The 1st East Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of Britain's
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
based in the
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, S ...
, which also contained sub-units from the
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
and
West Ridings. Created during an invasion scare in 1859–1860, it survived to supply units to the later
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...
of the 20th century.
Early history
At times of national crisis volunteers were regularly called upon to defend the vulnerable harbours on the coast of
East Yorkshire. At the time of the
Jacobite rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745 was an attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the Monarchy of Great Britain, British throne for his father, James Francis Edward Stuart. It took place during the War of the Austrian Succession, when the bulk of t ...
, the Wardens and Brethren of
Hull Trinity House formed four volunteer artillery companies, equipped with 20 nine-pounder cannon from a ship lying in
Hull Roads. These were the first volunteer artillery units formed in Yorkshire, though there may have been others manning the cannon in the fort covering
Bridlington
Bridlington (previously known as Burlington) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is on the Holderness part (Flamborough Head to the Humber estuary) of the Yorkshire Coast by the North Sea. The town is ...
harbour. The companies were stood down after the
Jacobite defeat at Culloden.
During the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
, a mixed unit of infantry and artillery manned the fort at Bridlington harbour from 1794 until the
Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it set t ...
in 1802, and reformed when the peace broke down in 1803. The Bridlington Volunteer Artillery disbanded in 1814.
Volunteer Force
A number of new Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed in the East Riding during the first enthusiasm for the
Volunteer Movement
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrate ...
in 1859. The 1st Company East Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers formed at 'Burlington' (an alternative name for Bridlington) under
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Benjamin Blaydes Haworth of Haworth Hall,
Dunswell
Dunswell is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and in the civil parish of Woodmansey.
Historically also known as Beer-Houses due to the presence of two Inns in close proximity, the village is located on the main Kingston upon ...
, on 9 December 1859, and the 2nd Company at
Hunmanby under Captain Cortis on 9 February 1860. On 11 May the following year the 1st and 2nd Companies combined to form the 1st Administrative Brigade of Yorkshire (East Riding) Artillery Volunteers, under the command of Haworth (promoted to
major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
), with companies at Bridlington,
Filey
Filey () is a seaside town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is located between Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Scarborough and Bridlington on Filey Bay. Although it was a fishing village, it has a large ...
,
Flamborough,
Withernsea
Withernsea is a seaside resort town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road, now houses a museum to 1950s actress Kay Kendall, wh ...
and
Hornsea
Hornsea is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The settlement dates to at least the early medieval period. The town was expanded in the Victorian era with the coming of the Hull and Hornsea Railway in 186 ...
. The 2nd and 3rd North Riding AVCs, based on the coast at
Whitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is on the Yorkshire Coast at the mouth of the River Esk, North Yorkshire, River Esk and has a maritime, mineral and tourist economy.
From the Middle Ages, Whitby ...
and
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...
, and the
3rd West Riding AVC, based inland at
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
, were also included in the brigade, which had its headquarters at Scarborough. By 1872 it had assumed the following organisation:
[Beckett, Appendix VIII.][Frederick, p. 671.][Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 176–9.][1st East Riding Artillery Volunteers at Regiments.org]
/ref>
* 2nd East Riding AVC at Filey (raised 9 February 1862)
* 5th East Riding AVC (raised 28 March 1869 by the Hornsea members of the 4th East Riding AVC at Hull; disbanded in late 1875)
* 6th East Riding AVC at Burlington (reorganised from the 1st East Riding AVC on 6 March 1869)
* 7th East Riding AVC at Flamborough (raised 6 March 1869)
* 2nd North Riding AVC at Whitby (raised 27 March 1860)
* 3rd North Riding AVC at Scarborough (raised 20 May 1861)
* 3rd West Riding AVC at York (raised 9 February 1861)
The commanding officer (CO) of the brigade, Major Haworth (who changed his name to Haworth-Booth in 1869) was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 3 July 1861.[''Army List'', various dates.] Harcourt Vanden-Bempde-Johnstone (later 1st Baron Derwent), a former lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the 2nd Life Guards, was commissioned as Major of the brigade on 22 January 1863.[ The ]Adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
, appointed on 15 January 1862, was Captain George Symons, who had won a Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
as a sergeant
Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
in the Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
during the Crimean War
The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...
.[
Henry Willoughby, 8th Baron Middleton, was appointed honorary colonel of the 1st Administrative Brigade on 17 December 1862, and his son the Hon. Digby Willoughby, (later 9th Baron), a former captain in the ]Scots Fusilier Guards
Scots may refer to:
People and cultures
* Scots language
* Scottish people
* Scoti, a Latin name for the Gaels
Other uses
* SCOTS, abbreviation for Royal Regiment of Scotland
* Scottish Corpus of Texts and Speech (SCOTS), a linguistic resource
* ...
