On 1 September 1914, it was placed under orders of the Northumbrian Division TF, and proceeded to Newcastle upon Tyne. Here, volunteers for overseas service were requested, and 70% of the men signed the Imperial Service Obligation. The overseas service Battery was then brought up to strength with new volunteers.

There were considerable disruptions to the training programme due to material shortages at this time. This was not helped by having to loan 2 guns, 2 wagons and 17 horses to the Durham Heavy Battery.

Orders for embarkation were issued in the week prior to 19 April 1915, and there was a final and rather haphazard issue of personal equipment. The armourers were issued with Mark II Lyddite fuzes for the shells. These were promptly condemned on arrival in France, as they had been found dangerous due to defective driving bands that had caused many to explode prematurely.

19 April 1915: Battery and Ammunition Column entrained at Newcastle in two trains, reaching Southampton at midday next day.

20 April: embarked the SS “Architect”, sailed at 6pm.

21 April: Came alongside at Le Havre at midday. The Battery was brought up to strength in horses here, and was now composed of 6 officers, 211 men and 167 horses. All entrained again at 11.30pm, and left at 4.30am.

22 April (the day on which the Germans attacked at Ypres, using poison gas for the first time): On train all day.

23 April: Arrived at Hazebrouck at 1.30am, and then to billets at Caestre, arriving 6am. At 5pm, marched via Thieushoek to Berthen. There were many blockages of traffic (reserves being hurriedly moved to Ypres). Halted at Mont des Cats. Came under orders of 50th (Northumbrian) Division.

24 April: Tried to move but at 4pm returned to billets.

25 April: Moved to south west of Abeele, then to a farm north of the frontier road. At 5pm, ordered to move to Droglandt.

27 April: Moved to Ryveldt, and remained until 4 May.

4 May: Moved back to Droglandt.

6 May: At 2.55pm, moved to Vlamertinghe, via a halt on the road west of Poperinghe. Arrived at 8.12pm, and came under orders of 4th Division. Parties went to reconnoitre a battery position in B21c. Position selected was B.21.c.8.6. Moved to position after dark. Stray shots fell, but no damage done. Posted to join XIII (13th) Brigade RGA.

7 May: Digging and improving the position. General Fox, CRA 4th Division inspected the battery. Lines of fire were laid on the cross roads at Pilkem.

8 May: Engaged three targets, at C.12.a.8.10, C.8.c.7.5, C.12.a.5.5. Fired 78 rounds. Effect unknown.

9 May and thereafter: Continued to fire from the same positions, sometimes with aeroplane observation, a few rounds per day (rarely more than 40), on the Pilkem area. Some days there was no firing at all.

17 May: At 9pm, as a wagon was unloading ammunition, the enemy fired 8 rounds. One detonated on the road in front of the lead horses, killing both and wounding 414 Driver A.E. Salt. It also killed 536 Gunner Aston and wounded QMS R. Portas and 6 other men. Another shell fell amongst the ammunition of “A” gun and blew a number of fuzes into the field behind. Three more shells fell close but without damage.

18 May: Gunner Aston buried.[24-year-old Gunner George Aston, a native of Stockton-on-Tees, the first death in the battery, is buried at Duhallow Advanced Dressing Station Cemetery, about a mile north of Ypres. He was the first of 37 men to die while serving the Battery.]

22 May: Lyddite shells had their charges reduced to stop erratic firing from badly centred shells.

24 May: Fired 137 rounds on Kitchener’s Wood.

15 June: Fired in support of British attack at Bellewaarde Farm.

27 July: Received first reinforcement draft of 15 other ranks. (During July, some officers and men began to go home on leave, in small batches).

2 August: 438 Gunner Kendall broke a collarbone when a loose wagon ran into him.

During August, the battery fired several barrages in support of attacks at Hooge. A Battery Observation Post was established at Frascati Farm.

25 September: The battery fired a barrage in support of a diversionary attack at Hooge and Bellewaarde.

27 October: The Battery, by now part of 13th Brigade RGA, sent 3 men to attend an inspection by King George V at Reninghelst. 27 officers, NCOs and men went as observers.

The remainder of October, November and December passed quietly, with desultory firing on both sides. Here the war diary of the Battery ends. From here on, its activities are covered by the higher formations to which it belonged.

XXIII Brigade RGA diary is not terribly informative, and although it gives much information about shots fired, etc is not useful as far as battery movements are concerned. The Battery remained in the Ypres area.

The next move was to join 41st Heavy Artillery Group, with which – apart from two short periods when under orders of other Groups – it remained until the Armistice. The Group was itself renamed 41st Brigade, and 41st Brigade (Mobile) at various times, as artillery tactics and command organisations developed.

On 15 October 1916, the Battery joined the 41st, at Dranoutre. The Battery moved into position at N.32.c.2 ¾.9, and for a considerable time engaged targets in the area of the Douve valley, Ploegsteert and Messines. Targets mentioned include Swaynes Farm, Four Huns Farm, and Scott Farm.

In early 1917, all men serving with the Territorial Force were allocated a new number. The new scheme was army-wide, replacing their original number that had come from the local schemes that had hitherto existed which had inevitably led to duplication. The Battery was allocated a block of numbers between 311001 and 312000.

