Royal Field Artillery

Irish member of the Royal Field Artillery (1904).

The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry of the British Army.^[1] It came into being when created as a separate entity from the Royal Artillery on 1 July 1899, and was re-amalgamated into the Royal Artillery in 1924.^[2] 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).
• Arthur G. Hobbs, driver, Distinguished Conduct Medal recipient.
• Dar Lyon, (1898–1964) first-class cricketer.
• Donald McLeod (1882–1917), represented Scotland at football
• Cecil Patteson Nickalls, D.S.O. (1877-1925) was a champion polo player who took his own life with a gun on April 7, 1925.^[3]
• Herbert George Robinson, was a Bombardier, Distinguished Conduct Medal recipient.
• Alfred William Saunders, (1888–1930) World War I flying ace.
• Garth Neville Walford, Victoria Cross recipient.
• Francis Wallington, first recipient of the Military Cross four times.

References

1. Clarke 2004, p. 4
2. Carman 1973, p. 28
3. David Frith (2011). Silence Of The Heart: Cricket Suicide. p. 55. Cecil Patteson Nickalls, who won the DSO while serving in the Royal Field Artillery in the Great War ... representing England at polo against the United States in 1902 ...

Bibliography

• Carman, W.Y. (1973). The Royal Artillery. Volume 25 of Man-at-Arms Series. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-140-X.
• Clarke, Dale (2004). British Artillery 1914–19 Field Army Artillery. Volume 94 of New Vanguard Series. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-688-7.

External links

• A List of the formation, attachments and history of each Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery