ROYAL ARTILLERY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Spring Meeting
Wednesday 4th May 2005, at Topcliffe
A Presentation by 49 (Inkerman) Battery
HISTORY OF 49 (INKERMAN) BATTERY ROYAL ARTILLERY
The Spring 2005 Meeting of the Society was held in the Battery Lines of 49 (Inkerman) Battery at Alanbrooke Barracks, Topcliffe, on Wednesday 4th May at 11 am. Brigadier Timbers was in the Chair and five members of the Society and six members of the Regiment attended the Meeting.
The Chairman welcomed Major Simon Reader, Battery Commander of 49 (Inkerman) Battery who was going to give a presentation on the history of 49 (Inkerman) Battery in this the 151st Anniversary year of the Battle of the Inkerman in 1854 that gave the Battery its honour title. This presentation was continuing the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Crimean War that started in 2004 with the presentation by 8 (Alma) Battery.
BC 49 Battery – Maj Simon Reader
The following presentation will concentrate specifically on the Battle of Inkerman, but will place everything in context and cover our lineage, including the 75 years before Crimea, Sergeant Henry’s actions, and the subsequent 150 years in more general terms, when the intent is to take a journey to Canada, Africa, Europe and the Middle East and look at some lesser known campaigns in which the battery played an important role including the Red River Expedition in Canada and the Battle of Ulundi, the final defeat of the Zulu army.
The Battery’s celebrations to mark the 150th Anniverary commenced with the Old Comrades Association reunion in Walsall last year. Wes Harding, the Association’s secretary, is here today and will happily talk of that weekend and the Association at large. I am still in awe of the OCA and am impressed by their drive and their enthusiasm. The website has awards for excellence, the newsletters are informative, challenging and detailed, and they have recently secured a lottery grant.
As with most batteries, our lineage is complicated, especially during the late 18th and 19th centuries. We trace our roots back to 1779, when we were raised as Number 9 Company of 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery, and were known as Capt Wood’s Company. The Battery served in Jamaica and in 1812, during the Second American War, it was engaged on board gun boats on the Canadian lakes and on various outpost duties. The company also saw service in the Duke of Wellington’s Army in Belgium, but was not at Waterloo. It was reduced in 1819.
The Company reformed in 1848, soon transferring to the 11th Battalion as Number 4 Company, spending five years as a garrison artillery unit in Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness and Eastborne. In 1854, the company manned G Field Battery as part of the Anglo-French expeditionary force commanded by Lord Raglan and Marshal St Arnuad that landed on 4th of September that year at the northern end of the Black Sea – more on that in a second. Once the Brigade system was adopted in 1859, the Battery assumed the titles of 8, H, F, N and P, before stability as 19 Battery, whether Field Battery RA or Battery RFA. After the Second World War, on the reorganisation of the Royal Artillery, the Battery was re-designated as 49 Field Battery as a sub-unit of 23 Field Regiment, receiving the honour title ‘Inkerman’ in June 1955. 23 Field Regiment was re-titled as 42 Regiment in 1958 and ‘Heavy’, with the introduction of M107, in 1971. With the 49 title, the Battery has served in 23, 42, 40, 47 and 27 Regiments. In 1993, the Battery relinquished its guns and became the Headquarters Battery in 40 Regiment, its current regiment.
In July 1853, Russia occupied territories in the Crimea which had previously been controlled by Turkey. Britain and France were concerned about Russian expansionism and attempted to achieve a negotiated withdrawal. Turkey was not willing to grant any concessions and declared war on Russia. The British and French went to Turkey’s aid, sending an expeditionary force that disembarked 30 miles from Sebastopol on the Crimean peninsular. On 20th September, the Russians suffered 6,000 casualties at the Battle of Alma, allowing the allies to advance towards Sebastopol. The Battery took a distinguished share in this victory, but an even more spectacular and no less decisive part in a famous battle would come soon. On 25th October, they fought at the Battle of Balaklava, the second major engagement of the war, comprising of three different actions – the most famous, of course, being the disastrous charge of the Light Brigade, but do not forget the action of the Heavy Brigade or the 93rd Highlanders. Their stand against Russian heavy cavalry is the stuff of other legends and coined the phrase ‘the thin red line.’ Taken as a whole, Balaklava was a British victory, but the cavalry had been decimated. The Allies continued to lay siege to the Russian held city of Sebastopol.
