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Description: | British officer served with 6th and 130th Btys, 40th Bde Royal Field Artillery on Western Front, 1916-1918
REEL 1 Recollections of period as cadet at Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, 8/1915-2/1916: reasons for enlisting; nature of training and syllabus; instructors. Aspects of period as range officer at Okehampton Range, 2/1916-7/1916: ammunition situation; role; question of air co-operation training. Recollections of operations with 6 Bty and 130 Bty, 40th Bde Royal Field Artillery in Somme area, 8/1916-1/1917: question of adequacy of training; observation post duties; question of justification for Battle of Ancre.
REEL 2 Continues: staffing of observations posts; role of infantry liaison officer; role of forward observation post officer during attacks including communications problems, role of signallers in repairing telephone wires, question of visual signalling methods, problem with battery shooting short whilst acting as Brigade Forward Observation Officer at Falfement Farm, 3/1916; opinion of 18 pdrs and use of shrapnel shells to cut wire; opinion of 4.5" howitzer and problems with fuses until introduction of 106 fuse; question of faulty ammunition; relationship with officers; colonel's role in securing Page posting to artillery course rather than return to GB as under 19; winter conditions. Recollections of period in Arras area, 3/1917-6/1917: importance of preliminary gas shell bombardment in suppressing German artillery prior to attack, 9/4/1917; using tunnels to get out into No Man's Land as Forward Observation Officer.
REEL 3 Continues: use of gas shells; increase in effectiveness of German counter-battery fire during Arras offensive; effects of German air superiority and casualties suffered by 12 Army Co-operation Sqdn Royal Flying Corps; organisation at corps level of counter-battery work. Aspects of operations in quiet sector at Havrincourt, 6/1917-9/1917. Recollections of operations in Ypres area, 9/1917-10/1917: reactions to posting; movements; use of pack horses to carry shells; muddy conditions; question of justification for Third Battle of Ypres; wet conditions; organisation of battery; conditions of service for drivers in wagon lines.
REEL 4 Continues: role of officers; improvised signalling arrangements; story of total destruction of two howitzers by direct hit prior to attack on Broodseinde, 4/10/1917; food and water rations; wet conditions and conditions of service for drivers in wagon lines; comparison of conditions on Somme and Ypres; question of justification for Third Battle of Ypres; question of briefing prior to attacks and preparing for barrages; opinion of various senior officers.
REEL 5 Continues: opinion of various senior officers including Plumer; question of superior leave allowances granted officers rather than other ranks; value of experience in boarding leave boat. Review of developments in artillery techniques, 1918: prior reliance on long preliminary bombardment before offensives; wire cutting role of tank; increased artillery available ; improvement in registering techniques; British gun types.
REEL 6 Continues: German gun types and artillery techniques; creeping barrage techniques; role of Royal Flying Corps air co-operation squadrons; method of communicating with aircraft during shoot, including use of clock code and question of effectiveness with field rather than medium guns. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Simkins, Peter | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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