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180-793: The Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery battery that was formed in Shropshire in 1908 from the Shropshire Battery of the 1st Shropshire and Staffordshire Artillery Volunteers, Royal Garrison Artillery of the Volunteer Force . It saw active service during the First World War on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 as part of an Army Field Artillery Brigade. A second line battery, 2/1st Shropshire RHA, also served on

360-562: A brigade of the West Riding Division , for example, was deployed to watch the east coast while the rest of the division guarded railways and munitions factories inland, and the brigades of the East Anglian Division were widely scattered about East Anglia . On 13 August 1914, Kitchener signalled a willingness to deploy overseas those territorial units in which 80 per cent of the men (reduced to 60 per cent at

540-465: A challenge. The war also exposed the difficulty in relying on auxiliary forces which were not liable for service overseas as a source of reinforcements for the regular army in times of crisis. In 1903, the Director of General Mobilisation and Military Intelligence reported an excess of home defence forces which could not be relied upon to expand the army in foreign campaigns. The utility of such forces

720-494: A crescendo at 07.20 and lifting at 07.45; on Z Day (1 July) this lifted 15 minutes earlier than usual, in an attempt to deceive the enemy. 56th Divisional artillery was allocated 11,600 rounds for this final 65 minutes, amounting to 3 rounds per minute for each 18-pounder gun and 4.5-inch howitzer. A smoke screen was laid at 07.25, and under its cover the infantry went 'over the top' and assembled in No man's land . Then at Zero Hour, 07.30,

900-886: A degree of efficiency and attached to regular brigades. There was little logic in the choice of units deployed. Some that had been positively assessed remained at home while less well prepared units were deployed, often without enough equipment and only after being hastily brought up to strength. The first territorial unit to arrive was the 1/14th Battalion ( London Scottish ), London Regiment , in September 1914. By December, twenty-two infantry battalions, seven yeomanry regiments, and one medical and three engineer units had been sent. Territorial battalions were initially allocated to line-of-communication duties for up to three weeks before being assigned to regular army brigades. From February 1915, with 48 infantry battalions in-country, they were sent directly to their host divisions. On arrival at

1080-454: A fine. Recruits were required to attend a minimum of 40 drill periods in their first year and 20 per year thereafter. All members were required to attend between eight and fifteen days of annual camp. The force was liable to serve anywhere in the UK. Members were not required to serve overseas but could volunteer to do so. Haldane, who still regarded the force's primary function to be the expansion of

1260-652: A less formal system of self-discipline than the rigid, hierarchical discipline of the regular army, feeding a professional prejudice against the amateur auxiliary. The regular army had no more faith in the territorials' abilities than it had in those of the force's predecessors. Territorial standards of training and musketry were suspect, and the reputation of the territorial artillery was so poor that there were calls for it to be disbanded. Regular officers, fearing for their career prospects, often resisted postings as territorial adjutants . The Army Council predicted that, even after six months of intensive training on mobilisation,

1440-405: A local territorial identity in their efforts to recruit new members, and used imagery of local scenes under attack to encourage enlistment. In general, the force attracted recruits from the working class, though they were mainly artisans rather than the unskilled labourers who filled the ranks of the regular army. In some units, middle and working classes served together. Units which recruited from

1620-550: A month before it arrived in France, largely by the attachment of a brigade from the 55th (West Lancashire) Division . It was the first experience in assault for the two battalions that spearheaded the division's attack. They succeeded in reaching the German second line of defences, but when the regular forces on their right did not the territorials were forced to retire with heavy losses. A professionally planned and executed assault by

1800-516: A naval defence against invasion as complacent and a strong home army as essential. A bill sponsored by the NSL in 1909 proposed using the Territorial Force as the framework for a conscripted home army. When that failed, the league became increasingly antagonistic towards the auxiliary. The force was denigrated for its excessive youth, inefficiency and consistently low numbers, and ridiculed in

1980-434: A peak of 268,000 men in 1909 when invasion scares prompted a surge in recruitment, but by 1913 numbers had declined to less than 246,000, and the officer corps was nearly 20 per cent under-subscribed. In 1910, a third of the force had not completed the minimum level of musketry training. Only 155,000 territorials completed the full 15-day annual camp in 1912, and around 6,000 did not attend at all. In 1909, some 37 per cent of

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2160-617: A proposed new drill hall because the War Office took so long to approve plans, and Essex had to wait five years before it received approval for the construction of new rifle ranges . Good facilities were regarded by the associations as important for efficiency, unit esprit de corps and recruitment, and the authorities' parsimony and apparent obstruction were seen as undermining these. The force failed to retain large numbers of men after their initial enlistment expired, and it consistently fell short of its established strength. It reached

2340-730: A rank lower than their regular counterparts. Although the Territorial Force provided many officers for the regular army, very few were appointed to higher commands, despite pre-war promises by Haldane that they would be. In 1918, government efforts to defend the military record on senior territorial promotions failed to acknowledge that most were temporary and in home units. Ian Macpherson , Under-Secretary of State for War, conceded that just ten territorial officers commanded brigades and only three had been promoted to highest grade of General Staff Officer. The territorials received scant recognition for their early enthusiasm. The Army Council refused to grant any special decorations for those who had accepted

2520-402: A recognisable entity distinct from the regular and New Army forces. It suffered some 84,000 casualties during the offensive, and the indiscriminate replacement of these with recruits who had been conscripted into the army rather than volunteering specifically for the Territorial Force marked the beginning of the end for the territorial identity. Fourteen second-line divisions were formed during

2700-480: A reinforcement for the Expeditionary Force. Because the military authorities regarded the Territorial Force as weak and saw no value in an auxiliary that was not liable for foreign service, they prioritised expenditure on the regular army, leaving the force armed with obsolete weapons. On the outbreak of the First World War , Lord Kitchener by-passed the Territorial Force and, with the approval of

2880-686: A section from a 2nd Line Sussex battery in the case of the Shropshire RHA). Brigade ammunition columns were abolished at this time, the men of the Glamorgan, Shropshire and London Ammunition Columns finding themselves in the 58th Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade . For six months the brigade provided the depot batteries for the Overseas Artillery School at Larkhill , gaining exceptional experience in live firing before going overseas. 58th Division embarked for France at

3060-466: A sense of family or club. A similar sentiment was exploited in raising the New Army pals battalions , but in the Territorial Force this was reinforced by a pedigree that New Army units did not possess; most territorial units could trace a lineage back to the early or mid 19th century through units of yeomanry or volunteers which had for generations been a part of local communities and social life. In

3240-526: A signal section, giving it the following organisation: CCXCIII Brigade, RFA The role of an Army Brigade was to act as a mobile reserve to strengthen divisional artilleries as required. By the end of the war the CCXCIII Bde (codenamed 'Buffalo') had supported 23 different divisions, in all sectors of the British front, often moving at short notice. One of the officers of 2/13th Lancashire Bty

3420-470: A yeomanry mounted division, deployed without its horses as infantry, had reinforced British Empire forces engaged in the Gallipoli Campaign . Their landings were chaotic; the 125th (Lancashire Fusiliers) Brigade , for example, landed nearly a week before the other two brigades of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. The infantry were rushed into battle without any opportunity to acclimatise, and

3600-840: The 1st London and 2nd London Divisions respectively. The organisation of the IV (or 4th) London was as follows: IV London (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA The new HQ at Ennersdale Road, Lewisham, opened in 1911, was largely paid for by the Honorary Colonel, Sir Thomas Dewey, 1st Bart , president of the Prudential Assurance Company . The brigade won the King's Prize at the National Artillery Association Competition in 1911, and its excellent turnout at annual camps led to

3780-607: The 47th (1/2nd London) Division was one of the few successes in the Battle of Loos on 25 September, but the 46th (North Midland) Division suffered 3,643 casualties in a failed assault against the Hohenzollern Redoubt on 13 October. To Lieutenant-General Sir Douglas Haig , commander of the First Army , the 46th Division's failure demonstrated that "some territorial units still need training and discipline". By

