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Royal Horse Artillery |
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| The
RHA was responsible for light, mobile guns that provided firepower
in support of the cavalry.
It is the senior arm of the artillery. In 1914 the establishment
was one battery to each Brigade of Cavalry. A battery had six
13-pounder field guns, and included 5 officers and 200 men.
The battery had in addition 228 horses. The original BEF included
only one Division of Cavalry, of 4 Brigades, and thus it had
four batteries RHA, which were organised into two Brigades.
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| RHA
Batteries of the Regular Army |
| Brigade |
Higher
formation
|
Remarks |
| I |
|
Originally
A and B Batteries RHA, in August 1914 in Ambala, India.
A Battery, also known as the Chestnut Troop, joined the
Ambala Brigade
in the 1st
Indian Cavalry Division. B Batt moved to England
in November 1914, and joined XV Brigade. |
| II |
|
Originally
only C Batt RHA, which transferred to XIV Brigade in
September 1914. |
| III |
|
Originally
D, E (both based at Newbridge) and J (Aldershot) Batts
RHA. All moved to France in August 1914 with 1st
Cavalry Division: D with 3rd Cavalry Brigade,
E
with 5th
and
J with
4th.
D and E moved with their Brigades to 2nd
Cavalry Division on 15 September 1914. Warwick Battery
RHA joined this Brigade 4 December 1914 and went to 1st
Cavalry Division on 14 April 1915. J Batt was with
Third Army in March 1917, and 2nd
Cavalry Division by February
1918. |
| IV |
Redesignated from XV Bde in May
1915. |
C and K Batts were with First
Army in January 1917, and 3rd
Cavalry Division again in February
1918. G Batt joined 17th RHA Brigade in March 1918. |
| V |
8th
Division Sept 1914 to Jan 1917, when became an Army
Brigade RHA. |
Originally
G,O and Z Batts RHA based at Ipswich. G moved to 3rd
Cavalry Division in November
1914. Z Batt joined on reforming, Oct 1914. A section
from each of 55(H) and 57(H) Batts joined May 16 and
redesignated D Batt, which was itself broken up Jan 1917.
O and Z Batts were in Fourth Army in January 1917. |
| VI |
|
Originally
H and K Batts RHA, based at Trowbridge and Christchurch.
H moved to replace L Batt in VII Brigade in late September
1914,
and K moved
to
the
new
XV Brigade. |
| VII |
Cavalry
Division from August 1914. |
Originally
I and L Batts RHA, based at Aldershot. Following very
serious losses at Affair
of Nery on 1st September 1914, L Battery was withdrawn
from action, returning to the UK to be reformed. It was
temporarily replaced by a Battery made from various other
units, and designated Z Battery. L's permanent replacement,
H, joined from VI Brigade in England in late September
1914. |
| VIII |
|
Originally
M and Q Batts RHA, in Risalpur and Sialkot, India respectively
and part of the 1st
(Peshawar) Division.
Q Batt joined the Sialkot Brigade in the 1st
Indian Cavalry Division. M remained in India. |
| IX |
|
Originally
N and S Batts RHA, in Secunderbad and Bangalore, India
respectively. N was attached to the Secunderabad
Cavalry Brigade which moved to France in November
1914. S Batt remained in India until 1915 when moved
to Mesopotamia attached to 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade. |
| X |
Redesignated
X Reserve Brigade. |
Originally
P and R Batts RHA, in Woolwich. |
| XI |
|
Originally
T Batt RHA, in Abbassia, Egypt, and U Batt, RHA in Lucknow,
India. T moved to XIV Brigade in December 191, and U
joined
the
Lucknow
Brigade in the 1st
Indian Cavalry Division. |
| XII |
|
Originally
V and W Batts RHA, in Meerut, India. V Batt joined the
Meerut Brigade in the 2nd
Indian Cavalry Division. W Batt remained in India. |
| XIII |
|
Originally
X and Y Batts RHA, in Mhow, India. X Batt joined the
Mhow Brigade in the 2nd
Indian Cavalry Division. Y batt moved to England
in November 1914, and joined XV Brigade. |
| XIV |
7th
Division Sept 1914 to Feb 1917 , when became an Army
Brigade RHA. |
Originally
C and F Batts RHA. C moved to 3rd
Cav Division, joining XV Bde in Oct 1914. T Batt
joined from Egypt Dec 1914. D/XIV joined from Corps June
1915.
A
section
from
each of 31(H) and 35(H) Batts joined May 16 and redesignated
D Batt. 509(H) joined Oct 1916, but broken up Feb 1917.
