|
105th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
105th Siege Battery was a unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery formed during World War I. It served on both the Western Front, including the Battles of the Somme, Arras and Passchendaele, and the Italian Front, where it participated in the repulse of the Austrian Summer Offensive of 1918 and the crushing victory at Vittorio Veneto. Mobilisation and training 105th Siege Battery was formed at Fort Burgoyne, Dover, on 13 January 1916 under Army Council Instruction 145 of 19 January 1916 with the establishment for a battery of towed 12-inch Mark II Vickers Howitzers. Major C.E. Eady was in command. The battery was sent by rail to Horsham, and then to the artillery ranges at Lydd for training. Among the officers appointed to the battery was the artist and illustrator E. H. Shepard, commissioned as a Second lieutenant.Frederick, pp. 702–4.Shepard's summary, in Campbell, pp. 122–5. Western Front On 18 April the unit was ordered to change to the establishment for a batter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flag Of The British Army
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have evolved into a general tool for rudimentary signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is challenging (such as the maritime environment, where semaphore is used). Many flags fall into groups of similar designs called flag families. The study of flags is known as "vexillology" from the Latin , meaning "flag" or "banner". National flags are patriotic symbols with widely varied interpretations that often include strong military associations because of their original and ongoing use for that purpose. Flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for decorative purposes. Some military units are called "flags" after their use of flags. A ''flag'' (Arabic: ) is equivalent to a brigade ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until 1986. In the colonial forces, which closely followed the practices of the British military, the rank of second lieutenant began to replace ranks such as ensign and cornet from 1871. New appointments to the rank of second lieutenant ceased in the regular army in 1986. Immediately prior to this change, the rank had been effectively reserved for new graduates from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea which closed in 1985. (Graduates of the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) and the Royal Military College, Duntroon (RMC-D) are commissioned as lieutenants.). The rank of second lieutenant is only appointed to officers in special appointments such as training institutions, university regiments and while under probation during training. Trai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Bazentin Ridge
The Battle of Bazentin Ridge was part of the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front in France, during the First World War. On 14 July, the British Fourth Army (General Henry Rawlinson) made a dawn attack against the German 2nd Army (General Fritz von Below) in the Brown Position (), from Delville Wood westwards to Bazentin le Petit Wood. Dismissed beforehand by a French commander as "an attack organized for amateurs by amateurs", the British succeeded. Attempts to use the opportunity to capture High Wood failed, due to the German success in holding on to the north end of Longueval and parts of Delville Wood, from which attacks on High Wood could be engaged from the flank. The British cavalry, intended to provide a faster-moving exploitation force, was badly delayed by the devastated ground, shell-holes and derelict trenches. In the afternoon, infantry of the British 7th Division attacked High Wood, when an earlier advance could have occupied the wood unopposed. The B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Longueval
Longueval () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Longueval is located northwest of Amiens on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8. Longueval is found in the north-east of the département, almost equidistant to the surrounding towns of Péronne (to the east), Albert (west) and Bapaume (north). Population Heraldry History The village was almost completely destroyed during World War I. World War I sites Caterpillar Valley Cemetery is located outside Longueval, on the road to Bazentin. The cemetery also contains a Memorial to the Missing from New Zealand, recording the names of 1272 men lost in 1916. The body for the New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was taken from here. South of Longueval is the Longueval Road Cemetery. In the centre of the village is the Pipers' Memorial, built to commemorate bagpipers who fought in the First World War. Longueval was chosen because it was retaken by the 9th (Scottish) Div ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fourth Army (United Kingdom)
The Fourth Army was a field army that formed part of the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War. The Fourth Army was formed on 5 February 1916 under the command of General Sir Henry Rawlinson to carry out the main British contribution to the Battle of the Somme. First World War History The Fourth Army was formed in France on 5 February 1916, under the command of Sir Henry Rawlinson. It was created in preparation for the Battle of the Somme after the French Tenth Army was transferred to the Battle of Verdun. On the first day on the Somme, eleven Fourth Army divisions (from XIII Corps, XV Corps, III Corps, X Corps and VIII Corps) attacked astride the Albert–Bapaume road. The attack was completely defeated on the northern sector, so subsequent Fourth Army operations concentrated on the southern sector, handing control of the northern sector to the Reserve Army. The plan for the Fourth Army during the Third Battle of Ypres (31 July – 10 November 1917), was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vimy
Vimy ( or ; ; Dutch: ''Wimi'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Located east of Vimy is the Canadian National Vimy Memorial dedicated to the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the Canadian soldiers who were killed during the First World War. The Memorial is also the site of two Canadian cemeteries. Geography and history Vimy is a farming town, situated some north of Arras, at the junction of the D51 and the N17 roads. It is situated on the crest of Vimy Ridge, a prominent feature overlooking the Artois region. The town was first mentioned in 1183 as ''Viniarcum'' and was the scene of much fighting during the fourteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries among the French, English, Dutch and Spanish forces. The ridge was the scene of fierce fighting in the First World War. Seized by the Germans in 1914, it was the subject of a French assault in 1915. In 1917 the Battle of Vimy Ridge took place southeast of Vimy and was an impor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arras