The Battle of Inkerman was fought on 5th November 1854, Guy Fawkes Day. Before dawn the bells of Sebastopol began to ring out, which seemed nothing unusual for the British. It was after all a Sunday, merely Guy Fawkes Day, 5th November. But to some, it was one of those occasions that called for an almighty din at an early hour!
The Battle of Inkerman was named after a small ruin on the North bank of the River Chernava, although the battle was fought some way across the river on a nameless ridge bounded to the South by the Careenage Ravine. The ridge was narrow and covered with scrub. The British 2nd Division, commanded by General Pennefather and numbering 3,000 men, were encamped on part of the ridge (Home Ridge). Codrington’s brigade of the Light Division – numbering some 1,400 men – was located on the west of the ravine and the Guards Brigade – numbering some 1,350 men – were about a quarter of a mile behind the 2nd Division, while the French were located to the South under General Bosquet to cover the rear. 2nd Division’s artillery, under Colonel Fitzmayer, consisted of B and G Batteries. The entire force had 36 guns all told, so were outnumbered 4 to one; in addition, the British guns were of a smaller calibre.
In an attempt to break the Anglo-French siege, the Russian commander-in-chief, Prince Menshikov, planned a combined attack on the ridge using two forces: one from within Sebastopol, commanded by General Somonov numbering 17,500 men, and another from outside the city, commanded by General Pavlov numbering 14,000 men (Figure 1). General Somonov’s larger force assembled at dawn and advanced along the ridge. General Pavlov’s columns crossed the River Chernava near its mouth and needed to advance almost at right angles to Somonov’s troops. In addition to their own field artillery, they had the support of 54 heavy guns at Sebastopol.
Somonov’s forces attacked, taking advantage of the early morning fog and uncertain light. They had crept close to the British positions before launching a two column frontal attack, supported by artillery and covered by a few hundred skirmishers. This attack came just after the morning ‘Stand Down’ and took the British by surprise; at first they did not realize how potent this Russian force was. Shell Hill was occupied by only a small picket force, and was taken at once. The Russian infantry then waited for their guns to sweep the hill and destroy the camp to the rear. Infantry from the 2nd Division pushed down the forward slope and due to the narrowness of the ridge and the broken nature of the terrain, this fight was a melee from the start. A column of sailors and marines sent to turn the British left flank was caught as they emerged onto the plateau, and the main body came to a standstill in front of the British position as the real estate became overcrowded. The guns of G Battery, commanded by Captain J Turner, deployed in a line astride the crest of the ridge to fire along it towards this Russian concentration. The mist, which initially allowed the enemy to approach unobserved, now favoured the numerically weaker British side. Luckily, this attack by twelve battalions was so poorly co-ordinated that the first attack was driven off by 0700 hours. The discipline, confidence and steady volleys of the defenders had dominated, despite the courage of the Russians. Somonov had also acted alone, without waiting for Pavlov or General Dannenburg, the officer appointed at the last moment to command the whole force, and Somonov was killed at the head of his troops. 3,000 defenders were able to repulse and nearly wipe out the whole column from Sebastopol.
The second phase began at 0730 hours with an attack on the British right flank by a force of 10,000 men – these were Pavlov’s men, who had by now climbed the steep cliffs from the Chernava, with assistance from part of Somonov’s remaining force. General Dannenburg was now in charge. The assaulting forces moved by way of Quarry Ravine, under cover of the guns on Shell Hill. This phase was fiercely repulsed, utilizing two insignificant field works: a line of stones at the head of the ravine and a small two-gun battery called the Sandbag Battery. Pennefather was reinforced by the Guards Brigade, and half of G Battery moved across to the left flank to better fire positions, two guns deployed on the crest line and one amongst the scrub down the slope. The line of stones position fell into Russian hands, but they were soon ejected by small British detachments. By 1100 hours, the Russians had again been beaten off.
