page_title: Northamptonshire Battery, Royal Field Artillery
section_title: Gaza
hierarchical_section_title: Northamptonshire Battery, Royal Field Artillery / World War I / 1/1 Northamptonshire Battery / Gaza
caption_attribution_description: Romani, Sinai. 1916. British artillerymen loading an 18 pounder gun.
context_page_description: The Northamptonshire Battery, Royal Field Artillery was a unit of Britain's Territorial Force from 1908 to 1919. It served in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign during World War I. In World War II the battery fought in the Malayan Campaign and was captured at the Fall of Singapore.
context_section_description: The infantry battalions of 54th Division were slowly brought back up to strength with drafts from home during 1916, and by mid-January 1917 the whole division had assembled at Moascar in preparation for the British invasion of Sinai. After crossing the Wilderness, the division took part in the First Battle of Gaza (26–7 March), where B/270 Bty found great difficulty crossing the Wadi Guzze, and then breaking up Turkish counter-attacks on the second day. Sergeant Barker won a Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) after being wounded but refusing to leave his gun.
  During the Second Battle of Gaza (17–19 April) the brigade was not required to fire a shot on the first days. On 19 April it joined in the barrage 10 minutes before H-Hour but the preliminary bombardment had failed to neutralise Turkish artillery and machine guns, and 54th Division's infantry suffered heavy casualties.
  On 14/15 and 20/21 July, 270th Bde gave covering fire for major raids on the Turkish lines. A six-day preliminary bombardment for the Third Battle of Gaza began on 27 October, with B/270 Bty attached to 271 (II East Anglian) Bde in No 3 Group supporting 161st (Essex) Brigade. On X-Day (2 November), 161st Bde attacked along the coast behind a creeping barrage laid down by No 3 Group. In preparation for the final capture of Gaza B/270 Bty moved forward after dark on 5 November and spent the following day registering for a new fire programme on 7 November that began two hours before dawn and led to the Turkish evacuation of the town.
  On 24 November the Turks counter-attacked the pursuing ANZAC Mounted Division, which was supported by A and C/270 Btys. B/270 Battery was hurried up from the rear to join in, but arrived after the action had ended. The brigade remained in support of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, with B/270 Bty dug in under Turkish fire and suffering a steady trickle of casualties until the Surrender of Jerusalem on 9 December.
caption: An 18-pounder crew in action in Sinai, 1916.
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