The 118th Siege Battery, the Royal Garrison Artillery
This summary of the Battery's day-to-day history covers a six-week period, when they were in position near Zillebeke in the Ypres Salient during the Passchendaele offensive.
The Battery was formed as a unit of the new army, and on completing training moved to France on 27 June 1916. The gunners had been drawn from Territorial units on the Forth defences, and the Battery considered itself an Edinburgh unit. With the exception of a period between 13 and 29 September 1916 when the Battery was split up, it’s four Sub-Sections going to replace losses in other Batteries, and then reformed, it saw much action on the Somme, Arras and Ypres fronts. In common with all other such Batteries, it moved between many different Heavy Artillery Groups and did not enjoy the consistency of higher command in the way that infantry units did.
The Battery was made up from four to six guns on 30 December 1917, having been withdrawn from active duty on 12 November 1917. It enjoyed a period for rest, re-equipment and training that lasted until 2 January 1918, when it was attached to 65 Heavy Artillery Group, with which it then remained until the Armistice. The following narrative – which describes heavy shellfire and casualties in the battery with incredible coolness - comes from the Battery War Diary in the middle period of the Third Battle of Ypres, which we today usually call Passchendaele.
| Date |
Diary Narrative |
| 17 September 1917 |
Zillebeke was heavily shelled during the night and more cartridge dumps were set alight. 100 rounds were fired on concentration targets by 9am. |
| 18 |
Lt Fryer and party returned from Calais. Four new 9.2 inch How. Mk II and equipment were sent up by rail and were unloaded and sent to Siege Park IOM for overhaul. |
| 19 |
A new position was reconnoitred for the battery behind Railway Wood, into which the battery is to move when the advance takes place. The guns in Zillebeke fired on several concentration targets. |
| 20 |
Zero hour for the attack by 1st ANZAC Corps was 5.40am. The two guns in action at Zillebeke fired about 450 rounds during the day, and the firing was continuous from 5.40am to 8pm. The Germans counter attacked about 7pm heavily, but wee repulsed. The attack appears to have been successful. Lieut. Leslie and party returned from Rest Camp. A party was sent to work on the new position behind Railway Wood. |
| 21 |
A quieter day. The Germans counter attacked about 7am…repulsed. The two guns in action in Zillebeke fired in the barrage at 4.30am. Rest of day: one gun went out of action owing to severe [hit?]. A working party under two officers was sent to work on new position near Railway Wood. Two NF targets were engaged. One gun fired on ‘SOS’ Green Line at 7.15pm. [NF=Now Firing. Enemy batteries were spotted by a variety of means both before and during the battle. Previously unidentified batteries that came into action during the fighting were identified as NF and became targets for the RGA.] |
| 22 |
It having been decided that the battery position should remain at Zillebeke, a party was sent down to railhead to draw the new platforms and stores of the 9.2 inch Mk II. The platforms were got into position before night, and the two guns complete moved up to Chateau Segard. Only 1 round was fired in the course of the day. |
| 23 |
The two guns were moved up at 5.30am. No 1 gun was in action by 10am. 20 rounds were fired on DZ34. The other gun was in action by mid-day. |
| 24 |
A misty morning and registration impossible. About 4pm the two new Mk II guns were registered with balloon observation. Lieut Leslie was slightly wounded, also two gunners and one of the Lance-Corporals of the West Indies Battalion. A certain number of gas shells – “phizz bangs” – were fired intermittently on Zillebeke. Two more Mark II platforms were drawn from Siege Park and taken up to the battery position. |
| 25 |
85 rounds were fired during the morning at varying targets. Sgt Bale wounded suffering with shell shock, and another gunner wounded. The third Mark II gun was sent up from Chateau Segard about 5pm and was got into position about mid-day the following day. German batteries were very active in shelling battery positions. |
| 26 |
An attack was launched at 5.50am by two Australian Divisions and all objectives gained and consolidated. 4 men were slightly wounded in the battery. About 350 rounds were fired in the course of the day on programme targets. About 5pm the 4th Mk II gun was brought up and got into action about 8pm. The night was fairly quiet in Zillebeke. A few rounds of HV were fired into the Chateau Segard. |
| 27 |
The area of Zillebeke was shelled at odd intervals during the day. A total of 500 rounds were fired from the 4 new guns at various concentration targets, programme targets and SOS – in which the enemy’s attacks all failed. |
| 28 |