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3960-586: The 48th (South Midland) and the 49th (West Riding), were among the initial 25 divisions of the Fourth Army , which bore the brunt of the fighting during the four and a half months of the Somme offensive. The 49th Division was committed piecemeal on the first day to the fighting around the Schwaben Redoubt , and two battalions of the 48th Division were attached to the 4th Division and participated in

4140-655: The 58th (2/1st London) and 62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisions were well regarded by the war's end. The 51st (Highland) Division, whose men labelled themselves as "duds" after a slow start, and the two London first-line divisions were among the best in the BEF by 1918. A reputation for dependability resulted in the 48th (South Midland) Division being transferred to Italy to relieve the regular 7th Infantry Division in March 1918. Several territorial divisions overcame poor initial impressions to become effective, dependable formations by

4320-488: The Armistice , the battery (six 18-pounders) was still with CCXCIII Army Brigade, RFA serving as Army Troops with the First Army . Shropshire RHA formed a 2nd line in 1914, initially designated as the Shropshire (Reserve) Battery RHA and later given a fractional designation as 2/1st Shropshire Battery, RHA . The battery joined the 2nd line 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade on formation in September 1914. The brigade

4500-493: The Armistice with Germany . Recruits joined 2/IV London (Howitzer) Brigade at Ennersdale Road, where they trained for a year under Lt-Col E.W. Finch, a veteran of the Anglo-Zulu War who had commanded 10th (London) Bty before the war. The unit itself volunteered for overseas service and sent some drafts to the 1/IV Bde. It joined 58th (2/1st London) Division at Warren Heath, Ipswich , on 24 September 1915, replacing

4680-478: The Battle of Doiran in Salonika , played a key role in the capture of Jerusalem on 9 December. The yeomanry provided 18 dismounted regiments which fought as infantry and, in 1917, were formed into the 74th (Yeomanry) Division . This division was transferred to France in 1918 along with the 52nd (Lowland) Division. Five brigades of yeomanry fought in the mounted role, and in 1917 three of them were formed into

4860-638: The British Expeditionary Force (BEF). As the territorials completed their training and the threat of invasion receded, complete divisions were deployed to combat theatres. The first to depart was the 46th (North Midland) Division , which arrived on the Western Front in March 1915. By July, all 14 first-line divisions had been deployed overseas. The Northumberland Brigade of the Northumbrian Division became

5040-533: The Fifth Army . Shropshire RHA was reconstituted in the Territorial Force on 7 February 1920 when it formed a battery (later numbered 240th) in 6th (Cheshire and Shropshire) Medium Brigade , Royal Garrison Artillery and ceased to be a Royal Horse Artillery battery. The rest of the brigade was formed from the 6th Battalion, Cheshire Regiment (T.F.) and the Cheshire Brigade , RFA (T.F.). The unit

5220-698: The Leicestershire associations, threatened to penalise manufacturers who dealt with any institution other than the War Office. The competitive nature of the system led to supply according to highest bidder rather than military necessity and, in consequence, inflated prices. As a result, the territorials were relieved of responsibility for the purchase and supply of equipment in favour of a centralised system in May 1915. 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers WWII: The 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers , later 4th London Brigade, Royal Field Artillery , popularly known as

5400-764: The Lewisham Gunners , was a volunteer unit of the British Army from 1860 until 1967. Initially raised in suburban West Kent , its recruiting area was later incorporated within the County of London . It provided two active service units in each of the World Wars, operating as far afield as Sicily , Burma and Madagascar , and later provided an airborne unit in the Territorial Army of the 1950s. The 9th Kent Artillery Volunteer Corps (9th KAVC)

5580-661: The Northumbrian Division took up positions in the east coast defences, and the following day elements of the Welsh Division were gathered in the area of Pembroke Dock . Some formations assembled close to their bases before moving on to their war stations; the Highland Division , for example, gathered at various locations north of Edinburgh before proceeding to Bedford , north of London. Defence duties resulted in some divisions being dispersed;

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5760-1015: The Second Boer War the 2nd Kent RGA sent a detachment to serve in South Africa with the City Imperial Volunteers . When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the 2nd Kent RGA was split to form two howitzer brigades in the Royal Field Artillery (RFA), the IV London at Lewisham, and the VIII London at Plumstead. Armed with Breech-loading 5-inch howitzers , these two units were intended to provide indirect fire support for

5940-548: The Sinai and Palestine Campaign . The EEF comprised forces from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and India, and the British contribution was predominantly territorial. Most of the infantry was provided by the four territorial divisions that had fought at Gallipoli. When the 42nd Division was transferred to France in March 1917, it was replaced in July by the second-line 60th (2/2nd London) Division . The latter, having already fought during

6120-535: The Territorial Force were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a Reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service – the whole of

6300-639: The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9), which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service . Therefore, TF units were split into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. 2nd Line units performed

6480-721: The Tunisian and Italian campaigns, and finally in Germany at the end of the war. 51st (Midland) Medium Rgt was placed in suspended animation in 1946. When it was reformed in the postwar TA as 351st (Midland) Medium Rgt, the Shropshire RHA element instead joined 639th Heavy Regiment as P Battery, later becoming HQ RA of 48th District. In 1967, it became A Squadron (Shropshire RHA) in the Shropshire Yeomanry . Territorial Force The Territorial Force

6660-502: The Volunteer Force and the yeomanry . Battalions of the militia and Volunteer Force had been linked with regular army regiments since 1872, and the militia was often used as a source of recruitment into the regular army. The terms of service for all three auxiliaries made service overseas voluntary. The Second Boer War exposed weaknesses in the ability of the regular army to counter guerrilla warfare which required additional manpower to overcome. The only reinforcements available were

6840-457: The Yeomanry . On formation, the TF contained 14 infantry divisions and 14 mounted yeomanry brigades . Each yeomanry brigade included a horse artillery battery and an ammunition column . On 18 March 1908, Shropshire Royal Horse Artillery (Territorial Force) was proposed to be raised from the Shropshire Battery of the 1st Shropshire and Staffordshire Artillery Volunteers , RGA . This

7020-588: The Yeomanry Mounted Division . The yeomanry mounted some of the last cavalry charges ever made by British forces; the Charge at Huj on 8 November 1917 by the 1/1st Warwickshire Yeomanry and 1/1st Queen's Own Worcestershire Hussars , followed five days later with a charge by the 1/1st Royal Bucks Hussars in the Battle of Mughar Ridge . By the end of a campaign in which the EEF had advanced across

7200-586: The 1/IV Bde. At this stage the division's artillery units were split up among many small towns and villages in Suffolk to provide billets for the men and sufficient forage for the horses. In the spring of 1916, when 58th Division took over a section of the East Coast defences, the brigade received modern 4.5-inch howitzers and was renumbered CCXCIII (293) Bde. In July the division moved to Salisbury Plain for final battle training. Here, 2/11th London (H) Bty

7380-506: The 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. Second-line units immediately assumed that the third line would take over their home-based duties, in the belief that second-line divisions would be deployed overseas. Many second-line battalions refused to take recruits who had not accepted the Imperial Service Obligation, a practice that was not officially sanctioned until March 1915 when the option to enlist only for home service

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7560-604: The 53rd (Welsh) Division and the 60th (2/2nd London) Division in Palestine were transferred to France and replaced with Indian battalions in 1916. The 75th Division was formed in Egypt in March 1917 with territorial units transferred from India, though it too was subsequently 'indianised'. Several territorial battalions from the 42nd (East Lancashire), 46th (North Midland) and 59th (2nd North Midland) Divisions were reduced to training cadres, demobilised or disbanded shortly before

7740-406: The 54th (East Anglian) Division did not receive any formal instruction about the nature of the campaign for the first four weeks of its participation in it. Some battalions of the 53rd (Welsh) Division were second-line units and had still been supplying replacement drafts to first-line units, and the division was given only two weeks notice that it was to go to Gallipoli. The 42nd Division impressed

7920-547: The 9th Kent AVC was separated from the 1st Admin Brigade and attached to the 10th (Royal Arsenal) KAVC based at Woolwich. The 9th KAVC reached a strength of 480 men organised in six batteries in 1877, when Hughes was promoted to lieutenant-colonel . He retired in 1888 (when he was succeeded in command by his son Edwin Talfourd Hughes) and was immediately appointed Honorary Colonel of the unit. A consolidation of

