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82 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
LXXXII Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, served with 18th (Eastern) Division. 18th (Eastern) Division was established in September 1914, as part of Kitchener's Second New Army. The Division initially concentrated in the Colchester area but moved to Salisbury Plain in May 1915. They proceeded to France in July and concentrated near Flesselles. In 1916 they were in action on The Somme in The Battle of Albert capturing their objectives near Montauban, The Battle of Bazentin Ridge including the capture of Trones Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Thiepval Ridge, The Battle of the Ancre Heights playing a part in the capture of the Schwaben Redoubt and Regina Trench and The Battle of the Ancre. In 1917 they took part in the Operations on the Ancre including Miraumont and the capture of Irles, the fought during The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and in The Third Battle of the Scarpe before moving to Flanders. They were in action in The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Langemarck and The First and Second Battle of Passchendaele. In 1918 they saw action during The Battle of St Quentin, The Battle of the Avre, The actions of Villers-Brettoneux, The Battle of Amiens and The Battle of Albert where the Division captured the Tara and Usna hills near La Boisselle and once again captured Trones Wood. They fought in The Second Battle of Bapaume, The Battle of Epehy, The Battle of the St Quentin Canal, The Battle of the Selle and The Battle of the Sambre. At the Armistice the Division was in XIII Corps Reserve near Le Cateau and demobilisation began on the 10th of December 1918.
31st May 1915 Field Artillery takes over 3rd Corps orders state: 19th Infantry Battalion will be attached to 27 Division from this date, 6th Division has officially left this area.
81st Field Artillery takes over Factory and billets of 16th Field Artillery and works Divisional Rest Station at Bac St Maurice.
82nd Field Artillery takes over the Institution St Jude, Armentières and
83rd Field Artillery the École Professionale, Armentières
Jul 1915 Training Instruction
Jul 1915 Billets
29th Jul 1915 Concentration
5th Aug 1915 Orders
20th Aug 1915 Orders
7th Sep 1915 Under Fire 
11th Sep 1915 Exchange of Fire
13th Sep 1915 Enemy Snipers Approach
15th Sep 1915 Snipers & Artillery less Active
16th of September 1915 Reliefs
17th of September 1915 German Post Hit
26th Sep 1915 Reliefs
29th Sep 1915 Trenches Under Shellfire
1st Oct 1915 10th Essex in Trenches
2nd of October 1915 `Shows' and Football
4th of October 1915 New Biplane Spotted
5th of October 1915 A Mine Exploded
6th of October 1915 Another Mine Goes Up
7th Oct 1915 Reliefs
9th of October 1915 Quiet Time
10th of October 1915 30 Whizzbangs
11th of October 1915 Promiscuous Whizzbangs
12th of October 1915 77th Brigade Arrives
15th of October 1915 No Ammunition
16th of October 1915 Bombs and Reliefs
16th Oct 1915 Mine Exploded
17th of October 1915 Reliefs
17th Oct 1915 Working Parties
19th Oct 1915 Mine Exploded
20th of October 1915 Gun Distribution
21st of October 1915 Reliefs
22nd Oct 1915 Shelling
23rd of October 1915 Reliefs
24th of October 1915 Reliefs
26th of October 1915 Germans Search Road
27th of October 1915 German Work Destroyed
28th of October 1915 Situation Normal
30th of October 1915 Suzanne Shelled
31st of October 1915 Unusual Activity
1st Mar 1918 Zones
19th Mar 1918 Information
21st Mar 1918 Hard Fighting
21st Mar 1918 Dispositions
21st Mar 1918 Attack Made
21st Mar 1918 Hard Fighting
21st Mar 1918 Critical Situation
21st Mar 1918 Counter Attack
21st Mar 1918 Withdrawal
21st Mar 1918 Gallant Actions
22nd Mar 1918 82 Brigade RFA was in position to the rear of Villequier Aumont, with D Bty lines being in village. A, B and C Batteries were situated to the rear of the Saint Quentin canal.