The third attack began at about 1130 hours with another assault on the front and right. The battle consisted of a series of Russian attacks delivered with great force, followed by retreats into dead ground. This so occupied the defenders that the Russians managed to infiltrate in strength through the brushwood on the left flank. Numbers 4 and 5 guns were soon overrun. Andrew Henry, senior sergeant of the Battery, was close to Number 6 gun and in a moment both he and the gun were surrounded by Russian bayonets. Hopelessly outnumbered, Sergeant Henry and Gunner James Taylor were soon the only defenders. Taylor was mortally wounded, leaving Henry to fight alone, sword in hand. Meanwhile, the hard-pressed allies were fighting the Russians at close quarters all over the crest, using ball and bayonet, case and grape shot. A part of the British 4th Division, under General Cathcart, arrived late in the morning and was first used to patch up weaker parts of the line. Cathcart then worked his way along the lower and steeper part of the eastern ridge with 400 men in order to take the Russian’s flank. Unfortunately, as he moved forward the Russians, moving higher up the ridge, descended upon the group, scattering it and killing Cathcart.
The tide against the British was eventually turned by the arrival of two long 18-pounder guns from the British siege train that were able to reach the harassing Russian artillery, together with an extra 8,000 French troops sent by Bosquet. Notably, two French horse artillery batteries made a brave advance, galloping down the forward slope of the ridge. Dannenburg made one last assault with 6,000 battle-weary troops, with a further 9,000 in reserve, which, had they joined in, might have been successful. By 1330 hours the Russian morale had broken and their Army withdrew. Finally, the dominant guns on Shell Hill were silenced and a resolute advance of a handful of British infantry concluded the day.
Eight British batteries were present at the Battle of Inkerman – B, G, P, H, A, E, 6/11 and 7/11. General Dannenburg recorded that ‘soon the murderous fire of the enemy’s artillery forced us to retire back to the town. Inkerman has come to be called ‘the soldier’s battle’; it might in a special sense also be called ‘the Gunners’ battle’ without in the least belittling from the splendid service of the infantry that day.
There were high casualties on both sides. The Russians lost a total of over 11,000 troops out of the 42,000 deployed. Poorly supplied and with little medical assistance – despite the self-publicity of Florence Nightingale – allied troops suffered immense casualties too. The total British force engaged was about 8,500, of whom 2,357 were killed and wounded, over 27% of the force, clearly showing the intensity of the battle. The French lost 939 out of 7,000, but not all were engaged. G Battery had two men killed and 13 wounded, and lost 30 horses. Several wheels and limber boxes were broken by shot from the enemy batteries.
The courageous Russian attack convinced the allies not to attempt a quick assault on the city, and they settled down for a protracted siege. The French and British eventually forced the fall of Sebastopol on 11th September 1855 and peace was subsequently concluded at Paris. Within fifteen years however, the Russian were back in Sebastopol and re-arming.
Sergeant Henry’s actions are best told in his own words. He wrote home to his brother after the Battle from a hospital bed in Scutari. He describes a strong army of Russians attacking the division on the morning of 5th November, surprising them with shot and shell; then the British advance and joining battle, the Battery deploying on a hill and engaging the enemy until ammunition was near exhausted; how the Russians advanced in large columns, repelled once by canister, but getting amongst them again with musket ball; how the Russians rushed the position and surrounded him and a gunner, the others having fled; the fight for life with sword drawn and the eventual bayoneting. He received one wound to the chest before falling, then three in the left arm, three in the right thigh, two in the back, one in the ribs and two to the head. He was left for dead, recounting God’s mercy that there was no more Russian musket ammunition to finish him with shot. Doctors assumed he would die, but after six days he began to improve, and expressed his desire to rejoin the Battery. James Taylor, the gunner at his side, died of his wounds. Sergeant Henry was praised for his bravery and promised that his deeds would not be forgotten.
Later he wrote an account of the battle for a book entitled England’s Artillerymen: A History of the Royal Artillery, in which he recounts ‘Just at the break of day the Russians opened a deadly fire on our Division’s camp with several heavy guns which they had placed in position with muffled wheels the night previous. As we were already hooked in, we quickly advanced, came into action and gave it to them sharply. We had on piquet that morning one 9-pounder gun and one 24-pounder howitzer, which being on the spot were the first artillery in action. The second line of wagons was kept constantly supplying ammunition from the camp, as there was a very great expenditure.’ He went on to say ‘about 1 pm, our infantry were overpowered and compelled to retire, leaving our guns without any support. Our right half-battery received orders to limber up and retire which they did just in time to get clear. . . At the same time, the left half-battery was firing on the Russians who were rapidly advancing in front. I saw that we could not get our guns away, therefore I called out to the gunners to stand and defend the guns; not to leave them. I and one gunner whose name was James Taylor, a brave soldier and who died of his wounds, drew our swords and as the Russians came charging up to the guns, howling like mad dogs, I seized one of their bayonets with my left hand and then threw the man off, at the same time cutting away at them with my sword. We were soon surrounded by them and bayoneted. I received twelve wounds; the first in my chest, lifting me off my feet. At the same time they were stabbing me in my back and arms. Through loss of blood, I became insensible and while in that state, laying on the ground, they still bayoneted me.’
As we know, his brave deeds were not forgotten. He was awarded a Victoria Cross, the citation being gazetted in February 1857 and reading “the Victoria Cross is awarded to Captain Andrew Henry, Royal Artillery, for defending the guns of his battery against overwhelming numbers of the enemy, on 5th of November 1854 at the Battle of Inkerman, and continuing to do so until he had received twelve bayonet wounds. He was at the time Sergeant-Major of ‘G’ Battery, 2nd Division.”
He received the medal from Queen Victoria on 26th June 1857, when Her Majesty distributed the first 62 Victoria Crosses at Hyde Park. By that time he had commissioned and was a captain in the Land Transport Corps.
Andrew Henry died in October 1870 whilst serving at the Royal Citadel and was buried in Plymouth with full military honours. The DRA, Major General Mack Lewis presided over a dedication ceremony in 1952, when his grave was first marked with a memorial headstone by the Royal Regiment. His address stated that all gunners should be proud that in Captain Henry, they had a literal example of one who “stuck to his guns”. He was only the second Gunner to receive the Victoria Cross. More recently and most unfortunately, the grave became overgrown until it was re-discovered and the idea of another ceremony and headstone provided by the RA Memorial Fund was conceived and duly implemented. Then, last year, two wreaths were laid on the grave to mark the 150th anniversary of the battle by Colonel Peter Brooks (a former BC) and Norman Harris (a former BSM). The Plymouth branches of the Royal British Legion and Royal Artillery Association gathered there too, with local cadets.
I am now going to talk about the Red River Expedition, South Africa, the Great War, the Second World War and the Iraq War.
Northern America was a volatile place in the second half of the 19th Century. Much of this unrest was a direct consequence of the British presence in Ireland. The Fenians were an organization of Irish immigrants in Northern America who believed that if they were to capture parts of Canada this would be a valuable bargaining chip to ensure the freedom of Ireland from British rule.
The Red River District of Canada included a vast area comprising Western Canada, the North-West Territories and the northern part of Ontario and Quebec, and was under the control of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). The fear was that the expansion of American dominance would directly affect this area. In order to halt this expansion, with the help of the British, the Canadian Government agreed to purchase part of the area, known as Rupert’s Land, from the HBC for a fee of £300,000. However, when the Canadian Government moved in they set out their own property boundaries with little regard to the sensitivities of the mixed inhabitants made up of Scottish and English settlers, native Indians and descendants of the French fur traders. The resulting rebellion led to the creation of the Provisional Government of Red River under Louis Riel, with William O’Donoghue, an Irish Fenian, as his deputy. Riel was an abrupt and heavy handed man and his harsh dealings with the British elements led to the murder of a native of Ontario. The resulting uproar required a military expedition to re-establish the legitimate control of the Canadian Government.
