Dates and Places served
This list of dates and places served is based on the Brigade diaries. The locations for the Brigade may not always apply to all its batteries, guns or personnel which were temporarily attached to other units, as needed.
Map showing some of the Places Served Please allow time for the customised Google map to load. Places are clickable.
The 4th South Midland Howitzer Brigade was a Territorial Army unit, formed in 1908.
1908 Rugby Battery in temporary headquarter Messrs Willans and Robinson’s Engineering Works in Newbold Road, Rugby.
Annual training Camp Salisbury Plain – drill and manoeuvres
1909 Annual training Camp Great Yarmouth – firing practice
1910 New headquarters opened 72 Victoria Avenue Rugby, known locally as Rowland Street Drill Hall.
Annual training Camp Salisbury Plain – field manoeuvres
1911 Annual training Camp Okehampton - firing practice
1912 Annual training Pembrey - firing practice
1913 Annual training Camp Salisbury Plain – field manoeuvres. photo shows Rollestone Camp.
1914 Annual training Lydd – returned to Rugby after being in camp for only 2 days.
6 August 1914 to Swindon to join the 1st South Midland Division (infantry).
24 Aug 1914 by road from Swindon to Great Baddow, Essex. where they stayed till March 30th 1915
14 October 1914 inspected by King George V at Hylands Park, Chelmsford.
14 Dec 1914 New recruits came in this evening.
1915
Jan 1915 to Salisbury Plain for training with infantry.
Feb 1915 back to Great Baddow.
30 March 1915 to France from Southampton to Le Havre.
By train. Frank had 790 men on his train to Abbeville.
Then posted by train to Steenwerck, near Bailleul.
In Steenwerck reported to General Fox of the 4th Division
3 April Menegatte
Marched to Nieppe for a few days.
5 April 1915 into action for the first time at Petit Point, near Ploegsteert.
Although not mentioned in either the Unit War diaries or private papers, a history of the Staffordshire Territorials suggests that it was the practice to post units newly arrived from UK on this section of front, along side regular units, for a period of induction into the realities and demands of active service.
“Just about this time, the Brigade was split in two –half went to the S M Division (South Midland) and half was kept with the 4th “ Agatha West.
6 April 1915 the left section under Captain Field and Lt Hayes was attached to the 14th Brigade RFA then commanded by Col. Ross-Johnson, and were positioned at Le Bizet.
11 April 1915 Bombardier T Hickman was killed, their first casualty. (Appendix to War Diary after Dec.1915)
18 April 1915 La Menegatte
11 May 1915 Commander Royal Artillery (Butler) of their Division was sent home and General Ross Johnson appointed whom Frank knew from the T.A. (Agatha West p.42)
12th May 1915 Division renamed 48th (South Midland) Division.
13 May, two days later Frank took up his command again . Moved into a new billet at Chappel Farm near the windmill at Ploegsteert.
15 May 1915 Ploegsteert
26 June 1915 came out of action and moved to Ferfay, nr Lilliers, 25 miles south west of Ploegstreert.
27 June 1915 Bailleul
28 June 1915 Vieux Berquin
29 June Robecq
30 June Ferfay
20 July 1915 Thievres
22 July 1916 Authie
26 July 1915 The other three South Midland Brigades got the new 18 pounder guns. Until then they had been using 15-pounders, guns retired after the Boer war which had been given to the Territorials in 1906. New Howitzers for 4th South Midland did not arrive till Jan 1916
The Division took over sector of the line from the French.
27 July Hebuterne and remained there until the Somme offensive 1 July 1916.
1916
6 Jan 1916 The Battery handed in their 5 inch Howitzers and were issued with 4.5 inch Howitzers.
7 Feb 1916 The 4th South Midland Brigade was enlarged to 3 batteries. D (Howitzer battery of 126 Brigade (37th Divison) was transferred to the 4th [South Midland] Brigade. D battery. (James p.45)
10 May 1916 came out of action and left Hebuterne
11 May 1916 and went to St Leger – wagon lines.
18 May 1916 renaming of all Artillery Brigades and re attachment of Howitzer batteries. All battieries who had been in the 4th South Midland now joined other Brigades.
I Bde numbered 240, 1, 2, 3 Gloucs renamed A, B, C.
D Batt to 243 as A; 4 Warks How Batt joined as D.
II Bde numbered 241, 1, 2, 3 Worcs renamed A, B, C.
D Batt to 243 as B; 5 Warks How Batt joined as D.
III Bde numbered 242, 1, 2, 3 Warks renamed A, B, C.
D Batt to 243 as C; D How Batt 243 joined as D.
IV Bde numbered 243, A, B, C join from other brigades as above.
4 & 5 Warks and D to other brigades as above.
BACs consolidated with the DAC.
From this point on, the 4th South Midland was the 243 Brigade RFA. It had no Howitzers and no Ammunition Column.
4 June 1916 Sailly au Bois
13 June 1916 returned to wagon lines at St Leger
28 June Brigade less 3rd battery to Mailly Maillet. then returned to St Leger.
It seems that 243 Brigade may have been grouped with 240 Brigade for the purposes of the Somme battle, both under the command of Frank West whose medal record at the PRO allocated him to 240 Brigade. However some of his men, and West himself for a time, served with 242 Brigade.
The following locations are those in the 243 Brigade Diary. Map showing Places Served
1 July 1916 Mailly Maillet
3 July St Leger
6 July Colincamps
10 July Courcelles au Bois. Brigade Headquarters moved to Courcelles au Bois.
21 July St Leger
22 July Aveluy
28 July Bouzincourt
29 July Ampliers
30 July St Ouen via Doullens, Fienvillers and Donart.
1 August 1916 St Ouen
9 August Ampliers
12 Augst Bouzincourt
13 August Ovillers
28 August Bouzincourt
16 September 1916 Ovillers
28 September 1916 Frank West was killed.
2 October 1916 via Bouzincourt, Louvencourt, and Authie to wagon lines at Warlincourt. Divisional artillery split into 2 18 pounder and one howitzer group to cover the line along the southern edge of Gommecourt Park.
18 October 1916 243 Bde was broken up.
A and 1/2 C Batts made up A, B and C Batts 240 Bde to six guns each;
B and 1/2 C Batts made up A, B and C Batts 241 Bde to six guns each;
C Bat 242 Bde was broken up to make A and B up to six guns each..
A newly raised battery, 531, jouined from England to become C How Batt 242 Bde.
January 1917
C Batt (formerly 531) 242 Bde was broken up to make D Batts of 240 and 241 Bdes up to six howitzers each.
A Batt 252 Bde joined as C Batt 242 to replace the former 531 Batt. Half of C Batt 188 Bde joined to make D Batt 242 up to six howitzers. 242 then became an AFA Brigade.
The changes in this and every other Division are carefully set out by Major A F Becke (himself an officer of the RFA) in copious footnotes in his series of Order of Battle volumes, published to supplement the Official History.