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1st Warwickshire Volunteer Artillery
The 1st Warwickshire Volunteer Artillery, or 'Balsall Heath Artillery', was a part-time unit of Britain's Royal Artillery recruited from Birmingham. It served on the Western Front during the First World War, including the Battles of the Somme, Vimy Ridge, Messines, Ypres, the German Spring Offensive and the final victorious Hundred Days Offensive. During the Second World War it fought in the Battle of France and was evacuated from Dunkirk. Later in served in the Italian campaign. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army, through a series of mergers, until 1971. Volunteer Force The 1st Warwickshire Volunteer Artillery was formed at Balsall Heath in Birmingham on 30 May 1900 when Nos 3 and 4 Warwickshire Batteries of the 1st Worcestershire and Warwickshire Artillery Volunteers became an independent unit, increased to four batteries. The batteries were equipped and trained as 'position artillery', to cooperate with the Volunteer Infantry Brigades. The Volunteer Artillery were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flag Of The British Army
A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. 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 flag, maritime environment, where Flag semaphore, 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 equival ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises thirteen Regular Army regiments, King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and five Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve regiments. History Formation to 1799 Artillery was used by English troops as early as the Battle of Crécy in 1346, while Henry VIII established it as a semi-permanent function in the 16th century. Until the British Civil Wars, the majority of military units in Britain were raised for specific campaigns and disbanded when they were over. An exception were gunners based at the Tower of London, Portsmouth and other forts around Britain, who were controlled by the Ordnance Office and stored and maintained equipment and provided personnel for field artillery 'traynes' that were org ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Major-general (United Kingdom)
Major general (Maj Gen) is a two-star rank, "two-star" rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. The rank was also briefly used by the Royal Air Force for a year and a half, from its creation in April 1918 until August 1919. In the British Army, a major general is the customary rank for the appointment of division (military), division commander. In the Royal Marines, the Commandant General Royal Marines, Commandant General holds at least the rank of major general. A major general is senior to a Brigadier (United Kingdom), brigadier but subordinate to a Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), lieutenant general. The rank is OF-7 on the Ranks and insignia of NATO, NATO rank scale, equivalent to a Rear admiral (Royal Navy), rear admiral in the Royal Navy or an air vice-marshal in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. Insignia and nomenclature The rank insignia is the star (or 'pip') of the Order of the Bath, over a crossed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brigadier (United Kingdom)
Brigadier (Brig) is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines. Brigadier is the superior rank to colonel, and subordinate to major-general. It corresponds to the rank of brigadier general in many other nations. The rank has a NATO rank code of OF-6, placing it equivalent to the Royal Navy commodore and the Royal Air Force air commodore ranks and the brigadier general (1-star general) rank of the United States military and numerous other NATO nations. Insignia The rank insignia for a brigadier is a St Edward's Crown over three "pips" ( "Bath" stars). The rank insignia for a brigadier-general was crossed sword and baton. Usage Brigadier was originally an appointment conferred on colonels (as commodore was an appointment conferred on naval captains) rather than a substantive rank. However, from 1 November 1947 it became a substantive rank in the British Army. The Royal Marines, however, retained it as an acting rank until 1997, when both commodore and brigadier ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lieutenant Colonel (United Kingdom)
Lieutenant colonel (Lt Col), is a rank in the British Army and Royal Marines which is also used in many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth countries. The rank is superior to Major (United Kingdom), major, and subordinate to Colonel (United Kingdom), colonel. The comparable Royal Navy rank is Commander (Royal Navy), commander, and the comparable rank in the Royal Air Force and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth air forces is Wing commander (rank), wing commander. The rank insignia in the British Army and Royal Marines, as well as many Commonwealth countries, is a crown above a Order of the Bath, four-pointed "Bath" star, also colloquially referred to as a British Army officer rank insignia, "pip". The crown has varied in the past with different monarchs; the current one being the Tudor Crown. Most other Commonwealth countries use the same insignia, or with the state emblem replacing the crown. In the modern British Armed forces, the established commander of a regiment ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) and the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). It ceased to exist when it was amalgamated with the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1924. The Royal Field Artillery was the largest arm of the artillery. It was responsible for the medium calibre guns and howitzers deployed close to the front line and was reasonably mobile. It was organised into brigades, attached to divisions or higher formation The Royal Field Artillery grew dramatically during the First World War, reaching a size of over three hundred thousand men and more than 400 batteries by 1917. Notable members * Ernest Wright Alexander, Victoria Cross recipient * Tom Barry, served in Mesopotamian campaign * Ralph Chetwynd (1890-1957), Canadian businessman and politi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haldane Reforms
