The 1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery from 1860 to 1956. Raised as coastal defence artillery, the unit later served as field artillery in Mesopotamia during World War I, and as anti-aircraft artillery during the Blitz and in the Middle East during World War II.
Volunteer Force The enthusiasm for the Volunteer Movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Beckett. A large number of coastal artillery corps (AVCs) were formed in the seaports along the Kent and Sussex coast (the ancient Cinque Ports). On 10 September 1862, these were brought together to form the 1st Administrative Brigade, Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers, at Dover:Beckett, Appendix VIII.Frederick, pp. 652–3.1st Cinque Ports Artillery at Regiments.org.Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 41–5.Lord & Watson, pp. 152-4.
1st Administrative Brigade, Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers 1st A Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Dover as 1st Cinque Ports AVC 6 January 1860; increased to two batteries on 21 April 1860; renumbered as 3rd in May 1860; redesignated 1st A in August 1860 1st B Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Folkestone as 3rd Kent AVC 7 November 1859; transferred from 1st Kent Artillery Volunteers in April 1860 renumbered as 1st in May 1860; redesignated 1st B in August 1860 1st C Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Ramsgate as 2nd on 2 January 1860, increased to two batteries; redesignated 1st C in August 1860 2nd Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Sandwich as 2nd on 13 February 1860; designated 4th from May to August 1860 3rd Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Walmer as 3rd on 6 February 1860; designated 5th from May to August 1860 4th Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Hastings on 23 February 1860; designated 6th from May to August 1860; four batteries by 1861, later reduced to three 5th Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Hythe on 17 December 1859 as 1st Section, raised to a Sub-Division and then a Battery; designated 7th in May 1860; redesignated 5th in August 1860; disbanded 1867 5th Cinque Ports AVC – new corps raised at St Leonards-on-Sea 2 October 1867 6th Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Margate 26 June 1861 as a Sub-Division; raised to Battery 13 May 1865; renumbered 8th in October 1870 7th Cinque Ports AVC – raised at Pevensey 9 April 1866, renumbered 9th in October 1870; second battery raised at Ninfield in 1874
The fourth battery of the 4th (Hastings) Corps was raised in 1861 at Rye, East Sussex from the defunct Rye Rifle Volunteer Corps. This battery wore an unusual naval uniform until it adopted the regulation garrison artillery uniform in 1872. The battery was disbanded in 1876 after a shooting competition at Hastings, when the men refused their captain's orders to march back to Rye and instead caught the train. The 4th (Hastings) Corps also had a Cadet Corps affiliated to it from March 1864 to 1868.Westlake, p. 48. The commanding officer (CO) of the 1st Admin Bde from 1862 was Lt-Col Edward Vernon Harcourt, formerly of the Oxfordshire Militia and a leading member of the Volunteer movement and the National Artillery Association.Army List.
In 1866, the unit won the Queen's Prize at the annual National Artillery Association competition held at Shoeburyness.Litchfield & Westlake, p. 189. In 1870, the corps in the 1st Admin Brigade were numbered consecutively as 1st to 9th Cinque Ports AVCs (in most cases reverting to the numbering of May–August 1860). On 16 March 1880, the Admin Brigade was consolidated as the 1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers, organised as follows:
1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers HQ at Dover Nos 1 and 2 Batteries at Dover – from former 1st Corps No 3 Battery at Folkestone – from former 2nd Corps Nos 4 and 5 Batteries at Ramsgate – from former 3rd Corps No 6 Battery at Sandwich – from former 4th Corps No 7 Battery at Deal – from former 5th Corps Nos 8, 9 and 10 Batteries at Hastings – from former 6th Corps No 11 Battery at St Leonards – from former 7th Corps No 12 Battery and a half battery at Margate – from former 8th Corps No 13 Battery at Ninfield – from former 9th Corps No 14 Battery at Pevensey – from former 9th Corps
The unit was later reduced to 13 batteries. In April 1882, all artillery volunteers were attached to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA), and the unit was assigned to the Cinque Ports Division. It was briefly (May 1887 to July 1889) designated the 4th Volunteer (Cinque Ports) Brigade, but reverted to its previous title when the Cinque Ports Division was disbanded and the unit joined the Eastern Division in 1889. On 1 April 1890, the Sussex batteries were separated to form the 2nd Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers, leaving the 1st with the Kent batteries.
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 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 Cinque Ports AVs were reorganised as 1 position battery and 7 garrison companies:Beckett, p. 178.Litchfield & Westlake, p. 6.
1st Cinque Ports Artillery Volunteers No 1 Battery at Ramsgate Nos 2 and 3 Companies at Dover No 4 Company at Folkestone Nos 5 and 8 Companies at Sandwich No 6 Company at Deal No 7 Company at Margate
The artillery volunteers were assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) in 1889, and when the divisional organisation was abolished the unit was designated the 1st Cinque Ports RGA (Volunteers) from 1 January 1902, with a ninth company.
