XXXVII (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was a
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
of the
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of t ...
which served in the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
It was originally formed with 31st, 35th and 55th (Howitzer) Batteries, each equipped with
4.5" howitzers, and attached to
4th Infantry Division. In August 1914 it mobilised and was sent to the Continent with the
British Expeditionary Force, where it saw service with 4th Division until February 1915, when it was assigned to
IV Corps. 55th Battery was withdrawn in May 1915, and assigned to
128th (Howitzer) Brigade. The Brigade joined the
7th Infantry Division in June 1915, and was broken up in May 1916.
On 20 August 1914 the Nominal Roll of Officers
was: O.C. Brigade: Lt.Col. C. Battiscombe. Adjutant: Captain R.C. Dodgson. Orderly Officer: Lt R.B. Butler Stoney. Medical Officer: Captain Fraser RAMC. Veterinary Officer: Lt U.W.F. Walker AVC.
31st Battery: Major D,H. Gill. Captain M.C.J. Hartland-Mahon. Lt. A.G. Bates. 2Lt G.F. Simpson. 2Lt. Johnstone.
35th Battery: Major H.A. Koebel. Captain. E.A. Wallinger. Lt. M.A. Phillips. Lt. K.M. Agnew. Lt. L. Browning.
55th Battery. Major G.N. Cartwright. Captain J.R. Colville. Lt. P.H. Ferguson. 2Lt H.G. Hess. 2Lt S.H. Doake.
37th Brigade Ammunition Column: Captain H.M. Ballingall. Lt. F.H. Richards.
Officer i/c reinforcements: 2Lt H. W. Deacon.
In May 1916, the artillery brigades of infantry divisions were reorganised; the pure howitzer brigades were disbanded, and their batteries attached individually to field brigades, in order to produce mixed brigades of three field batteries and one howitzer battery. Accordingly, the brigade was broken up and the batteries dispersed; 31st (less one section) to
35th Brigade, and 35th (less one section) to
22nd Brigade. D (H) Battery was formed for
XIV Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery
XIV Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It had been dissolved before World War I but was reformed for the war. It served with 7th Division on the West ...
on 17 May 1916 with one section of 31st (H) Battery and one section of 35th (H) Battery.
A new XXVII Field Artillery Brigade was later formed in
75th Division in Egypt.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
* {{cite book
, last = Clarke , first = W.G.
, year = 1993
, title = Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism
, publisher = The Royal Artillery Institution
, location = Woolwich
, isbn = 0-9520762-0-9
External links
Royal Field Artillery Brigades
Royal Field Artillery brigades
Artillery units and formations of World War I