29th Divisional Artillery: War Record and Honours Book 1915-1918

The 29th Division (“The Incomparable 29th”) was formed between January and March 1915 and took part in the Gallipoli campaign from the landings in April 1915 till evacuated in January 1916, and then went to the Western Front where it remained for the rest of the war. In all it won twenty-three VCs, the highest number awarded to any division, one of them to Capt Walford of the divisional artillery. This record originated in the Honours Book kept by 29th Division’s GOC, Maj-Gen de Lisle (June 1915 - March 1918), and continued by his successor, Maj-Gen D.S Cayley. The original intention had been to provide the recipients of honours with some record of the deeds for which they had been awarded. The Honours Book, however, did not include the text of the recommendations, obviously impracticable on active service, but the task was undertaken, as far as the divisional artillery was concerned, after the division had settled in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation. Then it was decided to improve on the original idea and include a short history of the doings of the divisional artillery, a list of casualties, and a record of officers’ services.

Part I contains the list of honours to officers and men, grouped separately and arranged in alphabetical order with citations, followed by the same list (less citations) arranged according to units, in chronological order. Part II is the list of all those who were killed, wounded or missing, arranged in alphabetical order, officers and other ranks grouped separately. Details include the battery, date and nature of casualty. Part III contains the record of services of all officers who served in the divisional artillery between the Gallipoli Landing (25th April 1915) and the Armistice. The names are arranged alphabetically. Part IV is the short history (75 pages) of the divisional artillery, what it did from mobilization to the occupation of the Rhineland in March 1919. This history includes a table showing the artillery organization at Cape Helles on 23rd August 1915 and the divisional artillery staff and commanders at the evacuation. The narrative itself is in diary form, based on the War Diaries, and concludes with copies of some of the congratulatory messages received by the divisional artillery.

Keywords: history, war, wwi, first world war, world war one, world war 1, ww1, battalion, regiment, army, soldiers, africa, battles, historical