Despite Canada’s wishes for a British force of regular troops, Britain only offered 400 men as their element of an expedition, supported by two battalions of Canadian Militia. The British element consisted of the 1st Battalion the 60th Rifles, 20 engineers, 20 gunners, 12 Army Service Corp soldiers and 8 medical staff. The gunners were provided by H Battery, 4th Brigade RA commanded by Captain Gore. The Battery was stationed near Montreal and supplied four NCOs, 15 Gunners and 15 horses with four 7-pounder bronze mountain guns, under the command of Lt Alleyne.
Selection of a route for the force soon became a critical decision owing to the need for a quick campaign. Civilian routes proved unsuitable for military use, while other traditional routes proved impossible due to the extreme weather conditions at that time. The selected route was the old fur trading one, following a series of lakes and rivers from Lake Superior to Lake Winnipeg, but proved difficulty due to enforced detours around rapids and waterfalls, as well as unusually bad weather and the extreme length of the trip.
Leaving Montreal on 18th May, the detachment made its way by steam boat to the assembly base at Toronto, where the force came under the command of Colonel Garnet Wolseley. From Toronto they planned to travel by rail to Collingwood, and then re-board steam boats to make the 544 mile trip to Thunder Bay on Lake Superior, forming a camp at Prince Arthur’s Landing.
The trip was continuously hampered through the American locks and canals by the Americans who were hesitant to the allow war ships an easy passage. However, on 27th June the last of the force eventually arrived at Prince Arthur’s Landing where two of the guns remained as a protection force for the expedition. The remainder continued a further 532 miles to Fort Garry.
However, the journey continued to be disrupted. A large forest fire swept through the area, burning timber that was to be used for bridges. This was followed by torrential rain, which made travel cross country almost impossible. Horses had to work in mud up to their bellies and eventually collapsed under the strain; swarms of black flies and mosquitoes proved annoying throughout. However, the detachment from H Battery continued to work hard with its remaining guns and was not found wanting.
With 280 miles to go, they still required to cross the Lake of Woods, traverse Lake Winnipeg, and eventually enter the Red River, with further rapids that the boats had to run down. Our own Battery History tells of the severe physical hardship suffered by all men. Exhaustion was a major factor, with a reveille of 0300 hours, a breakfast stop at 0800 hours, and a further stop for dinner at 1300 hours. Work only stopped one hour before dusk, so that a camp could be made.
To their absolute credit, they eventual arrived in Fort Garry on 24th August and took Riel by surprise, causing him to flee immediately. Although rebellion troops were never engaged, the expedition is seen as a resounding success and as a ‘bloodless victory’, the expedition being described as ‘a feat of exploration as well as of military ingenuity’. The detachment gained great credit for its efforts, with Lt Alleyne receiving particular praise from the General Commanding in Canada for his ‘activity and energy’. The Battery returned to England later that year, moving to Ipswich on 2nd November 1870.
And so to South Africa, nine years later. The Battery saw service during the Zulu War, specifically at the Battle of Ulundi and the final defeat of the Zulus on 4th July 1879. Five officers, 168 Non Commissioned Officers and men, 130 horses and one veterinary surgeon with two private chargers embarked from Southampton for Durban to form part of General Newdigate’s 2nd Division. The guns available for the battle were six 9-pounder guns, six 7-pounder guns and two Gatling guns.
