III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery

Last updated

C Brigade, RHA
III Brigade, RHA
Active19 February 1862 – 1 April 1882
1 March 1901 – 27 August 1938
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Type Artillery
Size Battalion
Part of 1st Cavalry Division
2nd Cavalry Division
Engagements World War I
Western Front

III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade [lower-alpha 1] of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions on the Western Front throughout World War I.

Contents

Post-war, the brigade served in the UK and India before being redesignated as 3rd Regiment, RHA in August 1938 in Egypt.

The regiment had an earlier incarnation as C Brigade, RHA, formed from the 1st Brigade of the Honourable East India Company's Bengal Horse Artillery in 1862 before being broken up in 1882.

History

C Brigade, RHA

The Bengal Army of the Honourable East India Company formed its first battery of Horse Artillery, the Experimental Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery on 4 December 1800 (still in existence as F Battery, RHA). [3] By the time the Indian Rebellion of 1857 broke out, the Bengal Horse Artillery had grown to 13 batteries, organised as three brigades. four of these batteries were manned by sepoys (native Indian soldiers) and two mutinied: 4th Troop, 1st Brigade at Neemuch and 4th Troop, 3rd Brigade at Multan. All four batteries were promptly reformed as European units. [4]

As a result of the Rebellion, the British Crown took direct control of India from the East India Company on 1 November 1858 under the provisions of the Government of India Act 1858. The Presidency armies transferred to the direct authority of the British Crown and its European units were transferred to the British Army. Henceforth artillery, the mutineers most effective arm, was to be the sole preserve of the British Army (with the exception of certain Mountain Artillery batteries). On 19 February 1862, the Bengal Horse Artillery transferred to the Royal Artillery as its 2nd and 5th Horse Brigades. [lower-alpha 2] On transfer, 2nd Horse Brigade, Royal Artillery comprised: [4]

D Battery was disbanded on 12 October 1862. [10]

The 1st Brigade with 10 batteries was much larger than the other four (with four to seven batteries each). A reorganization of the Horse Artillery on 13 April 1864 saw 1st Brigade split as A and B Brigades, 2nd Brigade become C Horse Brigade, Royal Artillery, 3rd become D Brigade, 4th become E Brigade, and 5th become F Brigade. [11] As battery designations were tied to the brigade the battery was assigned to, the batteries were also redesignated. At the same time, the batteries were ordered according to seniority, the first of a bewildering series of battery redesignations. C Horse Brigade, RA now comprised: [12]

From 1866, the term "Royal Horse Artillery" appeared in the Army List hence the brigade was designated C Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery from about this time. [13] Another reorganization on 14 April 1877 saw the number of brigades reduced to three (of 10 batteries each). C Brigade was extensively reorganized: its batteries were transferred to the new B Brigade and it was reformed with the batteries of the old E and F Brigades. [14]

The number of brigades was further reduced to two (of 13 batteries each) in 1882. C Brigade was broken up on 1 April 1882 and it batteries transferred to A and B Brigades. [15] The brigade system was finally abolished in 1889. Henceforth, batteries were designated in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation. [16]

III Brigade, RHA

Formation

The brigade system was revived in 1901. Each brigade now commanded just two batteries and a small staff (a Lieutenant-Colonel in command, an adjutant and a brigade sergeant major). Initially, batteries were not assigned to brigades in any particular order, [17] but in 1906, at the insistence of Edward VII, brigades were redesignated so that batteries were roughly in order of seniority (hence I Brigade commanded A Battery and B Battery). [18]

III Brigade, RHA was formed on 1 March 1901 as the X Brigade-Division, RHA with D Battery and E Battery. In 1903 it was redesignated as X Brigade, RHA [19] and was stationed at Mhow. [20] On 1 October 1906, it was redesignated as III Brigade, RHA. [19]

World War I service

The 13-pounder gun of E Battery, RHA that fired the first British artillery round on the Western front leaves the Imperial War Museum to take part in the unveiling of the Royal Artillery Memorial in October 1925 E Battery 13 pounder IWM 1925 Q 42422.jpg
The 13-pounder gun of E Battery, RHA that fired the first British artillery round on the Western front leaves the Imperial War Museum to take part in the unveiling of the Royal Artillery Memorial in October 1925