8100-577: The CCXCIII Bde supporting 51st (Highland) Division in Third Army . The brigade responded to SOS signals from the infantry in front, bringing down 'unbearable' fire on the attacking troops, but OPs were overrun and the Germans penetrated the division's Battle Zone and reached the village of Doignies. Two batteries of the brigade had to evacuate this village quickly, and the Shropshire Battery's guns had to be hauled out of their pits to concentrate fire on

8280-555: The East Coast of England. 1/IV London (H) Bde was billeted at Warren Heath, Ipswich , during the early part of 1915. In August 1915 the 36th (Ulster) Division was being readied for service. Its infantry were largely drawn from the Ulster Volunteers and had already received weapons training before the war; the artillery however were newly raised Londoners, and the drivers were still being taught to mount and dismount from wooden horses. The 1st London Divisional Artillery

8460-457: The Expeditionary Force, hoped that up to a quarter of all territorials would volunteer on mobilisation . The Imperial Service Obligation was introduced in 1910 to allow territorials to volunteer in advance. It was illegal to amalgamate or disband territorial units or transfer members between them. The reforms were not received well by the auxiliaries. The exclusion of the militia rendered Haldane's target of just over 314,000 officers and men for

8640-401: The German front line trench. By nightfall, all of the 56th Division's gains had been reduced to a single stretch of trench, and this had to be abandoned after dark. The attack at Gommecourt had only been a diversion, so it was not continued after the first day., and 56th Division remained in position, holding its original line. On 13 July the divisional artillery made a demonstration to help

8820-615: The IV London (H) Bde had done so. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. Once mobilised, the 1/IV (H) Brigade moved to Stringers Common, Worplesdon , then to Maresfield Park , and eventually to Edinburgh for coast defence duty, where it spent four months in overcrowded conditions. In Spring 1915 it moved to Horsham and East Grinstead . The infantry of

9000-782: The Imperial Service Obligation before the war. The Territorial War Medal , awarded to those who had volunteered for service overseas in the first months of the war, was denied to volunteers who had been held back even though they rendered invaluable service training the rest of the army. Those who served in India received no campaign medal. The three territorial divisions sent to India in 1914 felt penalised by their early readiness. The men were placed on lower, peacetime rates of pay; gunners had to purchase equipment that should have been issued; officers attending courses were not fully reimbursed for their hotel expenses; and non-commissioned officers promoted after arrival had to protest before they received

9180-665: The London County Territorial Association, wrote in the National Review that the country would have to choose between an under-strength voluntary auxiliary and compulsory service. In his opinion, the Territorial Force was the last chance for the volunteer tradition, and its failure would pave the way for conscription. Advocacy for compulsory service was led by the National Service League (NSL), which regarded reliance on

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9360-556: The London Regiment. Battlefield amalgamations were a military necessity which threatened the legal protections on territorial unit integrity. Although the territorials were proving their worth in defensive operations, the commanders of the regular formations to which they were attached still did not trust their abilities. The regulars regarded the primary function of the territorials to be the release of regular battalions for offensive operations. The territorials were employed in

9540-473: The Military Service Acts of 1916. These permitted the amalgamation and disbandment of units and the transfer of territorials between them, introduced conscription, and required territorials either to accept the Imperial Service Obligation or leave the force and become liable for conscription. The last recruits to voluntarily enlist in a specific unit of the Territorial Force before the choice

9720-607: The Scarpe ) ended on 16 April. During the next stages of the Arras offensive, CCXCIII Bde was variously attached to 56th, 9th (Scottish) , 34th , and 31st Divisions . At one stage German counter-attacks reached to within 1,000 yards of the battery positions and the guns were prepared for individual defence before the enemy attack was halted and the battery positions could be shifted back. After further spells supporting 2nd Canadian , 7th and 62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisions during

9900-804: The Sinai, through Palestine, and into Syria, territorial casualties numbered over 32,000 – 3,000 more than those suffered by British regular, Australian, New Zealand and Indian forces combined. The much maligned 46th (North Midland) Division redeemed itself in 1918 in a hazardous attack during the Battle of St Quentin Canal . The operation was successfully spearheaded by the 137th (Staffordshire) Brigade , which included two battalions that were almost disbanded because of their alleged poor performance at Gommecourt two years earlier. The seven untested second-line divisions saw their first actions in 1917. They generally suffered, undeservedly, from poor reputations, although

10080-466: The Territorial Force unattainable. The new terms of service imposed an increased commitment on members compared to that demanded by the previous auxiliary institutions. By 1 June 1908, the force had attracted less than 145,000 recruits. Despite considerable efforts to promote the new organisation to the former auxiliary institutions, less than 40 per cent of all existing auxiliaries transferred into it. The county territorial associations emphasised pride in

10260-468: The Territorial Force. After three attempts to persuade them, Haldane abolished the militia and created the Special Reserve . Crucially, Haldane's efforts were based on the premise that home defence rested with the navy and that the imperative for army reform was to provide an expeditionary capability. His reorganisation of the regular army created a six-division Expeditionary Force, and his plan

10440-709: The Ulster Division to France, landing at Le Havre on 4 October 1915, and was in the Line by the middle of the month. In November 1915, half of the Brigade Ammunition Column (BAC) was sent to reinforce 10th (Irish) Division's Divisional Ammunition Column (DAC) (also attached to 36th (Ulster) Division). On 18 November the two attached batteries left to rejoin 10th (Irish) Division in the Eastern Mediterranean. In December,

10620-458: The Ulster Division's artillery arrived from England, and the London Divisional Artillery was transferred to the 38th (Welsh) Division , which had also gone to France minus its own artillery. 1/IV London Bde served with the Welsh Division from 12 December 1915 to 3 January 1916. It was next attached to an ad hoc division of dismounted cavalry, but on 26 February was able to rejoin 1/1st London Division (now numbered 56th (London) Division ), which

10800-399: The Volunteers saw the 9th KAVC renumbered as the 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers on 1 July 1880 and it became independent of the Royal Arsenal unit in March 1883. All artillery volunteers were attached to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA) in 1882, when the 2nd Kent joined the London Division , transferring to the Eastern Division after the London Division

10980-416: The War Office promise that the second line would no longer be trawled for replacements to be sent to the first line. By this time, second-line battalion establishments had been reduced to 400 men, less than half the number normally serving in an infantry battalion at full strength. It took on average 27 months to prepare a second-line formation for active service, compared to eight months for the first line, and

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11160-447: The War Office which, when finally forthcoming, often rejected the associations' plans outright or refused to allocate the full financing requested. In 1909, the Gloucestershire association complained that "most of our association are businessmen and are unable to understand why it takes ten weeks and upwards to reply" after waiting for a response to its proposed purchase of a site for a field ambulance unit. Somerset lost three sites for

11340-428: The Welsh Border Mounted Brigade had left, so the men were transferred to the 58th Divisional Trench Mortar Brigade . CCXCIII Brigade landed at Le Havre on 22 January 1917. On 6 February 1917, D(H) Battery was split between D(H)/CCXC Battery and D(H)/CCXCI Battery; the remainder of the brigade became CCXCIII Army Field Artillery Brigade, RFA, now with two batteries of six 18-pounders and one of four 4.5" howitzers. At

11520-433: The Western Front in 1917 and 1918 as part of another Army Field Artillery Brigade. It was reconstituted post-war as a medium artillery battery and served as such in the Second World War . The Territorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9) which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force , the Honourable Artillery Company and

11700-452: The Western Front, individual battalions were attached to regular army formations and sent into action, and the territorials were credited with playing a key role in stopping the German offensive. The first complete territorial division to be deployed to a combat zone arrived in France in March 1915. Territorial divisions began participating in offensive operations on the Western Front from June 1915 and at Gallipoli later that year. Because of

11880-431: The amalgamation of 44 territorial battalions and the disbandment of a further 21. In July, the 50th (Northumbrian) Division was left with a single territorial battalion when it was reorganised following heavy losses during the Spring Offensive. Its other territorial battalions, having fought in most battles since the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915, were reduced to a cadre or disbanded. All but one battalion in each brigade of

