Batteries and Ammunition Columns of the regular army
At the outbreak of war, the regular army included 25 Batteries and 9 Ammunition Columns of the RHA. Of these, eleven batteries were stationed in India and one in Egypt, and all of the ammunition columns were in India. The batteries were under orders of RHA Brigades, each of which except for II Brigade had two batteries under command. The locations given below were as stated in the “Army and Navy Gazette” in July 1914. At that time, several of the batteries were under orders to prepare for moves to other stations, as stated.
| Battery | Also known as | Location in July 1914 | Reported to |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Battery | Chestnut Troop | Ambala (India) | I Brigade RHA |
| B Battery | Ambala (India) | I Brigade RHA | |
| C Battery | Canterbury | II Brigade RHA | |
| D Battery | Newbridge (Ireland) | III Brigade RHA | |
| E Battery | Newbridge (Ireland) | III Brigade RHA | |
| F Battery | St John’s Wood (under orders for a move to Aldershot) | IV Brigade RHA | |
| G Battery | Ipswich (under orders for a move to Aldershot) | V Brigade RHA | |
| H Battery | Trowbridge | VI Brigade RHA | |
| I Battery | Aldershot (under orders for a move to Ipswich) | VII Brigade RHA | |
| J Battery | Aldershot (under orders for a move to St. John’s Wood) | IV Brigade RHA | |
| K Battery | Christchurch | VI Brigade RHA | |
| L Battery | Aldershot (under orders for a move to St. John’s Wood) | VII Brigade RHA | |
| M Battery | Risalpur (India) | VIII Brigade RHA | |
| N Battery | Eagle Troop | Trimulgherry, Secunderabad (India) (under orders for a move to Mhow) | IX Brigade RHA |
| O Battery | Rocket Troop | Ipswich (under orders for a move to Aldershot) | V Brigade RHA |
| P Battery | Dragon Troop | Woolwich | X Brigade RHA |
| Q Battery | Sialkot (india) | VIII Brigade RHA | |
| R Battery | Woolwich | X Brigade RHA | |
| S Battery | Bangalore (India) (under orders for a move to Mhow) | IX Brigade RHA | |
| T Battery | Shah Sujah’s | Abbassia near Cairo (Egypt) | XI Brigade RHA |
| U Battery | Lucknow (India) | XI Brigade RHA | |
| V Battery | Meerut (India) | XII Brigade RHA | |
| W Battery | Meerut (India) | XI Brigade RHA | |
| X Battery | Mhow (India) (under orders for a move to Bangalore) | XIII Brigade RHA | |
| Y Battery | Mhow (India) (under orders for a move to Secunderabad) | XIII Brigade RHA | |
| A Ammunition Column | Campbellpore (India) | ||
| B Ammunition Column | Sialkot (India) | ||
| C Ammunition Column | Ambala (India) | ||
| D Ammunition Column | Ahmednagar (India) | ||
| E Ammunition Column | Mhow (India) | ||
| F Ammunition Column | Meerut (India) | ||
| G Ammunition Column | Lucknow (India) | ||
| H Ammunition Column | Secunderabad (India) | ||
| I Ammunition Column | Lahore (India) |
III and VII Brigades together formed the artillery of the Cavalry Division which was planned to be part of a British Expeditionary Force that would proceed to France in the event of war. The batteries of the brigades were each attached at most times to one of the Cavalry Brigades of the division, although in the early weeks of deployment this could be a rather fluid affair, with many short-term changes of these attachments.
