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* * * ![]() ![]() This 18-pounder Mark II field gun saw considerable action on the Western Front in the War. Between September 1916 and November 1917 it fired 16,513 rounds before being sent back to Britain to have its barrel relined/rebored. When it returned to France in March 1918 it was issued to 53rd Battery.Royal Field Artillery and took part in opposing the German spring offensive of 1918 and in the subsequent British advance in the autumn.Over 5,670 18-pounders were produced by the British and American factories by 1918. Over 86 million 18-pounder shells were fired during the war. This gun is on show at the Imperial War Musuem. IWM website clickhere. 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. | |||||
Battle of St Quentin ![]() Artillery memorial London ![]() INTERESTING FACTS AND FIGURES ON WW1. Hostilities opened on Aug 4th 1914. and closed on Nov 11th 1918. *** The armistice was signed on the hundredth day of the fifth year of the war. *** The British army came first into action at Mons and British troops recaptured Mons on the last day of the fighting. *** At the outbreak of hostilities the strength of the British army at home and abroad was 256,014 of all arms, while the total strength available for the firing line was slightly over 131,000 officers and men. At the end we had sent into the field 8,654,000. *** On the 1st of July 1916 British killed in action amounted to over 19,000 loses,all casualties totalling 57,000 in one single day, the worst in British history. *** During the battle of the somme the RFA fired over 7,000,000 shells. *** The first tanks appeared in the battle of the somme, Sept 1916. *** The first bomb (22lbs) dropped on British soil was in Dover on Christmas eve 1914, it fell harmlessly in a field. *** There were 51 zeppelin raids on England between Jan 19, 1915 and April 12 1918. *** The total casualties killed and injured from airship and aeroplane raids and bombardments amounted to 4,820, (1,413 killed,) included in the casualties were 295 children. *** The casualties in the war were appalling There were, roughly, 187,000 war widows in the British Isles. The total British losses in the Army Navy and Air Force, including wounded and missing and prisoners of war, amounted to 3,098,260. 13% of the population over 6 million people were mobilised. Britain lost 7.5 million tons of shipping, over a thousand ships. *** The end of hostilities saw the collapse of three mighty empires. Russia,Austria and Germany. Germany suffered 1.8 million dead. *** France had over 20% of its population 8 million active in the war 3.5% were killed. with 5 million casualties. *** In total some 10 million people lost their lives during ww1. *** Drop me a line. clickhere. Great ww1 site and forum hosted by Chris Baker. clickhere. Excellent site on Worcester 241 artillery brigade. ![]() Kings crown RFA cap badge. Latin motto UBIQUE(forward)QUE FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT(Where(Whither) right and glory lead). | |||||