44th ( Howitzer ) Brigade Royal Field Artillery XLIV ( Howitzer ) Brigade , Royal Field Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Field Artillery which served in the First World War . It joined the BEF in August 1914 before being broken up in May 1916 . It was reformed as XLIV Brigade , Royal Field Artillery in early 1917 , serving in Palestine and the Western Front before being disbanded after the end of the war . XLIV ( Howitzer ) Brigade , RFA . XLIV ( Howitzer ) Brigade , RFA was formed in March 1900 as L ( Howitzer ) Brigade - Division , RFA commanding 56 ( Howitzer ) Battery and 149 ( Howitzer ) Battery and in 1901 , 150 ( Howitzer ) Battery and 151 ( Howitzer ) Battery joined . In 1903 , the brigade was redesignated as L ( Howitzer ) Brigade , RFA and in 1905 , 151 ( H ) Battery was disbanded . With a reorganization of the field artillery on 1 August 1913 , the brigade was redesignated XLIV ( Howitzer ) Brigade , RFA . About this time , as the numbers of field batteries were reduced 149 ( H ) and 150 ( H ) Batteries were disbanded . The batteries were replaced with 47 ( H ) Battery ( previously in XLI Brigade , RFA ) and 60 ( H ) Battery ( previously in XXXV Brigade , RFA ) , with most of the men from 149th Bty transferring to the new 47th Bty and those of 150th Bty to 60th Bty . France and Flanders 1914 - 16 . In August 1914 , the brigade was mobilized at Aldershot at the outbreak of World War I under the command of Lieutenant - Colonel Sir Dalrymple Arbuthnot , 5th Baronet and was sent to the Continent with the British Expeditionary Force . It was assigned to 2nd Division , with 47 ( H ) , commanded by Major H . W . Newcombe ( previously Major A C Edwards ) , 56 ( H ) , commanded by Major F E L Barker , and 60 ( H ) Battery , commanded by Major H J A Mackey , each equipped with six 4 . 5 " howitzers . The newly formed Brigade Ammunition Column ( BAC ) was commanded by Captain G R Miller . The Adjutant was Captain G C Nevile ; Orderly Officer Lt F L V Mills ; Medical Officer : Captain Timothy W O Sexton ; and Veterinary Officer : Captain L L Dixon . The RSM was John Thomas Coleman . The brigade saw considerable action with 2nd Division in 1914 , in the retreat from Mons ( August ) , on the Marne and the Aisne ( September ) and at the First Battle of Ypres ( October and November ) . More action followed in 1915 , including the battles of Festubert ( May ) and Loos ( September and October ) and of the Hohenzollern Redoubt ( October ) . On 23 June 1915 , 60 ( H ) Battery was withdrawn and assigned to the divisional artillery of 3rd ( Lahore ) Division . In May 1916 , the artillery brigades of infantry divisions were reorganised ; the pure howitzer brigades were disbanded , and their batteries attached individually to field brigades , in order to produce mixed brigades of three field batteries and one howitzer battery . Accordingly , on 23 May the brigade was broken up and the batteries dispersed amongst the other field artillery brigades of 2nd Division : Each battery now consisted of four 4 . 5 " howitzers . XLIV Brigade , RFA . XLIV Brigade , RFA was reformed in England early in 1917 with 340 , 382 and 399 Batteries , each equipped with four 13 pounder s . It was transferred to Egypt , landing at Alexandria on 27 May 1917 . It reached Sidi el Bishr on 2 June and was reorganized and re - equipped as two batteries of six 18 pounder s ( 399 Battery was broken up to complete the other two ) . 340 Battery was renamed A Battery and 382 renamed B . The brigade joined 74th ( Yeomanry ) Division at Rafah on 3 July . Palestine 1917 - 18 . With the 74th Division , the brigade took part in the invasion of Palestine in 1917 and 1918 . In October and November 1917 it fought in the Third Battle of Gaza , at the end of 1917 it took part in the capture and defence of Jerusalem and in March 1918 in the Battle of Tell ' Asur . On 3 April 1918 , the Division was warned that it would move to France and by 30 April 1918 had completed embarkation at Alexandria . Before moving to the Western Front , the brigade was reorganized : The brigade now consisted of three batteries of six 18 pounder s and a battery of four 4 . 5 " howitzers . D ( H ) Battery was made up to six 4 . 5 " howitzers in France on 21 May 1918 at Noulette . France and Flanders 1918 . On 14 July 1918 the Yeomanry Division went into the line for the first time , near Merville on the right of XI Corps . From September 1918 , as part of III Corps of Fourth Army , it took part in the Hundred Days Offensive including the Second Battle of the Somme ( Second Battle of Bapaume ) and the Battles of the Hindenburg Line ( Battle of Épehy ) . In October and November 1918 it took part in the Final Advance in Artois and Flanders . By the Armistice it was in the area of Tournai , Belgium , still with 74th ( Yeomanry ) Division . With the end of the war , the troops of 74th Division were engaged in railway repair work and education was undertaken while demobilisation began . The division and its subformations were disbanded on 10 July 1919 .