Mobilisation and move to theatre of war
The artillery of the Cavalry Division: III Brigade RHA
D and E Batteries, both at Newbridge in Ireland, began to mobilise there on 4 August 1914. The brigade was attached to 3rd Cavalry Brigade, which itself was under orders of the Cavalry Division. They sailed from Dublin North Wall during the night 15-16 August 1914 and disembarked at Le Havre in France during the night 17-18 August 1914. The batteries first opened fire on 22 August 1914, with E Battery having the distinction of firing the first British artillery round. On 6 September 1914, 3rd Cavalry Brigade was transferred from the Cavalry Division to an independent command under (then) Brigadier-General Gough. This command was soon formalised as a new 2nd Cavalry Division and III Brigade RHA was reorganised, placing D Battery RHA under 3rd Cavalry Brigade and E Battery RHA under the division’s 5th Cavalry Brigade.
A new III Brigade Ammunition Column was raised at Aldershot, receiving men and horses from C Battery on 6 August. It moved (with J Battery) by train to Southampton on 15 August and sailed next day, landing at Rouen on 17 August 1914. On 21 August it arrived at Jeumont by train and came under orders of 5th Cavalry Brigade. This brigade was placed under Brigadier-General Gough’s command (see D and E Batteries, above) in early October 1914. On 16 October 1914 the name of III Brigade Ammunition Column was changed to 2nd Cavalry Divisional Ammunition Column.
The artillery of the Cavalry Division: VII Brigade RHA
L Battery mobilised with VII Brigade RHA at Aldershot and sailed from Southampton on 16 August 1914. It disembarked at Boulogne next morning, 17 August 1914. The battery first opened fire near Elouges on 25 August. A section of D Battery RHA became attached to it during the retreat from Mons and the Battle of Le Cateau. The battery fought a famous and costly defensive action at Néry on 1 September 1914, in which it was attached to the division’s 1st Cavalry Brigade. Soon afterwards, the survivors of the action were returned to England and landed at Southampton on 19 October 1914. The battery then proceeded to Woolwich. After rebuilding, in January 1915 it joined the new XV Brigade RHA for service with 29th Division.
I Battery also mobilised with VII Brigade RHA at Aldershot and sailed from Southampton on 16 August 1914. It also disembarked at Boulogne next morning, 17 August 1914. A section of D Battery RHA became attached to it during the retreat from Mons. The battery, along with this section, came into the action at Néry on 1 September 1914 after L Battery had been exhausted. It was attached to 2nd Cavalry Brigade on 4 September and then 4th Cavalry Brigade from 7 September 1914, under command of VII Brigade RHA. [The first known death in action of a man of the Royal Horse Artillery was Gunner 66419 William John Archer of I Battery. He was at first named as wounded and missing, but in 1917 information came from Germany that he had been killed on 26 August 1914 – the date of the Battle of Le Cateau – and lies buried in Caudry Old Communal Cemetery]
One section each from D Battery and I Battery formed a new four-gun unit known as Z Battery on 4 September 1914, being attached to 1st Cavalry Brigade to replace L Battery. It existed only until 27 September, being replaced by the newly-arrived H Battery.
VII Brigade Ammunition Column mobilised at Aldershot. It sailed from Southampton on 16 August and landed at Boulogne in France on 17 August 1914. The column came under command of the headquarters of 1st Cavalry Division and became the de facto 1st Cavalry Divisional Ammunition Column, although it appears to have continued to refer to itself by its original title.
An additional independent command for service in France: 5th Cavalry Brigade
J Battery mobilised at Aldershot and was attached to the 5th Cavalry Brigade, which at this time was an independent command and not under a Cavalry Division. A number of men were sent from C Battery to bring J up to full strength. It embarked at Southampton on 16 August and landed at Rouen on 18 August 1914. The brigade was placed under 2nd Cavalry Division on 12 September 1914, and three days later J Battery left to transfer to 1st Cavalry Division, supporting 4th Cavalry Brigade. On 17 September 1914, the battery’s Number 2 Section left to join Z Battery.
