Superb, Victorian 1854 Pat. British Artillery Sword of Brigadier General Arthur Herbert Hussey. Commander of The Royal Artillery in WW1 Made by Wilkinson Sword Co. in 1882. Traditional 3 Bar Hilt Bright Polished Combat Weight Blade & F.S Scabbard

Brigadier General Arthur Herbert Hussey, of Scotney Castle, Kent, was the third son of Edward Hussey III. Born in 1863, he joined the British Army and served in the Royal Artillery from the age of 19 in 1882 until his retirement in 1919 aged 56. During the First World War Arthur was a Brigadier General, his role was Commander of the 5th division Royal Artillery. This was his sword from 1882 until the close of WW1.
During the First World War Arthur was a Brigadier General, his role was to plan and co-ordinate artillery fire to support the men in the trenches.

Monogramed blade of Brig.Gen. Hussey, AHH, serial numbered for its commissioning at Wikinson’s in 1882.
Overall in superb condition, with just very minor natural age service wear on the blade midsection. Superb condition field service scabbard.

This division was under command of II Corps and as such was part of the original British Expeditionary Force. It remained on the Western Front until late 1917 when it moved to Italy, returning to the Western front soon after. It is officially recognised as particpating in the following battles end engagements:

Under overall command of Major-General Sir C. Fergusson, & Brigadier General Arthur Herbert Hussey. Commander of The Royal Artillery

1914
The Battle of Mons (23-24 August) and subsequent retreat (to 5 September), including
The Action of Élouges (24 August; only 1st Norfolk and 1st Cheshire Regiment of 15th Infantry Brigade)
The Battle of Le Cateau (26 August)
The Rearguard Action of Crépy-en-Valois (1 September; only 13th Infantry Brigade)
The Battle of the Marne (7-10 September)
The Battle of the Aisne (12-15 September)
The Battle of La Bassée (10 October – 2 November)
The Battle of Messines 1914 (12 October – 2 November; 2nd King’s Own Scottish Borderers and 2nd King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry of 13th Infantry Brigade under temporary command of the Cavalry Corps)
The Battle of Armentières 1914 (13 October – 2 November; only 1st Dorsetshire Regiment of 15th Infantry Brigade under temporary command of III Corps)
On 18 October, with Major-General Sir C. Fergusson having been ordered home to take command of 9th (Scottish) Division, he was succeeded by Major-General T. N. L. Morland

The First Battle of Ypres in its phase the Battle of Nonne Bosschen (11 November; only the remainder of 15th Infantry Brigade and under temporary orders of 3rd Division under command of I Corps)
1915
The Capture of Hill 60 (under II Corps) (17-22 April)
The Second Battle of Ypres in phases
The Battle of Grafenstafel (22-23 April; only 13th Infantry Brigade under temporary command of V Corps)
The Battle of St. Julien (24 April – 4 May; again only 13th Infantry Brigade under V Corps)
On 15 July, with Major-General T. N. L. Morland having been promoted to command a corps, he was succeeded by Major-General C. T. McM. Kavanagh

In late 1915, some of the regular units of 5th Division were exchanged for those of 32nd Division, a newly arrived volunteer formation. The idea was to strengthen (“stiffen” in the jargon of the time) the inexperienced division by mixing in some regular army troops; even though by now many of the pre-war regulars had gone and the regular battalions themselves were often largely composed of new recruits.

1916
In March 1916 the 5th Division moved south to take over the front line between St. Laurent Blangy and the southern edge of Vimy Ridge, east and north east of Arras. This was a lively time, with many trench raids, sniping and mining activities in the front lines.

On 1 April, Major-General C. T. McM. Kavanagh was succeeded by Major-General R. B. Stephens

When the Franco-British offensive opened on the Somme on 1 July 1916, the 5th Division was enjoying a period of rest and re-fit and was in GHQ Reserve.

The Battles of the Somme 1916 in its phases
The Attacks on High Wood (now under XV Corps) (20-25 July)
The Battle of Guillemont (XIV Corps) (3-6 September)
The Battle of Flers-Courcelette (XIV Corps) (15-22 September)
The Battle of Morval (XIV Corps) (25-28 September)
By 5 October 1916 the 5th Division had left the Somme and moved to the quieter line near Festubert. There was a constant threat from enemy artillery and sniper fire, but in comparison with the Somme it was a relatively tranquil period that lasted until March 1917.

