| 359th Siege Battery, RGA | |
|---|---|
 Cap Badge of the Royal Regiment of Artillery | |
| Active | January 1917–1919 |
| Country |  |
| Branch |  |
| Role | Siege Artillery |
| Part of | Royal Garrison Artillery |
| Garrison/HQ | Lavernock |
| Engagements | Western Front (World War I) |
The 359th Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) raised during World War I. It manned heavy railway howitzers on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918,
The battery was raised at Lavernock on 21 January 1917 under the auspices of the Glamorgan Royal Garrison Artillery, a unit of the Territorial Force (TF) serving in No 26 Coastal Fire Command in South Wales, responsible for the defence of Swansea, Cardiff and Barry. Since 1914 the TF's coastal defence units had been supplying cadres of trained gunners to form new batteries of RGA siege guns for service on the Western Front. The Glamorgan RGA had already formed at least three such batteries (96th, 121st, and 172nd). [1] [2]
Battery Sergeant-Major (BSM) George Evans, a TF veteran who had already seen active service, served as the provisional commander. In early February, 1917, 2nd Lt George Rae and 2nd L. Robert C. Palmer were the first two officers assigned to the battery. [3]
Originally established as an 8-inch howitzer battery, the unit was reformed as a 12-inch railway howitzer battery while training at Lydd Ranges in April and May 1917. [3]
The men of 359th Siege Battery went out to the Western Front on 10 June 1917, embarking on the troopship SS Archangel from Southampton and arriving at Le Havre the following day. It joined 19th Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) on 27 June, manning two 12-inch railway howitzers, and 19th HAG joined XV Corps on the Flanders coast on 1 July. On 5 July, King George V and the Prince of Wales inspected the battery. [3] [4] [5] While on the Flanders coast 359th Siege Bty was variously positioned at Coxyde (Koksijde), Oost Dunkerque (Oostduinkerke) and Nieuport (Nieuwpoort). [3]
19th Heavy Artillery Group transferred south to join Fourth Army on 1 August. The battery was without its guns from 8 to 20 September, and then it joined 76th HAG with Second Army in the Ypres Salient on 21 September, moving to the command of 5th HAG on 28 September. It was separated from its guns again from 1 until 22 October, by which time Second Army was fighting the last stages of the Battle of Passchendaele. On 14 November the battery transferred to 80th HAG, but that headquarters was sent to the Italian Front, so the battery came under the command of 84th HAG on 21 November, and finally of 11th HAG on 18 December. In January 1918, the battery became 'Army Troops' and was no longer attached to a Heavy Artillery Group. [4] [5]
While in the Ypres Salient, 359th Siege Bty was positioned at different times at Vierstraat, Oaten Wood, Passchendaele, Wytschaete Ridge, Verbrandenmolen, Voormezele, Borre Yard, and Wulverghem. At Voormezele, on the evening of 3 April 1918, BSM Evans and four others were killed by one enemy artillery shell. Wulverghem was the last position for the 359th, because rail tracks could not be laid fast enough to keep the railway guns within range of the retreating enemy during the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive. [3] It was still serving with Second Army when the Armistice came into force in November 1918. [3] [6]
The men of 359th Siege Artillery returned home to Wales some time after 16 December 1918, [3] and the battery was disbanded in 1919. [1]
The 44th Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) raised during World War I. It manned heavy Railway guns supporting the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918, seeing action on the Somme, at Vimy Ridge and at Cambrai. A distant successor unit continues in the present-day Royal Artillery.
The 1st Cornwall Artillery Volunteers were formed in 1860 as a response to a French invasion threat. They served as a Coast Artillery unit and continued in existence until the dissolution of Coast Artillery in the UK in 1956.
The East Riding Royal Garrison Artillery (ERRGA) was a part-time unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based at Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire. It provided coastal defence artillery along the Humber Estuary from 1908 to 1956, manned siege batteries on the Western Front during World War I at the Somme and Ypres and played a role in the pursuit of the German army during the Hundred Days Offensive. It served as infantry in Allied-occupied Germany after World War II. Its successor units in the Territorial Army included anti-aircraft artillery and field engineers.
The 96th Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) raised during World War I. It manned heavy howitzers on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918, beginning with the Attack on the Gommecourt Salient on the First day on the Somme.
The 121st Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) raised during World War I. It manned heavy howitzers on the Western Front from 1916 to 1918.
The 172nd Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) raised during World War I. It manned heavy howitzers on the Western Front and Italian Front from 1916 to 1918.
The 2nd Glamorganshire Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army that defended the coast of South Wales from 1890 to 1942. Although it never saw action in its coastal defence role, it formed several siege batteries of heavy howitzers for service on the Western Front and Italian Front in World War I.
105th Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery formed during World War I. It served on both the Western Front, including the Battles of the Somme, Arras and Passchendaele, and the Italian Front, where it participated in the repulse of the Austrian Summer Offensive of 1918 and the crushing victory at Vittorio Veneto.
The Pembroke Royal Garrison Artillery was a part-time unit of the British Army that defended the coast of West Wales during both world wars. Although it never saw action in its coastal defence role, it manned a number of siege batteries of heavy howitzers for service on the Western Front and Italian Front in World War I.
171st Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed during World War I. It served on both the Western Front, including the Battles of Arras and Passchendaele, and the Italian Front, where it participated in the repulse of the Austrian Summer Offensive of 1918 and the crushing victory at Vittorio Veneto.
The North Scottish Royal Garrison Artillery and its successors were Scottish part-time coast defence units of the British Army from 1908 to 1961. Although the unit saw no active service, it supplied trained gunners to siege batteries engaged on the Western Front during World War I.
67th Siege Battery, was a heavy artillery unit of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed in Scotland during World War I. It saw active service on the Western Front at the Somme, Arras, Ypres, and in the final Hundred Days Offensive.
The Clyde Royal Garrison Artillery and its successors were Scottish part-time coast defence units of the British Army from 1910 to 1967. Although they unit saw no active service, they supplied trained gunners to siege batteries engaged on the Western Front during World War I.
110th Siege Battery was a heavy howitzer unit of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed during World War I. It saw active service on the Western Front at the Somme and Cambrai, against the German Spring Offensive, and in the final Hundred Days Offensive.
114th Siege Battery, was a heavy howitzer unit of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed in Wales during World War I. It saw active service on the Western Front at the Somme, Vimy Ridge and Ypres, against the German Spring Offensive, and in the final Hundred Days Offensive.
The 1st Dorsetshire Artillery Volunteers and its successors were part-time coast defence units of the British Army from 1859 to 1956. Although these units saw no action, they protected the Dorset Coast, including the naval base of Portland Harbour, in both World Wars and also supplied trained gunners to siege batteries engaged on the Western Front during World War I. The unit continued in the Territorial Army after World War II.
123rd Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed during World War I. It served on the Western Front, including the Battles of Arras, Passchendaele, Cambrai and the crushing victories of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive in 1918.
174th Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed during World War I. It served on the Western Front, including the Battles of Arras, Messines and Passchendaele, and the crushing victories of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive in 1918.
93rd Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed during World War I. It served on the Western Front, including the Attack on the Gommecourt Salient, the Battle of Passchendaele, and the crushing victories of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive in 1918.
173rd Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed during World War I. It served on the Western Front, including the Battles of Vimy Ridge, Third Ypres and Cambrai, and the crushing victories of the Allied Hundred Days Offensive in 1918.