The 3rd Lancashire Artillery Volunteers was a unit of Britain's part-time Volunteer Force recruited from Blackburn and the surrounding area in 1860. It became a brigade of the Royal Field Artillery in the Territorial Force in 1908, and served through the First World War with the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division at Gallipoli, in Egypt and on the Western Front. Its second line unit also served on the Western Front in 1917–18. During the Second World War, its batteries operated in the light anti-aircraft role in Norway, France, Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy. It was reformed postwar, but disappeared in a merger in 1955.
Volunteer Force The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Beckett.Spiers, pp. 163–8. A large number of independent Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed across Lancashire, and these were quickly grouped into administrative brigades. The 3rd Administrative Brigade, Lancashire Artillery Volunteers was formed at Blackburn on 26 October 1860 with the following units coming under its control:Beckett, Appendix VIII.Frederick, p. 663.Litchfield & Westlake, pp. 107–13.Lancashire Record Office, Handlist 72.Army List, various dates.3rd Lancashire AV (incorrectly headlined as 1st East Lancashire AV) at Regiments.org. 5th (Blackburn) Lancashire AVC, formed 9 January 1860, second battery raised 10 February, four batteries by 21 April 1860 18th (Great Lever) Lancashire AVC formed 29 May 1860, joined September 1861 and moved to Bolton September 1862 where a second battery was formed; commanded from 14 February 1861 by Charles Ainsworth of the Ainsworth cotton spinning family of Great Lever and BoltonW & C Ainsworth at Grace's Guide. 22nd (Church) Lancashire AVC formed 23 October 1860; commanded from 3 October 1863 by Edward Pilkington of Pilkington Brothers glassworks;Pilkington Brothers at Grace's Guide. merged into 5th in June 1869 23rd (Chorley) Lancashire AVC formed 20 November 1860 26th (Birkdale ) Lancashire AVC formed 2 October 1865, commanded by Captain William Nicholson of the 3rd Royal Lancashire Militia; moved to Southport about April 1866
From 24 October 1861 the Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the brigade was John B. Bowdon. He was succeeded by Charles Ainsworth from the 18th Lancashire AVC. When the AVCs were consolidated on 16 March 1880, the whole brigade briefly became the 5th Lancashire AVC (taking the number of its senior constituent) before being renumbered as the 3rd Lancashire AVC on 15 June 1880. It had the following composition: Headquarters (HQ) at Blackburn Nos 1–5 Batteries at Blackburn – from 5th AVC No 6 Battery at Church – from 5th AVC Nos 7–9 Batteries at Bolton – from 18th AVC Nos 10–12 Batteries at Chorley – from 23rd AVC Nos 13–14 Batteries at Southport – from 26th AVC
The unit became part of the Lancashire Division of the Royal Artillery from 1 April 1882. R.W. Thom became Lt-Col on 10 May 1882, with several other members of the Thom engineering family of Blackburn among his officers; W.J. Thom took over command on 9 October 1895. When the RA's divisional structure was reorganised on 1 July 1889, the 3rd Lancashire became part of the Southern Division, RA; the Bolton batteries were detached to form their own 9th Lancashire, leaving the 3rd with eight batteries.William Thom at Grace's Guide.
As well as manning fixed coast defence artillery, some of the early AVCs 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. By 1891 the whole of the 3rd Lancashire Volunteer Artillery was organised as position batteries: initially four, three from 14 July 1892, but four again by 30 September 1894:Beckett, p. 178.Litchfield & Westlake, p. 6. HQ, 2 and 4 Btys at Blackburn 1 Bty at Church 3 Bty at Chorley
On 1 June 1899 all the Volunteer artillery units became part of the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) and with the abolition of the RA's divisional organisation on 1 January 1902, the unit became the 3rd Lancashire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) with its HQ at Blackburn. 'Position artillery' was redesignated 'heavy artillery' in May 1902.
Territorial Force When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908,Beckett, pp. 247–53.Spiers, Chapter 10. the 3rd Lancashire RGA (V) of five heavy batteries was transferred to the Royal Field Artillery (RFA) and designated the I (or 1st) East Lancashire Brigade with the following organisation:Litchfield, pp. 115–6.Frederick, p. 676.London Gazette 20 March 1908.Gibbon, pp. 3–4.Becke, Pt 2a, pp. 35–41.42 Divisional Artillery at Long, Long Trail.
Brigade HQ at 50 King Street, Blackburn 4th Lancashire Bty, RFA, at King Street 5th Lancashire Bty, RFA, at Church 6th Lancashire Bty, RFA, at Burnley 1st East Lancashire Ammunition Column, at Blackburn
The brigade formed part of the divisional artillery for the TF's East Lancashire Division. Whereas the other East Lancashire Division RFA brigades received official local subtitles – 'Manchester Artillery', 'Bolton Artillery', 'Cumberland Artillery' – the Blackburn-based unit did not, although it was routinely referred to as the 'Blackburn Artillery'.For example, Gibbon; Farndale, Forgotten Fronts. Before the First World War, the brigade was equipped with four 15-pounder field guns to each battery, and commanded by Lt-Col T. Frankish.Gibbon, p. 17.