171 rounds were fired. Zillebeke was heavily shelled during the night and several new Siege batteries have taken up their position close to 118SB. In the course of the morning a 4.2 inch shell landed in the earth box of No2 gun and killed two gunners (one died of wounds) and severely wounded 1 Bombardier. |
| 29 |
Information received that two telephonists: 69168 Gunner J. Urquhart and 59915 Gunner S. Dunkley have been awarded the Military Medal for gallantry in action during the attack of 20 September 1917, when telephonists with FOO.[FOO=Forward Observation Officer]. |
| 30 |
The area around Zillebeke again heavily shelled, especially at night when guns and howitzers of all calibres concentrated on the village. A few rounds of 8 inch How were fired by the Germans and one fell close to the dug-out where the gunners were having their tea and wounded six men. Several others fell close to the position of the new guns. The camouflage and several cartridge dumps of No 3 gun were set alight by hostile shelling. [On?] this account the battery did not fire many rounds. |
| 1 October 1917 |
Some 250 rounds were fired from the new guns at various targets. Hostile shelling round the Zillebeke area was very active all day. A vigorous German counter attack was launched about 7pm and finally repulsed. A reconnaissance for a new position in view of a possible advance was carried out in the neighbourhood of I12b and I12d (Zillebeke [trench] map sheet 28 NW4 and NE3). |
| 2 |
A NF target was engaged at 2.15pm and only a few rounds could be fired owing to hostile shelling. An aeroplane shoot was carried out in the course of the afternoon and satisfactory results were achieved. |
| 3 |
After a very long spell of fine and dry weather, there appears to be a break. Chateau Segard was shelled by HV guns in the evening. About 2.30pm the Germans heavily shelled Zillebeke with guns and howitzers of all calibres and one 8 inch landed in the cook house and wounded 1 NCO and 7 men. In the course of the morning another shell had also landed, wounding 2 men. |
| 4 |
An attack was launched at 6am by our troops, and all objectives were obtained – frustrating a German attack at 6.10am. A party was sent up to the newly selected position to prepare a platform in case of an advance. Orders were received to dismount 2 guns and send them up to the new position. |
| 5 |
Work continued at the new position. One gun in Zillebeke fired 200 rounds on various targets. One gun was dismounted and got ready to pull into the new position – apparently going up by rail. |
| 6 |
Very wet day. Work continued on new position and dismantling another gun in Zillebeke. 69168 Gunner J. Urquhart and 59915 Gunner S. Dunkley awarded the Military Medal. |
| 7 |
Winter time comes into force. Very stormy wet weather. Arrangements were made to send a section of the battery forward by railway, but later on it app3ears improbable that the battery will move. Orders again cancelled and one section ordered to move forward to the new position. |
| 8 |
One gun taken out of action at Zillebeke and then taken down to Reninghelst to be entrained and run up on Decauville to new position. Another gun was made ready to be sent to the same position.[This seems an extraordinary move. Reninghelst was several miles behind the battery position!] |
| 9 |
An attack was launched by us at 5.20am along a 7 or 8 mile front in co-operation with the French, and all objectives were captured. The two guns in Zillebeke fired over 300 rounds during the day’s operations. The 2nd gun for the new position was despatched on the road at 5.30pm. |
| 10 |
The gun had arrived at the new position, but owing to congestion on the railway could not be mounted. The other gun is hung up at Birr X [cross] roads. |
| 11 |
The party in the new position spent the day in getting the gun unloaded from the trucks and put in position. The two guns in Zillebeke were firing most of the day on counter battery work. |
| 12 |
An attack was launched by us at 5.25am and was successful. The gun on the new position was got ready for action. About 10am, after the attack, the two guns in Zillebeke were shelled by the enemy. Lieut Cruttwell was killed and Lieut Hanson wounded. 9 OR were wounded at the same time. [Second Lieutenant Hugh Lockwood Cruttwell is buried in The Huts Cemetery, Dickebusch. He was aged 36 and came from near Norwich.] |
| 13 |
A very storming day. 75 rounds were fired from Zillebek guns. The gun in the new position at Bellewaarde was got into action but did not fire. Lt Cruttwell was buried in Dickebusch cemetery. 2/Lieuts Clegg and Gough formed the battery reinforcements. Acting BSM Clarke, Bombardier Wane, Gunner Carter awarded the Military Medal. |
| 14 |
One gun in action at Bellewaarde but did not fire. The other gun which was on the railway was taken by mistake to 148 [Siege Battery] Position and was taken over by them. Orders were received for us to take over one of 148 guns on the railway. The Zillebeke guns fired about 70 rounds. An aeroplane shoot was arranged for the gun in the new position but did not fire. |
