After completing their mobilisation the 2nd London Division's artillery brigades moved to the country round Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Kings Langley in Hertfordshire to begin war training.

[12][7][13][20][21][22] At the end of October 1914 the 2nd London Division was chosen to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) fighting on the Western Front and training was stepped up, despite bad weather and equipment shortages.

The attackers ran into devastating machine gun fire (there was no artillery barrage to suppress the defenders) and they found that the barbed wire was inadequately cut and the breastworks barely touched.

A renewed bombardment was ordered from 06.15 to 07.00, but the artillery's forward observation officers (FOOs) were unable to locate the hidden German machine gun positions, which required a direct hit from an HE shell to be put out of action.

[25][26][27] Although 2nd London Division suffered few casualties at Aubers Ridge, its gunners had learned a sobering lesson about the impossibility of suppressing strong defences with inadequate guns and shells.

The fighting went on for several days, and between 18 and 20 May the Canadian and 51st (Highland) Divisions took over the line under the command of Lt-Gen Edwin Alderson as 'Alderson's Force', with 1/VIII London Bde among its supporting artillery.

[5][17][31][32][33][34] The division returned to the Loos sector in January 1916, with most of the artillery round Grenay, with Observation Posts (OPs) in the cottages of Maroc, which had become known as 'Artillery Row' during the earlier battle.

However, the tanks proved useless in the tangled tree stumps of High Wood, and the artillery could not bombard the German front line because No man's land was so narrow.

Casualties among the attacking infantry were extremely heavy, but they succeeded in capturing High Wood and the gun batteries began to move up in support, crossing deeply-cratered ground.

On 16 January 1917 a German attack was anticipated, and the divisional artillery, together with that of 23rd and 41st Divisions and the Corps and Army heavy guns, carried out an intense bombardment, which brought considerable enemy retaliation.

The artillery was mostly engaged in suppressing troublesome German trench mortars (Minenwerfers) by firing short concentrated bombardments on specific sectors of the enemy line.

[7][22][20][58] Entrainment of the artillery for the embarkation port of Marseilles began on 14 November and was a slow business due to lack of facilities: the drivers needed their wooden trench bridges to get their horses aboard the trains.

In early March the division began moving in bad weather to take over the line between Lake Doiran and the Vardar in preparation for the Allied Spring offensive.

[20][59][60] After landing at Alexandria between 18 and 22 June, 60th (2/2nd L) Division moved to the Suez Canal to join the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), where its units were reorganised (the BACs were absorbed into the DAC once more) and underwent training before crossing Sinai in early July 1917.

[20][63][64][65] After a short rest at Huj, the division bivouacked at Gaza under heavy rain, then began a 42 miles (68 km) march through the mud to Junction Station, which it reached on 22 November.

It now entered the last stage of the Battle of Nebi Samwil, where the objectives were a tangle of hill slopes, with tracks so bad that it was impossible to bring up the guns until roads had been made for them.

Nebi Samwil had been captured by units of 75th Division, and the London battalions that relieved them came under fierce counter-attacks on 29 November; only the supporting British artillery fire allowed them to maintain their position.

The first formed party to enter the city was a small force of gunners commanded by Lt-Col Bayley, who had been bringing CCCIII Bde up the road from Qalonye.

[22][20][51][88][f] It served with this brigade at Beersheba (where the battery's howitzers were dragged into action by the pack-mules of 5th Bn Royal Irish Fusiliers), Sheria, the defence of Jerusalem, and the Battle of Tell 'Asur.

44th (HC) Division embarked for France on 1 April 1940 to join the new British Expeditionary Force (BEF), and 65th Fd Rgt took up its positions at Érin and Blangy-sur-Ternoise, north-east of Hesdin.

Battery Sergeant-Major Jack Tirrell, acting as gun position officer (GPO) of L Troop was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for gallantry on 29 May.

The Panzer attack was ragged, but a fierce battle broke out between them and 22nd Armoured Brigade, with 44th Divisional Artillery joining in 'to give the enemy tanks a hot reception'.

[96][118] For Eighth Army's counter-offensive (the Second Battle of Alamein), 44th (HC) Division was to lead one of XIII Corps' thrusts through the enemy minefields on the first night, 23/24 October (Operation Lightfoot).

44th (HC) Division took some part in the pursuit to El Agheila, collecting prisoners, but XIII Corps was short of transport and was left behind as Eighth Army drove westwards.

For this battle 50th (N) Division was tasked with assaulting the Wadi Zigzaou, which opened on the night of 16/17 March 1943 with 69th Bde successfully driving in the enemy outposts with the support of the whole divisional artillery.

[125][128] Over the next few days the division fought its way forward to extend the beachhead against strong German counter-attacks, and the divisional artillery was heavily engaged in defensive fire (DF) tasks.

[125][131] This brought the division to the Bernhardt Line, where 65th Fd Rgt lent support to the attack of 201st Guards Brigade up 'Bare Arse Ridge' on 6 November during the Battle of Monte Camino.

[125][139] On the night of 27/28 September 56th (L) Division attacked Savignano sul Rubicone on the Fiumicino river, supported by a 90-minute barrage fired by the heavily reinforced divisional artillery.

[165] The brigade is listed on the City and County of London Troops Memorial in front of the Royal Exchange, with architectural design by Sir Aston Webb and sculpture by Alfred Drury.

[169][170] A bronze plaque bearing the Roll of Honour of the men of 65th (8th London) and 118th Field Rgts who died during the Second World War, previously at the Eltham drill hall, is now at Napier House.