The 1st Wessex Artillery was a volunteer unit of the British Army that existed under various titles from 1860 to 1971, including active service in Mesopotamia in World War I and North Africa and Italy in World War II.
Volunteer Artillery 1859-1908 An invasion scare in 1859 led to a surge of new Rifle and Artillery Volunteer corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Beckett.Spiers, pp. 163–8. The 2nd Hampshire (2nd Hants) Artillery Volunteers (AV) was formed in the Volunteer Force at Southsea on 9 May 1860 and quickly formed further batteries:Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 90–3.Frederick, pp. 659–60. 2nd Battery on 20 July 1860 3rd Battery on 24 May 1861 4th Battery by January 1864 5th Battery on 15 September 1865 6th Battery on 15 September 1865
The unit became part of the 1st Administrative Brigade, Hampshire Artillery Volunteers when that was formed on 11 December 1860, along with the 1st Hants AV at Bitterne, Southampton, and the 3rd Hants (Dockyard) AV raised from civilian staff of Portsmouth Dockyard. In 1871, the 2nd Hants absorbed the Dockyard AV and moved its headquarters (HQ) to Portsmouth. The 2nd Hants AV drilled on the guns at Southsea Castle.457 (Wessex) HAA Rgt at Portsmouth City Records Office.
On 13 April 1880, the Administrative Brigade was consolidated as the 1st Hampshire (Hants and Dorset) Artillery Volunteer Corps, with the 2nd Hants AV providing Batteries Nos 5 to 12 at Portsmouth. In 1882, all the artillery volunteers were assigned to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA), and the unit joined the Southern Division. It was redesignated the 1st Volunteer (Hampshire) Brigade, Southern Division, RA in September 1886, when the Dorset batteries formed their own corps and the brigade's HQ moved back to Southsea. However, the new brigade was broken up in 1889, the Southampton batteries forming a new 3rd Volunteer Brigade while the Portsmouth batteries remained in the 1st. The following year, they were redesignated 1st and 2nd, but because the original 1st Hants AVC was in the 3rd Brigade, that had seniority and so the 1st Bde with the Portsmouth and Southsea batteries became the '2nd Hants' once more.
The newly independent 2nd Hants had 10 batteries (termed companies from November 1891), and in 1894 these were distributed as follows: HQ at Southsea Nos 1–5 and 8–10 Companies at Portsmouth No 6 Company at Gosport No 7 Company at Freshwater, Isle of Wight No 9 Company at Cosham
By 1893, the War Office Mobilisation Scheme had allocated the 2nd Hampshire Artillery Volunteers to the Portsmouth fixed defences.Mobilization Tables for Home Defence, List of Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteer Units, HMSO, London, 1893 An 11th company was raised by 1908
On 1 June 1899, the RA was split into Royal Field Artillery and Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA), and the Volunteers were affiliated to the RGA. On 1 January 1902, the RA abandoned its divisional organisation and the unit changed its designation to 2nd Hampshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers).
By 1900, the 2nd Hants had a total enrolment of 777 out of an authorised strength of 805 officers and men. In 1904, the unit won the King's Prize for Garrison Artillery at the annual National Artillery Association competition held at Shoeburyness.Litchfield & Westlake, p. 189.
Territorial Force When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908,Dunlop, Chapter 14.Spiers, Chapter 10. Nos 1–8 companies of the 2nd Hants RGA formed 1st (Wessex) Brigade Royal Field Artillery (RFA), organised as follows:Litchfield, pp. 89–92.Monthly Army List, various dates.London Gazette 20 March 1908.Frederick, p. 682. 1st Hampshire Battery at Portsmouth 2nd Hampshire Battery at Portsmouth 3rd Hampshire Battery at Gosport 1st Wessex Ammunition Column, newly raised at Southsea
Nos 10 and 11 Companies were separated to form the nucleus of the 2nd Wessex (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA, on the Isle of Wight.Litchfield, p 93.
No 9 Company at Cosham also provided the nucleus of the Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery.Frederick, p. 696, 699.Litchfield, p 92.
As the change of title indicates, 1st Wessex Brigade was now trained and equipped as field artillery rather than garrison artillery. It formed part of the Wessex Division of the TF. When war was declared in August 1914, the whole division was at its annual camp on Salisbury Plain.Becke, pp. 43–8.43rd Divisional Artillery at Long, Long Trail.
World War I Mobilisation On mobilisation in 1914, the Territorials of the Wessex Division were sent to India to relieve British and Indian Regular troops for the Western Front. The artillery left behind their horses and their ammunition column, which were needed in France.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, p. 334.
With the expansion of the army, the division was designated 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division in April 1915 and 1st Wessex Brigade became CCXV (or 215) Brigade RFA. Its three batteries were renamed A, B and C.43rd (Wessex) Division at Long, Long Trail.Frederick, p. 694.
All those Territorials who had not volunteered for overseas service, together with the recruits, were left behind to form Second Line units. The 45th (2nd Wessex) Division containing the CCXXV (2/1st Wessex) Bde RFA resulted from this process, and was ready so quickly that it followed the 43rd to India in December 1914. These units remained in garrison in India, supplying drafts to the First Line and other theatres throughout the war until they had virtually disappeared. CCXXV Bde was broken up in April 1917.Becke, pp. 55–60.45th (2nd Wessex) Division at Long, Long Trail.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, p 335.
Initially, CCXV brigade had been equipped with obsolete 15-pounder field guns, but in July 1916 it re-equipped with 4 x 18-pounders per battery in preparation for front line duty.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, p. 242.
