* * *

Night action for RFA gunners
on the western front.

18 Pounder guns of which John was a crew member fired 3.3inch (84mm) calibre shells, shells weighed 18.5lb (8.4kg) each.
A well trained crew could fire 30 rounds a minute, to a range of up to 3 miles or more. 4 types of shell were fired, High expolsive,Sharpnel (375 lead balls with a burster charge of black powder),Smoke and Gas.
Some reduced charge rounds were fired for training. Rounds at a battery position would be about 176. 1000 rounds would be available for each gunpit held in various locations. A brigade would consist of about 800 men of these about 22 would be officers, of course losses of equipment ect would alter these figures, guns would have sights destroyed or barrels blown up to stop enemy using them if captured.



Quick fire
Royal Field Artillery batterys consisted of 6, 18 pounder guns to each battery, named "A" battery "B" battery "C" battery
"D" battery were normally Howitzers.
An 18-pounder field gun had a crew of ten, six of whom operated it in action. The limber is drawn by a team of six horses with a driver on one side of each pair, each of the artillerymen on the gun would have a number, no1 in command,(usually a Sergeant) No2 Operates breech mechanism. No3 Limbers and unlimbers (with no2) and fires the gun No4 Limbers up and unlimbers ammunition wagon(with 5 and 6) No5 and 6 Hook in and unhook ammunition team. No6 operates the fuse indicator. No7 and 8 are Reserves at the wagon line and assists with ammunition and replacing any casualties on the gun. No10 "Coverer" takes over in the event of an injury to number 1, but looks after wagon teams in the mean time. The wagon team were always susceptible to attack, the enemy targeted them because without ammo and horses your gunpits efficiency was greatly affected.



This picture (IWM Q5171) Illustrates 6 men positioning a gun for action -
during the Battle of Arras spring 1917.



Gunpit in Carnoy Valley on the Somme firing during the attack on pozieres Ridge. 30th July 1916.(IWM Q4065)



Actual sign from the Pozieres area
used during ww1

For an excellent comprehensive look at "what was a Brigade"
by Derek Driscoll.click here




A Battery in action.

165 brigade at the time of Johns death was commanded by:- Lt Col A.P.Boxall R.F.A.
165 Brigade in 1918 was a member of the 31st Divisional artillery commanded by:- Brig. Gen. E.P.Lambert C.B.C.M.G.RA.



H.Q.was at Wallon Cappel in July/Aug 1918.





Action stations a good example of the number 4 ramming the shell into the breech.The front of the shell would have been resting on his forearm before being inserted, because wrapping your fingers around the shell could mean loosing a finger or two if the number 2 was too quick in closing the breech!

31st Division, whereabouts 1918 until Johns wounding.

March 21st saw the start of the 'Great German offensive'. This offensive if successful could have changed the whole outcome of the war. Germany's well trained stormtroopers made great advances,up to 40 miles inside allied lines. The German high command were slow in getting trained reinforcements to relieve them, which cost them dear. Infact it was the beginning of the end for the German empire, who realised they faced defeat when their offensive eventually failed which led to the start of the German armies retreat.