22nd Mar 1918 Enemy Attacks
22nd Mar 1918 The Fight for The Crozat Canal
22nd Mar 1918 Orders Issued
22nd Mar 1918 Bridges not Blown
23rd Mar 1918 Orders Received
23rd Mar 1918 Attack Made
23rd Mar 1918 Attack Made
23rd Mar 1918 Heavy Attacks
23rd Mar 1918 Heavy Attacks
23rd Mar 1918 Heavy Attacks
24th Mar 1918 New Line
2nd of October 1918 Orders
5th of October 1918 Orders
6th of October 1918 Orders
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236245 Dvr. Albert Victor Adam Fiddes 82nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery Albert Fiddes was born on 30th July 1897 in Toxteth Park, Liverpool. Both parents died in December 1904 and Albert and his sister were put into an orphanage where they stayed until they were 16 years old.
After leaving the Orphanage Asylum Albert stayed with his aunt and uncle Mr and Mrs Adams in Aberdeen and started as pattern maker working for Trawlowners & Traders Engineering Co.
He joined the artillery and was sent France. On return he was sent to Pewsey, where his future wife lived, but he did not meet her until he went to London where she worked as a maid. They met at St John's Wood, London.
Following the war he returned to his job at Aberdeen. As he hadn't finished his apprenticeship he had to go back on apprentice wages so he only stayed until June 1920.
Albert's records are among the 60% of the burnt series covering war survivors and war dead. These records were destroyed by enemy action during the Second World War.
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226219 Lt. Eric Manly 82nd Bde. B Bty. Royal Field Artillery (d.18th July 1917) Lt Eric Manly died aged 21, killed in action near Ypres on the 18th of July 1917.
"Ubique quo fas et gloria ducunt"
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226184 Mjr. George Nichols 82nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery George Nichols served with 82nd Bde and was wounded in 1917. He returned in March 1918. He published his 1918 memoirs as "Defiance! Withstanding The Kaiserlacht". This was published in 1919 under censorship so a lot of information was redacted. The book has now been reissued by Pen and Sword Ltd and is one of the few in print histories of this Kitchener Second Army brigade.
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218350 Capt. Charles Edward McConnell 82nd Heavy Artillery Group My grandfather, Captain C.E. McConnell RA, served as adjutant of the 82nd Heavy Artillery Group fighting the Turks at Gallipoli, was part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force under General Allenby and among the first to enter Jerusalem in 1916, when it was captured by the British. As a young man he had served at the Relief of Ladysmith, during the Boer War, meeting the journalist Winston Churchill. He was stationed in Devon and then Malta. An all round sportsman, he became the world Indian Club champion. He had several wartime decorations. After the Great War he moved to Kent, where he became the adjutant of Dover Castle and then set up a small school.
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214743 Gnr. Edward Brett 82nd Brigade "A" Battery Royal Field Artillery (d.28th Oct 1917) Edward Brett was aged 40 when he died on 28th October 1917 whilst serving with 82nd Brigade "A" Battery Royal Field Artillery. He was the son of Thomas and Margaret Brett of Jarrow and husband of Sarah (nee Bulmer). He was born in Jarrow. The 1911 census lists him as
Edward Brett age 34 Coal Miner Shifter below ground is with his wife Sarah and children at 224 Parker Street, Byker. He enlisted in Newcastle.
Edward is buried in Minty Farm Cemetery.
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213202 Gnr. Eli Hills A Battery, 82 Brigade Royal Field Artillery At the commencement of Kaiserschlacht on the 21st of March 1918, my Grandfather Eli Hils was serving as a Gunner with 'A' Battery, LXXX11 Brigade, R.F.A.
This Battery was located 1,000 yards west of Fort Vendeuil and it fought valiantly throughout the day until it was finally overun by about 5.00pm. The Battery suffered many casualties during the day and Eli himself was initially reported killed in action. In fact his wife was actually sent the bronze memorial plaque and memorial scroll which were awarded to the next of kin of servicemen killed in action.
Fortunately, however, Eli had survived and spent the rest of the War as a P.O.W. Interestingly The Index to War Deaths 1914-1921 Army (Other Ranks) still erroneously lists Eli as having died in 1918.
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208182 Sgt. Cyril James Greenwood 82nd Brigade, C Battery Royal Field Artillery (d.21st Mar 1918) My great uncle, Cyril Greenwood, was born on 8 Feb 1892 in East Morton, nr Bingley, Yorkshire. He was the son of Wilkinson and Martha Greenwood, and had 3 brothers and 2 sisters. I have not yet found out when how early in the war he joined the Army, but he was a Sergeant in the Royal Field Artillery, 82nd Brigade, C Battery. He died on 21st March 1918 and his name is commemorated on the Memorial at Pozieres, near Albert in France. He was 26 years old. The battle in which he was killed was in the area to the west of Fort Vendeuil.