Indian Expeditionary Force “A”: the artillery of 1st Indian Cavalry Division
A Battery from Ambala, Q Battery from Sialkot, and U Battery from Lucknow assembled at Bombay in early October 1914 along with B, C and G Ammunition Columns and a newly assembled 1st Indian Cavalry Division headquarters. They sailed on 16 October 1914 and landed at Marseilles in France on 7 November 1914. (Their date of entry to theatre for the purposes of entitlement to the 1914 Star is 11 November). By 16 November they had arrived at Orleans, and while there the three ACs came together to form the 1st Indian Cavalry Divisional Ammunition Column. On 28 November the three batteries were each placed under orders of the cavalry brigades of the division: Q under 2nd (Sialkot) Cavalry Brigade; A under 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade; U under 8th (Lucknow) Cavalry Brigade.On 12 December 1914 the three batteries formed I Indian Brigade RHA. A section of A Battery was the first to come into action, firing 24 rounds on 22 December 1914.
Indian Expeditionary Force “A”: the artillery of 2nd Indian Cavalry Division
N Battery was transferred to II Indian Brigade RHA, supporting the 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade of the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division, and moved to Bombay, where it boarded ship on 2 September 1914. It landed at Marseilles on 27 September 1914. On 1 November 1914 it detrained at Berguette, marched out via Saint-Venant and came into action near Pont-du-Hem on 5 November. II Indian Brigade RHA was renamed XVII Brigade RHA on 24 February 1917.
X Battery transferred to II Indian Brigade RHA, supporting the 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade of the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division. It left Mhow on 15 and 16 November 1914 and moved to Bombay. It sailed from there on 19 November 1914 and landed at Marseilles on 15 December 1914. Nine days later it arrived at Orleans. It was not until 4 March 1915 that the battery moved into the front line area of Croix-Barbée and prepared to come into action.
V Battery arrived at Marseilles on the same date as X Battery, for it had mobilised at Meerut and departed from Bombay with the same convoy. The battery came under orders of to II Indian Brigade RHA, supporting the 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade of the 2nd Indian Cavalry Division. Like X Battery, it was not until 4 March 1915 that the battery moved into the front line area of Croix-Barbée and prepared to come into action. It had already suffered a terrible accidental loss (article).
The 2nd Indian Cavalry Divisional Ammunition Column came into existence on 27 March 1915, bringing together the N, V and X Ammunition Columns that had previously supported the cavalry brigades of the division.
Note: 3 September 1914 a headquarters called “Askwith’s Brigade” mobilised at Meerut, commanding N and V Batteries. It became the headquarters of the Commander Royal Artillery of 2nd Indian Cavalry Division on 14 December 1914.
Artillery for the expanding British Expeditionary Force
XIV Brigade: C and F Batteries were transferred to a new XIV Brigade, to be joined by T Battery from Egypt. Brigade assembled at Lyndhurst in Hampshire and was placed under new 7th Division. Sailed from Southampton 6 October and landed Zeebrugge next day, 7 October 1914. C Battery 19 October 1914, being transferred to XV Brigade, leaving only F Battery. T Battery finally arrived and joined the brigade at Merville on 21 December 1914.
XV Brigade: K Battery mobilised at Christchurch but soon moved to Windmill Hill Camp near Ludgershall on Salisbury Plain, where a 3rd Cavalry Division was assembling. On 1 October 1914, a new XV Brigade RHA began to form there, but at that time only K Battery was present. The brigade sailed from Southampton in the early hours of 7 October and landed at Ostend on 8 October 1914. It first opened fire NE of Moorslede on 19 October. C Battery joined 19 October 1914, being transferred from XIV Brigade. XV Brigade was renamed IV Brigade in May 1915.
G and O Batteries of V Brigade RHA moved to Hursley Park near Winchester, where the new 8th Division was assembled. They sailed from Southampton 5 November 1914 landed next day at Le Havre in France, 6 November 1914. The batteries moved into position near Laventie late on 14 November.
VI Brigade ceased to exist after its two units, H and K Batteries, were transferred. H Battery had joined 2nd Cavalry Brigade in France on 28 September 1914, replacing Z Battery in the 1st Cavalry Division’s artillery, under command of VII Brigade RHA.
