Current Information:

Age-42

31 Frewell Buildings, Bourne Estate, Holborn

Vermelles British Cemetery, France

During the First World War some 800,000 British and Allied men served in the artillery, of whom nearly 50,00 were killed. They were a vital component of the army, used for a number of purposes but essentially to destroy the enemy’s defences before the infantry attacked. A brigade of theRoyal Field Artillery, was the equivalent of an infantry battalion with a complement of over 800 officers and men whereas the artillery battery numbered about 200 personnel. Within the ranks there were gunners and bombardiers, drivers, signallers and telephonists. At the beginning of the war when things were much more fluid, artillery batteries could find themselves in the front line of the action but as the war progressed and trench warfare became the norm, the batteries were placed behind the line and in the case of the Royal Garrison Artillery, which employed the big, heavy guns, often many miles back from the line. However this did not mean safety. The enemy would use spotter planes and other methods to determine the positions of the guns and these would then be targeted by their own artillery. When this happened there was little escape for the gunners. They had to keep firing their own guns regardless of what might be happening around them and there were many a direct hit on their emplacements, killing and injuring whole gun crews. Others would act as spotters which meant going forward to the front line and signalling back to the guns necessary changes in target and other vital information. Once in position, artillery brigades tended not to move much so whilst the infantry could be relieved at regular intervals and move back to safer positions, the men of the artillery stayed where they were for much longer periods of time.

43rd (Howitzer) Brigade were under the command of 1st Division which at the beginning of 1916, were operating in the Loos sector of the Western Front. As yet there is no further information concerning the events of 29th February, 1916 which led to the death of William Whistler.