Title - Timeline 1914-1919
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Date Accrington Pals Howitzers First World War
Jun 1914     28th: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo.
Jul 1914     28th: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
Aug 1914     1st: Germany declares war on Russia.
3rd: Germany declares war on France.
4th: Germany invades Belgium. Great Britain declares war on Germany.
7th: Kitchener appeals for 80,000 volunteers.
23rd: Battle of Mons.
26th: Battle of le Cateau.
Sep 1914 7th: War Office accepts offer by Mayor of Accrington, Capt. John Harwood, to raise a full battalion from Accrington and district.   6th-9th: Battle of the Marne.
  14th: Enlistment begins.
24th: Enlistment complete.
  12th-28th: Battle of the Aisne. Trench warfare begins.
Oct 1914     10th (to 11th Nov): First Battle of Ypres.
Nov 1914     5th: Great Britain declares war on Turkey.
Dec 1914 8th: Recruitment of reserve company begins.
10th: Battalion officially designated as 11th (Accrington) Service Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment.
   
Jan 1915   29th: War Office accepts offer by Capt. John Harwood to raise a howitzer artillery brigade.  
Feb 1915   6th: Enlistment begins at Accrington.  
  21st: Farewell service at St. John's Church, Accrington.
23rd: Battalion leaves Accrington for Caernarvon.
   
Mar 1915 1st: Lt.-Col. A. W. Rickman takes command. 6th: 158th (Accrington & Burnley) Brigade, R.F.A. complete except for Ammunition Column.  
      10th-13th: Battle of Neuve Chapelle.
Apr 1915     22nd (to 25th May): Second Battle of Ypres. First use of poison gas.
25th: British and ANZAC troops land at Gallipoli.
May 1915     9th (to 16th Jun): First French Offensive in Artois.
9th: Battle of Aubers Ridge.
  13th: Battalion leaves Caernarvon for Penkridge Bank Camp. Joins Sheffield City Battalion and 1st and 2nd Barnsley Pals to form 94th Infantry Brigade, 31st Division.    
15th-25th: Battle of Festubert.
Jun 1915   5th: 158th R.F.A. leaves home towns for Weeton Camp.  
Jul 1915 30th: Battalion leaves Penkridge for Ripon.    
Aug 1915   4th/5th: 158th R.F.A. leaves for Masham, and forms part of 35th Division.  
      20th: Allied troops land at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli.
    25th/26th: 158th R.F.A. moves to Bulford on Salisbury Plain.  
Sep 1915 24th: Battalion leaves Ripon for Hurdcott Camp, Salisbury.   25th (to 15th Oct): Second French Offensive in Artois.
25th: (to 8th Oct): Battle of Loos.
Oct 1915      
Nov 1915      
Dec 1915 19th: Battalion embarks at Devonport. 158th R.F.A. converts from howitzers to 18-pounder field guns. 20th: Start of withdrawal from Gallipoli.
Jan 1916 5th: Battalion disembarks at Port Said, Egypt. Suez Canal defence duties at El Ferdan and El Kantara till March.   8th: Withdrawal from Gallipoli completed.
    27th: Lt.-Col. P. H. Fawcett takes command.
28th: 158th R.F.A. embarks at Southampton for France.
 
Feb 1916     21st: Start of German Offensive at Verdun.
Mar 1916 2nd: Battalion embarks at Port Said.
9th: Battalion disembarks at Marseilles, France.
   
    25th/26th: 158th R.F.A. goes into the line at Laventie.  
Apr 1916   14th/15th: 158th R.F.A. side-steps to la Croix Barbet.  
  28th (to 6th May): In line in front of Serre.   29th: British-Indian forces surrender at Kut.
May 1916 20th-30th: In line. 26th: Ammunition Column becomes No.2 Section, 35th Div. Ammunition Column.
27th: D/158th R.F.A. leaves to become B/163rd R.F.A. to accommodate a howitzer battery.
29th: 158th R.F.A. helps to break up a local German offensive.
 
Jun 1916  
 
5th-13th: Training at Gezaincourt.
19th-23rd: In line.
  1st: Battle of Jutland
4th: Start of Brusilov offensive.
5th: Kitchener drowned.
    30th: C/158th R.F.A. takes part in a diversionary attack by 39th Division.  
Jul 1916 1st: Attack on Serre (Battle of the Somme).
9th: Battalion moves to Calonne-sur-la-Lys for re-fitting and re-organizing.
  1st: Opening day of the Battle of the Somme.
 
11th: Falkenhayn orders halt to German Offensive at Verdun.
  15th: Battalion moves to Neuve Chapelle (there to 11th Sep). 19th: 158th R.F.A. moves into line at Maricourt on the Somme. In continuous action from 20th July to 11th August.  
Aug 1916   17th: 158th R.F.A. returns to line south of Montauban  
Sep 1916   3rd: 158th R.F.A. moves to Arras front.
9th: C/158th R.F.A. leaves to be split between 157th and 159th R.F.A.; replaced by D/163rd R.F.A.
 
