- 119 Battery, Royal Field Artillery during the Great War -
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119 Battery, Royal Field Artillery
XXVII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery made up of 119, 120 and 121 Batteries served with 5th Division. 27th Brigade RFA proceeded to France in August 1914, and fought on the Western Front throughout the war, taking part in most of the major actions. In 1914 they were involved in The Battle of Mons and the subsequent retreat, The Battle of the Marne, The Battle of the Aisne, the First Battle of Ypres and the Winter Operations of 1914-15. In 1915 they were in action during The 2nd Battle of Ypres. On the 21st of May 1916, two sections of 37 (Howitzer) Battery joined from 8th (Howitzer) Brigade. In 1916 they were in action in the Battles of the Somme. On 21st of January 1917, 37 (Howitzer) Battery was brought up to full strength with a section joining from C (Howitzer) Battery, 15 Brigade RFA. In 1917 they saw action on Vimy Ridge at Oppy Wood and in the Third Battle of Ypres. In 1918 they fought in the Defence of Nieppe Forest, they were withdrawn for rest in August but after two weeks were back in action in the Second Battles of The Somme, The Battle of the Selle.
24th Aug 1914 In Action
26th Aug 1914 In Action
20th Oct 1914 Davidson of the Gunners
4th of March 1915 Enemy Nervous
5th of March 1915 "Active and Nervous" Enemy
6th of March 1915 No Hostile Patrols
7th of March 1915 A Searchlight Hit
8th of March 1915 Relief
11th of March 1915 Mortar Shells
13th of March 1915 Booby Trap
22nd of March 1915 Quiet Night
26th of March 1915 Enemy Guns Active
27th of March 1915 German Air Activity
29th of March 1915 Quiet Time
30th of March 1915 Hostile MG Damaged?
31st March 1915 Working Parties
31st of March 1915
17th of April 1915 Mines Exploded
16th May 1915 Snipers Active
18th of May 1915 Revenge Shelling
20th of May 1915 Gun Destroys Sap
21st of May 1915 Mining
24th of May 1915 Much Shelling at Night
25th of May 1915 A Fine Day
27th of May 1915 Earth Tremors Felt
29th of May 1915 A Rumbling Explosion
19th of July 1915 Quiet Night
11th of August 1915 Patrol
12th of August 1915 Quiet Time
13th of August 1915 Instruction
14th of August 1915 No Sausages
15th of August 1915 3 Salvos Fired
16th of August 1915 Enemy Active
18th of August 1915 German Captured
19th of August 1915 Hostile Patrol
20th of August 1915 Quiet Night
21st of August 1915 Snipers Active
22nd of August 1915 Hostile Balloons
24th of August 1915 Relief Completed
25th of August 1915 Hostile Marsh Patrol
26th of August 1915 Reliefs
27th of August 1915 Trenches Mortared
28th of August 1915 Special Service Pathans
29th of August 1915 Enemy Patrol Pursued
30th of August 1915 Patrols
31st of August 1915 Germans in Khaki
1st of September 1915 Enemy Periscopes Hit
2nd of September 1915 Our Transport Shelled
3rd of September 1915 Mining Actions
4th of September 1915 Mine Exploded
5th of September 1915 Damaged Aeroplane
6th of September 1915 Retaliatory Firing
7th of September 1915 No Incidents
8th of September 1915 Observation Station Hit
9th of September 1915 Quiet Time
10th of September 1915 Enemy Hit Dummy Battery
11th of September 1915 Changes of Command
12th of September 1915 67th Brigade Under Instruction
13th of September 1915 German Mine Exploded
14th of September 1915 Both Sides Retaliate
15th of September 1915 36th Division Instructed
16th of September 1915 Reliefs
17th of September 1915 German Post Hit
18th of September 1915 Heavy Gunfire Heard
19th of September 1915 A Quiet Night
20th of September 1915 Catapults Effective
21st of September 1915 Catapults Active
22nd of September 1915 Bridges Guarded
23rd of September 1915 Hostile Patrol Seen
24th of September 1915 Wet Weather
26th of September 1915 A Marsh Patrol
27th of September 1915 Deserter Comes In
1st of October 1915 Snipers Active
2nd of October 1915 `Shows' and Football
