The 135th Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, was a heavy howitzer unit of the British Army during World War I. Formed in May 1916, the battery was equipped with 8-inch howitzers, which were crucial for siege warfare. On August 25th, 1916, the battery was stationed at La Houssoye, France, during the Battle of the Somme. The 8-inch howitzers they used had a range of about 12,300 yards and fired 200-pound shells.
Imagine having to load 200 pound shells by hand, from basically a smile pile of 200 pound shells, while your mates refill the small pile from the big pile a little further back.