| 15 |
The German artillery appeared abnormally active, otherwise nothing to report. The Zillebeke guns fired about 70 rounds. The other gun did not fire. |
| 16 |
A successful aeroplane shoot was carried out with the new gun in the new position and 75 rounds were fired. The Zillebeke guns fired 54 rounds. Information received that the Battery is being transferred to X Corps from the 17th inst., but will probably not change it’s position. |
| 17 |
The Battery is transferred to X Corps HQ and joined 43 HAG. The gun at Bellewaarde carried out a successful aeroplane shoot of 75 rounds. During the evening the village of Zillebeke was heavily shelled and the guns there only fired a few rounds. 1 gunner was slightly wounded at Bellewaarde. |
| 18 |
The village of Zillebeke was shelled intermittently most of the day by 8 inch and 5.9 inch. In the afternoon the two guns there were put out of action and started being dismantled with a view to shifting the line of fire further south to engaged X Corps CB area. The gun belonging to 148 SB in position at Transport Farm was taken over by the Battery. The gun in the new position at Bellewaarde did not fire. |
| 19 |
Work continued in shifting line of fire of the two Zillebeke guns and dismantling the gun at Transport Farm. No rounds fired. |
| 20 |
The gun at Bellewaarde was handed over to 148 SB RGA and the Battery took over one of 148 SB’s guns at Transport Farm. Work continued all day and night in dismantling No 1 gun at Zillebeke to change the line of fire, and getting the gun from Transport Farm into action. |
| 21 |
No 1 gun was got into action in the new line by 2pm. The following NCOs and men were awarded the Military Medal: 62855 Sgt Johnson, 362249 Sgt W. Ball, 92214 Acting Bombardier E.A. Sherry, 34477 Gunner Bodley. |
| 22 |
No 4 gun – which had been brought from 148 SB position at Transport Farm – was ready for action at 6pm. Battery position at Zillebeke heavily shelled all morning. Group Commander visited the Battery in the morning. No firing. Emplacement for No 3 gun was dug. |
| 23 |
The mounting of No 3 gun was started. Progress very slow owing to hostile shell fire. |
| 24 |
Gun completely mounted by 7pm. Not in action owing to ‘Catch Retaining LBM closed’ being at workshops. |
| 25 |
The guns in action registered visually on their new lines and some 200 rounds were fired in the course of the day and night on counter battery work. Two telephonists, Gunners Dunkley and Metcalf, were killed when going forward for the pending attacks with FOO (Lieut Gough). [19-year old 345547 Gunner Thomas Metcalf of Shildon, County Durham, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has no record of Gunner Dunkley being killed on this day.] |
| 26 |
An attack was launched at 5.40am but on our immediate front no specific advance was made. The hostile artillery appeared very active during this attack. The weather was very wet, stormy and the ground mostly under water. 2/Lieut Bottomley joined the Battery as reinforcement. |
| 27 |
A fine day. Two very successful aeroplane shoots were carried out also a registration. The Battery was shelled at intervals and two of the guns put temporarily out of action by splinters. |
| 28 |
Nothing to report. The usual concentration targets and counter battery work carried out at Zillebeke. |
| 29 |
During an aeroplane shoot the Battery was heavily shelled by 5.9 inch. One fell in the gun detachment, killing Sgt Johnson and 2 men, and wounded 6 men. [Sergeant Walter Henry Frank Johnson MM aged 23 of OPulborough, Sussex, is buried in The Huts Cemetery, Dickebusch.] |
| 30 |
An attack was launched by the Canadians at 5.50am and all objectives were obtained. Several concentration shoots carried out during the day. |
| 31 |
Orders received to send 2 officers and 51 men to La Motte. A quieter day at Zillebeke and many concentration rounds fired. |
| The 9.2 inch Howitzer More about the weapons of the British artilery | |
A brand new development that had only been in production since July 1914, one of these large howitzers went to France with the original BEF(although it first saw action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in March 1915). This was a sizeable piece of engineering: the three sections of the whole weighed 15.5 tons in total. When being positioned, a box conaining a further 9 tons of earth had to be bolted onto the front of the gun platform, to stop a natural tendency to jump (a consequence of a rather short barrel) - this was not a piece designed for rapid movement! The Mk I version fired a 290-lb (132kg) shell 10,050 yards (9.2km). Many of this Mark served until the Armistice, but a Mark II, with a range of 13,935 yards (12.74km) and an extra 2 tons in the earth box, came into service later on - as used by 118th Siege Battery in the weeks described above. This is an extract from the Battalion war diary which is held at the Public Record Office, in document WO95/322. |
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