3rd of October 1915 Battalion Dispositions
4th of October 1915 New Biplane Spotted
11th of October 1915 Promiscuous Whizzbangs
12th of October 1915 77th Brigade Arrives
13th of October 1915 Reliefs
14th of October 1915 Germans Explode Mine
15th of October 1915 No Ammunition
16th of October 1915 Bombs and Reliefs
17th of October 1915 Reliefs
18th of October 1915 Noisy Germans
19th of October 1915 Transport Heard
20th of October 1915 Gun Distribution
21st of October 1915 Reliefs
23rd of October 1915 Reliefs
24th of October 1915 Reliefs
26th of October 1915 Germans Search Road
27th of October 1915 German Work Destroyed
30th of October 1915 Suzanne Shelled
1st of November 1915 East Surreys Shoot German
2nd of November 1915 Heavy Transport
3rd of November 1915 Wire Cutting
4th of November 1915 Bugle Calls
5th of November 1915 MG Fire Causes Confusion
6th of November 1915 Heavies in Action
7th of November 1915 Gun is Bulged
8th of November 1915 A Newspaper Delivery
9th of November 1915 Orders
10th of November 1915 Enemy Explode Mine
11th of November 1915 Persistent Shelling
12th of November 1915 A Quiet Day
13th of November 1915 Sausages Fired
14th of November 1915 A Flag Removed
15th of November 1915 Heavy Snow
16th of November 1915 A Spy Killed
17th of November 1915 Conference Held
18th of November 1915 Transport Heard
19th of November 1915 Another Flag Removed
20th of November 1915 Enemy Guns Active
21st of November 1915 Patrol
22nd of November 1915 Three Enemy Killed
23rd of November 1915 Heavy Traffic Heard
24th of November 1915 Artillery Active
25th of November 1915 Enemy Building Redoubts
26th of November 1915 Air Raid
27th of November 1915 Heavies Retaliate
28th of November 1915 Working Party Dispersed
29th of November 1915 Enemy Transport Shelled
30th of November 1915 Grenade Attack Successful
2nd of January 1916 Direct Hits
9th of January 1916 Enemy Patrols Active
13th of January 1916 5th Division in Reserve
25th of February 1916 Intense Cold
24th of March 1916 Camouflet Exploded
31st of August 1916 Warning Order Issued
16th of October 1916 Artillery Relief Complete
30th May 1917 Relocations 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report ‘C’ Group consisting of A,B,C and D/236 Batteries with D/119 Battery as counter battery formed under command of Lt Colonel A C Lowe DSO. 64th Army Field Artillery Brigade attached as a sub-group (D Group). Both Headquarters, under ruins of Bedford House, on Ypres-St Eloi Road. C Group's offensive zone is immediately North of Ypres-Comines canal. Batteries are all to the East of Headquarters and within close distance in new positions. Night firing commenced by the Group
31st May 1917 Wire Cutting 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery Wire cutting by A236 and C236 Batteries. Night firing by B236 Battery and registration by all Batteries for raid, which is to take place immediately South of Canal. One driver C236 Battery was killed.
1st June 1917 Wire Cutting Batteries of 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery continued wire cutting. Practice barrage from 1530 to 1600 was fired at by all Batteries on Group offensive zone. Smoke shell being used. Night firing and neutralisation of wire by B236 Battery in addition.
2nd June 1917 Wire Cutting 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report Wire cutting continued in cooperation with French Mortars and harassing fire carried out on tracks and communication trenches. D236 Battery bombarded five forward enemy front positions. In reply to all day bombardment by our heavy batteries the enemy retaliated with a few rounds on Batteries and Group HQ. Staff Sergeant Masters and one gunner were killed and two Sergeants wounded all in A236 Battery. Lieut A.F. Blackwell A236 Battery slightly wounded and missing in back area,believed killed. Later found to have been killed. Usual heavy firing on enemy roads and communications and wire.
