This section of the Long, Long Trail describes the formation, attachments and history of each brigade and battery of the Royal Field Artillery. For details of movements and battles, click through to the Divisions concerned. Note: in early 1917 many RFA Brigades were detached from Divisions and placed under orders of higher formations. From this point they were known as Army Brigades. This change in command and organisational structure affected regular, Territorial and New Army units alike. In all of the unit designations below, “(H)” means “Howitzer”. Throughout the war there were many changes, with batteries being moved from one brigade to another. This tended to blur the distinctions between regular, Territorial and New Army brigades, increasingly so as the war progressed.
RFA units of the regular army
As with all elements of the regular army, these units were, after being mobilised in August 1914, manned by a mixture of serving regulars, army and Special Reservists. From around October 1914 they began to be supplemented by wartime recruits and by the war’s end the majority of the complement of most regular units were not career soldiers. In general the regular RFA units were under command of the regular Divisions, until from late 1915 they were increasingly mixed into the New Army Divisions
RFA units of the Territorial Force
In general the TF artillery units were under command of the TF Divisions although some were sent overseas early to supplement the firepower of regular Divisions.
RFA units of the New Armies
The “Kitchener” units were generally under command of the New Army Divisions.
RFA Brigades
Please note that this page is currently undergoing a complete rebuild. If the unit in which you are interested does not yet appear in the list of links below please check the old page.
Please also note that RFA Brigades often appear designated by Roman numerals.
1 Brigade (regular, I)
2 Brigade (regular, II)
3 Brigade (regular, III)
4 Brigade (regular, IV)
5 Brigade (regular, V)
6 (Howitzer) Brigade (regular , VI)
7 Brigade (regular, VII)
8 (Howitzer) Brigade (regular, VIII)
8 Brigade (formed during the war, VIII)
9 Brigade (regular, IX)
10 Brigade (regular, X)
11 Brigade (regular, XI)
12 (Howitzer) Brigade (regular, XII)
13 Brigade (regular, XIII)
14 Brigade (regular, XIV)
15 Brigade (regular, XV)
16 Brigade (regular, XVI)
17 Brigade (regular, XVII)
18 Brigade (regular, XVIII)
19 Brigade (regular, XIX)
20 Brigade (regular, XX)
21 Brigade (regular, XXI)
22 Brigade (regular, XXII)
23 Brigade (regular, XXIII)
24 Brigade (regular, XXIV)
25 Brigade (regular, XXV)
26 Brigade (regular, XXVI)
27 Brigade (regular, XXVII)
28 Brigade (regular, XXVIII)
29 Brigade (regular, XXIX)
30 (Howitzer) Brigade (regular, XXX)
31 Brigade (regular, XXXI)
32 Brigade (regular, XXXII)
33 Brigade (regular, XXXIII)
34 Brigade (regular, XXXIV)
35 Brigade (regular, XXXV)
36 Brigade (regular, XXXVI)
37 (Howitzer) Brigade (regular, XXXVII)
37 Brigade (New Army, XXXVII)
38 Brigade (regular, XXXVIII)
39 Brigade (regular, XXXIX)
40 Brigade (regular, XL)
41 Brigade (regular, XLI)
42 Brigade (regular, XLII)
43 (Howitzer) Brigade (regular, XLIII)
44 (Howitzer) Brigade (regular, XLIV)
45 Brigade (regular, XLV)
46, 47, 48 and 49 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army K1, XLVI to XLIX)
49 Brigade (New Army, XLIX)
50, 51, 52 and 53 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army K1, L to LIII)
54, 55, 56 and 57 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LIV to LVII)
58, 59, 60 and 61 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LVIII to LXI)
62, 63, 64 and 65 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LXII to LXV)
66, 67, 68 and 69 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LXVI to LXIX)
70, 71, 72 and 73 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LXX to LXXIII)
74, 75, 76 and 77 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LXXIV to LXXVII)
78, 79, 80 and 81 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LXXVIII to LXXXI)
82, 83, 84 and 85 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LXXXIII to LXXXV)
86, 87, 88 and 89 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, LXXXVI to LXXXIX)
90, 91, 92 (Howitzer) and 93 Brigades (New Army, XC to XCIII)