Artillery for the widening war
S Battery had boarded ship at Bombay under orders to proceed to England when on 3 February 1915 it was urgently ordered to disembark, for it was instead to go to Mesopotamia. The battery finally sailed on 17 February and eventually disembarked at Basra in the night 23-24 February 1915. After advancing to Shaiba and coming under command of 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade, the guns first opened fire on 3 March.
B Battery from Ambala and Y Battery from Mhow were ordered to England, where they arrived in January 1915 and proceeded to Leamington Spa, where they came under command of a new XV Brigade RHA of 29th Division (rather confusing, as the original XV Brigade was in France and still names as such). The rebuilt L Battery (above) joined the brigade soon afterwards. The brigade sailed from Avonmouth on 16 March 1915 and disembarked at Alexandria in Egypt two weeks later. It then left on 17 April and arrived in Lemnos harbour in the evening of 19 April. An advance party went ashore at Cape Helles, Gallipoli on 25 April but it was not until the afternoon of 27 April 1915 that the main body of the brigade began to land there; the first element to do so was part of B Battery. L Battery was the last to disembark, on 29 April.
W Battery remained at Meerut until mobilised on 4 October 1917 and eventually sailed from Karachi on 20 November. It landed at Basra for service in Mesopotamia on 25 November 1917 and came under orders of the newly established 11th Indian Cavalry Brigade.
Remained at home
P and R Batteries remained at Woolwich with X Brigade RHA and remained as training units throughout the war. The brigade’s title became X (Reserve) Brigade RHA.
Remained in India
M Battery remained in India, supporting 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade.
Changes and developments during the rest of the war
A Battery: remained as part of 1st Indian Cavalry Division but transferred to 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade in October 1915 after it joined from 2nd Indian Cavalry Division. The 1st Indian Cavalry Division was later renamed 4th Cavalry Division. … 36th (Indian) Mixed Brigade … 17th Indian Divisional Troops Feb 1921
B Battery: remained with XV Brigade RHA, which remained under command of 29th Division.
C Battery: had moved from XIV to XV Brigade RHA in October 1914 and the latter was renamed as IV Brigade RHA in 1915. C remained with the brigade, which remained under command of 3rd Cavalry Division.
D Battery: remained as part of 3rd Cavalry Brigade.
E Battery: remained as part of 5th Cavalry Brigade. In late November 1918 it acted as advance guard for the Canadian Corps as it advanced into Germany to form the Army of Occupation on the Rhine.
F Battery: remained with XIV Brigade, which in February 1917 left 7th Division to become an Army Brigade. The brigade went to northern Italy in mid-November 1917 and was for a time attached to 23rd Division, It was recalled to France in March 1918. F Battery went with the brigade to the Army of Occupation on the Rhine after the war. (See also T Battery)
G Battery: left V Brigade RHA on 24 November 1914 for XV Brigade RHA, with which it would support 8th Cavalry Brigade of 3rd Cavalry Division. When 8th Cavalry Brigade was broken up, on 13 March 1918 G battery transferred to XVII Brigade RHA. This proved to be a very short allocation, for on 9 April 1918 it rejoined its old brigade, now called V Army Brigade RHA.
H Battery: remained with VII Brigade RHA, which remained under command of 1st Cavalry Division.
I Battery: remained with VII Brigade RHA, which remained under command of 1st Cavalry Division.
J Battery: supporting 4th Cavalry Brigade, which moved from 1st to 2nd Cavalry Division on 13 October 1914.
K Battery: had gone to France with XV Brigade RHA in October 1914 and the latter was renamed as IV Brigade RHA in 1915. K remained with the brigade, which remained under command of 3rd Cavalry Division.
L Battery: remained with XV Brigade RHA, which remained under command of 29th Division.