First World War Mobilisation Units of the East Lancashire Division had been on their annual training when war came: on 3 August they were recalled to their drill halls and at 17.30 next day the order to mobilise was received. The men were billeted within reach of their drill halls while the mobilisation process went on.
On 10 August, TF units were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service. The infantry brigades of the East Lancashire Division volunteered by 12 August and soon 90 per cent of the division had signed up. On 15 August 1914, the War Office issued instructions to separate those men who had opted 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. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix and would absorb the flood of volunteers coming forward. In this way duplicate batteries, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas.Becke, Pt 2b, p. 6.WO Instructions Nos 108 & 310 of August 1914.Gibbon, p. 5.
1/I East Lancashire Brigade, RFA On 20 August the East Lancashire Division moved into camps around Bolton, Bury and Rochdale, and on 5 September it received orders to go to Egypt to complete its training and relieve Regular units from the garrison for service on the Western Front. It embarked on a convoy of troopships from Southampton on 10 September, and landed at Alexandria on 25 September, the first TF division to go overseas. 1/I East Lancs Bde was commanded by Lt-Col Arthur Birtwistle, promoted from command of 6th Bty. Some units moved into the Suez Canal defences in October before war broke out with Turkey on 5 November. 1/I East Lancs Bde was sent to the Canal Zone on 20 January 1915, its guns concealed on the west bank. 1/5th East Lancs Bty was at El Kubri in the South Sector, 1/4th and 1/6th at Kantara in the North Sector. The Turks attempted a crossing on 3 February: the regiment attacking the Kantara Gap was engaged with great effect by 1/4th and 1/6th Btys at ranges of to and did not press home its attack. The attacks against El Kubri had been more feeble. Afterwards the Turks retired and training was resumed.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, pp. 2–8.Gibbon, pp. 6–16.Gibbon, p. 243.
Gallipoli On 1 May the division began embarking for the Gallipoli campaign. Only 24 of the division's guns were taken in the first lift; 1/I East Lancs Bde contributed 1/5th Bty (4 guns under Maj J.G. Browning) and a section of 1/6th Bty (2 guns) all under Lt-Col Birtwistle. The units were landed at Cape Helles, where an assault landing had been carried out on 25 April. 1/I East Lancs Bde arrived on 9 May, after the division's infantry had already been in action for three days. The beachhead was so congested that the rest of the artillery was ordered to return to Egypt. Lieutenant-Col Birtwistle with his six guns was placed in command of a sub-group including Australian and New Zealand batteries. Artillery ammunition was also scarce at Helles, with an allowance of three rounds per gun per day.Aspinall-Oglander, pp. 392, 488.Aspinall-Oglander, p. 32.Farndale, Forgotten Fronts, pp. 39, 54.Gibbon, pp. 16–22, 34.North, pp. 76–7.
After a period of Trench warfare, the division (designated the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division from 25 May) attacked on 4 June at the Third Battle of Krithia, with 127th (Manchester) Brigade leading. The heavy guns and howitzers began firing on strongpoints at 08.00, then all guns, including 1/I East Lancs' six 15-pdrs, began a bombardment of the Turkish front line trench at 11.05. The guns ceased fire at 11.20, when the infantry cheered and showed their bayonets above the parapet, hoping to induce the enemy to man their trenches. This was successful and the guns resumed their bombardment, causing heavy casualties, until 12.00, when the infantry launched their attack and the guns lifted onto the enemy rear trenches. The Turkish front line trenches were taken within five minutes, and the brigade penetrated four lines of trenches by the afternoon. However, the formations on either side of 127th Bde were held up, the successes were not reinforced so the foremost captured positions became untenable, and the Manchesters were withdrawn to the Turkish first line at 18.30, having suffered heavy casualties for a final gain of just .Aspinall-Oglander, pp. 42–53.Gibbon, pp. 27–39.North, pp. 140–2.
The strength of 42nd (EL) Division dwindled through the summer from sickness as well as battle casualties, despite some drafts arriving from the 2nd Line units at home. Although some of the infantry units were given periods of rest on the island of Imbros, and further batteries of 42nd Divisional Artillery (42nd DA) arrived from Egypt, 1/5th Bty and the two guns of 1/6th Bty remained in action the whole time. On 7 August the division was called upon to make a diversionary attack against Krithia Vineyard to cover a new landing further up the coast. The bombardment, with British, French and naval guns contributing, began at 08.10 and increased in intensity at 09.00. Although the fire was accurate, the Turkish trenches suffered little damage. The infantry went forward at 09.40, wearing tin triangles on their backs so that the artillery observation posts (OPs) could track their progress. The attack was partially successful, the vineyard being captured, but casualties were heavy. However the Turks had been pinned while the main attacks went ahead, and they in turn suffered heavy casualties in their counter-attacks.Aspinall-Oglander, pp. 71–2, 98, 112, 168–9, 175–7.Gibbon, pp. 41–6.North, pp. 143–4.