Mesopotamia With a reformed Brigade Ammunition Column, CCXV Bde moved in October 1916 to Basra to take part in the Mesopotamian campaign, and on 8 December 1916 it joined 3rd (Lahore) Division of the Indian Army on the Tigris front. At this time, it had 524 (Howitzer) Battery (4 x 4.5-inch howitzers) attached, which remained with the brigade until September 1917.Perry, pp 47–54.
From 14 December 1916 until 19 January 1917, the division participated in the advance to the Hai and the capture of the Khudaira Bend. The one-hour bombardment at Khudaira by 3rd Division's guns on 9 January was described by the Turks as 'violent' and caused heavy losses. When the infantry went in, they occupied the Turkish front line in minutes with few losses. The Turks counter-attacked under cover of a mist, but when that cleared a 15-minute bombardment enabled the British to secure the position.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, p. 243.
After the capture of Baghdad, 524th (Howitzer) Battery was lent to 7th (Meerut) Division for the advance on Hassaiwa and Fallujah, which was captured on 19 March 1917.Farndale Forgotten Fronts, p. 255 In parallel, the rest of CCXV Bde was with another force advancing towards Khaniqin, where they were supposed to link up with Russian troops. There was no sign of the Russians, but the Turks were present in force in the Jabal Hamrin hills. A brigade group including B Battery CCXV was ordered to outflank this position, and at one point B/CCXV was engaging the enemy at 1500 yards' range from open positions in the plain. But the Turkish position was too strong and the British force had to fall back towards Baghdad.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, pp. 255–6
In July, the British resumed their advance, making for Ramadi. CCXV had its own A and B Batteries, 66th Battery and 524 (Howitzer) Battery under command. Contact was made at Mushaid Ridge, where the force was held by heavy fire from the banks of the Euphrates Canal and from the Regulator House. 2nd Battalion 7th Gurkha Rifles and CCXV Bde were ordered to try a left flanking movement. The Turks had about six guns firing very accurately, but 66th and 524th Batteries got the upper hand and by 1830 hours the Gurkhas were across the canal, only to come under heavy fire from the Ramadi trenches. Forward artillery observers saw signs of a Turkish retirement and brought down fire on the Aziziya Ridge to cut them off. But now confusion set in: Turkish shells cut telephone wires, two forward observers were wounded, and a dust storm blew up. Then, two guns of B Battery were hit. No effective artillery bombardment was possible and the attack had to be called off. The flanking force had lost 566 casualties, 321 from the effects of heat.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, p. 264.
On 7 August 1917, CCXV's 18-pounder batteries were renamed again, as 1086, 1087 and 1088, and 1087 Battery was then broken up (probably to make the other batteries up to 6 guns each). CCXV Bde transferred to 15th Indian Division on 4 October 1917 and gained an extra battery: 2/1st Nottinghamshire Royal Horse Artillery (renumbered 816 Battery RFA in February 1918).Perry, pp. 132–6.RHA units at Long, Long Trail.
With 15th Indian Division on the Euphrates front, CCXV Bde participated in the occupation of Hīt on 8 March 1918 and the action of Khan Baghdadi on 25 March 1918.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, p. 272. At the latter battle, CCXV and CCXXII Brigades advanced by alternate batteries over rough country under heavy enemy fire. 1088 Battery lost a gun and many casualties, but they continued moving forward and kept the momentum of the infantry advance going. By now, the gunners were so far forward that they were engaging at ranges of 1800–2200 yards, putting down a steady barrage on the Turkish trenches followed by 15 minutes of intense fire, described by the RA's historian, Gen Sir Martin Farndale, as 'the most accurate seen so far' on the Mesopotamian Front. The infantry were able to enter these trenches with few casualties, taking many prisoners and enemy guns.
After Khan Baghdadi, CCXV was sent to the rear to ease supply problems, and therefore took no part in the pursuit to Kirkuk through April and May. 15th Indian Division played little part in the final battles in Mesopotamia.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, p. 275. CCXV Bde was placed in suspended animation in 1919.
Interwar years 54th (Wessex) Field Brigade The 1st Wessex Brigade re-formed on 7 February 1920 with 1–3 (Hampshire) Batteries, and reabsorbed the Wessex Heavy Battery as 4 (Hampshire) (Howitzer) Battery. In 1921, the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) and the brigade now became 54th (Wessex) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, organised as follows:Frederick, pp. 489, 515. 213 (Hampshire) Battery at Portsmouth 214 (Hampshire) Battery at Southsea 215 (Hampshire) Battery at Gosport 216 (Hampshire) (Howitzer) Battery at Cosham – 216 (Cosham) Battery from 1 October 1932
The RFA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery (RA) on 1 June 1924 and the brigade became 54th (Wessex) Field Brigade.
57th (Wessex) Anti-Aircraft Brigade The unit was given a new role and title on 1 October 1932 as 57th (Wessex) Anti-Aircraft Brigade, taking over 219 (Isle of Wight) Battery from 95th (Hampshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment in exchange for 216 (Cosham) Battery (219 (IoW) Battery had originally been part of 2nd Wessex Bde). In February 1938, 219 (IoW) AA Bty absorbed 216 (Cosham) Fd Bty returned from 95th Fd Bde and was redesignated 219 (Isle of Wight and Cosham) AA Bty. Then, in July 1938, the other three batteries changed their designations, giving the brigade the following organisation on the eve of World War II:Frederick, pp. 755, 769.Frederick, p. 524. RHQ at St Pauls Road, SouthseaPortsmouth at Drill Hall Project 213 (Portsmouth) Light AA Battery at Southsea 214 (Southsea) AA Battery at Southsea 215 (Gosport and Fareham) AA Battery at Walpole Road, GosportGosport at Drill Hall Project