Information from the journal of the Royal Artillery on this battle gives the following information: On 21 March 1918, A Battery, 82nd Brigade, RFA commanded by Captain W. Dennes, MC, was in action about 1000 yards west of Fort Vendeuil. About 12 noon German infantry appeared in large numbers in front of the wire of the Ly Fontaine - Vendeuil switch line that was some 300 yards in front of the guns.
From this time onward the Battery engaged the enemy infantry at close range, inflicting very heavy casualties on them and driving them back for a time. About 3:45 pm Captain Dennes sent a message by runner asking for assistance, saying that he was holding his own but the enemy had worked up close, were sniping gunners on the guns, and he was loosing a good many men. Shortly afterwards Dennes was hit by a sniper and believed to be killed. 2nd Lieut. R G M Jones took command and sent a runner back to the nearest infantry post with a message saying he was intending to remain where he was and hold out to the last, and asking for the support of rifle fire on his flanks. The runner, however, lost his way- the message was not delivered in time and about 5 pm the battery position was rushed by the enemy and the few survivors in it were captured
I have three letters in my possession, written to Cyril's sister. The first is undated: "I have received a letter from The Rev P B Clayton at Poperinge, and spoken to the OC C/82 about your brother. The OC C/82 has already written to you and by now I expect you have received his letter giving you all facts. From what I hear it is most probably your brother is a prisoner of War and if you apply direct to the War Office you may hear better news."
The second dated 19th October 1918 from the British Red Cross: "Dear Madam, It is with deepest regret I write to inform you of a sad report just obtained regarding the above from Cpl L.W.Peck, 22159. R.F.A. 82 Brigade, C. Battery, at present abroad. He tells us he was informed by Bombardier S.J. Elliott of the same Battery that he had seen the above badly wounded at Vendeuil. We wish we could hold out hopes of his having survived, but we fear the chances of this are getting sadly small as he has been missing so long."
The third dated 29th April 1919 from the RFA Record Office: "Madam, It is my painful duty to inform you that no further news having been received relative to 26612 Sergeant Cyril James Greenwood C/82 Bde Royal Field Artillery who has been missing since 21 March 1918, the Army Council have been regretfully constrained to conclude that he is dead, and that his death took place on the 21 March 1918. By His Majesty's command I am to forward the enclosed message of sympathy from Their Gracious Majesties the King and Queen. I am at the same time to express the regret of the Army Council at the soldier’s death in his country’s service."
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206031 Bty.Sjt.Mjr F G Wise MM. 82nd Bde. 'A' Battery Royal Field Artillery (d.18th Nov 1918) I found this soldier's medals with my father's effects. I do not know of any family connection or why the medals were not forwarded to the n.o.k. I have ascertained that he originally came from Perth, Australia. I have not further information and I would dearly like to know why these medals were in my family's possession.
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157805 Gnr. George Orr 82nd Brigade, D Battery Royal Field Artillery (d.28 May 1917) I am trying to find some information on George Orr, the Uncle of my father, now aged 84, who would love to know where his uncle fought, where he died etc. I am hoping to take my Dad to see his uncle's grave in Bucquoy Road Cemetery near Arras.
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142115 Serjeant James Mullett M.M. A Bty, 82nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery (d.10th Nov 1918) James Mullet was a serjeant with A Battery, 82nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. I just wondered if there were any photographs of this brigade or if anyone could tell how I find out why he was awarded the military medal.
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Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
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Defiance!: Withstanding the Kaiserschlacht G H F Nichols
George Nichols was an artillery officer serving with the 82nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was wounded in 1917, and returned to the guns in March 1918, just in time to experience the fury of the Kaiserschlacht, the great German offensive designed to knock the British army out of the war. Nichols wrote a powerful account of the Kaiser's last great offensive battle from inside the eye of the storm, and it is one of the few primary source accounts which are told from the often overlooked perspective of the British artillerymen. Nichols, with wonderful British reserve, records how the men of the Royal Field Artillery steadfastly manned their guns. Nichols survived the onslaught and in 1919, was able to produce a full account of both the retreat and the British counter-attack which won back the lost ground. First published in 1919, while censorship was still in force, this wonderful primary source has long been out of print and it's welcome return makes for essential reading for anyon
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