The 1st Ayrshire and Galloway Artillery Volunteer Corps was formed in 1859 as a response to a French invasion threat. It transferred to the Territorial Force (TF) in 1908 and its successor units fought with the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division in Palestine during World War I, and in North West Europe and Burma during World War II. It continued in the Territorial Army (TA) until amalgamation in 1967.
Artillery Volunteers
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. The 1st Administrative Brigade of Ayrshire Artillery Volunteers was formed with its headquarters (HQ) at Irvine, North Ayrshire, in November 1860. It comprised the following Ayrshire Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs): 1st Corps formed at Irvine on 22 December 1859, as one and a half batteries ; reduced to one battery in 1862. 2nd Corps formed at Ayr on 31 January 1860, as one and a half batteries; increased to two batteries in 1874. 3rd Corps formed at Largs on 1 March 1860, as one battery. 4th Corps formed at Ardrossan on 3 March 1860, as one battery. 5th Corps formed at Kilmarnock on 12 July 1860, as one battery; increased in 1864 to one and a half batteries.
In 1863, the following corps were added to the brigade: 1st Kirkcudbright Artillery Volunteers formed at Kirkcudbright on 2 February 1860, as one battery. 1st Wigtown Artillery Volunteers formed at Stranraer on 20 February 1860, as one battery. 2nd Wigtown Artillery Volunteers formed at Port Patrick on 22 February 1860, as one battery. 3rd Wigtown Artillery Volunteers formed at Sandhead on 4 May 1867 as one battery and became part of the Brigade.
The first commanding officer (CO) of the administrative brigade was Major Sir Edward Hunt-Blair, 4th Baronet of Dunskey, Wigtown, appointed on 8 May 1861, who was replaced on 17 July 1863 by Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon Greville Vernon, whose his second-in-command (with the rank of major) was Captain (later Admiral) John Eglinton Montgomerie, Royal Navy. Hunter-Blair was reappointed (with the rank of lieutenant-colonel) on 4 September 1866.
In 1863, brigade HQ moved from Irvine to Ayr, and in May 1880 the brigade was consolidated as the 1st Ayrshire & Galloway Artillery Volunteers, with headquarters at Ayr and 11 batteries as follows:
No 1, Irvine (late 1st Ayrshire Corps) Nos 2 and 3, Ayr (late 2nd Ayrshire Corps) No 4 at Largs (late 3rd Ayrshire Corps) No 5 at Ardrossan (late 4th Ayrshire Corps) Now 6 and 7 at Kilmarnock (late 5th Ayrshire Corps) No 8 at Kirkcudbright (late 1st Kirkcudbright Corps) No 9 at Stranraer (late 1st Wigtown Corps) No 10 at Port Patrick (late 2nd Wigtown Corps) No 11 at Sandhead (late 3rd Wigtown Corps)
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. At that time they were not officially supported by the War Office (WO). The concept was revived in 1888 when some Volunteer batteries were reorganised as position artillery to work alongside the Volunteer infantry brigades. In 1889, a position battery of 16-pounder Rifled Muzzle Loading (RML) guns was issued to the 1st Ayrshire & Galloway and manned by the two Kilmarnock batteries. In that year the HQ moved to Kilmarnock.
In 1892, the existing position battery took the number 1, absorbing the 6th and 7th Companies. In 1901, two more batteries of 9 Pounder Rifled Muzzle Loading (RML) guns were issued to the corps, which took the numbers 2 and 3 and absorbed the Irvine and Ayr Companies, and an extra personnel formed as a 6th Company at Kilmarnock. The 8th to 11th Companies took the numbers 7 to 10.
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 Ayrshire & Galloway 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 Ayrshire and Galloway Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902, with its HQ at Kilmarnock. The following year the position batteries were redesignated as heavy batteries.