12060-438: The assaulting battalions, who were now cut off. On the other side of the Gommecourt Salient, the assault of the 46th (North Midland) Division was a disaster, bogged down in mud and uncut wire, and the defenders could turn all their attention to the 56th Division. Although VII Corps' heavy guns and 56th Division's howitzers tried to suppress the German artillery, and the 18-pounders fired pre-arranged barrages to block some of

12240-404: The associations assisted in recruiting the New Army alongside their own work raising and equipping territorial units. The Cambridgeshire , Denbighshire and East Riding associations, for example, together raised 11 New Army units in December 1914. The associations performed remarkably well in equipping their units, despite the fact that the War Office prioritised New Army units and, in the case of

12420-410: The attack, designated U, V, W, X and Y days, but the whole attack was delayed by two days, so there was seven days of bombardment culminating in Z Day on 1 July. The two additional days were used for Interdiction of enemy movement and repairs, to complete the wire-cutting and counter-battery tasks, and to deceive the enemy. The wear on the guns and the unexpected ammunition expenditure meant that after

12600-428: The auxiliaries – nearly 46,000 militiamen served in South Africa and another 74,000 were enlisted into the regular army; some 20,000 men of the Volunteer Force volunteered for active service in South Africa; and the yeomanry provided the nucleus of the separate Imperial Yeomanry for which over 34,000 volunteered. The war placed a significant strain on the regular forces. Against a background of invasion scares in

12780-502: The auxiliary forces and transform the yeomanry from cavalry to mounted infantry . Brodrick's efforts were met with opposition from auxiliary interests in the government, and the yeomanry in particular proved resistant to change. A royal commission on auxiliary forces concluded in 1904 that the volunteer organisations were not fit to defend the country unaided and that the only effective solution would be to introduce conscription . This option, regarded as political suicide by all parties,

12960-596: The barrage for the assault on the Hindenburg main line. This second phase began at 12.10 and after two hours 56th Division was through the Hindenburg front line, but its flanks were in the air and further progress was slow. The Shropshire Battery moved into the sugar refinery in Neuville Vitasse on 10 April, but as the battle moved on it was left out of range. This phase of the Battle of Arras (the 1st Battle of

13140-492: The barrage proper on 9 April. 56th Division attacked Neuville Vitasse at 07.45 on 9 April with tank support, leapfrogging its battalions across successive objectives. Within half an hour, the Shropshire Battery was ordered forward, the gun teams already waiting. Although the movement was observed by the enemy and shelled, by 10.00 the whole divisional artillery had moved across the old German front line to within 1,000 yards of Neuville Vitasse, with ammunition brought up, ready to fire

13320-404: The beginning of 1917, CCXCIII Bde landing at Le Havre on 22 January. It was immediately detached from the division and became an 'Army Brigade', for which role it gained a third 18-pounder battery (B/CCLXXXVII (2/III West Lancashire RFA) joined from 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division on 17 March 1917) and reformed its own Brigade Ammunition Column, including a motorised ammunition sub-park, and

13500-498: The beginning of the war, had been its unique possession". For the 1/6th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment , losses during the Battle of the Somme had damaged its "territorial influence". Criticisms of the drafting system were voiced in the House of Commons , and territorial representatives expressed concern that the force's unique character was being lost. Military authorities stated their desire to replenish units with replacements from

13680-431: The brigade was completely reorganised. Like the other TF artillery brigades it was numbered, becoming CCLXXXIII (or 283rd) Brigade, RFA. 10th (H) Bty transferred to CCLXXXI (formerly 1/II London ) Bde and 11th (H) Bty to CCLXXX (formerly 1/I London ) Bde. In exchange, the brigade received three batteries equipped with 18-pounder field guns which had recently joined the other brigades of the divisional artillery, giving it

13860-470: The brigade was sent to support the New Zealand Division 's defences, and later carried out training in open warfare, including anti-tank gunnery. On the night of 19 August the guns were taken back to Essarts, where they were carefully emplaced and camouflaged to support the British attack of 21 August ( Second Battle of the Somme (1918) ). After firing a two-hour standing barrage to support

14040-544: The closest to the German lines, in an orchard on the edge of the British-held village of Hébuterne , firing over Open sights at the wire and a German position at Point 94 in the south-east corner of Gommecourt. 109 Bty with the Macart Group was about 500 yards from Hébuterne, beside the road from Sailly and just over 3000 yards from the German trenches. Five days of intense bombardment were planned leading up to

14220-559: The closing stages of the Arras offensive, the brigade was withdrawn to a relatively quiet location in the St Quentin sector. Although the Shropshire Battery was shelled out of its first position, it relocated to a well-camouflaged site behind a sugar factory and remained there unmolested. After this quiet spell, the brigade was moved up to the Ypres Salient , where it supported 17th (Northern) and 18th (Eastern) Divisions for

14400-409: The commander of 154th (3rd Highland) Brigade : 'I doubt if artillery ever had greater difficulties to meet – there were certainly occasions when your guns had no knowledge as to whether the nearest thing in front of them was not the advancing German infantry'. The brigade won seven MCs and 10 Military Medals (MMs). D (H) Bty was made up to six howitzers on 29 April 1918. After a week's rest,

14580-433: The communication trenches for 12 minutes. Next they shifted to the second objective for eight minutes. This programme was intended to conform to the infantry's plan of attack. At first this went well for 56th Division. Despite casualties from the German counter-bombardment on their jumping-off trenches, the smoke and morning mist helped the infantry and they reached the German front line with little loss and moved on towards

14760-492: The construction and maintenance of trenches, and generally performed only supporting actions in the attacks at Neuve Chapelle and Aubers Ridge in early 1915. An exception was the 1/13th Battalion ( Kensington ), London Regiment. During the Battle of Aubers Ridge, the Kensingtons became the first territorial battalion to be deployed in the first wave of a major assault, and was the only battalion to achieve its objective on

14940-584: The continuing Somme Offensive, and on 17 July the infantry made raids on the enemy line, but otherwise the period was quiet. On 20 August it was relieved and moved south to rejoin the main offensive. Thereafter CCLXXXIII Bde supported 56th Division in the following actions of the Somme Offensive: 283 Brigade was broken up between the other RFA brigades of 56th Division on 5 November 1916. The original 1/10th and 1/11th London (H) Batteries continued to fight as D (H)/281 and D (H)/280 respectively until

15120-498: The counter-attacks coming down communication trenches, the situation was too confused for the OPs and spotter aircraft to allow the divisional artillery to provide close support for the infantry. Several of the field guns were also out of action with broken springs. Even when repaired, the guns had to conserve ammunition later in the day. At about 13.00 the isolated battalions in the German lines began to crumble, and by 16.00 they only held

15300-427: The county territorial associations and the War Office was often acrimonious. The associations frequently complained about excessive bureaucracy and inadequate finance. The military authorities begrudged the money that could have been spent on the regular army being wasted on what they perceived as an inefficient, amateur auxiliary. Efforts to provide adequate facilities, for example, were undermined by slow responses from

15480-411: The county territorial associations was significantly reduced in the face of opposition to civilian encroachment in military affairs. Instead, the associations were chaired by Lord Lieutenants and run by traditional county military elites. Militia representatives refused to accept Haldane's plans to allocate a proportion of the militia as a reserve for the regular army and incorporate the remainder into

15660-413: The county territorial associations would be unable to cope with the task of recruiting and training large numbers. He also believed that because so few territorials had thus far volunteered for foreign service, the Territorial Force was better suited for home defence than as a means of expanding the army overseas. At the end of July, territorial Special Service Sections began patrolling the east coast. On

15840-441: The courage of the territorials, he criticised the performance of the 53rd and 54th Divisions. His comments failed to recognise the difficulties the two divisions had faced with the loss of many of their trained men transferred to other units before their arrival at Gallipoli. Lieutenant-Colonel E. C. Da Costa, GSO1 of the 54th Division, refuted accusations by Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford , commander of IX Corps , that