Territorial Force
When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908,Dunlop, Chapter 14.Spiers, Chapter 10. the 1st Cinque Ports RGA was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery (RFA), initially as I (or 1st) Home Counties Brigade, then from 1910 as the III (or 3rd) Home Counties (Cinque Ports) Brigade with the following organisation:Frederick, p. 676.London Gazette 20 March 1908.Litchfield, p. 106.Kent at Great War Centenary Drill Halls.
III Home Counties (Cinque Ports) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery HQ at Dover 1st Kent Battery at Drill Hall, Liverpool Street, DoverDover at Drill Hall Project. 2nd Kent Battery at Drill Hall, Shellon Street, FolkestoneFolkestone at Drill Hall Project. 3rd Kent Battery, Right Section at Margate,Margate at Drill Hall Project. Left Section at Drill Hall, High Street, RamsgateRamsgate at Drill Hall Project. 3rd Home Counties (Cinque Ports) Ammunition Column at Dover, later at Drill Hall, Deal,Deal at Drill Hall Project. small arms ammunition section at The Quay, SandwichSandwich at Drill Hall Project.
The three batteries were each equipped with four 15-pounder guns. The unit was assigned to the Home Counties Division of the TF.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 49–54.44 Div at Long, Long Trail.44 Div at Regimental Warpath
World War I Mobilisation On the outbreak of war, units of the Territorial Force were mobilised for home defence and then invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. On 31 August, the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. Duplicate battalions, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way the 1/III and 2/III Home Counties (Cinque Ports) Brigades were formed.Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 75–82.67 Div at Long, Long Trail.
1/III Home Counties (Cinque Ports) Brigade India The bulk of the Home Counties Division, including the 1/III Home Counties Brigade without its Brigade Ammunition Column, embarked at Southampton and sailed on 30 October 1914 to India to relieve Regular Army units to fight on the Western Front. The Territorials disembarked at Bombay 1–3 December, and were allotted to various peacetime stations across India (although the Home Counties Division remained in the order of battle and received a number as the 44th (Home Counties) Division in May 1915, it never served as a complete formation in the war). The 1/III Home Counties Bde went to Jubbulpore where it joined the 5th (Mhow) Division.Perry, pp. 67–71.
Mesopotamia
The Territorials completed their training in India to prepare them for possible active service, and supplied drafts to units serving in the Mesopotamian campaign. The 2nd Kent Bty moved to Lucknow in June 1915. In 1916, the Home Counties artillery was finally re-equipped with the modern 18-pounder gun. The 1/III Home Counties Bde then left Jubbulpore and sailed to Basra, where it landed on 21 May to reinforce the forces fighting in Mesopotamia.Farndale Forgotten Fronts, pp. 238–41. The 2nd Kent Bty from Lucknow joined the newly formed 15th Indian Division on the Euphrates front in July and, on 11 September, the division took part in the action of As Sahilan. In October, the whole brigade was assigned to the 15th Indian Division. Shortly afterwards the brigade was renumbered as CCXXII Brigade (222nd Bde) and the batteries became A, B and C.Frederick, p. 688.Perry, pp. 134–5.
In September 1917, the brigade's batteries received numbers as 1070, 1071 and 1072, then rearranged to form two 6-gun batteries, numbered 1070 and 1072. The brigade was joined by 375 and 77 (Howitzer) Btys to bring it up to the new establishment of three 18-pounder batteries and one of 4.5-inch howitzers. 375 Battery was a new six-gun battery formed in 64th (2nd Highland) Division's billeting area round Norwich in December 1916Army Council Instruction 2403 of 22 December 1916 and then shipped to Mesopotamia. 77 (H) Battery was a regular RFA unit that had been stationed at Meerut in India as part of VI (H) Bde RFA at the outbreak of war and then served in the 5th (Mhow) Division. It was replaced by 429 (H) Bty in October 1918. The brigade then had the following organisation for the remainder of the war:Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, pp. 262–4.
CCXXII Brigade, RFA 77 (H) Battery (4 x 4.5-inch howitzers) – until October 1918 375 Battery (6 x 18-pounders) 429 (H) Battery (4 x 4.5-inch howitzers) – from October 1918 1070 Battery (6 x 18-pounders) 1072 Battery (6 x 18-pounders)
Ramadi In September 1917, 15th Indian Division, which had been in reserve round Baghdad, was ordered to capture Ramadi. 222nd Brigade started from Fallujah and joined the concentration at Madhij on 26 September. The plan was to feint along the Euphrates towards Horseshoe Lake, and then attack Mushaid Ridge. The guns were in position by 00.30 on 28 September, and opened fire at 05.30. The infantry quickly seized the ridge. Next the division moved on Ramadi and on Aziziya Ridge. 90th Punjabis and 2/39th Garhwal Rifles of 12th Indian Brigade, supported by rapid fire from 222nd Bde, captured Aziziya Ridge, cutting off the Turks in Ramadi, who surrendered the following day.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, pp. 264–6.Moberley, Vol IV, pp. 50–9.
Khan Baghdadi