The 1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army raised in Aberdeenshire and neighbouring counties in Scotland in 1860. Its successor units served with 51st (Highland) Division through many of the major battles on the Western Front during the First World War. In the Second World War, one of its regiments escaped the surrender of the 51st (Highland) Division in 1940 and went on to serve as heavy artillery in the Italian Campaign. The other regiment served with the reconstituted division at Alamein, in Sicily, Normandy and through North West Europe to the Rhine Crossing and beyond. It served on in the Territorial Army until 1967.
Volunteer Force The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle and Artillery Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Beckett.Grierson, pp. 1–12.Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 1–4.Spiers, pp. 163–8. Seven Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed in Aberdeenshire:Beckett, Appendix VIII.Frederick, pp. 648, 650, 661.Grierson, pp. 154–8.Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 20–2. 1st (Peterhead) Aberdeenshire AVC formed on 13 March 1860 2nd (Peterhead) Aberdeenshire AVC formed on 13 March 1860, shortly afterwards absorbed into 1st AVC as 2nd Battery and disbanded 1864 3rd (Aberdeen) Aberdeenshire AVC formed on 2 May 1860 as an artisans' battery raised from employees of the shipbuilders and ironfounders Thomson, Catto, Buchanan & Co, who contributed funds to the corps 4th (Town of Aberdeen) Aberdeenshire AVC formed on 14 April 1860 as a citizens' battery, the members clothing and equipping themselves 5th (Fraserburgh) Aberdeenshire AVC formed on 15 February 1860 6th (Aberdeen) Aberdeenshire AVC formed on 9 February 1860 as an artisans' battery raised from employees of the shipbuilders and ironfounders Blaikie Brothers 7th (Aberdeen) Aberdeenshire AVC formed on 23 September 1861, second battery raised 19 July 1865 On 24 October 1860, these units were brought together as the 1st Administrative Brigade, Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers based in the city of Aberdeen, to which Lieutenant-Colonel William Cosmo Gordon of Fyvie (former captain in the Madras Artillery) was appointed commanding officer (CO) on 21 May 1862.Army List, various dates.
In 1863, the AVCs raised in neighbouring Kincardineshire were also included in the 1st Aberdeenshire Administrative Brigade:Litchfield & Westlake, p. 103. 1st (Stonehaven) Kincardineshire AVC formed on 10 January 1860, absorbed 5th Kincardineshire AVC as 2nd Battery in 1861 and moved to Cowie 2nd (Johnshaven) Kincardineshire AVC formed on 14 August 1860 3rd (St Cyrus) Kincardineshire AVC formed on 30 July 1860 4th (Bervie) Kincardineshire AVC formed on 29 October 1860 5th (Cowie) Kincardineshire AVC formed mainly from fishermen on 29 January 1861, absorbed into 1st Kincardineshire AVC and disbanded 1875.
In 1874, the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th Aberdeen AVCs were combined into a new 3rd Aberdeenshire AVC of five companies (the 7th providing two companies), with a sixth added in September 1877 and a seventh in 1877–78. In 1876, the AVCs in North East Scotland were reorganised. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Kincardineshire AVCs were transferred from the 1st Aberdeen to the 1st Forfarshire Administrative Brigade, and replaced by the units of the 1st Banffshire Administrative Brigade:Litchfield & Westlake, p. 29.Grierson, pp. 133–7. 1st (Macduff) Banffshire AVC formed before October 1859 2nd (Banff) Banffshire AVC formed on 29 December 1859 3rd (Gardenstown) Banffshire AVC formed on 13 November 1875 4th (Portsoy) Banffshire AVC formed on 8 October 1860 5th (Cullen) Banffshire AVC formed on 18 February 1861 The 1st Kincardineshire AVC at Cowie remained with the 1st Aberdeen.
In 1880, the Volunteer Force was consolidated into larger units. The 1st Aberdeenshire Administrative Brigade became the 1st Aberdeenshire AVC on 10 May 1880, with the subtitle 'Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine'. The former 1st Kincardineshire battery at Cowie was disbanded at the end of 1880 and replaced by a new No 14 Battery raised at Aberdeen out of the 7th Battery. The three other Kincardine batteries returned to the 1st Aberdeen in May 1882 and the Banffshire batteries (including No 1 (Peterhead) and No 5 (Fraserburgh) Batteries) became an independent unit once more. The 1st Aberdeenshire then dropped the 'Banff' part of its subtitle and had the following organisation: Nos 1–7 Batteries at Aberdeen (former Nos 2–7 and 14 Companies) No 8 Battery at Johnshaven (former 2nd Kincardine AVC) No 9 Battery at Ct Cyrus (former 3rd Kincardine AVC) No 10 Battery at Bervie (former 4th Kincardine AVC)
In 1885, a new No 8 Battery was formed at the University of Aberdeen and Nos 8–10 Batteries were renumbered 9–11; a new No 12 Battery was formed at Stonehaven in December 1886.