16020-627: The date on which its first officers' commissions were issued, and was increased to battery strength on 15 August. The first commanding officer (CO) was William Tongue, who was replaced in 1865 by the local politician Edwin Hughes (later Sir Edwin Hughes), who became Captain-Commandant in 1868. The early equipment of the unit appears to have been two 32-pounder smoothbore muzzle-loading cannon , mounted in Hughes's garden; later these were converted into 64-pounder Rifled Muzzle-Loading (RML) cannon . In 1870

16200-483: The day before the declaration of war, the 1st London Brigade was dispersed by platoons to protect the rail network between London and Southampton. The remainder of the Territorial Force was mobilised on the evening of 4 August 1914, and war stations were quickly occupied by those units with bases located nearby. By 6 August, for example, units of the Wessex Division were concentrated at Plymouth while those of

16380-602: The day. But the Territorial Force had filled the gaps created in the regular army by the German offensive of 1914, and French wrote that it would have been impossible to halt the German advance without it. The 51st (Highland) Division participated in an attack on 15 June 1915 in the Second Action of Givenchy, part of the Second Battle of Artois . The division had lost several of its original battalions to piecemeal deployment and had been brought up to strength only

16560-706: The defensive battles of the initial German offensive during the Race to the Sea . Among the first to see action was the London Scottish, which suffered 640 casualties on 31 October 1914 during the Battle of Messines . It was in action again during the First Battle of Ypres in November, and was praised as a "glorious lead and example" to the rest of the Territorial Force by Field Marshal Sir John French , commander of

16740-473: The desperate fighting, earning further praise from French for their tenacity and determination. Several other territorial battalions attached to regular army formations fought with distinction in the defence of Ypres, at the cost of heavy casualties. The three battalions of the Monmouthshire Regiment were temporarily amalgamated into a single composite battalion, as were three battalions of

16920-574: The division had been posted away to relieve Regular Army garrisons in the Mediterranean or to supplement the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front . By early 1915, only the artillery and other support elements of the division remained in England, and these were attached to the 2nd Line TF division ( 2/1st London Division ) that was being organised. The 2/1st London Division formed part of First Army of Central Force guarding

17100-555: The division lacked attacking spirit and was badly led. Da Costa claimed that its poor performance was entirely due to the way it had been "chucked ashore" and thrown into a poorly-coordinated and ill-defined attack. Following a successful British defence of the Suez Canal , the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) was formed in March 1916 and went over to the offensive against German and Ottoman forces in

17280-579: The end of May. Battalion strengths fluctuated throughout training as men were drafted to first-line units. The division was still only at two-thirds strength when it attacked at the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916 alongside the Australian 5th Division . The heavy casualties suffered by the Australians were blamed on the failure of the territorials' assaulting battalions to take a key position. By August 1915, four territorial infantry divisions and

17460-586: The end of the month) had accepted the Imperial Service Obligation. Despite the low uptake before the war, 72 per cent of the rank and file volunteered for foreign service by the end of September. The first full territorial divisions to be deployed overseas were used to free up imperial garrisons. The East Lancashire Division was sent to Egypt in September, and three territorial divisions had been deployed to India by January 1915. Territorial battalions released regular troops stationed at Aden, Cyprus , Gibraltar and Malta . Five regular army divisions were created from

17640-481: The end of the war. The 61st (2nd South Midland) Division, for example, blamed for the failure at Fromelles, was commended by Lieutenant-General Hubert Gough , commander of the Fifth Army , as the best performing of his 11 front-line divisions in the initial onslaught of the German spring offensive in March 1918. As the war progressed, Britain began to struggle with manpower shortages, prompting changes which affected

17820-430: The enemy. The Highlanders improvised a defence line along the rear of their Battle Zone and the Germans failed to break through. The gunners made attempts by night to carry off their guns. The batteries remained under continuous shellfire throughout 22 March, and retired in the evening when German infantry were within 500 yards. Next morning the new Shropshire battery position came under machine-gun fire and became untenable,

18000-400: The first day's fighting. The 48th Division itself went into action on 16 July, and by the end of September the remaining four territorial divisions – the 47th (1/2nd London), 50th (Northumbrian), 51st (Highland) and 55th (West Lancashire) – had relieved battle-weary units and gone into action. Although the 46th Division's poor performance at Gommecourt cemented a perception that it

18180-451: The first half of the war, territorial casualties were generally replaced with drafts from a battalion's own reserve. Although there were some cases of replacements being sourced from different regions or non-territorial units, in mid-1916 the ranks of the territorial units were still largely populated by men who had volunteered specifically for service as a territorial in their local regiment. The legal protections for this were stripped away by

18360-402: The first line compromised the second line's home defence capabilities until a third line was raised to take over responsibility for territorial recruitment and training. The second line's duties were further complicated by the expectation, later confirmed, that it too would be deployed overseas. Territorial units were initially deployed overseas to free up regular units from non-combat duties. On

18540-415: The first territorial formation larger than a battalion to fight under its own command when it participated in an abortive counter-attack on 26 April 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres . It suffered 1,954 casualties and earned a personal congratulation from French. The division had deployed only three days earlier; the rest of its units were attached piecemeal to other formations and immediately thrown into

18720-510: The first- and second-line units, but when unable to do so, replacements were sent from the Training Reserve. The system was organised by region, so even if a battalion did not receive replacements from its own regiment they were generally sourced from an appropriate locality, but it did not guarantee unit integrity. After the heavy losses sustained during the Somme offensive, dilution of the territorial identity accelerated because of

18900-463: The following organisation: CCLXXXIII Brigade, RFA As part of the same reorganisation, the rest of 1/IV London BAC was transferred to the new 56th Divisional Ammunition Column. The first major action for 283 Brigade came at the Battle of the Somme , and there are detailed accounts of its actions. 56th Division's task for the opening day of the Somme Offensive (the 'Big Push')

19080-428: The force in preference to the new or regular armies. They had elected to join local regiments and been imbued with an esprit de corps during their training in those regiments' own second and later third lines. The strong sense of locality was reinforced by a shared civilian background – it was not uncommon for territorials to be employed in the same office, mill or factory – and many territorial memoirs betray

19260-477: The force throughout its existence. The Territorial Force was established on 1 April 1908 by the amalgamation of the Volunteer Force and the yeomanry. The Volunteer Force battalions became the infantry component of the Territorial Force and were more closely integrated into regular army regimental establishments they had previously been linked to; for example, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Volunteer Battalions of

19440-424: The force would not reach a standard at which two territorial divisions could be considered the equal of one regular division as planned. In 1908 and 1914, it was decided that two of the army's six expeditionary divisions should be retained in the UK for home defence, so ineffective was the Territorial Force perceived to be in the role to which it had been assigned. In 1910, Lord Esher , pro-conscription chairman of

19620-454: The force's ability to defend the homeland. To replace foreign-service units, the Territorial Force was doubled in size by creating a second line which mirrored the organisation of the original, first-line units. Second-line units assumed responsibility for home defence and provided replacement drafts to the first line. The second line competed with the New Army for limited resources and was poorly equipped and armed. The provision of replacements to

19800-464: The front, the territorials would spend several days in further training behind the lines before undergoing a period of trench acclimatisation. When the battalion was considered proficient, or when the pressure to relieve a regular unit became too severe, the territorials were allocated their own sector of the front. The time between arriving at brigade and taking over the trenches varied from between six days to one month. The territorials were thrown into

19980-496: The gap between the near destruction of the regular army that year and the arrival of the New Army in 1915. Territorial units were deployed to Gallipoli in 1915 and, following the failure of that campaign, provided the bulk of the British contribution to allied forces in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign . By the war's end, the Territorial Force had fielded twenty-three infantry divisions and two mounted divisions on foreign soil. It

20160-599: The guns having to be destroyed where they stood. Two fresh guns were brought up from the waggon lines that evening, and the Shropshire battery moved to Foncquevillers, from where it sent out mounted patrols to locate the enemy in front. After further withdrawals, the brigade reached the area round Essarts before going into Corps reserve. The brigade's horses were only off-saddled twice in six days. During this period, CCXCIII Army Bde had been supporting 42nd (East Lancashire) and 51st (Highland) Divisions, and received thanks from

