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1st Wessex Artillery
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. 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 Ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flag Of The British Army
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have evolved into a general tool for rudimentary signalling and identification, especially in environments where communication is challenging (such as the maritime environment, where semaphore is used). Many flags fall into groups of similar designs called flag families. The study of flags is known as "vexillology" from the Latin , meaning "flag" or "banner". National flags are patriotic symbols with widely varied interpretations that often include strong military associations because of their original and ongoing use for that purpose. Flags are also used in messaging, advertising, or for decorative purposes. Some military units are called "flags" after their use of flags. A ''flag'' (Arabic: ) is equivalent to a brigade i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southsea Castle
Southsea Castle, historically also known as Chaderton Castle, South Castle and Portsea Castle, is an artillery fort originally constructed by Henry VIII on Portsea Island, Hampshire, in 1544. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the Solent and the eastern approach to Portsmouth. The castle had a square central keep, two rectangular gun platforms to the east and west, and two angled bastions to the front and rear, and was an early English example of the ''trace italienne''-style of fortification popular on the Continent. The Cowdray engraving of the Battle of the Solent in 1545 depicted Henry VIII visiting the castle. Despite several serious fires, it remained in service and saw brief action at the start of the English Civil War in 1642 when it was stormed by Parliamentary forces. The castle was expanded in the 1680s by Sir Bernard de Gomme and, after a period of neglect in the 18th cen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
The Wessex (Hampshire) Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery was a volunteer unit of the British Territorial Force formed in 1908. It fought on the Western Front during World War I. Origin When the Territorial Force was created from the Volunteer Force in 1908 by the Haldane Reforms, each infantry division was allocated a heavy battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). One company of the former 2nd Hampshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) was allocated to this role with the Wessex Division. The battery was formed at Southsea, although the HQ later moved to Cosham.Litchfield & Westlake, p. 90.Frederick, pp. 696–701.Litchfield, p. 92.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 43–48. TF heavy batteries of the RGA were each equipped with four Boer War-era 4.7-inch guns and included their own ammunition column. Mobilisation On 26 July 1914, the Wessex Division was on Salisbury Plain carrying out its annual training camp. Three days later, because of the worsening international situation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Wessex Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
The II (or 2nd) Wessex Brigade was a howitzer unit of the Royal Field Artillery in Britain's Territorial Force (TF) that was formed on the Isle of Wight in 1908. It served in India and the Middle East during World War I, one of its batteries being captured at the Siege of Kut in Mesopotamia in 1916, and another seeing active service in the Third Afghan War of 1919. Although reformed after the war, the unit was broken up in 1927. Origin When the Volunteer Force was subsumed into the Territorial Force (TF) in 1908 under the Haldane Reforms, the 2nd Hampshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) was reorganised to provide two Royal Field Artillery (RFA) brigades for the TF's new Wessex Division: the I (or 1st) Wessex Brigade at Southsea (from HQ and Nos 1–8 Companies) and the IV (or 4th) Wessex Brigade on the Isle of Wight (from Nos 10 and 11 Companies). Generally, the fourth RFA brigade in each TF division was equipped with howitzers, and the Wessex was no exception. Howev ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haldane Reforms
The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the "Childers Reforms" of the early 1880s, and were made in the light of lessons newly learned in the Second Boer War. The major element of the reforms was the creation of an expeditionary force, specifically prepared and trained for intervening in a major war. This had existed before, but it had not been well-prepared for overseas service; the newly organised force was to have a permanent peacetime organisation and a full complement of supporting troops. At the same time, the reserve forces were restructured and expanded so as to ensure that overseas forces could be expanded, supplied with new recruits and to provide for home defence. The Volunteer Force and the Yeomanry were reorganised into a new Territorial Force and the Militia was formed into the Special Reserv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry into a unified auxiliary, commanded by the War Office and administered by local County Territorial Associations. The Territorial Force was designed to reinforce the regular army in expeditionary operations abroad, but because of political opposition it was assigned to home defence. Members were liable for service anywhere in the UK and could not be compelled to serve overseas. In the first two months of the First World War, territorials volunteered for foreign service in significant numbers, allowing territorial units to be deployed abroad. They saw their first action on the Western Front during the initial German offensive of 1914, and the force filled the gap between the near destruction of the regular army that year and the arrival of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shoeburyness Old Ranges
