3rd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers

3rd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers
Cap badge, 3rd Middlesex Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers), 1902-1908
Active 1861–1956
Country  United Kingdom
Branch Territorial Army
Type Artillery Regiment
Role Field Artillery
Airborne Artillery
Garrison/HQ Kennington, London
Nickname(s) Truro's Tigers

The 3rd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers were formed in 1861 as a response to a French invasion threat. They became part of the Territorial Force in 1908 and served during the First and Second World Wars until amalgamated in 1956.

Artillery Volunteers 1861–1908

The Corps was first formed on 12 September 1861, with Headquarters in Islington, London. It occupied several premises during its existence, the last of which was in Lower Kennington Lane.[1]

13 Pounder gun, horse drawn by the 3rd Middlesex Artillery Volunteers, 1896

Like all volunteer units the 3rd Middlesex conducted regular camps and took part in Volunteer reviews. In 1868 they attended the Volunteer review at Portsmouth, taking a horsed battery of 9 Pounder smooth bore guns.[2] In 1870, 1878 and 1885 the 3rd Middlesex won the Queen's Prize at the annual National Artillery Association competition held at Shoeburyness. In 1896 the unit won the Queen's Prize for Position/Heavy Artillery.[3] The unit had the distinction of having the Duke of York as their Honorary Colonel from around 1890. It had three divisions, each with three batteries:

  • 1st Division – Armoury House, Farringdon Road, London
  • 2nd Division – Lower Kennington Lane, SE
  • 3rd Division – Porteous Road, Paddington

In 1902 the Corps was retitled 3rd Middlesex Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers)

Territorial Force 1908–1920

In 1908 on the formation of the Territorial Force the 3rd Middlsex became the 5th London Brigade Royal Field Artillery (TF). This brigade comprised the 12th, 13th and 14th County of London Batteries.[4] The Brigade headquarters were at Kennington Lane, London SE11[5]

During the First World War the 5th London served in the UK and France. In 1916 the Brigade was renumbered as 235th Brigade Royal Field Artillery (TF). They were placed in suspended animation in 1919.[6]

Interwar years

After the war, the unit was reconstituted as the 5th London Brigade RFA (TF) in the reformed Territorial Army. In 1921 it was again reorganised as the 92nd (5th London) Brigade RFA (TA).[7]

Second World War

By the outbreak of the Second World War the unit had been redesignated as 92nd (5th London) Field Regiment RA (TA). At the end of the war the unit was placed in suspended animation in 1946.[8]

Postwar

In 1947 the unit was reconstituted as 292nd Airborne Anti-Tank Regiment RA (5th London) (TA).[9]

In 1951 the Regiment was reorganised as 292nd Airborne Field Regiment RA (5th London) (TA). In 1956 the Regiment was amalgamated with 285th (Essex) Parachute Field Regiment RA (TA) to form 289 Parachute Light Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA).

Notes

  1. ↑ Litchfield, Norman E H, and Westlake, R, 1982. The Volunteer Artillery 1859–1908, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham, p120
  2. ↑ The Volunteer Review at Portsmouth, Illustrated London News, 25 April 1868, p415
  3. ↑ Litchfield, N and Westlake, R, 1982. The Volunteer Artillery, Sherwood Press, p189
  4. ↑ London Gazette, 20 March 1908.
  5. ↑ Osborne, Mike, 2006. Always Ready: The Drill Halls of Britain's Volunteer Forces, Partizan Press, Essex
  6. ↑ Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham, p153.
  7. ↑ Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham, p152
  8. ↑ Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham, p153
  9. ↑ Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham, p153

References

  • Ian F.W. Beckett, Riflemen Form: A Study of the Rifle Volunteer Movement 1859–1908, Aldershot, The Ogilby Trusts, 1982, ISBN 0-85936-271-X.
  • Lt-Col H.F. Joslen, Orders of Battle, United Kingdom and Colonial Formations and Units in the Second World War, 1939–1945, London: HM Stationery Office, 1960/Uckfield: Naval & Military, 2003, ISBN 1-84342-474-6.
  • Litchfield, Norman E H, and Westlake, R, 1982. The Volunteer Artillery 1859–1908, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0-9508205-0-4
  • Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908–1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0-9508205-2-0
  • Osborne, Mike, 2006. Always Ready: The Drill Halls of Britain's Volunteer Forces, Partizan Press, Essex. ISBN 1-85818-509-2

External sources

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