At the outbreak of World War I, the brigade was at Newbridge attached to 3rd Cavalry Brigade, still commanding D and E Batteries. [21] On mobilization, it was assigned to The Cavalry Division (later 1st Cavalry Division) along with VII Brigade, RHA. [22]

The division crossed to France between 15 and 18 August 1914, concentrated around Maubeuge between 18 and 20 August, and moved forward towards Mons on 21 August. [23] Its first action was the Battle of Mons on 23 and 24 August where the division formed the left flank. [24] It took part in the subsequent retreat, notably the Actions of Elouges and Solesmes, the Battle of Le Cateau, the action at Néry and the First Battle of the Marne. [23]

On 17 September, the brigade transferred to the 2nd Cavalry Division on formation. The brigade served with the 2nd Cavalry Division on the Western Front for the rest of the war. The brigade commander acted as Commander Royal Horse Artillery (CRHA) for the division. [25] In practice, the batteries were permanently assigned to the cavalry brigades from September 1914 onwards: [26]

J Battery Royal Horse Artillery in action near the Messines Ridge, October 1914. J Battery RHA at Messines Ridge.jpg
J Battery Royal Horse Artillery in action near the Messines Ridge, October 1914.

In 1914, The division took part in the battles of Messines (12 October – 2 November) and Armentières (12–17 October) and in the First Battle of Ypres, notably the battle of Gheluvelt (29–31 October). In 1915, it took part in the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10–12 March) and the Second Battle of Ypres (battles of St Julien, 26 April – 3 May, and Bellewaarde Ridge, 24 and 25 May). 1916 saw no notable actions, but in 1917 the brigade supported the division in a number of major actions including the Battle of Arras (9–11 April, First Battle of the Scarpe) and the Battle of Cambrai (November and December, including the Tank Attack, the Capture of Bourlon Wood and the German Counter-attacks). [27]

1918 saw the return of the war of movement and the division was involved in a large number of actions: the First Battle of the Somme notably the Battle of St Quentin (21–23 March), the Battle of the Lys (battle of Hazebrouck, 14 and 15 April), the Battle of Amiens (8–11 August), the Second Battle of the Somme (the Battle of Albert, 21–23 August, and the Second Battle of Bapaume, 31 August – 3 September), and the battles of the Hindenburg Line (Battle of the Canal du Nord, 27 September – 1 October, Battle of Cambrai, 8 and 9 October, and the Pursuit to the Selle, 9–12 October). Its final action was in the Capture of Mons (11 November, 3rd Canadian Division with 5th (Royal Irish) Lancers and one section [lower-alpha 10] of D Battery, RHA). [30]

At the Armistice, it was still serving with 2nd Cavalry Division with D, E and J Batteries RHA (eighteen 13 pounders). [31]

Post-war

Vickers Light Dragon Mark II tractor towing a 3.7 inch howitzer on Carriage Mk IV and limber. 3.7inchHowitzerTowedByLightDragonTractor.jpg
Vickers Light Dragon Mark II tractor towing a 3.7 inch howitzer on Carriage Mk IV and limber.

The brigade moved from Belgium to Aldershot in March 1919, less E Battery, RHA which joined V Brigade, RHA in Germany. It was replaced by F Battery, RHA as St John's Wood Barracks. Between January and March 1920 it moved to India, [32] where D Battery was stationed at Lucknow, F Battery at Ambala and J Battery at Secunderabad. In October 1923, the brigade moved to Egypt, before returning to Newport in November 1926 (D Battery at Trowbridge). [33] It moved to Aldershot in November 1929 and Abbassia, Egypt in September 1937. By now it commanded D, J and M Batteries. [34] The brigade was mechanised in Egypt, replacing its horses and 13 pounders with 3.7" Howitzers towed by Light Dragon gun tractors. [35]

3rd Regiment, RHA

In 1938, field artillery brigades were reorganised as two 12-gun batteries. As a result, the existing 6-gun batteries were linked in pairs. [36] On 11 May, D Battery and J Battery were linked as D/J Battery, RHA and M Battery and P Battery (from 21st Anti Tank Regiment) were linked as M/P Battery, RHA. [34]