  16th (to 5th Oct): At Festubert.    
Oct 1916 15th: Battalion returns to line in front of Serre.   French Offensive at Verdun.
Nov 1916  
17th: Trench Raid
  13th: Battle of the Somme brought to a close.
Dec 1916     Battle of Verdun draws to a close.
Jan 1917   8th: A/158th leaves on disbandment of 158th R.F.A. to become C/48th Army Field Artillery (A.F.A.).  
  10th-12th: Battalion moves to Doullens area for rest & training. 10th: B/158th leaves to become C/64th A.F.A.  
Feb 1917   7th/8th: C/64th A.F.A. into line at Maroeuil.  
Mar 1917 6th-9th: In line east of Puisieux.   11th: British occupy Baghdad.
12th: Start of first Russian Revolution.
  18th: Battalion moves to Merville area for training (to 8th Apr). 20th: C/48th A.F.A. into line at Beaurains.  
Apr 1917     6th: US declares war on Germany.
    9th onwards: C/48th A.F.A. and C/64th A.F.A. take part in Battle of Arras. 9th-14th: First Battle of the Scarpe (Arras). Capture of Vimy Ridge.
16th-20th: Nivelle Offensive on Aisne.
23rd-24th: Second Battle of the Scarpe (Arras).
  29th: Battalion moves to Arras area. 28th: 64th A.F.A. support infantry attack between Oppy and Gavrelle. 
May 1917   3rd: 64th A.F.A. support attack by 31st Division between Oppy and Gavrelle. 3rd: Start of Third Battle of the Scarpe (Arras).
  8th-11th: In line. 11th/12th: 48th A.F.A. support attack by 4th Division against Roeux Chemical Works.  
  14th to 17th: Actions near Oppy (Arras). 14th: 64th A.F.A. withdraw from line at Arras.
19th: 48th A.F.A. support attack by 29th Division on Infantry Hill.
 
    25th-27th: 64th A.F.A. move into line at Woodcote House, Ypres. 27th: Mutiny of French troops along the Chemin des Dames.
Jun 1917   7th: 64th A.F.A. take part in Battle of Messines (to 14th June). 7th: Capture of Messines Ridge.
  10th-19th: In line.    
  28th: Successful attack at Oppy-Gavrelle (Arras).    
Jul 1917 Training & re-fitting.  
31st: 64th A.F.A. take part in Third Battle of Ypres (to 10th November).
 
31st: Opening day of Third Battle of Ypres.
Aug 1917 Trench warfare in Acheville sector (Arras).    
Sep 1917 Strengthening Vimy Ridge defences (through Nov).    
  4th/5th: Battalion bombarded with mustard gas shells. 20th: 64th A.F.A. support infantry attacks in Battle of Menin Road.  
Oct 1917   4th: 64th A.F.A. support infantry attacks in Battle of Broodseinde.  
      23rd: French victory on the Aisne.
    29th: 48th A.F.A. leave Arras for Ypres.
31st: 48th A.F.A. begin to move into line on Steenbeck River.
 
Nov 1917     7th: Bolshevik Revolution.
10th: Third Battle of Ypres brought to a close.
20th: Start of Battle of Cambrai.
Dec 1917 Battalion working on improving defences (through Jan 1918).   11th: Allenby enters Jerusalem.
Jan 1918      
Feb 1918 Battalion transferred to 92nd Infantry Brigade, 31st Division.    
Mar 1918 Training in St. Pol area.
 
27th: Defensive action at Ayette.
2/Lt. Horsfall earns Victoria Cross.
 
 
27th: 48th A.F.A. fight in Battle of the Somme (to 5th April).
3rd: Russo-German peace treaty signed at Brest-Litovsk.
21st (to 5th Apr): German Michael Offensive (First Battle of the Somme 1918).
Apr 1918 Battalion withdrawn to St. Pol area.
11th-13th: Defensive actions near Vieux Berquin (Battle of the Lys).
9th: 64th A.F.A. heavily involved in Battle of the Lys, supporting 31st Division at Vieux Berquin on 12th April. 9th to 29th: German Georgette Offensive (Battle of the Lys).
May 1918 9th-24th: In Méteren sector (Bailleul). 9th: 48th A.F.A. in action at Maroc (Grenay).  
      27th (to 6th Jun): German Blücher-Yorck Offensive (Battle of the Aisne 1918).
Jun 1918     9th to 14th: German Gneisnau Offensive (Battle of the Matz).
  21st: Battalion moves to Aval Wood (Nieppe Forest).
28th: Successful attack at La Becque.
   
Jul 1918 In Vieux Berquin-la Motte sector (Nieppe Forest) (to 19th Aug). 9th: 48th A.F.A. at Loos. 15th to 17th: German Marne-Rheims Offensive.
Aug 1918     8th: Opening day of the Battle of Amiens, the "black day of the German Army in the war."
    18th: 64th A.F.A. support 9th Division in capture of Outtersteene Ridge.  
      21st-29th: Battle of Albert.
    28th: 48th A.F.A. move to Liévin. 26th (to 3rd Sep): Second Battle of Arras.
Sep 1918 5th: Attack at the River Warnave.
13th: Battalion withdrawn to Divisional Reserve.
   
12th: US offensive at St. Mihiel Salient.
19th: Start of Allenby offensive in Palestine.
  24th: Battalion moves to Nieuwkerke (Neuve Eglise).
28th: Successful attack at Ploegsteert Wood.
  26th: US-French offensive on Meuse-Argonne front.
28th: British-Belgian offensive at Ypres.
29th: British break through Hindenburg Line.
Oct 1918     6th-12th: Second Battle of le Cateau.
  16th: River Lys crossed south of Deulemont.
18th: Tourcoing entered.
12th to 24th: 48th A.F.A. advance from Cité St. Edouard (Lens) through Harnes, Courrieres and Bourignies to St. Amand.  
      30th: Turkey capitulates.
Nov 1918 9th: River Schelde crossed at Avelgem. 9th: 48th A.F.A. reaches Eugnies. 1st-11th: Battle of the Sambre.
  11th:Battalion east of Goeferdinge (near Geraardsbergen). 11th: 48th A.F.A. at Aulnois. 11th: Armistice signed by Germany.
Dec 1918      
Jan 1919      
Feb 1919 7th: King's Colours presented to Battalion at St. Omer.    

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