, was appointed second major on 30 July 1869. The 9th Baron later commanded the unit as Lt-Col, became Hon Col in turn on 29 May 1879, and held the post into the 20th century.[
]
Reorganisation
The Volunteer Force was reorganised in 1880, and in April the administrative brigade was consolidated as the 2nd East Riding AVC, rapidly changing to 1st Yorkshire (East Riding) Artillery Volunteers, with the cumbersome (if accurate) subtitle of (East Riding, West Riding and North Riding). The unit had the following organisation:[
* HQ at Scarborough
* No 1 Battery at Filey, formerly 2nd East Riding Corps
* No 2 Battery at Bridlington, formerly 6th East Riding Corps
* No 3 Battery at Flamborough, formerly 7th East Riding Corps
* No 4 Battery at Whitby, formerly 1st Bty, 2nd North Riding Corps
* No 5 Battery at Whitby, formerly 2nd Bty, 2nd North Riding Corps
* No 6 Battery at Scarborough, formerly 1st Bty 3rd North Riding Corps
* No 7 Battery at Scarborough, formerly 2nd Bty, 3rd North Riding Corps
* No 8 Battery at York, formerly 1st Bty, 3rd West Riding Corps
* No 9 Battery at York, formerly 2nd Bty, 3rd West Riding Corps
This was reduced to eight batteries in 1886, and seven by 1889. On 1 April 1882 all artillery volunteer units were affiliated to one of the territorial divisions of the ]Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
(RA) and the unit was assigned to the Northern Division. When the number of divisions was reduced from 1 July 1889 it changed to the Western Division. The unit's HQ moved to York in the 1880s, but returned to Scarborough by 1889.[Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 4–6.]
As well as manning fixed coast defence artillery, some of the early Artillery Volunteers manned semi-mobile 'position batteries' of smooth-bore field guns pulled by agricultural horses. But the War Office
The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...
refused to pay for the upkeep of field guns for Volunteers and they had largely died out in the 1870s. In 1888 the 'position artillery' concept was revived and some Volunteer companies were reorganised as position batteries to work alongside the Volunteer infantry brigades. On 14 July 1892 the 1st East Riding Volunteer Artillery were reorganised as 1 position battery and 6 companies.[
By 1893 the War Office Mobilisation Scheme had allocated the Garrison Artillery companies to the Humber defences and its position battery of 40-pounder Armstrong rifled breechloading guns to the Western Counties Volunteer Field Brigade, which would concentrate around Guildford in the event of mobilisation.
On 1 June 1899 all the volunteer artillery units became part of the ]Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was formed in 1899 as a distinct arm of the British Army's Royal Artillery, Royal Regiment of Artillery serving alongside the other two arms of the Regiment, the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and the Royal Horse ...
(RGA) and with the abolition of the RA's divisional organisation on 1 January 1902 the unit was redesignated 1st East Riding of Yorkshire RGA (Volunteers) when the divisional structure was abolished.[
]
Territorial Force
With the creation of the Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...
by the Haldane Reforms
The Haldane Reforms were a series of far-ranging reforms of the British Army made from 1906 to 1912, and named after the Secretary of State for War, Richard Burdon Haldane. They were the first major reforms since the " Childers Reforms" of the e ...
in 1908, the RGA Volunteers were extensively reorganised. In the original plan, the 1st East Riding Artillery Volunteers would have formed two RGA units:[
* Durham and Yorkshire RGA (in combination with the 4th Durham RGA)
* West Riding RGA
However, these plans were revised in 1910, so that the North and East Yorkshire portion of the proposed Durham and Yorkshire RGA instead joined the 2nd Northumbrian Brigade, ]Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the ...
, providing the 3rd North Riding Battery at Scarborough and part of the brigade ammunition column.[
The remainder of the 1st East Riding RGA, the batteries at York, became the West Riding Heavy Battery, RGA and its attendant ammunition column. This unit saw service during ]World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and beyond, but no longer had any links with the East Riding.[Litchfield, pp. 264–5.]
Insignia
Around 1859–60 the 1st East Riding AVC wore an embroidered forage cap badge consisting of crossed cannons surmounted by a crown and with a scroll underneath bearing the word 'BURLINGTON'. Waistbelt clasps and enrolment medals bore the same badge with a wheel superimposed on the crossed guns. An alternative brass forage cap badge comprised a grenade, with the figure '1' superimposed on a Yorkshire Rose on the ball.[
]
Notes
References
* Ian F.W. Beckett, ''Riflemen Form: A Study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908'', Aldershot, The Ogilby Trusts, 1982, .
* ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953.
* Col John K. Dunlop, ''The Development of the British Army 1899–1914'', London: Methuen, 1938.
* J.B.M. Frederick, ''Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978'', Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X.
* Norman E.H. Litchfield, ''The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988 (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges)'', Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1992, .
* Norman Litchfield & Ray Westlake, ''The Volunteer Artillery 1859–1908'' (Their Lineage, Uniforms and Badges), Nottingham: Sherwood Press, 1982, .
* R.W.S. Norfolk, ''Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteer Forces of the East Riding 1689–1908'', York: East Yorkshire Local History Society, 1965.
* Edward M. Spiers, ''The Army and Society 1815–1914'', London: Longmans, 1980, {{ISBN, 0-582-48565-7.
External sources
''London Gazette''
The Peerage.com
East Yorkshire
Military units and formations established in 1859
Military units and formations disestablished in 1908
Military units and formations in the East Riding of Yorkshire
Military units and formations in Scarborough, North Yorkshire
1859 establishments in England
1908 disestablishments in England