Whose Name We Share

3 was to be raised to the higher scale which would require a quadrupling of the artillery. This was considered an impossible task in the time available and it was agreed the lower scale would remain. Thus it was necessary to expand the artillery from six Brigades (18 four gun 18 pounder batteries) to twelve Brigades. Although the reorganisation had only begun a fortnight previously on 29 February 1916 I Anzac Corps (1 st and 2 nd Australian Divisions and the New Zealand Division) was warned it would be required to move to Europe within two weeks. At the same time it was decided, in accordance with the desire of the War Office, the artillery must be brought up to the scale adopted for all ‘New Army’ divisions. That is three Field Artillery Brigades of four batteries each equipped with four 18 pounders and a Howitzer Brigade of three batteries equipped with 4.5 inch howitzers. This meant the artillery which had increased from 18 to 36 batteries in the fortnight were now required to expand to 60. There was only one way this could be done. According to the Official History; ‘The 1st and 2nd Divisions absorbed the two artillery brigades which they were forming for the 4th and 5th Divisions, and also took back the two brigades which they had lent them. This gave the 1st and 2nd each their full quota of field-gun batteries. For their howitzer batteries men had to be obtained from the ammunition columns and elsewhere, and taken to France untrained. ’ But this is not entirely accurate. In the 1 st Division, on 18 February 1916, troops from the 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd Brigades had been taken to form the 34 th , 35 th and 36 th Batteries, 12 Field Artillery Brigade, 4 th Division. With the urgent need for ‘trained’ personnel the troops were brought back to 1 st Division and redesignated 101 st , 102 nd and 103 rd Howitzer batteries 21 st Howitzer Brigade. “6 March 1916. The officers and other ranks of the 12 th FA Brigade, 4 Aust Div, less 4 officers and 27 other ranks, are transferred to the 1 st Aust Div to form 21 st Howitzer Brigade allotted to that Division. The Brigade will consist of 3 Batteries numbered 101 st , 102 nd and 103 rd Batteries and the 21 st Brigade Ammunition Column. They will be composed of men transferred from the 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd Field Artillery Brigades respectively. Officers appointed to 103 Bty: Capt A H K Jopp commanding Lt A A Evans Lt A R Leschen” -21 st Howitzer Brigade War Diary Entry 6 March 1916, Australian War Memorial