With effect from May 1938, brigades were redesignated as regiments. [34] This did not take effect in III Brigade until 27 August 1938 when it became 3rd Regiment, RHA . [37]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The basic organic unit of the Royal Artillery was, and is, the Battery. [1] When grouped together they formed brigades, in the same way that infantry battalions or cavalry regiments were grouped together in brigades. At the outbreak of World War I, a field artillery brigade of headquarters (4 officers, 37 other ranks), three batteries (5 and 193 each), and a brigade ammunition column (4 and 154) [2] had a total strength just under 800 so was broadly comparable to an infantry battalion (just over 1,000) or a cavalry regiment (about 550). Like an infantry battalion, an artillery brigade was usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel. Artillery brigades were redesignated as regiments in 1938.
  2. ↑ The original Horse Brigade Royal Artillery formed 1st Horse Brigade RA, the 1st Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery became 2nd Horse Brigade RA, the Madras Horse Artillery became 3rd Horse Brigade RA, the Bombay Horse Artillery became 4th Horse Brigade RA and the 2nd Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery became 5th Horse Brigade RA. The 3rd Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery was split between 2nd and 5th Horse Brigades RA. These brigades performed an administrative, rather than tactical, role. [4]
  3. 1 2 Formed as the Experimental Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery on 4 December 1800, later F Battery, RHA. [3]
  4. 1 2 Formed as 8th Troop, Bengal Horse Artillery on 1 March 1825, transferred to Royal Artillery on 1 April 1887 at T Battery, 3rd Brigade. [5]
  5. 1 2 Formed as 3rd Troop, 1st Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery on 1 October 1826, transferred to Royal Artillery on 1 April 1887 at H Battery, 3rd Brigade. [6]
  6. ↑ Formed as 2nd Brigade of Gallopers, Bengal Artillery on 21 July 1817; disbanded on 12 October 1862. [7]
  7. 1 2 Formed as Shah Sujah's Troop, Bengal Horse Artillery on 13 September 1838, later T Battery, RHA. [6]
  8. 1 2 Formed as 3rd Troop, Bengal Horse Artillery on 4 October 1809, later L Battery, RHA. [8]
  9. 1 2 Formed as 2nd Troop, 3rd Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery on 1 July 1825, transferred to Royal Artillery on 1 April 1887 at S Battery, 4th Brigade. [9]
  10. ↑ A Subsection consisted of a single gun and limber drawn by six horses (with three drivers), eight gunners (riding on the limber or mounted on their own horses), and an ammunition wagon also drawn by six horses (with three drivers). [28] Two Subsections formed a Section and in a six gun battery these would be designated as Left, Centre and Right Sections. [29]

Related Research Articles

J Battery Royal Horse Artillery are a Close Support Battery of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. They were currently based in Caen Barracks in Hohne, Germany.

M (Headquarters) Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the Headquarters Battery of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army. As of 2015, it is based at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland, England. The Battery Commander is Maj B Johnston RHA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Cavalry Division (United Kingdom)</span> Inactive British Army formation

The 2nd Cavalry Division was a division of the regular British Army that saw service in the Peninsular War and in World War I, when it also known as Gough's Command, after its commanding general. It was part of the British Expeditionary Force that served in France in from 1914 to 1918. It was involved in most of the major actions where cavalry were used as a mounted mobile force, and also many where the troops were dismounted and effectively served as infantry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Z Battery Royal Artillery</span> British Army artillery battery

Z Battery RA was a Battery of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery in the Royal Artillery. It had the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role and was equipped with various weapon platform locating equipment using radars and acoustic sound ranging assets.

The 3rd Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Army. It served in the Napoleonic Wars, in the Boer War, and in the First World War on the Western Front where it was initially assigned to The Cavalry Division before spending most of the war with the 2nd Cavalry Division.

VII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with 1st Cavalry Division throughout World War I and was reorganized post-war before being dissolved. A related unit 7th Regiment, RHA had a brief existence post-World War II, before 7th Parachute Regiment, RHA was formed in 1961.

6th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery was a Regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery that acted as a training formation during World War II. It was the last RHA unit to serve in India between December 1945 and April 1947, before being redesignated as 6th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in Palestine in 1948.

V Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with 8th Division on the Western Front in World War I before becoming V Army Brigade, RHA in January 1917. It was reformed after the war but was disbanded in October 1928.

IV Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with 3rd Cavalry Division throughout World War I but was dissolved shortly thereafter.