The soldiers marched from Upoko to Ulundi, where the combined force formed a large square with guns on all sides in preparation for a Zulu attack from any direction. The 9-pounder guns fired their first shot at 8.45 am when the Zulu were 1,100m away. The Zulu force, estimated to have numbered some 15,000, converged on the British square. Soon the guns on all four sides were brought into action, at this stage from positions just outside the square. Zulu skirmishers suffered few casualties and continued to envelope the square until they were within musket range. It is claimed that the Zulus managed to close within 30 yards of the muzzles, although the majority got no closer than 70 to 100m of the British position. Following earlier battles the Zulus had developed a great respect for the effectiveness of British fire at close quarters, but within half an hour the attack began to falter and a crushing defeat was soon inflicted on them. When they turned to flee, mounted troops were launched in pursuit.
The British forces marched on Ondini and set fire to the Zulu capital. King Cetshwayo sought refuge in the Ngome forest near the present-day town of Nongoma, but he was captured there two months later and exiled to the Cape. This action was so devastating that the Zulu’s military power was now shattered. The Battle of Ulundi saw the final defeat of the Zulu army and the crushing of the Zulu state, thus marking the end of the old Zulu order. A monument, built on the site of the British square, honours both the Zulu warriors who perished defending that order, and the British soldiers killed in battle (Figure 2).
The Battery remained in Southern Africa until 26th October when it returned to Durban to board HM Troopship “Orontes”. Along with the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Buffs, they moved to Mauritius, finally arriving in Madras on the 21st of November. 21 years later, they returned as 19 Field Battery, having received orders to mobilize for service in South Africa as part of 5th Division following the outbreak of the Boer War. To this end, the Battery mustered at Liverpool and boarded the SS Allantian under the command of Major Curtis with five officers, 170 NCOs and men, and 137 horses. The Battery arrived in Cape Town on 28th December 1899, with orders to move to Durban at once. Staying on board, the Battery marked the beginning of a new century by disembarking at Durban on the 1st of January. (Ed - It was at this time that the Battery was brigaded with 20 and 28 Batteries RFA in IX Brigade Division RFA, the first permanent tactical grouping of batteries in the field. The Battery was to serve with IX Brigade and its successors until 1959).
It was not long before the guns were called into action. Under General Sir Charles Warren, the British forces in Natal were required to attack the Boers on two fronts. Following a successful advance the action came to a head at the Battle of Spion Kop, named after a rocky outcrop at the salient of the Boer position. It was thought that this position would leave the Boer right flank virtually unprotected. However, the British forces unwisely halted their advance and positioned themselves on an unprotected plateau; it was they who were eventually exposed to Boer sharpshooters and artillery fire from all sides. The British were subject to heavy fire and suffered many casualties and were eventually forced into a retreat. The Battery had been positioned in the plain below the ridge. Such a position meant that the Boer guns were screened by a hill and this made effective counter battery fire almost impossible. However, the Battery managed to fire in the region of 400 rounds and did not suffer the same losses as the rest of the British force that day. Heading into a retreat, the Battery had to cross back over the Tugela River on 26th January, eight days after it had crossed it in the advance.
In early February, the Battery was involved in the action at Vaal Krantz where BSM Shepherd and Gunner Miller were awarded medals for distinguished conduct in the field. Gunner Miller continued to lay his gun though badly wounded, until the Battery was ordered to retire, when it is said he fainted and fell off his seat.
Later that month, the Battery supported the infantry occupation of Colenso by shelling trenches at Fort Wylie, and supported a further successful attack on Pieters Hill, achieving a range of some 2,400 yards. This was part of the British forces’ fourth attempt at dislodging the Boer forces from around Ladysmith. Six days of fighting saw the British forces combining to deadly effect, eventually dislodging the Boers from the south bank of the now much fought over Tugela River. The outnumbered Boers turned and fled and the road to Ladysmith was open, though the fight had not been won without many casualties.
By early 1901 the Battery had moved to Frankfort where it remained for the rest of the War, capturing in the region of 1,100 Boers. Officers and men who served in the Battery earned medals for their action at Tugela Heights, the relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal and Orange Free State.
