62nd Siege Battery was a heavy howitzer unit of Britain's Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) formed in Kent during World War I. It saw active service on the Western Front at the Somme and on the Ancre, at Bullecourt, Messines and Passchendaele. The battery was overrun and lost its guns during the German Spring Offensive, but was re-equipped and took part in the final Allied Hundred Days Offensive.

Mobilisation On the outbreak of war in August 1914, units of the part-time Territorial Force (TF) were invited to volunteer for Overseas ServiceBecke, Pt 2b, p. 6. and the majority of the Kent Royal Garrison Artillery did so. Nos 1 and 2 Companies of this 'defended ports unit' were stationed in the Sheerness defences on the River Medway.Frederick, p. 697.Maurice-Jones, p. 185.

By October 1914, the campaign on the Western Front was bogging down into Trench warfare and there was an urgent need for batteries of siege artillery to be sent to France. The War Office decided that the TF coastal gunners were well enough trained to take over many of the duties in the coastal defences, releasing Regular Army RGA gunners for service in the field.WO Instruction No 248 of October 1914. Although the TF defended ports units never served overseas, the TF RGA companies that had volunteered for overseas service were soon supplying trained gunners to RGA units serving overseas and providing cadres to form complete units with 'New Army' (Kitchener's Army) volunteers.Maurice-Jones, pp. 200–1.

62nd Siege Battery, RGA, was formed at Sheerness on 21 September 1915 with a cadre of Territorials drawn from the Kent RGA.Frederick, pp. 702–6. Together with 61st Siege Bty it formed 'R' Siege Brigade on 18 October.Frederick, pp. 715–8.WO Instruction No 173 of 18 October 1915. 643 Company, Army Service Corps (ASC), formed 25 January 1916, was attached to 62nd Siege Bty to provide its motor transport.Young, Annex Q. The battery was equipped with four 9.2-inch howitzers and was sent to the Western Front, arriving on 9 March 1916.'Allocation of Siege Batteries RGA', The National Archives (TNA), Kew, file WO 95/5494/4.

Service After disembarking its guns at Boulogne, the battery went by road to join 19th Heavy Artillery Group (HAG) with Third Army on the Somme and went into billets at Authieule on 15 March. Three days later, Right Section moved its first gun into position at St Amand near Pommier. By 20 March Right Section had positioned both guns, and Left Section was preparing its positions nearby at Monchiet. Right Section fired its first nine shells on 22 March to test its mountings and direction. By the end of the month all four guns were emplaced, but the front was quiet and the battery had little to do apart from registering its guns on various enemy trenches.'Headquarters Heavy Artillery Groups', TNA file WO 95/5494/1.19th HAG War Diary May 1915–May 1916, TNA file WO 95/217/1.

The ASC company was absorbed into the brigade's ammunition column on 25 April. The battery was reassigned to VII Corps Heavy Artillery on 11 May. When 96th Siege Bty arrived from the UK it took over 62nd Siege Bty's 9.2-inch howitzers in their emplacements on 25 May.MacDonald, Lack of Offensive Spirit, p. 106. The battery's personnel then joined X Corps with Fourth Army on 8 June

Somme

X Corps was preparing for that summer's 'Big Push' (the Battle of the Somme). Its task would be to advance astride the River Ancre to capture the high ground in front. The corps heavy artillery's 'Northern Group', to which 62nd Siege Bty was attached, would support the attack of 36th (Ulster) Division up the Ancre valley and against the Schwaben Redoubt on the edge of the Thiepval plateau.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 99–109.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 193–7.Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, pp. 256, 394–8, Sketch 22.

The bombardment programme was to extend over five days, U, V, W, X and Y, before the assault was launched on Z day. The strenuous work of firing the heavy guns and howitzers was divided into 2-hour periods to allow the gunners to rest, Forward Observation Officers (FOOs) to be relieved, and the guns to cool. The bombardment began on 24 June, but on several days the weather was too bad for good air or ground observation and the programme was extended by two days (Y1 and Y2).Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, pp. 299–305.MacDonald, p. .Farndale, pp. 144–9.

At 06.25 on Z Day (1 July) the final bombardment began. When the infantry launched their assault at 07.30, 36th (Ulster) Division captured most of the German front and support positions without difficulty, and had advanced nearly a mile onto the ridge in the first hour, including the front part of the Schwaben Redoubt. However, St Pierre Divion had been hardly touched by the bombardment and machine guns in the village fired into the flank of the brigade trying to advance up the valley. The corps artillery plan was also too rigid: the heavy guns 'lifted' at set times from one objective to the next, and got away from some of the infantry, who received no benefit from their fire, while it hindered the successful Ulster brigade, which was ready to assault the German second line by 10.00 and had to wait under heavy fire until 10.10 for the barrage to cease. This allowed German reinforcements to arrive just in time. The division spent the rest of the day on the open plateau under heavy fire, with no support on its flanks and unable to get reinforcements or ammunition forward. German counter-attacks forced the abandonment of the redoubt that night. Over the next two days the gunners helped to collect the thousands of wounded left after the failed assault.Edmonds, 1916, Vol I, pp. 396–9, 403–8, 416–21.