2nd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery that served in the Second World War. It saw action in France, Greece, North Africa and Italy. It was redesignated as 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1958.

I Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It was dissolved at the outbreak of World War I as its constituent batteries were posted to other formations.

V Lowland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was a field artillery brigade formed from three Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery batteries in January 1916. It was assigned to the 52nd (Lowland) Division to replace I Lowland Brigade, RFA (T.F.) and joined the division in Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery</span> Former British Army horse artillery battery

The Hampshire Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery battery that was formed in Hampshire in 1909. It saw active service during the First World War in Egypt and Palestine from 1916 to 1918, initially as field artillery with 52nd (Lowland) Division before being converted back to horse artillery and serving with the Yeomanry Mounted Division and 1st Mounted / 4th Cavalry Division. A second line battery, 2/1st Hampshire RHA, served on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 as part of an Army Field Artillery Brigade. Post-war, it was reconstituted as a Royal Field Artillery battery.

The Essex Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery battery that was formed in Essex in 1908. It saw active service during the First World War in Egypt and Palestine from 1916 to 1918, initially as field artillery with 52nd (Lowland) Division before being converted back to horse artillery and serving with the 2nd Mounted / 5th Cavalry Division. A second line battery, 2/1st Essex RHA, served on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 as part of an Army Field Artillery Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leicestershire Royal Horse Artillery</span> Former British Army horse artillery battery

The Leicestershire Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery battery that was formed in Leicestershire in 1908. It saw active service during the First World War in Egypt and Palestine from 1916 to 1918, initially with ANZAC Mounted Division before joining the Yeomanry Mounted Division and 1st Mounted / 4th Cavalry Division. A second line battery, 2/1st Leicestershire RHA, served on the Western Front with the 63rd Division from 1916 to 1918. Post-war, it was reconstituted as a Royal Field Artillery battery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery</span> Former British Army horse artillery battery

The Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery was a Territorial Force Royal Horse Artillery battery that was formed in Nottinghamshire in 1908. It saw active service during the First World War in the Middle East – in the Senussi Campaign and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign – from 1915 to 1918. A second line battery, 2/1st Nottinghamshire RHA, served in the Mesopotamian Campaign in 1917 and 1918 as a Field Artillery battery. Post-war, it was reconstituted as a Royal Field Artillery battery.

G Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery is a close support battery of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army, currently based in Merville Barracks in Colchester.

I Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the Headquarters battery of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army, currently based in Albemarle Barracks in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

H Battery Royal Horse Artillery is a battery of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army. As of 2015, it is based at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland, England and is equipped with GMLRS.

T Battery Royal Artillery is an air defence battery of the Royal Artillery that serves with the British Army's 12 Regiment Royal Artillery. It is stationed at Baker Barracks, Thorney Island, West Sussex.

References

  1. ↑ "The Royal Artillery". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). Archived from the original on 23 October 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Baker, Chris. "What was an artillery brigade?". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 Clarke 1993 , p. 97
  4. 1 2 3 Frederick 1984 , pp. 428–429
  5. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 108
  6. 1 2 Clarke 1993, p. 110
  7. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 105
  8. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 102
  9. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 109
  10. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 128
  11. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 53
  12. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 139
  13. ↑ Frederick 1984 , p. 431
  14. ↑ Frederick 1984 , p. 433
  15. ↑ Frederick 1984 , p. 435
  16. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 54
  17. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 55
  18. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 58
  19. 1 2 Frederick 1984 , p. 443
  20. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 142
  21. ↑ Conrad, Mark (1996). "The British Army, 1914" . Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  22. ↑ Becke 1935 , p. 4
  23. 1 2 Becke 1935 , p. 6
  24. ↑ Lomas 1997 , pp. 38–39
  25. ↑ Becke 1935 , p. 9
  26. ↑ Becke 1935 , p. 12
  27. ↑ Becke 1935 , p. 14
  28. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 43
  29. ↑ Clarke 1993, p. 45
  30. ↑ Becke 1935 , p. 15
  31. ↑ BEF GHQ 1918 , p. 36
  32. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 148
  33. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 130
  34. 1 2 3 Clarke 1993 , p. 131
  35. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 50
  36. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 51
  37. ↑ Clarke 1993 , p. 151

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.