47th Brigade, the Royal Field Artillery, serving with 14th (Light) Division

War diary 20th May to 21st July 1915 covering the Brigade's first weeks in France and operations at Ypres

20th May 1915. 9:20am. The 47th Brigade RFA (Kitchener's 1st Army) left for Southampton, embarked, and proceeded to Havre, and disembarked 22nd May, 1915. Proceeded up country the same night and following morning, detraining at St Omer on 23rd May 1915 and thence by route march to billets at La Cloche. During this journey one Gunner of C Battery fell out of a truck and was killed. On 28th May 1915 Brigade proceeded to Strazeele and billeted there one night.

29th May 1915. 6am. The Colonel and Battery Commanders went forward to Dickebusch to reconnoitre positions to be occupied at dark in relief of 107-108-109 Batteries.
12:30pm. The Adjutant brought the Brigade from Strazeele same afternoon arriving at Dickebusch at dusk (a distance of 18 miles). 9 pm. Each battery of 47th Brigade RFA put one section into action in relief of a section of a battery of the 23rd Brigade RFA the same night. The following night the remaining sections going into action thus completed the relief.

30th May 1915. The batteries were engaged in registering their zones of fire etc, laying out lines for night firing, repairing and perfecting their gun positions.

1st June 1915. During this period (to 10th June) the batteries were employed on carrying out a daily registration at the rate of three rounds per gun per day.

11th June 1915. A, B, C and D Batteries supported the 5th Divisional Artillery in registering as if for an attack on St Eloi and Hill 60. No extra ammunition was allowed.

16th June 1915. 3:45am. A, B, C and D Batteries supported the 5th Divisional Artillery in an attack carried out by the V Corps to straighten out the line a little in the vicinity of Hooge. Artillery preparation commenced at 3:45am and finished at 4:15am. The role of the 47th Brigade was to keep down hostile fire as much as possible and to deny all known observing stations to the enemy.

17th June 1915. 1am. On the night 17th and 18th, about 1am, the Brigade was relieved in sections by the 146th Brigade RFA.

18th June 1915. 1am. Each unit of the Brigade proceeded independently to the commune of Watou, arriving about 2pm. Headquarters established at sheet 27 K.23.a.6.6, all units being in bivouacs within half a mile radius. Up to the 30th each unit carried out daily parades of drill order, gun drill, signalling, etc.

26th June 1915. Sergeant Vincent A/47th appointed A/BSM of C/49th Brigade, vice BSM Culmer, wounded.

1st July 1915. Brigade still remained in rest area.

6th July 1915. On the nights of the 6th, 7th and 8th July 1915, each battery relieved the opposite batteries of the 46th Brigade RFA in action at Ypres, near the Sally Port. Lieutenant Colonel C.F Briggs-Price took the command of Group I, comprising A, B, C, D Batteries 47th Brigade and D/49th Howitzer Battery. The wagon lines of each unit and the Ammunition Column were located in the vicinity of Vlamertinghe.

8th July 1915. Each battery commenced to register their gun zones allotted to them and also search communication trenches. Gun detachment lived in dugouts.

9th July 1915. 6:30pm. All Battery positions were heavily shelled with HE and gas . No casualty occurred but everyone suffered somewhat from the effects of the gas. Second Lieutenant Jenkins (Ammunition Column) removed to the Divisional rest area.

10th July 1915. One Bombardier of D/47 was killed. One Bombardier and Gunner of C/47 wounded whilst laying telephone wire at Hell Fire Corner. D position was shelled throughout the morning with stink shells, and another Bombardier was wounded on Menin Road laying telephone wires.

12th July 1915. On 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th, each battery continued registering, otherwise nothing of importance happened except the Germans continually shelled Ypres.

16th July 1915. Second Lieutenant D. Milne Thomson of the 14th Divisional Ammunition Column was posted to the 47th Brigade Ammunition Column vice Second Lieutenant W. Jenkins. Bombardier Hilton, Gunner Ashby, Gunner Clarke A/47th severely wounded by a shell bursting over battery.

17th July 1915. Nothing unusual to report.

19th July 1915. 7:00pm. Third Divisional Artillery carried out an operation involving the capture of Y.21. 47th Brigade Ammunition column group stood by to render any assistance required. Retaliation was rather wild and erratic. Communication wires went at 7:45pm.

20th July 1915. In the evening, in anticipation of a counter-attack against the crater at Hooge, night lines were readjusted to --- the Third Division which were co-operated with in a fairly heavy shelling.

21st July 1915. Considerable fire was directed against the 47th positions. D/47 Ammunition Column was hit, damaging 32 shells, but causing no explosion.

This is an extract from the Battalion war diary which is held at the Public Record Office, in document WO95/1887.

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