X Corps continued fighting on the Somme through July, now under the command of Reserve Army, including the battles for Bazentin Ridge, Ovillers and Pozières Ridge. It then handed over to II Corps, which took over the fighting for Pozières Ridge and then participated in the battles of Flers–Courcelette, Thiepval Ridge, and the Ancre Heights (when the Schwaben Redoubt was finally captured), and lastly the Battle of the Ancre, which closed the Somme Offensive in November.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 137–43.

Winter 1916–17 62nd Siege Bty was still with Reserve Army (now renamed Fifth Army when 10th HAG took it over on 16 December. By this stage its two sections were widely separated, one still in the Ancre valley at the north east corner of Aveluy Wood (near group HQ at Bouzincourt), the other near Martinpuich, several kilometres to the east. Under 10th HAG the batteries continued harassing fire (HF) tasks against German positions – often against South Miraumont Trench for 62nd Siege Bty.10th HAG War Diary 1916, TNA file WO 95/300/2.10th HAG War Diary 1917, TNA file WO 95/300/3.

Fifth Army renewed its operations on the Ancre in January 1917. On 9 and 10 January 10th HAG's fire swelled to a heavy bombardment in preparation for an attack by XIII Corps and by 11th (Northern) Division of IV Corps. It supported another attack by 11th (N) Division on 17 January, where the heavy artillery suppressed most of the resistance before the infantry arrived. There was now a round of reliefs, II Corps taking over from IV Corps, but the operations continued, with 62nd Siege Bty still firing on South Miraumont Trench until the end of the month, when the whole of 10th HAG concentrated on Boom Ravine, Miraumont Brickworks and the trenches of the Puisieux blocking system. 62nd Siege Bty transferred to 40th HAG on 2 February 1917 when that HQ moved into Bouzincourt and changed over with 10th HAG, but the firing remained the same, with 62nd concentrating on South Miraumont Trench. 63rd (Royal Naval) Division attacked the almost-obliterated Puisieux Trench on 3 February and held it against several counter-attacks, which were broken up with the aid of artillery fire. The group continued pounding the Miraumont and Grandcourt trenches as the infantry pushed forward in minor operations, capturing one commanding point after another. The largest of these were the Actions of Miraumont, carried out by II Corps on 17–18 February with the aim of giving Fifth Army ground observation of the enemy battery positions. At Zero hour Fifth Army's siege groups including 40th HAG were to bombard the enemy's rear lines, machine gun emplacements etc, but surprise had been lost and the Germans opened their own bombardment 45 minutes before Zero. Nevertheless, 18th (Eastern) Division forced its way into Boom Ravine, but 2nd Division was pushed back out of South Miraumont Trench. The main objective, Hill 130, remained uncaptured and casualties had been heavy. 62nd Siege Bty returned to shelling South Miraumont and Gudgeon trenches. It brought at third gun up to Martinpuich on 3 March and its fourth to Courcelette on the night of 9/10 March, where it was later joined by one from Martinpuich. 2nd and 18th (E) Divisions made another attack on 10 March and took Irles and the nearby Grevillers Trench with the support of 40th HAG. Operations on the Ancre came to an end on 13 March 1917 when the Germans began retreating to the Hindenburg Line. This planned withdrawal (Operation Alberich) had been brought forward by two weeks in this sector because of the British success at Irles. By 18 March they were out of range of all of 40th HAG's guns.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 153–60.Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 65–82, 99–100, 105–7.Farndale, pp. 161–4.40th HAG War Diary, January 1917–July 1919, TNA file WO 95/223/1.

Bullecourt Following the Germans caused huge problems for the artillery, which had to be dragged across the recent battlefields, and then the devastation caused by the retreating enemy. At the end of March 40th HAG moved north with V Corps where Fifth Army was to assist Third Army's Arras Offensive by attacking the end of the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt, supported by every available heavy gun. The first heavy guns to arrive had to be used for wire-cutting because the field guns were initially kept out of range by German outposts. It does not appear that 62nd Siege Bty was able to join in until 21–22 April, after the First attack on Bullecourt, when it targeted a German anti-tank battery. On 23 April 40th HAG carried out vigorous Counter-battery (CB) fire to support an attack by the neighbouring VII Corps (part of Third Army's Second Battle of the Scarpe) with 62nd Siege Bty also firing into Fontaine-lès-Croisilles. The attack was a partial success. Over the next two days 62nd Siege Bty fired on a German strongpoint with the assistance of an observation aircraft, gaining several direct hits, and also participated in 'crash' barrages on hostile batteries. Thorough artillery preparation was undertaken for the renewed Battle of Bullecourt on 3 May. Roads had been improved, there was plentiful ammunition, and the CB fire was effective. But on V Corps' front 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division could not hold on to Bullecourt village, even with a protective barrage fired by the heavy guns. A fresh attack that evening by 7th Division was also driven back. The guns continued firing while further attempts were made over the next two weeks to take the village. It was finally evacuated by the Germans on 17 May. That night 62nd Siege Bty pulled out of its positions and began to move north to join Second Army in the Ypres Salient.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 111–120.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 161–7.Becke, Pt 4, pp. 175–8.Falls, 1917, Vol I, pp. 102–3, 357–9, 383–9, 455–8, 463–6, 468, 471–8, Sketches 19 & 20.Farndale, pp. 177, 181–2.

Messines