20340-408: The guns lifted to pre-arranged targets in the German support and reserve lines while the infantry began their assault. Having reverted to divisional control at Zero Hour, the 18-pounders had very short lifts, almost amounting to a creeping barrage . The first lift was onto the German reserve trench, on which they fired for four minutes, then they fired for six minutes just beyond it, and then swept

20520-490: The home defence role, although in fact most of these were also posted abroad in due course. The 1st Line battery was embodied with the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War and moved to East Anglia . It joined the 1st Mounted Division in September 1914, replacing 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade which moved to 2nd Mounted Division . The battery

20700-399: The influx of replacements who had no territorial affiliation. Some units still maintained a regional identity; the 56th (1/1st London) Division, for example, retained its essentially London character despite the fact that the four battalions of its 168th Brigade received replacements from at least 26 different regiments during the battle. Others experienced substantial dilution by the end of

20880-468: The intended peak on Y Day (28 June) the firing actually fell away on the additional Y1 and Y2 Days, giving the defenders time to reorganise and repair their wire. The division's batteries and observation posts (OPs) also suffered from German counter-battery fire. The section of C/283 Bty hidden at the edge of Hébuterne was causing considerable damage to the trenches and wire round Gommecourt Park and came in for particular attention from German shelling, but

21060-461: The last six weeks of the Battle of Passchendaele . Guns had to be provided with wooden platforms to avoid sinking into the mud, and were devoid of cover or camouflage, the gunners sheltering in captured German pillboxes when not serving the guns. After Christmas 1917, the brigade moved into the Bapaume sector, under IV Corps . The opening of the German spring offensive on 21 March 1918 found

21240-507: The manpower for the Brigade Ammunition Column. At this point, the battery had been rearmed with 18-pounders . The brigade disembarked at Boulogne on 24 May 1917 and became an Army Field Brigade. On 6 July 1917, the battery was redesignated as A/CLVIII Battery and 2/1st Berkshire RHA became C/CLVIII Battery. At the Armistice, the battery (by now made up to six 18-pounders) was still with CLVIII Army Brigade, RFA serving as Army Troops with

21420-403: The military authorities, raised instead the New Army of volunteers to expand the regular army. His decision was based not only on professional prejudice – he regarded the territorials as a joke, led by "middle-aged professional men who were allowed to put on uniform and play at soldiers"  – but also on an appreciation of the constraints imposed by the force's constitution. He feared that

21600-431: The military authorities. Territorial officers and specialists such as doctors, vets, drivers, cooks and dispatch riders received less pay than their counterparts in New Army and regular units. Officers were considered junior to their regular counterparts of the same rank, leading some to remove the 'T' insignia from their uniforms as a badge of inferiority, and commanders of second-line brigades and third-line battalions were

21780-446: The more affluent urban centres contained a significant proportion of well-educated white-collar workers . Territorial officers were predominantly middle class, meaning that in some units there was little to separate officers from other ranks in terms of social status. Territorial officers were regarded as social inferiors by the regular army's more privileged officer corps. The territorials' relatively narrow social spectrum resulted in

21960-483: The nickname 'The Shiny Fourth'. By the time the First World War broke out in 1914, TF howitzer batteries were each equipped with four of the obsolescent BL 5-inch howitzers. Annual training for 1st London Division had just begun when war was declared on 4 August 1914, and the IV London (H) Bde promptly returned from the Redesdale training ranges to Lewisham for mobilisation. On the outbreak of war, units of

22140-522: The offensive; the 149th (Northumberland) Brigade, for example, received large numbers of replacements from East Anglia, Northamptonshire , London and the Midlands . By March 1917, a significant proportion of the men in the second-line 61st (2nd South Midland) Division came from outside the South Midlands due to the replacement of losses suffered at the Battle of Fromelles. By the end of the year,

22320-538: The opening battles in France, Kitchener came under pressure to make up the losses. With the New Army not yet ready, he was forced to fall back on the territorials. Despite the preference of General Ian Hamilton , Commander-in-Chief of the Home Forces, for the Territorial Force to be deployed to the Western Front in complete brigades and divisions, it was deployed piecemeal. Because of the pressing need for troops, individual battalions were sent as soon as they reached

22500-491: The pay increase to which they were entitled. The divisions were still stationed there at the war's end, despite promises made by Kitchener that they would be redeployed to France within a year. Indications that they would be the first to be demobilised proved false when the outbreak of the Third Anglo-Afghan War forced the government to retain some territorial units in India until 1920. The poor treatment of

22680-579: The popular press as the "Territorial Farce". The NSL's president – the former Commander-in-Chief of the Forces , Lord Roberts  – enlisted the support of serving officers in a campaign against it, and in 1913 the Army Council declared its support for conscription. Even prominent members of the force itself favoured compulsory service, and by April 1913 ten county territorial associations had expressed support for it. The relationship between

22860-733: The practice ranges at Lydd during annual summer camps. In 1899 the Artillery Volunteers were attached to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA), and when the RA's divisional structure as abolished on 1 January 1902 the unit was redesignated 2nd Kent Brigade, RGA (Volunteers) in the South-Eastern Group. Headquarters (HQ) was at Bloomfield Road, Plumstead, from 1888 to 1905, and at 28 Rhyme Road, Lewisham, and Lewisham High Street from 1905 to 1911. During

23040-541: The press, George Wyndham , Under-Secretary of State for War , conceded in Parliament in February 1900 that instead of augmenting the regular army's defence of the British coast, the auxiliary forces were the main defence. The questionable performance of the volunteers, caused by poor standards of efficiency and training, led to doubts in both government and the regular army about the auxiliary's ability to meet such

23220-493: The rank and file were under 20 years old; in the opinion of the Inspector-General of the Home Forces , this proportion rendered the force too immature to be effective. In 1913, approximately 40,000 territorials were under 19 years old, the minimum age at which they could volunteer for service overseas. Barely seven per cent of the force had accepted the Imperial Service Obligation, seriously compromising its viability as

23400-598: The regular army's Gloucestershire Regiment became the regiment's 4th, 5th and 6th Battalions (Territorial Force). The infantry was organised into 14 territorial divisions , each of three brigades . The yeomanry regiments became the mounted component of the Territorial Force, organised into 14 mounted brigades. Brigades and divisions were equipped with integral supporting arms along regular army lines, comprising territorial units of artillery (totalling 182 horse and field batteries), engineers and signals, along with supply, medical and veterinary services. Each territorial unit

23580-486: The regular infantry". There were eight first-line territorial divisions on the Western Front at the start of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916. Two of them, the 46th (North Midland) Division and the 56th (1/1st London) Division , went into action on the first day in a disastrous attack on the Gommecourt Salient , a diversionary operation conducted by the Third Army . Two more territorial divisions,

23760-470: The regulars with its spirit in the Third Battle of Krithia on 4 June. The 155th (South Scottish) Brigade of the 52nd (Lowland) Division assaulted with such determination in July that it overran its objective and came under fire from French allies. The 156th (Scottish Rifles) Brigade suffered over 50 per cent casualties in the Battle of Gully Ravine on 28 June, and a battalion of the 54th Division

23940-412: The reshuffle indicated that the Territorial Force had exceeded the expectations of the military authorities, and the territorials' time with the regulars generally resulted in a strong camaraderie and mutual respect between the two. French reported in February 1915 the praise of his commanders for their territorials, who were "fast approaching, if they had not already reached, the standards of efficiency of

24120-421: The rest of the British land forces, bore little resemblance beyond a geographic origin to those that had sailed in 1914 and 1915. By 1918, there was little to differentiate between regular, territorial and New Army divisions. Failure to guarantee the integrity of its units was the most contentious of several grievances felt by the territorials against what they perceived as a hostile and patronising attitude from

24300-453: The same regiment or regimental district, but stressed that the Military Service Acts had removed any obligation to do so and that military expediency sometimes necessitated not doing so. As the availability of men of military age dwindled, it became increasingly difficult to source replacements from some sparsely populated regions. The largely rurally recruited 48th (South Midland) and 54th (East Anglian) Divisions became increasingly diluted as

24480-422: The same trend could be seen in the first-line 48th (South Midland) Division. The indiscriminate replacement of casualties prompted rueful comments about the damage being done to the nature of the Territorial Force. The historian C. R. M. F. Cruttwell , serving with the 1/4th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment , lamented that, by the end of 1916, the battalion had "lost its exclusive Berkshire character which, at

