War Diary Extract - 7 Siege Battery RGA

2.10.14 Woolwich	Battery formed. Officers: Major R.H.F.McCulloch DSO, Capts E.F.Creswell, R.D Crawford, L.R.E.W. Taylor. Lieutenants Renshaw, H.S.Smithers, V.Pellew. Attached Lieut Wellesley RE, Capt H.H.Leeson RAMC. The NCOs and men of the RGA joined from companies at SHEERNESS, DOVER and PLYMOUTH. Capt Stephens CORK RGA (S.R) and Lieut Wehner RGA also joined, but did not proceed with Battery.
3.10.14	Those NCOs & men who had arrived not equipped, were equipped. Detachments marched down to ARSENAL about 2.30pm. SS. PENTWYN arrived and tied up about 11.45pm. Loading commenced at midnight.
4.10.14	The ship was too high out of the water for the antiquated 100 ton crane to load guns and heavy vehicles she was therefore moved to another quay to load small stores. Owing to her height this could not commence before 3am. Nearly completed by 6am. By 9am DDOS had arranged with WO for WD vessel MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON to take on board guns and tractors. She had to unload about 90 tons of stores, so could not start loading till about 2pm. All other stores etc were loaded in PENTWYN. The battery turned to and did most of the loading at night, the dockyard labourers having retired, tired, after 3 previous nights out of bed.
5.10.14	Battery embarked on PENTWYN by 9.15am and WO asked by telephone for permission to proceed. Telegram from WO to proceed. Sailed in company of MARQUIS OF HARTINGTON. Convoyed from the NORE by a flotilla of destroyers, the enemy’s submarines being reported about – a steamer with 9.2” gun on railway mounting joined convoy at the “NORE”. 6” and 9.2” gun stores, equipment and ammunition sorted during the day, and necessaries issued to men deficient of them, also 30 rounds SAA per man. Arrived and anchored off DOVER. Sailed in a SE direction convoyed by 2 destroyers.
6.10.14	Arrived off DUNKIRK – held up by Examination steamer. Proceeded E. Arrived and tied up. Arrangements made with Belgian military railway authority for a special train for advance party to leave for ANTWERP. Ships being slowly unloaded by cranes (grues). Advance party - Major McCulloch, Capts Creswell and Crawford, Lt Wellesley and specialists left. Telephone message from ANTWERP Gen. Staff to return at once to OSTEND. 6” guns and 9.2” off loaded to-day, ready to proceed 9pm. Order received not to proceed.
7.10.14	Advance party arrived back. Telephonic message from Sir H Rawlinson from BRUGES stating battery under his orders, and not to move till further orders. Unloading of ships proceeded, but slow. Billets arranged for. Base Commandant asked for 70 men to assist in defending docks. Sent and detailed to posts by Lt Col Tancred RGA. Capt Crawford and Lt Pellew remained on duty with them. Very cold night.
8.10.14	Party of 70 relieved. Order received to leave by train for St NICHOLAS at 8am. And there bring guns into action. Order cancelled. Loading of train completed. Moved into very comfortable billets at a laundry – guard left on train, about ¼ mile away.
9.10.14	Unpacking and sorting of stores. Many British troops arrived by sea.
10.10.14	Ordered to embark again - commenced to do so when SS ARTIST came under suitable crane at 3pm. Much delay caused owing to there being no slings for heavy weights - wire rope having to be used instead. 9.2",1-6” and 2 tractors only, loaded. 12 midnight Knocked off work.
11.10.14	7am Loading commenced again. 6pm Loading completed. Belgian army marching in all day.
12.10.14	9am Bomb dropped about 500 yards from ships - no aeroplane seen. About 2pm, a vTaube about 1500 feet high dropped 3 bombs - fell within 2 or 300 yards of ships - crater about 3 feet x 1 foot. Apparently aimed at shipping in docks. Reported, a tender of a locomotive hit. 3pm Sailed.4.30pm Arrived and anchored DUNKIRK. Told by Examination steamer to wait for escort, shortly expected. Heavy firing heard to SE. Several large transports here. Escort left with other steamers, having missed us, or we it.