The Battery moved to Meerut, India in January 1905 where it was equipped with the 18-pounder gun.
On the outbreak of the Great War, the Battery returned to Europe as part of the 3rd (Lahore) Indian Division, via Bombay, Aden and Suez, and served in Flanders for two years with the Division, before transferring to the Middle East in 1916. It was here in Mesopotamia in November 1917 that the Battery took part in the march on Tekrit. They marched all night, and on the morning of the 5th, another Guy Fawkes Day, came into action just under the crest of a hill. The Turks had dug themselves in and their positions were bombarded practically all day. The Battery Commander, Major Adam, was forward with the infantry, observing for his guns. The fight on the 5th was more or less an artillery duel. On the 6th, the BC assumed responsibility for observing for 20 Battery as well, as their commander was wounded. Adam was himself wounded later that day, but refused to leave the infantry. The British gained momentum and the Turks lost heart. Ultimately, the Turks chose to withdraw, making skilful use of cover, further upstream to Fathah Gorge. The British took possession of Tekrit town late in the afternoon on 6th November, but found it empty of both men and supplies. Its capture was also one of the final significant engagements fought on the Mesopotamian Front and formed the final notable action presided over by the British Commander-in-Chief, Sir Stanley Maude, who died of cholera on 18 November.
1918 saw the Battery back in Flanders until the end of the war, coming into action at Vimy Ridge in May. The Battery was demobilized in January 1919, and remained in England until 1939, being motorized in 1922 and forming part of the Experimental Armoured Force of 7th Infantry Brigade between 1927 and 1929. IX Brigade was renumbered 9th Field Regiment in 1938.
In 1939, the Battery served in the British Expeditionary Force in France, coming into action for the first time on 11th of May 1940, then returning through Dunkirk in 1940, without its guns. The Battery trained in Scotland from July on 25 pounders. They then served for the first time in Northern Ireland. In 1942, the Battery returned to South Africa, moving to India in 1943. On 5th May 1942 the Battery formed part of British Force 121 which conducted Operation Ironclad, the amphibious invasion of the Vichy French colony of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean by three infantry brigades and a commando. French defences consisted of eight coastal batteries, "forts", a trench system, two armed merchant cruisers, two sloops, five submarines, 17 fighter aircraft and ten bombers. They had 1,500 to 3,000 troops in the Diego Suarez area and about 8,000 troops on the island as a whole of which approximately 75% were native troops (Figure 3).
9 Field Regiment supported the 17th Infantry Brigade group and landed unopposed near Diego Suarez in the second wave. Meanwhile, a diversionary simulated bombardment and landing took place to the east, and dummy paratroops were dropped. Carrier-based aircraft bombed Vichy shipping in the harbour.
By mid-morning, the invaders had run into French defences and the advance was hampered by the difficulty in finding a suitable beach for heavy stores. A frontal assault next morning against a strong French position finally succeeded, and additional shelling by British warships convinced the local Vichy commander to hoist the white flag. Surrender documents were signed on 7th May. British losses in the Diego Suarez operations amounted to 105 killed and 283 wounded. The Vichy French lost about 150 killed and 500 wounded.
Operation Ironclad was the first large amphibious assault made by British forces since they attempted to force the Dardanelles at Gallipoli in the First World War. The Vichy French troops in the area were quickly withdrawn to the south and a protracted low intensity campaign ensued.
The Battery went on to serve in India and Borneo with the 20th Indian Division until 1947 when they returned home to the UK.
Since the Second World War, the Battery has served in Hong Kong, Korea, Egypt, Cyprus, Libya, Germany, Northern Ireland and Iraq. During the Iraq War, Op GRANBY, 49 Battery was part of 27 Fd Regt and reinforced 23 Battery of 27 Fd Regt with an OP party, a command post, two section commanders and four M109 gun detachments (Figure 4). They also provided a battery tac group (BC and FOO parties) to support the 16/5 Lancers, the Divisional medium reconnaissance regiment. Artillery raids commenced on 21st of February 1991. 16/5 Lancers pushed through the breach into Iraq on G+1, 25th February, moving East through the Iraqi positions, engaging T59s the following day. On 27th February, they called down MLRS fire from 39 Regiment. 23 Battery were one of the first units to enter Kuwait.