24660-465: The second and reserve lines. The artillery OPs reported the signboards erected by the leading waves to mark their progress. On some parts of the front the wire was inadequately cut, causing the troops to bunch to get through gaps and become disorganised. The German began counter-attacking about an hour after Zero, and their heavy barrage on No man's land and their own front trenches made it almost impossible for reinforcements and supplies to be got forward to

24840-416: The second line often lacked sufficient weapons and ammunition. The desire among the second-line commanders to maintain a level of training and efficiency in readiness for their own deployment led to friction with their first-line counterparts, who accused the second line of holding back the best men and sending sub-standard replacements to the first line. When the regular army suffered high attrition during

25020-504: The second-line units the responsibility for providing replacement drafts to territorial combat units. Territorial battalions were numbered according to line so that, for example, the three lines of the 6th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment, became the 1/6th, 2/6th and 3/6th Battalions. In May 1915, territorial divisions were numbered in order of their deployment overseas; the East Lancashire Division, for example, became

25200-452: The summer of 1915, six complete territorial divisions had been deployed to France. Many of the 52 territorial units still attached to regular army formations were returned to their own parent commands. This allowed the professionals to remove from their formations an element made awkward by its specific terms of service. The regulars found the territorials to be slow to move and recuperate, and better in static defence than attack. Nevertheless,

25380-409: The territorials in India resulted in low support across south-west England and the home counties , the regions from which the three divisions were recruited, when the Territorial Force was reconstituted after the war. The county territorial associations experienced a steady erosion of responsibilities as the war progressed. Although disappointed by Kitchener's decision to bypass the Territorial Force,

25560-541: The territorials. The 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) and 65th (2nd Lowland) Divisions had already been disbanded in July 1916 and March 1917 respectively. The remaining four home-based divisions lost their territorial affiliation when they were reconstituted as part of the Training Reserve over the winter of 1917/1918. In early 1918, every brigade in the BEF was reduced from four to three battalions. The reductions targeted second-line and New Army units, and resulted in

25740-739: The troops released by the territorials' deployments. The extent to which territorials accepted the obligation varied considerably between battalions; some registered 90 per cent or more acceptance, others less than 50 per cent. The difficulties were not restricted to the rank and file, and many battalions sailed for foreign service with officers who had been newly promoted or recruited to replace those who had chosen to remain at home. The territorials faced difficulties as they trained up to operational standard. Some artillery units did not get an opportunity to practise with live ammunition until January 1915. Rifle practice suffered due to lack of rifles, practice ammunition and ranges on which to use them. Because there

25920-451: The village, when they were seen and machine-gunned by German aircraft. The gunners fired over open sights to cover the withdrawal of the infantry, then became involved in close fighting themselves, defending their gun pits with rifle fire. During the confused fighting C Battery's guns were in action for an hour with no infantry in front of them, while B Battery's guns were out of action, the sights and breechblocks removed to prevent their use by

26100-402: The war progressed, while the more urbanised recruitment areas of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division allowed it to remain essentially a Lancashire formation throughout. By the war's end, very few battalions still retained more than a handful of men who had embarked with them at the start of the war. The territorial units that fought in 1917 and 1918, subject to the same system of replacements as

26280-411: The war's end, there was little to distinguish between regular, territorial and New Army formations. The British Army of the late 19th century was a small, professional organisation designed to garrison the empire and maintain order at home, with no capacity to provide an expeditionary force in a major war. It was augmented in its home duties by three part-time volunteer institutions, the militia ,

26460-472: The war's end. The apparent cull of territorial units added to the grievances harboured by the Territorial Force about its treatment by the military authorities. Many territorial battalions had strong individual identities based on the geography of their recruitment. The ranks had been filled by men who, at least until direct voluntary recruitment into the Territorial Force ceased in December 1915, had chosen

26640-471: The war, eight of which were deployed overseas. The first to fight in a major battle was the 61st (2nd South Midland) Division . Its constituent units were raised in September and October 1914, and their training was indicative of the difficulties faced by the second line in general. New recruits paraded without uniforms until October and lived at home until the division assembled in January 1915. The infantry

26820-471: The way it was constituted and recruited, the Territorial Force possessed an identity that was distinct from the regular army and the New Army. This became increasingly diluted as heavy casualties were replaced with conscripted recruits following the introduction of compulsory service in early 1916. The Territorial Force was further eroded as a separate institution when county territorial associations were relieved of most of their administrative responsibilities. By

27000-927: Was 2/Lt John Morley Stebbings, a Kentish man who had won the Edward Medal leading a rescue party of eight men from his battery into the ruins of the Uplees explosives factory near Faversham after the Great Explosion on 2 April 1916. He subsequently won a Military Cross (MC) on the Western Front and in the Second World War, commanded the Sittingbourne -based 89th (Cinque Ports) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment and later 1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade in North Africa For Third Army's forthcoming Arras Offensive, CCXCIII Bde

27180-407: Was a failed unit and the 49th Division's standing was little better, the territorials generally emerged from the Somme with enhanced reputations. This was echoed by Brigadier-General C. B. Prowse, a brigade commander in the 4th Division, who commented, "I did not before think much of the territorials, but by God they can fight." The Battle of the Somme marked the high point of the Territorial Force as

27360-483: Was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army , created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription . The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry into a unified auxiliary, commanded by the War Office and administered by local county territorial associations . The Territorial Force was designed to reinforce the regular army in expeditionary operations abroad, but because of political opposition it

27540-480: Was abolished. The deployment of second-line units overseas was officially endorsed in mid 1915. Until the third line was ready, the conflicting demands to supply drafts, defend the homeland and prepare for deployment caused problems for the second line. In May 1915, Kitchener informed the War Cabinet that the second line was so denuded of trained men as to render it unreliable for home defence. Only in 1916 could

27720-547: Was assigned a specific role either in coastal defence, supplementing 81 territorial companies of the Royal Garrison Artillery manning fixed defences, or as part of the mobile Central Force . Training was managed by a permanent staff of regular army personnel attached to territorial units. Recruits to the Territorial Force had to be aged between 17 and 35. They enlisted for a four-year term which could be extended by an obligatory year in times of crisis. Members could terminate their enlistment on three months' notice and payment of

27900-633: Was assigned to CCXC (290, formerly 2/I London ) Bde, and in August CCXCIII Bde was joined by 1/Shropshire Battery and 1/Glamorgan Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery , which had been left in Britain when their parent Welsh Border and South Wales Mounted Brigades had sailed for Egypt in March. Re-equipped as field artillery with four 18-pounders each, they became A and B Batteries respectively, brought up to six guns (with

28080-414: Was assigned to home defence. Members were liable for service anywhere in the UK and could not be compelled to serve overseas. In the first two months of the First World War , territorials volunteered for foreign service in significant numbers, allowing territorial units to be deployed abroad. They saw their first action on the Western Front during the initial German offensive of 1914 , and the force filled

28260-481: Was attached to 56th (1/1st London) Division. The Germans partly forestalled this offensive by withdrawing to the Hindenburg Line , but near Arras they only went back a short distance to a new line behind Neuville Vitasse. The bombardment began on 4 April. CCXCIII's main task before the attack was wire-cutting; then on 8 April a rehearsal of the barrage was carried out with an unlimited supply of ammunition and

28440-493: Was being reformed in France. The brigade was billeted at Wamlin and Rozieres during March as the reformed division took shape. On 14 February, B (H) Battery and a subsection of the Brigade Ammunition Column were transferred from the New Army CLXVII (Camberwell) Howitzer Brigade of 33rd Divisional Artillery to 1/IV London (H) Brigade to bring it up to three batteries; it was designated T (H) Battery. In May 1916

28620-639: Was broken up in July 1916 when it batteries were posted to 2/I and 2/II London Brigades, RFA (T.F.) (that is, before the field artillery brigades of the Territorial Force divisions were numbered in a single sequence). The brigade was reformed for 58th Division in August 1916 as CCXCIII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (T.F.) with two gun batteries provided by 1/1st Shropshire RHA ( A/CCXCIII Battery ) and 1/1st Glamorganshire RHA (B/CCXCIII Battery) and two howitzer batteries (C(H) and D(H) of four 4.5" howitzers each). The Brigade Ammunition Column had been redundant since

