The 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery founded in Scotland in 1860. During the First World War, it served with 51st (Highland) Division at the Battle of the Somme before being broken up. In the Second World War, the regiment saw action in the Battle of France, in the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Greek Civil War and in North West Europe. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army until 1969.
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. Three Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed in Renfrewshire and three more in neighbouring Dunbartonshire in 1860, and on 22 August 1863 all six were included in the 1st Administrative Brigade, Renfrewshire Artillery Volunteers, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Scott, with its headquarters (HQ) at Greenock:Beckett, Appendix VIII.Frederick, pp. 655, 668.Grierson, pp. 138–9.Litchfield & Westlake, p. 58.Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 147–8. 1st (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, four batteries by 1867 2nd (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, absorbed into 1st in 1864 3rd (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, absorbed into 1st in 1864 1st (Helensburgh) Dunbartonshire AVC formed 9 February 1860 2nd (Rosneath) Dunbartonshire AVC formed March 1860, moved to Kilcreggan 1866, disbanded in 1872 3rd (Dumbarton) Dunbartonshire AVC formed 24 December 1860, increased to two batteries 22 March 1869
When the AVCs were consolidated in May 1880, the administrative brigade became the 1st Renfrewshire (Renfrew and Dumbarton) Artillery Volunteers, shortly afterwards adopting the title of 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers with the following organisation:Army List, various dates. HQ, Greenock Nos 1–4 Batteries, Greenock No 5 Battery, Helensburgh No 6–7 Batteries, Dumbarton
Position Artillery The AVCs were intended to serve as garrison artillery manning fixed defences, but a number of the early units manned 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. In 1889, the 1st Renfrew & Dumbarton AV was issued with a position battery of 40-pounder Rifled Breech-Loading guns, which were manned by two of the Greenock batteries, the remaining batteries moving to Port Glasgow. In 1892, the position battery was numbered 1st and the remaining garrison batteries were redesignated companies (Nos 2–3 at Port Glasgow, 4 at Helensburgh, and 5–6 at Dumbarton).
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 Renfrew & Dumbarton AV 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 Renfrew and Dumbarton Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902.
The unit's HQ and drill batteries were at 8 South Street, Greenock, and gun practice was carried out at Irvine. It also had a carbine range at Drumshantie, near Greenock. During the Second Boer War 72 men of the unit volunteered for service overseas, but only three were accepted.
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 Dunbartonshire personnel formed two companies of the Clyde and Forth Royal Garrison Artillery while the Renfrewshire men transferred to the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) to form the III (or 3rd) Highland (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA, at North Street, Greenock, with the following organisation:Frederick, p. 676.London Gazette 20 March 1908.Litchfield, pp. 304–7. 1st Renfrewshire (Howitzer) Battery 2nd Renfrewshire (Howitzer) Battery 3rd Highland (Howitzer) Ammunition Column at Cathcart Renfrewshire Small Arm Section Ammunition Column
The unit was part of the TF's Highland Division. The batteries were each issued with four 5-inch howitzers.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 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/III 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/III Highland Bde's old 5-inch howitzers were replaced with modern 4.5-inch howitzers on 11 January 1916, and on 8 February the brigade was joined by a battery from CLI (1st County Palatine) Howitzer Brigade (30th Division), a 'Kitchener's Army' unit raised by the Earl of Derby in Lancashire in 1914; this became R (H) Bty in 1/III Highland Bde.Becke, Pt 3b, pp. 4–7.Festubert at Long, Long Trail.
In May 1916, the TF brigades of the RFA received numbers, the 1/III Highland becoming CCLVIII (or 258) Brigade, and were reorganised: 1/1st Renfrewshire Bty became D (H) Bty in CCLV (1/I Highland) Bde, R (H) Bty became D (H) Bty in CCLVI (1/II Highland) Bde, and 1/2nd Renfrewshire Bty became D (H) Bty in CCLX (1/I Lowland) Bde. The D batteries of those three brigades joined and became A, B and C Btys of CCVLVIII Bde, each equipped with four 18-pounder guns. The brigade ammunition columns were abolished at the same time, and absorbed within the divisional ammunition column.Frederick, p. 688.
Somme
In July, 51st (Highland) Division joined in the Somme Offensive. An attack on 14 July had failed to capture the dominating ground of High Wood, and 51st (H) Division was tasked with renewing the attack on High Wood a week later. A night attack was to be tried: the bombardment began at 19.00 on 22 July, under the direction of low-flying artillery observation aircraft. German sources reported that the shelling was of 'painful accuracy' and prevented the troops in High Wood from being relieved, despite the number of casualties.Miles, p. 136. At 01.30 the following morning, the division attacked, but by 03.00 they were back on their start line having suffered heavy casualties. British gunners had difficulty supporting attacks on High Wood, because they had to fire over Bazentin Ridge. The low elevation of the guns meant that shells skimmed the British trenches, the margin for error was small and numerous complaints were made that British infantry casualties were caused by friendly fire. Worn guns, defective ammunition and inaccurate information about the location of British infantry positions were blamed for short-shooting.Miles, p. 195. The division was withdrawn from the front on 7 August for rest and reorganisation.
On 23 August, CCLVIII Bde was broken up, with A Bty and the Right Section of C Bty going to CCLV Bde and B Bty and Left Section of C Bty going to CCLVI Bde, in each case to bring their 18-pounder batteries up to a strength of six guns each. The former gunners of III Highland Bde continued to serve with their new units through the rest of the First World War.
2/III Highland Brigade Recruiting for the 2nd Line unit was good, and 2/III Highland completed at Greenock by the end of 1914.Becke, Pt 2b, pp. 55–9.64 (2nd H) Division at Long, Long Trail. 2nd Highland Division formed in January 1915 (numbered as 64th (2nd Highland) Division in August) but the lack of equipment and need to supply drafts to 1st Line units delayed training. The division was not fully assembled around Perth until August 1915, with 2/III Highland Brigade at Brechin, moving into Perth for winter quarters in November. In January 1916, the division was assigned to the 'Eighth New Army', then in March it moved south to Norfolk and joined Northern Army (Home Forces). By May, the 2/III Highland Bde had received 4.5-inch howitzers and that month it was numbered, becoming CCCXXIII (323) (H) Brigade. However, the brigade was immediately broken up, with the batteries joining CCCXX (2/I Highland) and CCCXXI (2/II Highland) brigades as their D (H) batteries. 64th (H) Division remained a training organisation in Norfolk until it was disbanded after the Armistice with Germany.
Interwar The 3rd Highland (Howitzer) Brigade re-formed in 51st (Highland) Division in 1920. When the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1921, the brigade was redesignated 77th (Highland) Brigade, RFA with the following organisation:Frederick, pp. 490, 493, 520.Titles and Designations 1927. HQ at 8 South Street, Greenock 305 (Renfrew) Field Bty at Greenock 306 (Renfrew) Field Bty at Greenock 307 (Renfrew) Field Bty at Mints Avenue, Cathcart 308 (Renfrew) Field Bty (Howitzers) at Greenock
In 1924, the RFA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery (RA), and the word 'Field' was inserted into the titles of its brigades and batteries.
The establishment of a TA divisional artillery brigade was four 6-gun batteries, three equipped with 18-pounders, and one with 4.5-inch howitzers. However, the batteries only held four guns in peacetime. The guns and their first-line ammunition wagons were still horsedrawn and the battery staffs were mounted. Partial mechanisation was carried out from 1927, but the guns retained iron-tyred wheels until pneumatic tyres began to be introduced just before the Second World War.Sainsbury, pp. 15–7.