On 18/19 April the brigade took over its own section of front near Ploegsteert ('Plugstreet') with observation posts (OPs) near St Yves, and the batteries began registering targets in their respective zones.

[9][1][10][14] Apart from occasional exchanges of fire with German batteries, the sector was quiet for the rest of the year as the brigade learned the routines of trench warfare, switching positions, improving gun pits, strengthening observation posts (OPs), registering targets around Gommecourt and harassing enemy working parties.

The forward observation officer (FOO) with the infantry support party in No man's land called down a previously registered Box barrage onto the edge of the woods to isolate the sector to be attacked.

After a week's rest the 18-pdr batteries of 48th (SM) DA under CCXLII Bde HQ moved to fresh positions to support an attack by 11th (Northern) Division against the 'Wonder Work'.

Thick mud made moving and preparing gun positions difficult, and enemy shellfire continually cut the telephone lines; the attack was delayed because of the conditions.

A wireless station was established at brigade HQ and worked with aircraft from No 4 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps to register the guns on targets that were invisible to the ground OPs.

The brigade then moved through heavy rain to new positions at Sailly, arriving on 5 October, joining with CCXLIII Bde to form Left Group of 48th (SM) DA.

The arrival of this battery gave CCXLII (SM) Bde the following organisation:[9][1][14][29] The divisional sector continued quiet, apart from a heavy German bombardment early on the morning of 22 October, when they attempted to raid the British lines at Hébuterne.

CCXLII Brigade HQ commanded a subgroup of artillery including LXX Bde of 15th (Scottish) Division, keeping up fire on the enemy trenches and communications.

[9][1][10] AFA brigades were a new concept developed to provide an artillery reserve, allowing commanders to move field guns to reinforce a sector without breaking up the divisional structure.

They were held up by undamaged concrete pillboxes and field gun positions, but the defenders panicked when the Australians penetrated between these strongpoints and the barrage passed beyond them, cutting the Germans' retreat.

Struggling through exceptional mud and held up by undestroyed machine gun positions, the British attackers lost their barrage and the advance was stopped with few gains.

The division led II Corps' renewed attempt on 22 August to advance up the Menin Road and take Inverness Copse on the Gheluvelt Plateau.

At 0953 the barrage began moving again as the troops advanced to take the final objective: 23rd Division found these last few hundred yards the most difficult, with a number of concrete pillboxes to be subdued.

The Battle of Poelcappelle was fought on 9 October: by now the rain and mud were so bad that many of the guns could not be hauled forward, and ammunition supply even with pack-horses was severely hampered.

20th (L) Division made a successful diversionary attack against the Fresnoy sector on 27 September, but because it was holding a very wide frontage and the German Drocourt-Quéant Line lay ahead, it went no further.

The incoming British troops were greeted with increased German shellfire and raids, to which the brigade responded with large numbers of shells on SOS tasks and retaliatory fire, assisted by a section of 109th Siege Battery, RGA.

It returned to the line at Wancourt in the Arras sector on 9 June and resumed the usual programme of harassing fire and supporting trench raids until it was relieved at the end of the month.

[83][84][85][86][87] The German spring offensive opened with a massive bombardment at 04.40 on 21 March, and all telephone lines to CCCVII Bde's batteries and OPs were cut by the shellfire.

[83][89][101] On 4 April the Germans put in a fresh attack (the Battle of the Avre), but their advance on Rouvrel was frustrated by the British barrage; CCCVII Bde around Guyencourt-sur-Noye contributed harassing fire by day and night.

61st (2nd SM) Division's exhausted infantry had been relieved and sent north (where they were engaged in the Battle of the Lys from 11 to 18 April), but the divisional artillery remained in position at Villers-Bretonneux, supporting British, Australian and French units.

Third Army now prepared a fullscale assault against the German positions (the Battle of the Selle) and on 19 October CCCVII Bde was ordered to hold a battery at immediate readiness to support the infantry advance.

The division's attempts to establish bridgeheads across the River Rhonelle on 27 October were unsuccessful, but enemy counter-attacks suffered heavy casualties from the single guns that had been pushed well forward.

The BEF was falling back to the line of the Escaut and on 18 May the regiment was ordered across the river to the Bois d'Houtaing a few miles to the west of Ath, where its guns were readied for action at Wez-Velvain.

Although it had difficulty finding suitable OP positions, and one FOO was killed, the regiment did much predicted shooting on targets indicated by its liaison officers at the infantry brigade and battalion HQs.

The division's infantry worked their way up the Tiber Valley through scrub-covered ridges and deep ravines and then secured the mountain tops beyond, attacking usually at night.

[135][136][137] In mid-September 10 Indian Division was switched to V Corps under Eighth Army on the Adriatic front, and on 6 October it crossed the headwaters of the Fiumicino (Rubicon) near Sogliano and early next morning stormed the key feature of Monte Farneto.

After Eighth Army had crossed the Senio and taken the Argenta Gap, the Germans in front of XIII Corps pulled out, and 10th Indian Division began a pursuit towards Budrio on 14 April.

[108] 61st Division did appear in 21st Army Group's proposed order of battle in the summer of 1943, but it was later replaced by veteran formations brought back from the Mediterranean theatre before Operation Overlord was launched.

After the war, 603 Fd Bty disbanded on 1 January 1946 and 120th (South Midland) Field Regiment began entering suspended animation on 14 April 1946, completing the process by 2 May.