On 31 March 1917, the Battery was shelled heavily during the day, but no damage was done. This became an increasingly regular feature of life, as both sides built up enormous concentrations of artillery and began to concentrate on suppression of enemy artillery rather than firing on trench systems.

On 6 April 1917, the guns having moved to T.21.b.6.3, the enemy fired 274 shells at the Battery, but only one gun was damaged, and no casualties.

In early June 1917, the Battery fired as part of the heaviest concentration of British artillery in the war, for the assault on Messines Ridge, which took place on 7 June.

On 23 June, the Group HQ moved to N.20.d.2.6, at Kemmel. The Battery fired daily, supporting various attacks during the Passchendaele offensive, usually at distant targets as far apart as Wervicq and Premesques. The Group remained in this area for a considerable period.

In May 1918, Group HQ moved to Mont des Cats.

However, on 11 May 1918, the Group was hurriedly ordered south. On 21 March, the enemy had launched a huge and overwhelming offensive – Operation Michael. It had almost destroyed British Fifth Army and pushed the line back 40 miles, almost to the key railway junction at Amiens, but here it was held, as more Allied reserves were rushed in. A second phase – Georgette – had been launched on 9 April, in the valley of the Lys. This was indeed critical, for the enemy came close to breaking through to Hazebrouck, a few miles from the Channel coast. 41st HAG was heavily engaged in this battle. But in May, another large offensive was expected – in the valley of the River Aisne. 41st HAG was sent to strengthen the artillery in the area.

On 11 May, the Battery entrained at Saint-Omer, and by a long route arrived at Jonchery at 2pm on 14 May. The Northumbrian Battery marched to billets at Merval (west of Reims, south of the Aisne, near Fismes). Here the Group came under the orders of the French IX Corps, of Fifth Army. The Battery was moved into position north of Cormicy on 17 May and by 26 May was on Hill 186, north of Chalons-le-Vergeur (south west of Cormicy).

On 27 May, the enemy attack struck. Breaking quickly through the infantry positions, they were soon advancing on either side of Hill 186, and the Batteries were ordered to withdraw. The Northumbrians got all of their guns away, but other Batteries were obliged to leave guns and equipment to the enemy. They hurriedly withdrew across the River Vesle, at Jonchery, and came into action again a little way east of that village. In this chaotic and no doubt terrifying time, the Group lost 242 men, 190 of whom were missing (many taken prisoner).

Continuing to retreat next day, the Group was held up by a mass of traffic, and the enemy approached to within 500 yards; more guns and equipment were lost in the flight. By next morning, the Battery was in action near Bouleuse (halfway between the Vesle and Ville-en-Tardenois). By 30 May, another move had been made, to Nanteuil, then to Marfaux. Firing continued almost without a break over the next days, as the enemy continued to press towards Mont de Bligny.

By 12 June, the enemy attack had run its course. It was the last offensive effort of the German army in the war.

Late in the month, moves were made to Cuis, Talus St Prix, St-Remy and Mailly, all in the Champagne south of Epernay.

In the night 24/25 June, all units entrained at Mailly, and travelled via Troyes, Sens, Varenton, Melun and around Paris to Versailles and Pontoise. From there, on 26 the journey was continued, via Abbeville and Etaples to Calais. The Battery was back in familiar Flanders territory. The final destination was Pollinkhove. Here, the Group/Brigade was re-equipped, and new drafts of men arrived.

On 15 July 1918, the Battery moved to Terdeghem, and by 1 August was at Cassel. It was not destined to remain long in Flanders, however, as it began a long move south to support a forthcoming (and in the event remarkably successful) assault in front of Amiens. By 2 August it detrained near Hangest, and then took up positions near Gentelles. Here it fired in support of the Canadian Corps attack on 8 August – and thereafter all was forward movement until the Armistice.

The key movements took place on the following dates, with barrages being fired at most times between moves.

9 August: Cayeux, with the Battery firing on Parvillers.
17 August: Warvillers
28 August: Fouquescourt
5 September: Bouchoir
15 September: Proyart, with Batteries in Cartigny area. On this day an air raid killed 4 and wounded 8 men in the Battery.
17 September: Hervilly.
26 September: Templeux, for the attack on the Beaurevoir Line.
2 October: Nauroy.
8 October: Montbrehain.
11 October: Busigny.
18 October: Saint-Souplet.
5 November: Bazuel.
7 November: Grand Fayt.

9 November: Avesnes. The Battery was here when the Armistice brought fighting on the Western Front to an end. However, it was not the end of military precautions, as the 41st Mobile Brigade RGA, is it was now called, was selected to join the force that would advance across Belgium and into the Rhine bridgeheads.

25 November: Solre le Chateau. The very long move across Belgium halted at the following places on dates shown. 3 December: Silenrieux. 4: Morialme. 5: Furnaux. 6: Erneton. 6: Anhee. 10: Dorinne. 11: Hamois and Hubinne. 12: Pessoux and Trisogne. 13: Maffe. 14: Ocquier. 15: Filot Ville and My. 16: Stoumont. 20: Malmedy. Preparations were made to cross the frontier into Germany.
21: Elsenborn Camp, via La Gleize and Stavelot.

29 December: Sourbrodt, and on New Year’s Eve, 1918, the last move, to Kuchenheim, just outside Euskirchen, west of Bonn, where demobilisation began. The battery remained here until late February 1919, by which time it had been reduced to a cadre.

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