The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the early 1880s, and were made in the light of lessons newly learned in the Second Boer War. The major element of the reforms was the creation of an expeditionary force, specifically prepared and trained for intervening in a major war. This had existed before, but it had not been well-prepared for overseas service; the newly organised force was to have a permanent peacetime organisation and a full complement of supporting troops. At the same time, the reserve forces were restructured and expanded so as to ensure that overseas forces could be expanded, supplied with new recruits and to provide for home defence. The Volunteer Force and the Yeomanry were reorganised into a new Territorial Force and the Militia was formed into the Special Reserve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry into a unified auxiliary, commanded by the War Office and administered by local county territorial associations. The Territorial Force was designed to reinforce the regular army in expeditionary operations abroad, but because of political opposition it was assigned to home defence. Members were liable for service anywhere in the UK and could not be compelled to serve overseas unless they volunteered to do so. In the first two months of the First World War, territorials volunteered for foreign service in significant numbers, allowing territorial units to be deployed abroad. They saw their first action on the Western Front during the initial German offensive of 1914, and the force filled the gap between the near destruction of the regular ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volunteer Force
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a Social movement, popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the Territorial Force in 1908. Most of the regiments of the present Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserves Infantry of the British Army, Infantry, Royal Artillery, Artillery, Royal Engineers, Engineers and Royal Corps of Signals, Signals units are directly descended from Volunteer Force units. The British Army following the Crimean War Prior to the Crimean War, the British military (i.e., ''land forces'') was made up of multiple separate forces, with a basic division into the ''Regular Forces'' (including the British Army, composed primarily of cavalry and infantry, and the ''Ordnance Military Corps'' of the Board of Ordnance, made u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Division, Royal Artillery
The Southern Division, Royal Artillery, was an administrative grouping of garrison units of the Royal Artillery, Militia (United Kingdom), Artillery Militia and Volunteer Force, Artillery Volunteers within the British Army's Southern Command (United Kingdom), Southern District from 1882 to 1902. Organisation Under General Order 72 of 4 April 1882 the Royal Artillery (RA) broke up its existing administrative brigades of garrison artillery (7th–11th Brigades, RA) and assigned the individual Battery (artillery), batteries to 11 new territorial divisions. These divisions were purely administrative and recruiting organisations, not field formations. Most were formed within the existing military districts into which the United Kingdom was divided, and for the first time associated the part-time Militia (United Kingdom), Artillery Militia with the regulars. Shortly afterwards the Volunteer Force, Artillery Volunteers were also added to the territorial divisions. The British Army, Regul ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Artillery, Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA). The RGA were the 'technical' branch of the Royal Artillery who were responsible for much of the professionalisation of technical gunnery that was to occur during the First World War. It was originally established to man the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division and the guns of the siege artillery. The RGA was amalgamated with the RFA in 1924, from which time the only two arms within the Royal Regiment of Artillery have been the Royal Artillery and the Royal Horse Artillery. Organisation The Royal Garrison Artillery came into existence as a separate entity when existing coastal defence, mountain, siege and heav ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1st Worcestershire And Warwickshire Artillery Volunteers
The 1st Worcestershire Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of Britain's Royal Artillery dating back to 1865. As part of the Territorial Force it served on the Western Front and in Italy during World War I. In World War II it served in the Battle of France and was evacuated from Dunkirk. It later fought in Tunisia and Italy. After a series of postwar mergers, it continues as a battery in today's British Army Reserve. Volunteer Force The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. One such unit was the 1st Worcestershire Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVC) formed at Worcester on 6 June 1865 under the command of Henry M. Turnor replaced as Captain Commandant on 16 February 1867 by William Stallard. Initially, the new unit was attached to the 1st Administrative Brigade, Cheshire Artillery Volunteer Corps, then briefl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