1917
The Battles of Arras 1917 in phases
The Battle of Vimy (under the Canadian Corps, 9-14 April)
The Attack on La Coulotte (Canadian Corps) (23 April)
The Third Battle of the Scarpe (3-4 May)
The capture of Oppy Wood (XIII Corps) (28 June)
On 7 September 1917 the division was finally relieved after several months of operations in the Arras area and moved out of the line for a period, being sent next to join the great offensive in Flanders.

The Third Battle of Ypres in phases
The Battle of Polygon Wood (under X Corps) (26 September – 3 October)
The Battle of Broodseinde (X Corps) (4 October)
The Battle of Poelcapelle (X Corps) (9 October)
The Second Battle of Passchendaele (X Corps) (26 October – 10 November)
A major change now occurred, with 5th Division being one of five British formations selected to be moved to Italy. This was a strategic and political move agreed by the British Government at the request of the Allied Supreme War Council, as an effort to stiffen Italian resistance to enemy attack after a recent disaster at Caporetto. Many diaries at this time, by men who had witnessed slaughter in the floods of Passchendaele, talk of the move and Italy as being “like another world”. Much work was done preparing to move into the mountainous area of the Brenta, but eventually the division was instead moved to the line along the River Piave, taking up positions in late January 1918. The division was recalled hurriedly to France, once the enemy had made an attack in overwhelming strength on 21 March.

1918
The Battles of the Lys 1918 in phase
The Battle of Hazebrouck (under XI Corps) (12-15 April) in which the battalion fought in the Defence of Nieppe Forest
On 15 July, with Major-General R. B. Stephens having been promoted to command a corps, he was succeeded by Major-General J. Ponsonby

On 14 August 1918 the 5th Division was withdrawn for rest and placed in GHQ Reserve. Two weeks later it entered into the “Hundred Days Offensive”. Fighting through Albert (back on the old and devastated Somme ground of 1916), to Irles, Beugny, Havrincourt, Gonnelieu and the River Selle, and finally into Valenciennes and the River Sambre, the division was in more or less continuous action until late October 1918.

The Second Battles of the Somme 1918 in phases
The Battle of Albert (under IV Corps) (21-23 August)
The Second Battle of Bapaume (IV Corps) (31 August – 3 September)
The Battles of the Hindenburg Line in phases
The Battle of Épehy (IV Corps)(18 September)
The Battle of the Canal du Nord (IV Corps) (27 September – 1 October)
The Pursuit to the Selle (IV Corps) (9-12 October)
The Final Advance in Picardy in phase
The Battle of the Selle (IV Corps) (17-25 October)
The 5th Division remained in the area of Le Quesnoy until mid-December 1918. On 13 December, the division began a march into Belgium, eventually reaching the area between Namur and Wavre. The first men were demobilised on 22 December and more followed at regular intervals through early 1919.

The National Trust opened a new exhibition in 2014. 'Arthur’s War' which gave a fascinating insight into the First World War through the thoughts and belongings of Brigadier-General Arthur Hussey, Commander, Royal Artillery, of the 5th Division.

Brigadier-General Hussey’s belongings were discovered in a black metal trunk by National Trust volunteers in 2011 at his former home of Scotney Castle in Kent, now a trust property, and contained letters, diaries, photographs and battle plans. The eleven diaries in the box were the first items to be read and they span Arthur’s time at the front from 1914 – 1918.
It took a team of eight volunteers over 1,200 hours to transcribe the diaries which include passages on the use of gas, wire cutting experiments and specific battles.

The exhibition had been a year in the making and staff and volunteers had been assisted in their research by The London Stereoscopic Company, Fortnum & Mason and the Lamberhurst History Society.

In the government art collection there is a painting that depicts General Hussey with King George Vth, the President of France and the allied General Staff at Merville France in December 1914. Painted by Herbert Arnould Olivier (1861 - 1952)
https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/artwork/3808/
{presented to the government collection in 1983 by the Royal Collection}

Code: 25615