13.10.14	9am DUNKIRK Sailed. Arrived and anchored 10pm HAVRE .
14.10.14	6am Came alongside in BASSIN BELLOT. 11am Unloading began. 6pm After unloading heavy stores etc, ship had to be moved to another quay to unload ammunition etc.Unloading ceased-dark.
15.10.14	Unloading continued.
16.10.14	6pm Unloading completed. Battery bivouacked in Hangar x. Orders received for 9.2 gun and personnel RGA and RE to return to England. 8th Siege Battery arrived from England. 2-6” guns, and 9.2” Howitzer – latter originally belonging to this Battery.
17.10.14	Drill. 6pm, Order re return of 9.2 gun to England, to stand fast.
18.10.14	Drill. (Continues each day until 21.10.14)
21.10.14	Orders received for 9.2 gun and personnel to return to England. 12.30pm, Orders received for this and 8th Siege Batteries to proceed by road to BOULOGNE via ABBEVILLE. Start put off till to-morrow on account of difficulty experienced by 8th Btty in getting coal.
22.10.14	6.15am. Column started in a downpour. 4pm, YVETUT 33 miles. 1st wagon arrived. 9pm, Last wagon arrived. Tractor of 2nd gun broke down at LANGEUETOT – 12 miles back. (This tractor was eventually sent to ROUEN, and the gun railed to BOULOGNE). Lt Symons ASC (Mechanical Transport Officer) accompanied column. Interpreter (Andre’ Chevallier, 2nd canonnier servant, 2nd Regiment d’Artillere Coloniale, Havre) joined battery.
23.10.14	9am 8th Battery left. 10.30am, 7th Battery left. SAINT SAENS, 25 miles much delay caused owing to having to send back lorries to tow-in broken down lorries (run out of coal and water) of 8th Battery. Very hospitably entertained by inhabitants.
24.10.14	2.30am, Gun arrived. Delivery pipe of tractor gave out soon after start. 2.45pm, Last Foden came in. 12noon, Repairs to tractor and getting up steam took till this time. NEUFCHATEL 3pm, Tractor arrived - coaled - left trailer to be put on train. FOURCAMONT 10pm, 24 miles. Battery arrived. Very hospitably entertained not withstanding late hour. Great watering difficulties on road.
25.10.14	6.10am, Battery left. 9am BLANGY, Arrived. MTO Officer stated bridge through town over river unsafe. Tractor and gun went round and crossed at GAMACHES. 6pm, ABBEVILLE. Arrived and bivouacked in station yard. 32 miles, day’s journey.
26.10.14	In going to coal a lorry (5ton) broke through rotten part of a bridge over the SOMME. It took an hour to get it out. 9.30am, Battery started. NEMPONT SIR FIRMIN 1739 Gnr R. Clark was accidentally run over by a steam lorry, and a leg very badly crushed. Taken temporally to MONTREUIL hospital.30 miles. 5.30pm, MONTREUIL. Battery arrived. Another 5 ton lorry broke through surface of a street – hauled out by tractor. Battery billeted.
27.10.14	Gnr R Clark taken by motor ambulance to BOULOGNE about 2am. Battery left for BOULOGNE. 3.30pm, Lorries arrived. About 22 miles. 8pm, Guns arrived parked in docks. Men billeted in a fishing shed. Officers at HOTEL du LOUVRE. Found here Lt Smithers with No.2 Gun, and Lt Pellew with ammunition.
28.10.14	Informed that 3 tractors were leaving AVONMOUTH on 31st.
29.10.14	Extra Foden joined battery to carry spare timber for platforms. Gnr R Clark died 28th. [35 year old Robert Clark, son of William and Isabella Clark, of 166, Alexandra Road, Gateshead, is buried in Boulogne Eastern cemetery].