B/CLXIX and a section of C/CLXIX joined Feb 1917, redesignated
C/XIV. F and T Batts were re-armed with 18-lbr guns June
1915. |
| XV |
Formed
to join the new 3rd Cav
Division on 1 October 1914. |
C
Batt RHA joined from XIV Brigade, and K Batt from VI
Brigade. Redesignated IV Bde in May 1915. |
| XVI |
29th
Division January 1915 to Feb 1917, when became an
Army Brigade RHA. |
Originally
B, L and Y Batts RHA (L after being reformed following
the Affair of Nery). Y Batt moved
to 1st Cavalry Division Dec
1916, being swapped for 1st/Warwick Batt, RHA. 460(H)
Batt, formerly D/XVII, joined Sept 1916. |
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| RHA
Batteries of
the Territorial Force |
Battery |
Remarks |
Honourable Artillery Company
The HAC also provided infantry units: click here
|
“A” (1st
City of London Horse Artillery Battery) HAC Battery
HQ was at Armoury House in the City of London and was
allocated as artillery support to the London Mounted
Brigade.In 1914 the Battery was split into 1st/A and
2nd/A. 1st/A served
in the UK from 1914 to 1915 as part of the 2nd Brigade
RHA TF with 1st/B and the Berkshire and Nottinghamshire
batteries, before going to Egypt in 1915 where it left
this
Brigade to form the 1st Brigade RHA TF (with 1st/B),
serving in the Middle East until 1918.
2nd/A served
in the UK until 1917 when it went to France,
serving until the end of the war along with 2nd/B
as part of the 126th Army Brigade RFA. “B” (2nd
City of London Horse Artillery Battery) HAC Battery
HQ was at Armoury House in the City of London
and the unit was allocated as artillery support to
the South Eastern Mounted Brigade. In 1914 the
Battery was split
into 1st/B and 2nd/B. 1st/B served
in the UK from 1914 to 1915 as part of the 2nd Brigade
RHA TF with 1st/A and the Berkshire and Nottinghamshire
batteries before going to Egypt in 1915 where it left
this
Brigade to form the 1st Brigade RHA TF (with 1st/A)
serving in the Middle East until 1918. The
HAC batteries had a strong officer-producing role
for the RHA and RFA, and due to the high quality and
number of officers provided it was sought to extend
this service
to the RGA. Thus in 1916 the 309th (Honourable Artillery
Company) Siege Battery RGA was formed. This served
in France from 1917
until the end of the war.
|
Ayr |
Battery
HQ was at Ayr and the unit was allocated as artillery
support to the Lowland Mounted Brigade.
The
battery served in the UK to 1915 before going to the
Middle East for the rest of the war. In 1916
with the Inverness-shire Battery it formed the 4th Brigade
RHA TF, and in 1917 they were joined by the Somerset Battery
to form 18th Brigade RHA TF.
|
Berkshire |
Battery
HQ was at Reading with a Section at Ascot, and the unit
was allocated as artillery support
to the 2nd South Midland Mounted Brigade
The battery was duplicated in 1914
forming 1/1st and 2/1st Berkshire Batteries. 1/1st served in the UK until 1915 when
it went to the Middle East for the rest of the war
where it initially served as
artillery support to the 22nd Mounted Brigade. In
1917 it moved to to the 6th Mounted Brigade, and
later the same year formed 20th Brigade
RHA TF with
the
Hampshire and Leicestershire Batteries. 2/1st
served in the UK to 1917 when it went to France,
serving for the rest of the war in 158th Army Brigade
RFA. |
Essex |
Formed
from a nucleus of the Essex
Yeomanry. Battery HQ was
at Market Road, Chelmsford, with sections at Chelmsford,
Colchester and Ingatestone. The ammunition column
was divided between Colchester and Chelmsford. The unit
was
allocated as artillery support to the Eastern Mounted
Brigade
The
battery was duplicated in 1914, forming 1/1st and 2/1st
Essex Batteries. 1/1st
served to 1915 in the UK before proceeding to the
Middle East where it spent the rest of the war, initially
as part of the 263rd Brigade RFA with the Hampshire
and
West Riding Batteries. In 1917 the battery transferred
to the 20th Brigade RHA TF which was the artillery support
of the 7th Mounted Brigade.
2/1st
served in the UK to 1916 before being sent to France
for the rest of the war as part of the 298th
Brigade RFA. |
Glamorgan |
Battery
HQ was at Port Talbot, and the unit was allocated as artillery
support to the South Wales Mounted Brigade.
The battery was duplicated in 1915 forming
1/1st and 2/1st Glamorganshire Batteries. 1/1st served from 1914 to 1916 in the
UK. In 1916 it joined the 293rd Brigade RFA, which
went to France in 1917 where
it then remained. 2/1st served in the UK from 1915 to 1918,
in 1916 joining first the 297th Brigade RFA and then
the 298th. When the 298th left for France the battery
remained in the UK as an independent Field Battery.
|
Hampshire |
Battery
HQ was at Southampton with the ammunition column at Basingstoke,
and the unit was allocated as artillery support
to the 1st South Western Mounted Brigade.