Shoeburyness Old Ranges or Shoebury Ranges is a 6.4 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Shoeburyness in Essex. It is part of the Foulness Site of Special Scientific Interest, and of the Gunners Park and Shoebury Ranges nature reserve, which is managed by the Essex Wildlife Trust. The site has flora unique in the county, on a habitat of unimproved grassland over ancient sand dunes. There are areas of grasses and sedges, while rushes are found in damp hollows. Rabbits graze the grassland, and close cropped areas have many lichens. There is no public access to the site, but it can be viewed from a footpath around the perimeter. The site was formerly part of MoD Shoeburyness MoD Shoeburyness is a military installation at Pig's Bay near Shoeburyness in Essex. History In 1849, the Board of Ordnance purchased land at South Shoebury with a view to setting up an artillery testing and practice range (until then, Plumst .... Notes References {{coord, 51.523 , 0.780 , type:la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA). The RGA were the 'technical' branch of the Royal Artillery who were responsible for much of the professionalisation of technical gunnery that was to occur during the First World War. It was originally established to man the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division and the guns of the siege artillery. The RGA was amalgamated with the RFA in 1924, from which time the only two arms within the Royal Regiment of Artillery have been the Royal Artillery and the Royal Horse Artillery. Organisation The Royal Garrison Artillery came into existence as a separate entity when existing coastal defence, mountain, siege and heavy batteries of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It came into being when created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) and the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). It ceased to exist when it was amalgamated with the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1924. The Royal Field Artillery was the largest arm of the artillery. It was responsible for the medium calibre guns and howitzers deployed close to the front line and was reasonably mobile. It was organised into brigades, attached to divisions or higher formations. Notable members *Ernest Wright Alexander, Victoria Cross recipient *Colin Gubbins (1896–1976), prime mover of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) *Dar Lyon (1898–1964). first-class cricketer * Norman Manley (1893–1969), first Premier of Jamaica, serving from 14 August 1959 to 29 April 1962 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cosham
Cosham ( or ) is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 along with Drayton and Wymering (mainland) and Bocheland ( Buckland), Frodington (Fratton) and Copenore (Copnor) on the island. Toponymy The name is of Saxon origin (shown by the -ham suffix) and means "Cossa's homestead". Originally pronounced , since the latter half of the 20th century has become more widely used. Until the 1920s it was a separate small village surrounded by fields (including on the north end of Portsea Island). History Extensive suburban growth then expanded around the village and both east and west along the slopes of Portsdown Hill. It has been for many years a local route centre as a pinch point for buses travelling in and out of Portsmouth and offers three railway routes to London. Cosham railway station was until 1935 the terminus for City trams and trolleybuses from the south and Portsdown and Horndean Ligh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freshwater, Isle Of Wight
Freshwater is a large village and civil parish at the western end of the Isle of Wight, England. The southern, coastal part of the village is Freshwater Bay, named for the adjacent small cove. Freshwater sits at the western end of the region known as the Back of the Wight or the West Wight, a popular tourist area. Freshwater is close to steep chalk cliffs. It was the birthplace of physicist Robert Hooke and was the home of Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson. Landmarks Freshwater is famous for its geology and coastal rock formations that have resulted from centuries worth of coastal erosion. The "Arch Rock" was a well-known local landmark that collapsed on 25 October 1992. The neighbouring "Stag Rock" is so named because supposedly a stag leapt to the rock from the cliff to escape during a hunt. Another huge slab fell off the cliff face in 1968, and is now known as the "Mermaid Rock". Immediately behind Mermaid Rock lies a small sea cave that cuts several metres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gosport
Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite the city of Portsmouth, to which it is linked by the Gosport Ferry. Gosport lies south-east of Fareham, to which it is linked by a Bus Rapid Transit route and the A32. Until the last quarter of the 20th century, Gosport was a major naval town associated with the defence and supply infrastructure of His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Portsmouth. As such over the years extensive fortifications were created. Gosport is still home to and a Naval Armament Supply Facility, as well as a Helicopter Repair base. The Town area of the Borough, including Newtown, consists of the town centre, Stoke Road shopping area, Walpole Park, Royal Clarence Yard and three modern marinas: Royal Clarence, Gosport Marina and Haslar Marina. As part of the ''Renais ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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