30.10.14	Battery attended funeral of Gnr Clark, who was buried with 7 other soldiers in BOULOGNE cemetery.
31.10.14	Handed in and drew ammunition from AOD. Rounds with battery: 80 shrapnel, 80 lyddite per gun. Brake gear and new wheels for brakes fitted on guns. Store and platform wagons squared up.

November 1914: The Battery finally gets into a firing position.
1.11.14	Brakes and wheels being fitted to guns. Specialists –practice. 3pm, Battery paraded at gun park for President POINCARE, but he did not come. Went on to DUNKIRK.
2.11.14	Brakes completed on one gun .
3.11.14	New tractors arrived and unloading. Orders arrived for battery to move as soon as possible to ST OMER for orders. Maj McCulloch and Capt Creswell went in car and reported for orders at GHQ and returned same afternoon. Brakes completed on second gun.
4.11.14	Battery and No. 2 gun 8 Battery started. 2 new tractors. Very bad hill out of BOULOGNE one gun stuck, and battery not over ridge before 11am. Reported to GHQ and ordered to billet for night at LOMBRES which place No. 2 gun at 11pm No. 1 gun at 2am. 25 miles. Wet afternoon and evening. 2Lt E.F.L.Minter ASC attached as Mech. Transport officer.
5.11.14	8.30am:Battery started - coaled at St OMER - great delay through truck not being hardy.3pm: Battery moved on - very greasy “pave” road - going bad - much traffic. Tractors could not leave middle of road. 11pm: No.1 gun arrived.
6.11.14	12.30am: No. 2 gun arrived. Battery billeted in an unfinished hospital- officers in private houses and a convent. One tractor sent off by order of GHQ to help 9.2 Howitzer whose tractor had apparently broken down.10am: No. 2 gun 8th Battery arrived. Supplies ie. bread and meat and vegetables brought locally for troops.
7.11.14	2 more 5 ton Fodens and 1 – 3 ton petrol lorry joined battery. Latter to convoy ammunition from ammunition depot to guns. 40 spades and 20 pick-axes obtained from AOD.
8.11.14	Cleaning up etc.
9.11.14	Drill etc. Capt Leeson and 3 RAMC left for BOULOGNE.
10.11.14	Men practiced digging trenches.
11.11.14	Drills. A second motor car – Vulcan – joined battery.
12.11.14	Drills etc.
13.11.14	Drills and repacking wagons.
14.11.14	Drills etc.
15.11.14	Capt Campbell and No. 2 gun 8th Battery left. Drills etc. A tractor in difficulties – extricated itself.
16.11.14	Eyebolt fitted on front of No.1 gun carriage.
17.11.14	Men made a pathway and a drying house at billets. Badly required on account of wet weather.
18.11.14	Drill – tractor No.1 gun sank badly in a road – other tractor had to be sent for and finally wound it out, after it had been jacked up by sinking jack.
19.11.14	Raining all morning. Ordered to send one gun only to LOCRE at 1pm. Ordered cancelled at 12.
20.11.14	Hard frost all night. 9.30am: Taube dropped 6 bombs. Reported that one civilian was killed and many windows broken. A Foden sent out to haul a strange one out of ditch. Later another sent to haul 4.7 gun 111 HB out of ditch. It went wrong road and got “ditched” itself so another was sent out, which succeeded in extricating it and the gun from their difficulties.
21.11.14	HQ 1st Corps arrived.
22.11.14	Nothing.
23.11.14	Orders arrived for one gun to proceed to LOCRE, started 1.30pm. 8.30pm: Arrived at position about ¾ mile S. of LOCRE. Tractor and gun “bedded down “ in farm yard, Fodens in lane leading to it, officers in a dairy, men in a loft. Attached to 5th Div II Corps GOCRA Brig Gen Headlam CB, DSO. Freezing hard all day..