The
battery was duplicated in 1914 forming 1/1st and 2/1st
Hampshire Batteries. 1/1st
served from 1914 to 1916 in the UK before proceeding
to the Middle East where it spent the rest of the war,
initially as part of the 263rd Brigade RFA with the
Essex and West
Riding Batteries. In 1917 the battery transferred to
the 20th Brigade RHA TF which was the artillery support
of
the 7th Mounted Brigade. The
2/1st went to France from 1916 to 1918 with the 298th
Brigade RFA.
|
Inverness |
Battery
HQ was at Margaret Street, Inverness, with the ammunition
column at King Street, Nairn. The unit was allocated
as artillery support to the Highland Mounted Brigade. The battery was duplicated in 1914 forming 1/1st and 2/1st
Inverness-shire Batteries.
The
1/1st battery served in the UK to 1915 before going
to the Middle East for the rest of the war. In 1916
with the Ayrshire Battery it formed the 4th Brigade
RHA
TF, which in 1917 was joined by the Somerset
Battery to form 18th Brigade RHA TF. The 2/1st Battery was allocated as artillery support to
the 2/1st South Midland Mounted Brigade and spent the whole
war in the UK.
|
Leicester |
Battery
HQ was at No.1 Magazine Square, Leicester and the
unit was allocated as artillery support to the North
Midland
Mounted Brigade.
The battery was duplicated in 1915 forming 1/1st and 2/1st
Leicestershire Batteries. 1/1st
served in the UK until 1916 when it went to the Middle
East, forming 3rd Brigade RHA TF with the Somerset
Battery> In 1917 it transferred to the 20th Brigade
RHA TF. The battery remained in the Middle East until
the end
of the war.
2/1st
served in the UK to 1916 as artillery support to the
1st Mounted Division, after which it served in France
as part of the 223rd Brigade RFA.
|
Nottingham |
Battery
HQ was at Nottingham with a section at Wiseton. The
unit was allocated as artillery support
to the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Mounted Brigade.
The battery was duplicated in 1914 forming
1/1st and 2/1st Nottinghamshire Batteries. 1/1st moved to the Middle East in
1915 where it joined the 2nd Brigade RHA TF in support
of the 2nd Mounted Division.
During that year it served independently of the Brigade
as part of the Western Frontier
Force fighting against the Senussi in the desert.
In 1917 the battery moved to 19th Brigade RHA TF, which
provided
artillery support to the Australian
Mounted Division. The 2/1st served in the UK from 1914
to 1916, from 1915 as artillery support to the 2/2nd
Mounted Brigade. From
1917 to 1918 the battery served as part of the 215th
Brigade RFA in India. |
Shropshire |
This
was the only battery (outside the HAC) which pre-existed
the establishment of the Territorials in 1908, having been
a battery in the 1st Shropshire and Staffordshire Royal Artillery
Volunteers.
Battery
HQ was at Shrewsbury with a section at Wellington and
the ammunition column at Church Stretton. The unit
was
allocated as artillery support to the Welsh Border Mounted
Brigade. The
battery was duplicated in 1914 as 1/1st and 2/1st Shropshire
Batteries. 1/1st
served in the UK from 1914 to 1917, and from 1917 to
1918 in France. From 1916 the battery formed part of
the 293rd Brigade RFA. 2/1st
served in France in 1917 to 1918 as part
of the 158rd Brigade RFA.
|
Somerset |
Battery HQ was at Taunton with a section at
Glastonbury. The ammunition column was split between Shepton
Mallet, Portishead and Wells. The unit was allocated as artillery
support to the 2nd South Western Mounted Brigade.
The battery was duplicated in 1914 forming 1/1st and 2/1st
Somerset Batteries. The 1/1st remained in the UK to 1916,
from when it served in the Middle East, initially
with the Leicestershire Battery as part of 3rd RHA Brigade
TF,
but
from 1917 to the end of the war in 18th Brigade RHA TF
with the Inverness-shire and Ayrshire Batteries. The 2/1st served in France
from 1917 to 1918.
|
Warwick |
Originally
raised by Lord Brooke at Warwick Castle.
Battery HQ was at Clarendon Place, Leamington Spa,
with a section at Coventry. The ammunition
column
was divided between Leamington and Henley-in-Arden.
The unit was allocated as artillery support
to
the 1st South Midland Mounted Brigade.
The battery was duplicated in 1914 forming 1/1st and 2/1st
Warwickshire Batteries. The 1/1st was the first Territorial artillery
unit to go overseas on active service spending the
whole war in France. In 1915 the battery joined 7th
Brigade RHA
moving in 1917 to 15th Brigade RHA. 2/1st
served in the UK from 1914 to 1918.
|
West
Riding |
Battery
HQ was at Wentworth Woodhouse, Rotherham, and the unit
was allocated as artillery support to the Yorkshire Mounted
Brigade.
No
second-line unit was formed for this battery. The
1/1st Battery served in the Middle East from 1916 to
1918 as part of the 263rd Brigade RFA.
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| RHA
Batteries of
the New Armies |
| None
were formed. |
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