Position Artillery The AVCs were intended to serve as garrison artillery manning fixed defences, but a number of the early units were semi-mobile 'position batteries' of smooth-bore field guns pulled by agricultural horses. The War Office (WO) refused to pay for these batteries and they died out. However the concept was revived in 1888 when some Volunteer batteries were reorganised as position artillery to work alongside the Volunteer infantry brigades.Beckett, pp. 178–9.Litchfield and Westlake, pp. 3–6. On 17 January 1889, the 1st Aberdeenshire AVC was issued with a position battery of 40-pounder Rifled Breech-Loading guns, which were staffed by Nos 5 and 8 Batteries. On 1 November 1892, these were amalgamated as the 1st Position Battery and the remaining garrison batteries were redesignated companies (Nos 2–7 at Aberdeen, 8 at Johnshaven, 9 at St Cyrus, 10 at Bervie and 11 at Stonehaven). In 1893, the Johnshaven and St Cyrus companies merged and Nos 10 and 11 were renumbered. A 2nd Position Battery was raised on 1 April 1901 and No 2 Company was renumbered 8, with Nos 8–10 renumbered again.
Royal Garrison Artillery In 1882, all the AVCs were affiliated to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA) and the 1st Aberdeenshire AVC became part of the Scottish Division. In 1889, the structure was altered, and the corps joined the Southern Division. In 1899, the RA was divided into separate field and garrison branches, and the artillery volunteers were all assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). When the divisional structure was abolished their titles were changed, the unit becoming the 1st Aberdeenshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902. The position batteries were re-armed with 4.7-inch guns and redesignated as heavy batteries, giving the following organisation: 1st Heavy Battery (from 2nd Bty 7th Aberdeen AVC and University Bty) 2nd Heavy Battery (raised 1901) No 3 Garrison Company (from 4th (Citizens) Aberdeen AVC) No 4 Garrison Company (from 6th (Artisans) Aberdeen AVC) No 5 Garrison Company (from 1st Bty 7th Aberdeen AVC) No 6 Garrison Company (raised 1877) No 7 Garrison Company (raised 1880) No 8 Garrison Company (from 3rd (Artisans) Aberdeen AVC) No 9 Garrison Company at Johnshaven (from 2nd and 3rd Kincardine AVCs) No 10 Garrison Company at Bevie (from 4th Kincardine AVC) No 11 Garrison Company at Stonehaven (raised 1886)
In 1899, the unit built a new HQ and drill hall in North Silver Street, Aberdeen, with 5-inch and 6-inch guns for training the garrison companies. These companies carried out their live firing at Torry Point Battery, which had been rearmed with modern guns. For musketry training the unit used the Seaton Links Rifle Range belonging to the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Annual camp and training for the heavy batteries, was carried out at Buddon. In 1904, the garrison companies won the King's Cup at the Scottish National Artillery Association's camp at Buddon. During the Second Boer War, 13 volunteers from the 1st Aberdeenshire served with various units in South Africa.
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 personnel of the 1st Aberdeenshire and 1st Banffshire RGA (V) were distributed to two new units:London Gazette 20 March 1908.Frederick, p. 675.Litchfield, pp. 270–1.Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 29, 72, 77. North Scottish RGA, a defended ports unit at Broughty Ferry, with additional batteries from the 1st Fife RGA (V), 1st Forfarshire RGA (V) and Highland RGA (V) I (or 1st) Highland Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA), with one battery from the 1st Banffshire RGA, giving the following organisation: HQ at North Silver Street, Aberdeen 1st City of Aberdeen Battery 2nd City of Aberdeen Battery Banffshire Battery 1st Highland Ammunition Column (including Banffshire Small Arms Ammunition Section) In 1911, the Banffshire battery was disbanded and replaced by a 3rd City of Aberdeen Battery.
The I Highland Brigade was the senior field artillery unit in the TF's Highland Division. The batteries were each issued with four 15-pounder guns.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 101–7.51 (H) Division at Long, Long Trail.51 Divisional RA at Long, Long Trail.
First World War
Mobilisation A warning order of the imminence of war was received at the Highland Division's HQ on 29 July 1914, and the order to mobilise was received at 17.35 on Tuesday, 4 August 1914. Mobilisation began the following day at unit drill halls. On 12 August, the division was ordered to concentrate at Bedford and entrainment began on 15 August. Concentration was completed by 17 August and the division formed part of First Army (Home Forces) in Central Force.
On the outbreak of war, units of the Territorial Force were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service: the majority of men in every unit of the Highland Division did so. On 15 August, the WO issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. Then, 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. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way, duplicate batteries, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas.Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.
1/I Highland Brigade
During the winter of 1914–15, the 1st Line units underwent war training, and a number left to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front. The division was warned for overseas service on 13 April and on 3 May it crossed to France, the artillery embarking at Southampton for Le Havre. The Highland Division completed its concentration at Lillers, Busnes and Robecq by 6 May and on 12 May it was officially numbered as the 51st (Highland) Division.
Western Front The raw division was soon in action at the Battle of Festubert (18–25 May). The 51st (Highland) and 1st Canadian Division together formed 'Alderson's Force', which relieved the attacking divisions at the end of the first day's fighting. It was also engaged at the Battle of Givenchy (15–16 June). Afterwards, the division was moved to a quiet front to gain more experience. 1/I Highland Bde's old 15-pounders were replaced with modern 18-pounder guns on 24 August.Festubert at Long, Long Trail.