N Battery: remained as part of II Indian Brigade RHA, later called XVII Brigade RHA, and supported 9th (Secunderabad) Cavalry Brigade until the latter was broken up in March 1918. On 9 April 1918, N Battery transferred to V Army Brigade RHA, along with G Battery.
O Battery: remained with V Brigade RHA, which remained with 8th Division until it became an Army Brigade in January 1917.
Q Battery: remained with I Indian Brigade RHA, which in February 1917 was renamed XVI Brigade RHA. The brigade left 4th Cavalry Division (the new name of what had been 1st Indian Cavalry Division) in March 1918 and became an Army Brigade. The battery transferred in 1919 to VII Brigade RHA stationed at Exeter.
S Battery: remained with 6th Indian Cavalry Brigade in Mesopotamia until 6 and 7 January 1919, when it proceeded to Kut-al-Amara, from where it would go on to India.
T Battery: remained with XIV Brigade, which in February 1917 left 7th Division to become an Army Brigade. The brigade went to northern Italy in mid-November 1917 and was for a time attached to 23rd Division, It was recalled to France in March 1918. T Battery went with the brigade to the Army of Occupation on the Rhine after the war. (See also F Battery)
U Battery: remained with I Indian Brigade RHA, which in February 1917 was renamed XVI Brigade RHA. The brigade left 4th Cavalry Division (the new name of what had been 1st Indian Cavalry Division) in March 1918 and became an Army Brigade. The battery transferred in 1919 to IX Brigade RHA stationed at Trowbridge.
V Battery: 7th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade left 2nd Indian Cavalry Division in June 1916 and moved to Marseilles for embarkation. V Battery RHA went with it, sailing on ship “Kalyan” on 27 June. It landed at Bombay on 16 July 1916. Within a few days, the brigade sailed again, this time for Mesopotamia, and by 28 July were at Makina Camp. V Battery remained in action with the brigade until after the end of the war, eventually returning to England and being transferred to VI Brigade RHA in May 1919.
X Battery: began to support 3rd (Ambala) Cavalry Brigade when it replaced 5th (Mhow) Cavalry Brigade in 2nd Indian Cavalry Division on 15 September 1915. II Indian Brigade RHA was renamed as XVII Brigade RHA on 24 February 1917. On 8 October 1917, the battery and its section of the 5th Cavalry Divisional Ammunition Column left the brigade, under orders to proceed to Marseilles for embarkation. It was not replaced in the 3rd (Ambala) Brigade. The battery and ammunition column sailed on 19 October, returning to India and going to the garrison at Meerut, supporting 4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade.
Y Battery: remained with XV Brigade RHA until 1 December 1916 when it transferred to VII Brigade RHA, supporting 9th Cavalry Brigade of 1st Cavalry Division. The battery then remained with VII Brigade until it transferred to VIII Brigade RHA in October 1919.
Z Battery: after the short-lived existence of a battery of this name (above), a new one formed on 9 October 1914 and came under command of V Brigade RHA, along with G and O Batteries (above). It landed at Le Havre in France on 6 November 1914. The brigade had been placed under command of 8th Division and remained as such until it left to become an Army Brigade on 13 January 1917. Z Battery remained with this brigade until October 1919 when it transferred to VIII Brigade RHA.
AA Battery: formed as a new training unit on 18 October 1915, it joined P and R batteries in X (Reserve) Brigade RHA. AA Battery remained with this brigade until October 1919 when it transferred to VIII Brigade RHA.
Sources: tracking these batteries
The information above had been compiled from the war diaries of the various batteries, RHA and cavalry brigades. Most of them have survived, although not always in full. The diaries covering France and Mesopotamia have been digitised and are available from the National Archives website; the Gallipoli diaries have been digitised and are available via Ancestry/Fold3. Diaries for Italy and Salonika are not yet digitised but can be seen in person at the National Archives. Generally, diaries do not exist for units at home or in India (although there are some covering the Third Aghan War in 1919).
Links
Batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery: Territorial Force