The Chairman thanked Major Reader for a fascinating account of the history of his Battery. He commented that, in spite of having an Honour Title that referred only to the Crimean War, the Battery had had an extraordinary sequence of operational deployments virtually everywhere that the Royal Regiment had ever served, in the true “Ubique” tradition. He congratulated the Battery on a team effort in producing this presentation and in having such a good display in its Battery History Room. On behalf of the visitors, he thanked the Battery for its excellent hospitality.
Following the history presentation, 49 Inkerman Battery were given a series of documents by Mr Wes Harding explaining a small silver “pram” which, despite being on display in the history room, had no explanation behind it. While this silver piece did not feature in the presentation, its story makes an interesting afternote.
The Story of the Silver Pram
In 1958, Maj Gen Gregson (late RA) began trials into the concept of inserting mixed forces into an operational area using whatever means of transport was available and carrying only the bare essentials. The main trials unit was a battalion group formed of the 1st Battalion, The Northamptonshire Regiment and 49 (Inkerman) Field Battery, with trials taking place at Watchet on the Somerset coast.
The battery was split between two 4.2” mortar sections with the battery command post and the remainder forming Battery HQ troop. Their main form of transport for their equipment was a tubular steel and wire mesh trolley, about 5ft long with detachable wheels. It was capable of carrying around 400 lbs (the small mortar base-plate, half the detachment’s kit and some mortar rounds). The mortar barrel was carried separately in a sort of two-wheeled golf trolley.
Both trolleys could be pulled behind land rovers, lashed into cargo aircraft, carried in a rail guard’s van, fitted with flotation bags for river crossings or dragged by soldiers using toggle ropes.
The trials took place at a rapid pace with techniques being experimented with, mastered and promptly discarded in favour of a new idea. A particularly unpopular part of the trials was the ration plan. The substantial but heavy 6 man comp packs were replaced by a mixture of oatmeal block, compressed meat which required plentiful water supplies, and hard tack. Most detachments chose to supplement their rations with sausages, beans and the like.
The group embarked on the grand finale from Plymouth in a flotilla of navigational training frigates, setting sail for the Channel Islands. The Royal Navy towed the trolleys ashore with the wheels removed and laid on top. The flotation bags performed well, however a percentage of the wheels drifted off towards France.
The “Silver Pram” was a presentation from the Northamptons to the Battery. The trial showed that the concept could work, however it was never developed further.
For the record, the titles of 49 (Inkerman) Battery since it was formed in 1848 have been:
1848 9 Company, 4th Battalion RA
1848 11 Company, 4th Battalion RA
1854-1856 Manned G Field Battery in the Crimea
1859 8 Battery, 4 Brigade, RA
1861 H Battery, 4 Brigade, RA
1875 F Battery, 25 Brigade, RA
1877 N Battery, 6 Brigade, RA
1882 P Battery, 1 Brigade, RA
1889 19 Field Battery RA
1899 19 Battery RFA
1924 19 Field Battery RA
1938 19/28 Field Battery RA (linked with 28 Fd Bty)
1941 19 Field Battery RA
1947 49 Field Battery RA
1955 49 (Inkerman) Field Battery RA
1992 49 (Inkerman) (Headquarters) Battery RA
The Battery has been part of the following Regiments since 1900
1900 IX Brigade Division RFA
Retitled IX Brigade RFA in 1903
Retitled IX Field Brigade RA in 1924
Retitled 9 Field Regiment RA in 1938
Renumbered 23 Field Regiment RA in 1947
1959 42 Field Regiment RA (later Medium, then Heavy)
1977 40 Field Regiment RA
1981 47 Field Regiment RA
1981 27 Field Regiment RA
1993 40 Regiment RA