Current Information:

Age-28

SDGW-HOMEWARD

12, Glenfarg Road, Catford

Born-Sydenham

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. The Royal Horse Artillery were attached to the cavalry; one battery to each brigade of cavalry. As the name suggests they used horses to quickly pull their light and mobile 13-pounder field guns to where they were required but as the war progressed and it became less and less a war of movement  the role of the Royal Horse Artillery diminished accordingly and they had a more static role. A battery of the Royal Horse Artillery had six five officers, two hundred men and over two hundred horses. Within the ranks there were gunners and bombardiers, drivers, signallers and telephonists and although they operated behind the front line of trenches,  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 safe positions, the men of the artillery stayed where they were for much longer periods of time.

F Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery was part of 7th Division which on 24 September, 1915, was preparing for their attack the next day on the opening of the Battle of Loos.