94, 95, 96 and 97 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, XCIV to XCVII)
98, 99, 100 and 101 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, XCVIII to CI)
102, 103, 104 and 105 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CII to CV)
106, 107, 108 and 109 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CVI to CIX)
110, 111, 112 and 113 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CX to CXIII)
114, 115, 116 and 117 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CXIV to CXVII)
118 (Howitzer) Brigade (New Army, CXVIII)
119, 120, 121 and 122 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CXIX to CXXII)
123, 124, 125 and 126 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CXXIII to CXXVI)
127 (Howitzer) Brigade (Regular, CXXVII)
128 (Howitzer) Brigade (Regular, CXXVIII)
129 (Howitzer) Brigade (Regular, CXXIX)
148, 149, 150 and 151 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CXLVIII to CLI)
152, 160, 175 and 176 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army)
153, 154 (Howitzer), 172 and 173 Brigades (New Army, 36th Divisional Artillery)
153 and 154 (Howitzer) Brigades (Empire) (New Army, CLIII and CLIV)
155, 161, 164 (Howitzer) and 168 Brigades (New Army, CLV to CLXVIII)
156 Brigade (Camberwell) (New Army CLVI)
157, 158 and 159 Brigades (New Army, CLVII to CLVIX)
162 Brigade (Camberwell) (New Army CLXII)
163 (Howitzer) Brigade (West Ham) (New Army, CLXIII)
165, 169, 170 and 171 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, CLXV, CLXIX, CLXX and CLXXI)
166 and 167 (Howitzer) Brigades (Camberwell) (New Army, CLXVI and CXLVII)
172 Brigade (replacement, CLXXII)
174, 179, 184 and 186 (Howitzer) Brigades (New Army, 39th Divisional Artillery)
178 (Howitzer), 181, 185 and 188 Brigades (New Army, 40th Divisional Artillery)
183 (Howitzer), 187, 189 and 190 Brigades (New Army, 41st Divisional Artillery)
210, 211, 212 and 213 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial, CCX to CCXIV)
215, 216 (Howitzer), 217 and 218 Brigades (Territorial Force, 43rd Divisional Artillery)
220, 221, 222 and 224 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force)
New 223 Brigade (Territorial Force, CCXXIII)
225, 227 and 228 Brigades (Territorial Force, 45th Divisional Artillery)
230, 231, 232 and 233 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 46th Divisional Artillery)
235, 236, 237 and 238 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 47th Divisional Artillery)
240, 241, 242 and 243 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 48th Divisional Artillery)
245, 246, 247 and 248 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 49th Divisional Artillery)
250, 251, 252 and 253 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 49th Divisional Artillery)
255, 256, 258 (Howitzer) and 260 Brigades (Territorial Force, CCLVI to CCLX)
261, 262, 264 and 268 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 52nd Divisional Artillery)
265 (Howitzer), 266, 267 and 268 Brigades (Territorial Force, 53rd Divisional Artillery)
270, 271, 272 (Howitzer) and 273 Brigades (Territorial Force, 54th Divisional Artillery)
275, 276, 277 and 278 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 55th Divisional Artillery)
280, 281, 282 and 283 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 56th Divisional Artillery)
285, 286, 287 and 2/4th West Lancashire Brigades (Territorial Force, 57th Divisional Artillery)
290, 291, 292 and 293 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 58th Divisional Artillery)
295, 296, 297 and 298 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 59th Divisional Artillery)
315, 316, 317 and 318 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 63rd Divisional Artillery)
320, 321, 322 and 323 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 64th Divisional Artillery)
325, 326, 327 and 328 (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 65th Divisional Artillery)
330, 331, 332 and 2/4th East Lancashire (Howitzer) Brigades (Territorial Force, 66th Divisional Artillery)
335, 336 and 337 Brigades (Territorial Force, 67th Divisional Artillery)
340 (Howitzer), 341, 342 and 343 Brigades (Territorial Force, 68th Divisional Artillery)
352 and 353 Brigades (72nd Divisional Artillery)
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