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of regions, reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the Artois region, with a Baroque town square, Arras is in Northern France at the confluence of the rivers Scarpe (river), Scarpe and Crinchon. The Arras plain is on a large chalk plateau bordered on the north by the Marqueffles fault, on the southwest by the Artois and Ternois hills, and on the south by the slopes of Beaufort-Blavincourt. On the east it is connected to the Scarpe valley. Established during the Iron Age by the Gauls, the town of Arras was first known as ''Nemetocenna'', which is believed to have originated from the Celtic word ''nemeton'', meaning 'sacred space.' Saint Vedast (or St. Vaast) was the first Catholic bishop in the year 499 a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mont-Saint-Éloi
Mont-Saint-Éloi (; vls, Sint-Elooisberg) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Mont-Saint-Éloi is situated northwest of Arras, at the junction of the D341 and the D49 roads, on the banks of the river Scarpe. Population Places of interest * The church of St. Joseph, dating from the sixteenth century. * The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery. * The eighteenth-century chateau d’Écoivres. * Remains of an abbey church, destroyed in 1783. * Two menhirs, known as the ''Twin Stones''. Mont Saint-Éloi Abbey The monastery was founded in the 7th century by Vindicianus, bishop of Arras and devotee of Saint Eligius. The bishop was buried in the nearby Bois d'Ecoives, but his relics were subsequently removed to the Abbey Church of St. Joseph, which was enlarged in the 11th century. The abbey adopted the Rule of Saint Augustine, and was the motherhouse of St. Botolph's Priory in Colchester. The medieval buildings we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Third Army (United Kingdom)
The Third Army was a field army of the British Army during World War I that saw active service on the Western Front throughout the war. First World War The Third Army was part of the British Army during World War I and was formed in France on 13 July 1915, under the command of Lieutenant-General Charles Monro. During August 1915 the Third Army took over trench line south of the French Tenth Army, which had to keep in position for the forthcoming autumn offensive. This made the Third Army geographically separate from the other British Armies for the time being. This remained the case until March 1916, when the French Tenth Army was redeployed because of French losses at Verdun and the British Fourth Army was formed in preparation for the Battle of the Somme. The battles it took part in on the Western Front included: * Battle of the Somme * Battle of Cambrai * Second Battle of Arras (April 1917) * Battle of Passchendaele * Battle of Amiens (August 1918) * Hundred Days Offensiv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
XVII Corps (United Kingdom)
The British XVII Corps was a British infantry corps during the First World War. History British XVII Corps was formed in France in January 1916 under Lieutenant General Julian Byng. In April 1917 the Corps attacked to the east of Arras near the River Scarpe but became bogged down in rain and snow. However the Corps held the line at Arras, continued to hold it through into 1918 and then broke the main Hindenburg Line at its strongest point in September 1918. General Officers Commanding Commanders included: * 9 December 1915 – 12 February 1916 Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Anderson * 12 February – 27 February 1916 Major-General Edward Montagu-Stuart-Wortley (acting) * 27 February – 25 May 1916 Lieutenant-General Julian Byng Field Marshal Julian Hedworth George Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy, (11 September 1862 – 6 June 1935) was a British Army officer who served as Governor General of Canada, the 12th since the Canadian Confederation. Known to friends as "Bun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canon De 120 Mm Modèle 1878
The Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878 – was a French piece of siege and field artillery which was widely used during the First World War and despite its obsolescence, it was still in use by some nations during the Second World War. History The Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878 was one of a series of heavy artillery pieces designed by Colonel Charles Ragon de Bange. On 11 May 1874 three de Bange heavy cannons (120 mm, 155 mm, 240 mm) and two mortars ( 220 mm, 270 mm) were ordered by the French Army. The mle 1878 was advanced for its time due to being built completely of steel instead of a steel liner and cast iron reinforcing hoops of the previous ''Canon de 240 mm C mle 1870''-87. Design The 120 mm L mle 1878 was a breech loaded gun with a de Bange obturator and used separate loading bagged charges and projectiles. It had a box trail carriage, two wooden spoked wheels with steel rims and an unsprung axle. The 120 mm L mle 1878 was ligh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hesdin
Hesdin (; vls, Heusdin) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Geography The N39, from Arras to Montreuil, used to be the main thoroughfare of the town. In the 1950s, a circular route was created to help traffic flow. A second bypass was built in the 1980s, taking all through traffic well away from the town centre. The Canche river flows through the centre of Hesdin. History Hesdin was a fief of the counts of Artois, vassals of the Counts of Flanders until 1180. When Philip, count of Flanders gave Artois as dowry to his niece Isabella of Hainault when she married Philip Augustus of France in 1180, Hesdin and the other seigneuries passed to France. At the end of the 11th century, Hesdin gained renown for the park and chateau of Robert II, Count of Artois, which featured the earliest examples of early medieval automata in Europe. These included mechanical monkeys covered in badger fur, mechanized fountains, a large sundial surrounded by lions and l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