24.11.14	Gun placed in position and concealed by 11 am.
25.11.14	Gun wheels raised on to planks, overhead cover erected, funk-pits dug.
26.11.14	Two rounds fired to test platform.No. 2 gun arrived. 8pm: No. 2 gun 8th Battery in position on road about ¼ mile towards LOCRE. Laying telephone cable to GOCRA’s HQ. Capt Campbell’s gun placed under Major McCulloch’s orders.
27.11.14	Only one round fired. Too misty for aerial observation. Gun 8th Battery fired one round. One of two observed.
28.11.14	Too misty for observation, airman did not go up, no shooting. No. 2 gun getting into position. Lt Pellew proceeded on a week’s leave to England.
29.11.14	Capts. Creswell and Crawford promoted to Major, Lts. Smithers and Pellew to Captain, according to English papers. Capt Campbell, 8th Battery promoted Major –ditto-.
30.11.14	Targets G and H engaged. No aerial observation Battery fired 27 and gun 8th Battery 10 rounds. [Ref. Map. BELGIUM “B” Series Sheet 28 S.W. 1/20,000 G = GAPAARD X Roads – 12,000yards H= GARDE-DIEU X Roads – 14000 yards]

December 1914: The Battery begins regular firing on enemy positions along the Messines Ridge.
1.12.14	Target G engaged in morning – aerial observation Search-light station – MESSINES – in afternoon – observation from windmill at NEUVE EGLISE. 22 rounds fired.
2.12.14	Too misty for airman to observe. In afternoon fired on MESSINES target again. 14 rounds fired by Battery. Line erratic, shooting poor. Observation from NEUVE-EGLISE.
3.12.14	H.M. The King passed at 1.15pm. Battery lined road outside billets and gave him 3 cheers. After that, at 1.50pm joined in general bombardment – objective –MESSINES tower – duration of fire – 5 minutes. Battery fired 8 rounds – gun 8th Battery – 3.
4.12.14	Too windy and rough for shooting. 5 Fodens replaced by 5 –3 ton and 1 – 30cwt petrol lorries. Major Webb, Commander 8th Siege came in – complained of erratic shooting of his gun.
5.12.14	Heavy rain all night. Too bad for airman – afternoon turned on to MESSINES tower. 13 rounds fired – no hits, but very near. Platforms of 3 guns all awry owing to heavy rain of last night.
6.12.14	28 rounds – 8 from us – at target G – several observed by airman, but platforms had to be reconstructed
7.12.14	20 rounds fired from 3 guns at MESSINES tower – no hits poor observing morning wasted owing to telephonic breakdown.
8.12.14	Fired first at a convoy beyond MESSINES, then at tower. 49 rounds fired – 7th Battery 31 – no hits.
9.12.14	Nothing, except capture of a supposed spy, who turned out to be a French deserter. Handed over to APM 5th Div. St JEAN CAPPELLE (St Jans Kapelle).
10.12.14	Fired 6 rds – No 8 Battery gun 3, at MESSINES. Gun of 8th Battery ordered to rejoin Head Quarters at LE ROSSIG(NOL).
11.12.14	No 2 gun of 8th Battery left. Blocked traffic for a bit on a rotten road.
12.12.14	12th December 1914 13 rounds fired at MESSINES tower – no good – observation not easy.
13.12.14	49 rounds fired as yesterday – no hits, but some very near. Orders received for operations tomorrow.
14.12.14	Attack on WYTSCHAETE by 16th French Army Corps and 3rd British Div. Slight progress made [a description of part of this attack can be seen here]. Battery target – MESSINES tower – no direct hits. 60 rounds fired.
15.12.14	Attack resumed. Same target – 60 rounds fired – we got 4 direct hits. 5th round got tower – said to be 4’ thick, about half way up. And knocked out a hole at top 15’ broad, 20’ high. Tower considerably damaged.
