were disbanded.[3] The batteries were replaced with 47 (H) Battery (previously in XLI Brigade, RFA) and 60 (H) Battery (previously in XXXV Brigade, RFA), with most of the men from 149th Bty transferring to the new 47th Bty and those of 150th Bty to 60th Bty.[4]
France and Flanders 1914-16
In August 1914, the brigade was mobilized at Brighton at the outbreak of
The brigade saw considerable action with 2nd Division in 1914, in the retreat from
On 23 June 1915, 60 (H) Battery was withdrawn and assigned to the divisional artillery of 3rd (Lahore) Division.[5]
In May 1916, the artillery brigades of infantry divisions were reorganised; the pure howitzer brigades were disbanded, and their batteries attached individually to field brigades, in order to produce mixed brigades of three field batteries and one howitzer battery. Accordingly, on 23 May the brigade was broken up and the batteries dispersed amongst the other field artillery brigades of 2nd Division:
- 47 (H) Battery (less one section) to XLI Brigade, RFA
- 56 (H) Battery (less one section) to XXXIV Brigade, RFA
- one section of 47 (H) Battery and one section of 56 (H) Battery formed D (H) Battery of XXXVI Brigade, RFA
Each battery now consisted of four
XLIV Brigade, RFA
XLIV Brigade, RFA was reformed in England early in 1917 with 340, 382 and 399 Batteries, each equipped with four
Palestine 1917–18
With the 74th Division, the brigade took part in the invasion of
Before moving to the Western Front, the brigade was reorganized:
- A Battery resumed its former identity as 340 Battery
- B Battery resumed its former identity as 382 Battery
- A Battery, CCLXVIII Brigade, RFA joined and resumed its former identity as 425 Battery
- C (H) Battery, CCLXVIII Brigade, RFA joined as D (H) Battery
The brigade now consisted of three batteries of six
France and Flanders 1918
On 14 July 1918 the Yeomanry Division went into the line for the first time, near
With the end of the war, the troops of 74th Division were engaged in railway repair work and education was undertaken while demobilisation began. The division and its subformations were disbanded on 10 July 1919.[10]
External links
Notes
- Lieutenant-Colonel. Artillery brigades were redesignated as regiments in 1938.
References
- ^ "The Royal Artillery". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Baker, Chris. "What was an artillery brigade?". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ a b Frederick 1984, p. 513
- ^ Frederick 1984, p. 512
- ^ a b c Becke 1935, p. 44
- ^ Becke 1935, p. 46
- ^ Becke 1937, p. 118
- ^ Becke 1937, p. 121
- ^ Becke 1937, p. 119
- ^ a b Becke 1937, p. 122
Bibliography
- Becke, Major A.F. (1935). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 1. The Regular British Divisions. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 1-871167-09-4.
- Becke, Major A.F. (1937). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 2B. The 2nd-Line Territorial Force Divisions (57th-69th) with The Home-Service Divisions (71st-73rd) and 74th and 75th Divisions. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. ISBN 1-871167-00-0.
- Frederick, J.B.M. (1984). Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660-1978. Wakefield, Yorkshire: Microform Academic Publishers. ISBN 1-85117-009-X.