3rd June 1917 Batteries in action 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery Batteries firing all day on roads etc. and counter Battery work with gas shells carried out during the whole night by howitzer batteries. HQ was bombarded by gas shells heavily for two hours during the night.
4th June 1917 Heavy Shelling 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report One gun of C236 knocked out and destroyed by a direct hit during heavy shelling of C236. D236 on harassing fire all day. A one round per minute bombardment at 2200 by all Batteries on enemy headquarters and much firing during the night. D236 had two howitzers destroyed.Conference of BGRA (Brigadier General Royal Artillery) and Group commanders at ‘C’ Group headquarters.
5th June 1917 Patrol Raids 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery fired three searching barrages by 18 pounder Batteries during the day and a practice barrage carried out at 1500. Lt Colonel A.C. Love DSO OC ‘C’ Group went up as Senior Liaison Officer with 142 Infantry Brigade at the Bluff. Patrol raids were carried out during the night and Bedford House was again shelled.
6th June 1917 Batteries in Action At 0230 A236 and B236 Batteries, 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery fired on said barrage. Barrage creeping to final objective carried on. Very heavy shelling of all Batteries throughout day by the enemy with 8 inch and 5.9 inch shells. A236 had two guns destroyed, B236 had two badly damaged and ammunition blown up. C236 had also two guns put out of action and 1000 rounds of ammunition blown up. Only two gunners of C236 Battery were wounded. A and C Batteries were both obliged to relocate positions for some hours. Owing to loses in guns B Battery was taken off today’s imtended barrage and placed to reinforce creeping barrage. D236 again carried out counter battery work all night. 2nd Lt M.F. Allen posted to Brigade as signal officer.
7th June 1917 Attack Launched 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery report Zero time for offensive by the II Army to take Hill 60, Wytschate and Messines Ridges at 0310. At that hour all artillery opened heavy barrage which continued to creep forward as infantry advanced for 10 hours until all objectives were joined and ridge remained in our hands. ‘C’ Group formed the centre of the six groups covering the Divisional front and the barrage crossed the canal south of which the final group protective barrage was placed.A large number of Neutralise Fire calls were received and D236 did resulting neutralisation of Batteries including firing at enemy troops on the march. At about 1800 barrage was carried out on SOS line, but no infantry action by the enemy.
8th June 1917 Reorganisation Reorganisation of 236th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery Batteries on new zero lines took place. Otherwise the enemy was very quiet. 2nd Lt H.L. Burgis was reposted to the Brigade and to A236 Battery from England.
26th of November 1917 HQ Closes and Re-opens
27th of November 1917 Entraining for Italy
17th of April 1918 A Relief and a Barrage
28th of July 1918 Quiet
21st of August 1918 Division Advances
22nd of September 1918 Field Guns Active
23rd of October 1918 Heavy Bombardment
11th of November 1918 Armistice and a ReportIf you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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262545Drv. William John Bushell 119th Battery Royal Field Artillery
My William Bushell was a keen horseman and enlisted in the Army in 1908. In late 1917, he was wounded and discharged as disabled, with loss of his left eye and head wounds. This affected his whole life as to employment, but he was a wonderful father.John Bushell
224611Lt. Edward Aloysius "Gerry" Gerrard 119 Battery Royal Field Artillery
My father, Edward Gerrard's service commenced with a Temporary Commision in June 1914 at Newbridge Barracks, Ireland. I have much material including practice in July with 119 Battery, Reynolds VC and Alexander. He did not smell powder until Suvla Bay, then Dublin in 1916. He was wounded in Palestine 1917-18. He took part in the Battle of Beersheba, the yeomanry charge at Huj, Jereusalem at Christmas 1917, and into Deraa with King of Hijaz and Lawrence, and the fall of Damascus.I have many letters, photos and a diary which I am transcribing and will make available particularly for the Allenby campaign.
Peter Gerrard
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