Date |
Accrington Pals |
Howitzers |
First World War |
Jun 1914 |
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28th: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo. |
Jul 1914 |
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28th: Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia. |
Aug 1914 |
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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. |
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6th-9th: Battle of the Marne. |
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14th: Enlistment begins. 24th: Enlistment complete. |
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12th-28th: Battle of the Aisne. Trench warfare begins. |
Oct 1914 |
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10th (to 11th Nov): First Battle of Ypres. |
Nov 1914 |
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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. |
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Jan 1915 |
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29th: War Office accepts offer by Capt. John Harwood to raise a howitzer artillery brigade. |
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Feb 1915 |
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6th: Enlistment begins at Accrington. |
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21st: Farewell service at St. John's Church, Accrington. 23rd: Battalion leaves Accrington for Caernarvon. |
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Mar 1915 |
1st: Lt.-Col. A. W. Rickman takes command. |
6th: 158th (Accrington & Burnley) Brigade, R.F.A. complete except for Ammunition Column. |
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10th-13th: Battle of Neuve Chapelle. |
Apr 1915 |
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22nd (to 25th May): Second Battle of Ypres. First use of poison gas. 25th: British and ANZAC troops land at Gallipoli. |
May 1915 |
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9th (to 16th Jun): First French Offensive in Artois. 9th: Battle of Aubers Ridge. |
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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. |
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15th-25th: Battle of Festubert. |
Jun 1915 |
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5th: 158th R.F.A. leaves home towns for Weeton Camp. |
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Jul 1915 |
30th: Battalion leaves Penkridge for Ripon. |
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Aug 1915 |
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4th/5th: 158th R.F.A. leaves for Masham, and forms part of 35th Division. |
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20th: Allied troops land at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli. |
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25th/26th: 158th R.F.A. moves to Bulford on Salisbury Plain. |
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Sep 1915 |
24th: Battalion leaves Ripon for Hurdcott Camp, Salisbury. |
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25th (to 15th Oct): Second French Offensive in Artois. 25th: (to 8th Oct): Battle of Loos. |
Oct 1915 |
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Nov 1915 |
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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. |
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8th: Withdrawal from Gallipoli completed. |
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27th: Lt.-Col. P. H. Fawcett takes command. 28th: 158th R.F.A. embarks at Southampton for France. |
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Feb 1916 |
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21st: Start of German Offensive at Verdun. |
Mar 1916 |
2nd: Battalion embarks at Port Said. 9th: Battalion disembarks at Marseilles, France. |
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25th/26th: 158th R.F.A. goes into the line at Laventie. |
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Apr 1916 |
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14th/15th: 158th R.F.A. side-steps to la Croix Barbet. |
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28th (to 6th May): In line in front of Serre. |
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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. |
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Jun 1916 |
5th-13th: Training at Gezaincourt. 19th-23rd: In line. |
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1st: Battle of Jutland 4th: Start of Brusilov offensive. 5th: Kitchener drowned. |
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30th: C/158th R.F.A. takes part in a diversionary attack by 39th Division. |
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Jul 1916 |
1st: Attack on Serre (Battle of the Somme). 9th: Battalion moves to Calonne-sur-la-Lys for re-fitting and re-organizing. |
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1st: Opening day of the Battle of the Somme. 11th: Falkenhayn orders halt to German Offensive at Verdun. |
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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. |
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Aug 1916 |
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17th: 158th R.F.A. returns to line south of Montauban |
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Sep 1916 |
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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. |
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16th (to 5th Oct): At Festubert. |
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Oct 1916 |
15th: Battalion returns to line in front of Serre. |
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French Offensive at Verdun. |
Nov 1916 |
17th: Trench Raid |
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13th: Battle of the Somme brought to a close. |
Dec 1916 |
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Battle of Verdun draws to a close. |
Jan 1917 |
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8th: A/158th leaves on disbandment of 158th R.F.A. to become C/48th Army Field Artillery (A.F.A.). |
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10th-12th: Battalion moves to Doullens area for rest & training. |
10th: B/158th leaves to become C/64th A.F.A. |
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Feb 1917 |
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7th/8th: C/64th A.F.A. into line at Maroeuil. |
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Mar 1917 |
6th-9th: In line east of Puisieux. |
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11th: British occupy Baghdad. 12th: Start of first Russian Revolution. |
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18th: Battalion moves to Merville area for training (to 8th Apr). |
20th: C/48th A.F.A. into line at Beaurains. |
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Apr 1917 |
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6th: US declares war on Germany. |
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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). |
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29th: Battalion moves to Arras area. |
28th: 64th A.F.A. support infantry attack between Oppy and Gavrelle. | |
May 1917 |
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3rd: 64th A.F.A. support attack by 31st Division between Oppy and Gavrelle. |
3rd: Start of Third Battle of the Scarpe (Arras). |
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8th-11th: In line. |
11th/12th: 48th A.F.A. support attack by 4th Division against Roeux Chemical Works. |
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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. |
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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 |
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7th: 64th A.F.A. take part in Battle of Messines (to 14th June). |
7th: Capture of Messines Ridge. |
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10th-19th: In line. |
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28th: Successful attack at Oppy-Gavrelle (Arras). |
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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). |
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Sep 1917 |
Strengthening Vimy Ridge defences (through Nov). |
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4th/5th: Battalion bombarded with mustard gas shells. |
20th: 64th A.F.A. support infantry attacks in Battle of Menin Road. |
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Oct 1917 |
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4th: 64th A.F.A. support infantry attacks in Battle of Broodseinde. |
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23rd: French victory on the Aisne. |
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29th: 48th A.F.A. leave Arras for Ypres. 31st: 48th A.F.A. begin to move into line on Steenbeck River. |
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Nov 1917 |
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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). |
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11th: Allenby enters Jerusalem. |
Jan 1918 |
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Feb 1918 |
Battalion transferred to 92nd Infantry Brigade, 31st Division. |
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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). |
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27th (to 6th Jun): German Blücher-Yorck Offensive (Battle of the Aisne 1918). |
Jun 1918 |
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9th to 14th: German Gneisnau Offensive (Battle of the Matz). |
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21st: Battalion moves to Aval Wood (Nieppe Forest). 28th: Successful attack at La Becque. |
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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 |
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8th: Opening day of the Battle of Amiens, the "black day of the German Army in the war." |
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18th: 64th A.F.A. support 9th Division in capture of Outtersteene Ridge. |
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21st-29th: Battle of Albert. |
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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. |
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12th: US offensive at St. Mihiel Salient. 19th: Start of Allenby offensive in Palestine. |
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24th: Battalion moves to Nieuwkerke (Neuve Eglise). 28th: Successful attack at Ploegsteert Wood. |
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26th: US-French offensive on Meuse-Argonne front. 28th: British-Belgian offensive at Ypres. 29th: British break through Hindenburg Line. |
Oct 1918 |
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6th-12th: Second Battle of le Cateau. |
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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. |
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30th: Turkey capitulates. |
Nov 1918 |
9th: River Schelde crossed at Avelgem. |
9th: 48th A.F.A. reaches Eugnies. |
1st-11th: Battle of the Sambre. |
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11th:Battalion east of Goeferdinge (near Geraardsbergen). |
11th: 48th A.F.A. at Aulnois. |
11th: Armistice signed by Germany. |
Dec 1918 |
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Jan 1919 |
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Feb 1919 |
7th: King's Colours presented to Battalion at St. Omer. |
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