16.12.14	No 2 gun fired 12 rounds at N. end MESSINES where WULVERGHEM road runs in. No1 gun lifted out of trunnion holes so as to allow of side bracket to be cut away, so as to be able to get more elevation on a level platform.
17.12.14	Fired towards OOSTTAVERNE, and along road beyond MESSINES then registered a few rounds N. of latter place. 3pm: Message received to fire 6 to 8 rounds against guns near southern MESSINES – WARNETON road – who were shelling our infantry.
18.12.14	Battery (No2 gun) fired 10 rounds a battery reported just N. of the 6 in H.6 – searching for it – 6 Lyddite – 4 T.S. Wire from 3rd Div “Bombardment accurate and effective”.
19.12.14	Fired 12 Rounds at WYSCHAETE tower and 12 at OOSTTAVERNE cross roads.
20.12.14	No shooting – Sunday.
21.12.14	Fired 20 rounds searching OOSSTTAVERNE road from cross roads D.11.d south centre to cross roads D.12.c east centre. In afternoon 13 rounds at area between 14 in D.14 to the woods just S. of the A in OOSTTAVERNE.
22.12.14	No shooting. Sgt R.G.MORRISON promoted 2nd Lt RGA.
23.12.14	No shooting. Too thick.
24.12.14	Ordered to fire 10 rounds at motor lorries in MESSINES square. 2nd Lt MORRISON left for BASE.
25.12.14	Freezing. 2nd Lt LEE reported arrival of left half of this Battery at BAILLEUL – no previous intimation received. King and Queen’s Xmas card issued to NCO’s and men
26.12.14	Right half fired 12 rounds at motor lorries in MESSINES square w.end. Position selected for Left half Battery – 11/4 km S. of NEUVE EGLISE. Maj CRESWELL went on a weeks leave to ENGLAND. Redistribution of officers of Battery: Right Half Majors R.H.F. McCULLOCH and E.F.CRESWELL. Capt H.L. PELLEW and 2nd Lt J.R.LAURIE. 2nd Lt MINTER ASC (attached); Left Half Major R.D. CRAWFORD, Capt H.S SMITHERS, 2nd LT E.A.LEE.
27.12.14	Major Crawford and Capt Smithers prepared positions for Left 1/2 guns. Away all day. No shooting.
28.12.14	1pm:. No 1 gun fired 6 rounds at MESSINES square. No 2 gun fired 6 rounds at the road, from the fork road on W.edge of H.6.d to fork roads H.7.c. All time shrapnel.2.30pm: Same as 1pm. Platform of No 2 gun behaved badly after 2nd round of this series 37’minutes between 3rd and 4th rounds.
29.12.14	Major Crawford and Capt Smithers away with Left Half. A draft of 13 Gunners joined Right Half from Left Half -–No 1 gun got into position by 6 pm. On leaving field tractor sank in ditch by road. Other tractor sent for and hauled it out. Billets for Left Half on BAILLEUL- NIEPPE road.
30.12.14	1pm: Right Half fired 6 rounds Lyddite at H.4.a. South centre just where road cuts red line.2pm: Right Half fired 6 rounds Lyddite at H.1.b N.E. corner E. of road.3pm: Right Half fired 6 rounds Lyddite at H.3.b. just N.E. or the 3. Left Half No2 gun got in position on platform by 6.45pm.
31.12.14	Right Half - No shooting. Left Half – No 1 gun fired 6 rounds to test platform and expand pads in afternoon – everything satisfactory. No2 gun – work on platform, pits, shelters etc.

The Roll of the 1914 Star: click here for a complete list of the men of the Battery who qualified to wear the 1914 Star.

Note	This war diary and roll of the 1914 Star has been painstakingly compiled by Terry Barrett, to whom many thanks are due for providing it for use on this site. The diary will be continued soon...
	This is an extract from the Battery war diary which is held at the Public Record Office, in document WO95/304.