Original Item - One-of-a-Kind. This is a rare medal and ephemera group to an ANZAC soldier who saw three-and-a-half years of service during World War I with both the 22nd Brigade, Field Artillery, and the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column. Named items to Australian soldiers of the First World War are becoming increasingly difficult to find.

Horace William Vincent Daly was born in Blackheath, Cumberland, Australia in January 1889. He joined the Australian Imperial Force on November 1st, 1916, at the age of 27, while working as a Woolclasser. His regimental number is 32970. Daly was designated a Driver and assigned to the 22nd Brigade, Field Artillery. He embarked from Australia on May 5th, 1917, arriving in England for further training. He left for France on October 17th, 1917, serving with the 22nd Brigade, Field Artillery until being transferred to the 1st Divisional Ammunition Column on November 9th, 1917. He served with the 1st DAC until his discharge on March 18th, 1920, when he returned to his job as a Woolclasser.

The Group includes:

-Daly’s British War Medal & WWI Victory Medal, both engraved along the rim of the medal. The ribbons appear to have been replaced, and the victory medal’s ribbon is not attached.

-The box and envelope for Daly’s British War Medal.

-Two of Daly’s Pay Books numbered 172300, along with a small canvas carrying case stamped H.W.D. on the front for Horace William Daly.

-Souvenir unit history of the New South Wales and Queensland Field Artillery, with a list of men and addresses inside. Daly is named on this list and in the roster in the back of the book.

-Daly’s Original Certificate of Discharge

-A small leaflet with a message to the men of the Third Australian Division.

-Photo of ANZAC soldier that was displayed with the group, likely not Daly.

-Service Song Book and paper named to a soldier from the same period.

22nd Field Artillery (Howitzer) Brigade

Howitzer Brigades were added to the establishment of Divisional Artillery for the Western Front.  Field guns like the 18 pounder just did not have the destructive power needed to defeat well prepared defensive positions such as German blockhouses and concrete dugouts.  Something bigger was needed.

A Howitzer Battery was originally raised for each Field Artillery Brigade but in respect of artillery, concentration is the name of the game and it was realized more were required so the Howitzer Brigades comprising 12 x 4.5 inch howitzers were raised; 21 through 25, the second digit indicating the Division to which it was assigned.

A howitzer is a relatively short barrelled gun that fires a comparatively heavy shell at moderate velocity on a high trajectory causing the shells to fall steeply or 'lob'  into the enemy positions.  When the shell is fitted with a delay fuze, the projectile will detonate sub-surface which is the desired effect to destroy trenches, dugouts, and the like.

At the outbreak of the War, Australian Artillery was in short supply in both quantitative and qualitative terms.  The standard 'fire unit' of artillery is a Battery comprising variously four to six guns described as light, medium, or heavy depending on the equipment, calibre, and weight of shell. The standard field gun was the British 18 pounder (so-called because of the weight of the high explosive shell).

When the AIF embarked, its artillery was light-on indeed.  As it turned out the scope to use it at Gallipoli was extremely constrained anyway so it mattered less than had the AIF gone straight to Europe, where artillery was the definitive feature of the battlefield.

The standard organization of Field Artillery took on the form of the Field Artillery Brigade which were formed to support infantry divisions. In 1914 and 1915 the First and Second Division each had three brigades (initially corresponding to the Brigade numeric designation) equipped with 12 x 18 pounder field guns.  On arrival in France, the artillery was reorganized with each field artillery brigade having 12 x 18 pounders and 4 x 4.5 inch howitzers. There was initially a lack of howitzers available to meet the establishment.

In March 1916 a fourth battery of four 18 pounder field guns was added. At the same time a Howitzer Brigade was raised for each division with 12 x 4.5 inch howitzers each.

The 22nd was thus equipped.  It became the Howitzer Brigade under command of the 2nd Division Artillery.

They were short lived though.  Because of supply constraints in respect of the guns, and other considerations, the Howitzer Brigades were broken up and the batteries distributed among the Field Artillery Brigades of each Division in early 1917 as had been originally intended.  The 22nd's batteries were distributed across the 4th, 5th, and 6th Field Artillery Brigades.

1st Divisional Ammunition Train

The 1st Division Ammunition Column belonged to the 1st Division Artillery.  Its role was the provision of ammunition forward to the gun positions. In post-19th Century conventional warfare, artillery is a dominant component of military combat power.  During WW1, the nature, range and effect of artillery fire dominated the battlefields of the Western Front in particular on a scale that has rarely been rivaled since. To sustain this effect, the logistics of supply of ammunition are critical.  

Artillery ammunition is the single greatest commodity required by a combat force in terms of weight and footprint.

The weight and volume of artillery ammunition meant that keeping ammunition up to the guns at the rates required was an all-encompassing supply chain issue from manufacture through storage, distribution and provision, to disposal of unexploded ordnance and recovery of reusable components.

Each Division had an Ammunition Column, which in the Supply Chain is classified as 'Second Line' supply to keep ammunition up to the guns by moving it from "Third Line" Supply Depot storage up to the Front ("First Line"). It was a mammoth task involving motor and horse drawn transport, heavy and light rail and tramways.  Ammunition dumps and transport near the Front Line were high priority targets of the enemy's guns, and later, aircraft.

Horse drawn transport laden with ammunition is a doubly risky business.  Horses are vulnerable to all forms of small arms and artillery and the cargo is such that a hit is generally catastrophic.  It is not for nothing that many drivers received bravery awards.  Many were killed in the process of carrying out their assigned tasks.