28800-470: Was brought further into question by British military planning; the Royal Navy formed the primary defence against invasion, and studies in 1903 and 1908 concluded that the threat of invasion was negligible, despite popular perceptions to the contrary. The first reform efforts were undertaken in 1901 by William St John Brodrick , Secretary of State for War . They were designed to improve the training of

28980-493: Was complicated for all by the need to reorganise the territorial battalions' outdated eight- company structure to the army's standard four-company battalion. On 15 August, county territorial associations began raising second-line units to replace those scheduled for foreign service. The ranks of the second line were filled by those territorials who could not or did not accept the Imperial Service Obligation. In November, associations started raising third-line units to take over from

29160-480: Was demobilised after the war and reconstituted in 1921 as the Territorial Army . The force experienced problems throughout its existence. On establishment, fewer than 40 per cent of the men in the previous auxiliary institutions transferred into it, and it was consistently under strength until the outbreak of the First World War. It was not considered to be an effective military force by the regular army and

29340-413: Was denigrated by the proponents of conscription. Lord Kitchener chose to concentrate the Territorial Force on home defence and raise the New Army to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France, a decision which disappointed the territorials. The need to replace heavy losses suffered by the BEF before the New Army was ready forced Kitchener to deploy territorial units overseas, compromising

29520-636: Was disbanded in 1889. By 1891 the unit had eight companies (Nos 1 and 2 at Lewisham , Nos 3–8 at Plumstead). By 1893 the War Office Mobilisation Scheme had allocated the 2nd Kent Artillery Volunteers to the Thames fixed defences. From 1897 the Volunteers were issued with 9-pounder RML guns and the 2nd Kent also had 6.6-inch and 8-inch RML siege howitzers as befitted its role as 'position artillery'. These guns were fired on

29700-492: Was equipped with old Japanese Arisaka rifles, antique Maxim machine-guns and dummy Lewis guns constructed from wood. The divisional artillery, having initially drilled with cart-mounted logs, was equipped first with obsolete French 90 mm cannons , then with outdated 15-pounder guns and 5-inch howitzers handed down from the first line. The division was not issued with modern weapons until it began intensive training in March 1916, in preparation for its deployment to France at

29880-601: Was for the Territorial Force to reinforce it after six months of training following mobilisation. Representatives of the existing auxiliary forces and elements within the Liberal party opposed any foreign service obligation. To ensure their support, Haldane declared the Territorial Force's purpose to be home defence when he introduced his reforms in Parliament, despite having stressed an overseas role eight days previously. The last-minute change caused significant difficulties for

30060-533: Was immediately rejected. Brodrick's successor, H. O. Arnold-Forster , also failed to overcome opposition to his reform efforts. In December 1905, a Liberal government took office, bringing in Richard Haldane as the Secretary of State for War. His vision was for a nation that could be mobilised for war without resorting to conscription – a "real national army, formed by the people". His solution

30240-700: Was insufficient transport, a motley collection of carts, private vehicles and lorries were pressed into service. The animals used to pull the non-motorised transport or mount the yeomanry ranged in pedigree from half-blind pit ponies to show horses. The Territorial Force competed with the New Army for recruits, and the War Office prioritised the latter for training and equipment. Many of the regular army staff posted to territorial units were recalled to their parent regiments, and those professionals that still remained were transferred to territorial reserve units in January 1915. Training proved difficult for formations that were widely dispersed as part of their defence duties, and

30420-420: Was later redesignated as 60th (6th Cheshire and Shropshire) Medium Brigade, RA , ( TA ). In January 1927, 240th Battery regained its sub-title as 240th (Shropshire RHA) Medium Battery, RA (TA) . In 1938, 240th (Shropshire RHA) Battery transferred from the 60th Medium Regiment to 51st (Midland) Medium Regiment , and fought with it throughout the Second World War, in ' Arkforce ' during the Battle of France , in

30600-475: Was never located. Each afternoon the bombardment paused between 16.00 and 16.30 to allow a BE2c aircraft of No. 8 Squadron , Royal Flying Corps , to photograph the German positions. Analysis of these pictures on 30 June revealed large areas of uncut wire, especially in the centre of the area to be attacked by 56th Division. Night patrols confirmed these reports. Each day of the firing programme had included an intense bombardment starting at 06.25, reaching

30780-566: Was one of many Volunteer units raised as a result of an invasion scare in 1859. Based at Plumstead , then in Kent, it was raised after a public meeting in December. Many of its first members were employed by the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich , which manufactured artillery and carried out proofing at Plumstead Marsh. Officially raised as a sub-division within the 1st Administrative Brigade of Kent Artillery Volunteers on 13 February 1860,

30960-436: Was posted to Northumberland in January 1915 and attached to the 63rd (2nd Northumberland) Division . In March 1916, the brigade joined the 1st Mounted Division to replace the 1st Line Welsh Border Mounted Brigade which was dismounted for service in Egypt. The battery (along with 2/1st Berkshire RHA ) joined CLVIII Brigade, RFA when it was reformed at Heytesbury , Wiltshire on 13 April 1917. The two RHA batteries provided

31140-430: Was re-equipped with four 18-pounders on 30 December 1915 at Beccles . In March 1916, the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade (without the battery) was dismounted and left for Egypt. The brigade was replaced in the 1st Mounted Division by its 2nd line 2/1st Welsh Border Mounted Brigade and the battery remained with the division until August 1916. 2/IV London ( Howitzer ) Brigade , RFA (T.F.) of 58th (2/1st London) Division

31320-421: Was removed, and who had trained in that unit's third line alongside neighbours and colleagues, had been drafted to their front-line units by May 1916. In September 1916, the regiment-based system for training New Army units was centralised into the Training Reserve. Separately, the 194 territorial third-line units were amalgamated into 87 Reserve Battalions. They retained responsibility for supplying replacements to

31500-583: Was slaughtered when it advanced too far during an attack on 12 August. The same month, the yeomen of the 2nd Mounted Division suffered 30 per cent casualties during the Battle of Scimitar Hill , and had to be relieved by six dismounted yeomanry brigades which landed in October. The campaign ended in withdrawal in January 1916. Although Hamilton, appointed to command the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in March 1915, praised

31680-405: Was the Territorial Force, financed, trained and commanded centrally by the War Office and raised, supplied and administered by local county territorial associations . Haldane was able to overcome opposition and pass the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 which created the force, though not without compromise. His plan to give civic, business and trade union leaders a major role in running

31860-638: Was the only one of the new horse artillery batteries (other than those of the Honourable Artillery Company ) that pre-existed the establishment of the Territorial Force in 1908. It was recognized by the Army Council on 7 May 1908. The unit consisted of The unit was equipped with four Ehrhardt 15-pounder guns and allocated as artillery support to the Welsh Border Mounted Brigade . In accordance with

32040-416: Was therefore attached to the Ulster Division until its own gunners were ready for active service, as was part of 10th (Irish) Division 's artillery, which had not gone overseas with its parent division. The 1/IV London Brigade moved to Bordon Camp in September where it was re-equipped with modern 4.5-inch howitzers and was joined by B and C Batteries of LVII (Howitzer) Bde from 10th Division. It accompanied

32220-617: Was to attack the south side of the Gommecourt Salient as a diversion to support the main attack. 283 Brigade was split amongst the different tasks of the divisional artillery: A Bty was with the Northern Group (called 'Southart') under Lt-Col Southam supporting 169th (3rd London) Brigade , 109 Bty was with the Southern Group ('Macart') under Lt-Col Macdowell supporting 168th (2nd London) Brigade , and C Bty

32400-590: Was with the Wire Cutting Group ('Peltart') under Lt-Col Prechtel. The batteries began moving into position in late May and then began to register their targets during June. The role of the Southart and Macart Groups was to 'search' the enemy trenches, villages, woods and hollows while the Peltart Group attempted to cut the wire using Shrapnel shell . One section (two guns) of C/283 Bty was

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