1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers

The 1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteer Corps were a unit of the British Army. They were formed in 1860 as a response to a French invasion threat. They transferred to the Territorial Force in 1908 and continued in existence until amalgamation in 1955.

Artillery Volunteers 1860-1908
The 1st Administrative Brigade Argyll Artillery Volunteers was formed with headquarters at Oban, on 10 October 1861. It comprised the following corps of Argyll Artillery Volunteers: -


 * 1st Corps formed at Easdale on 7 March 1860 (two batteries)
 * 2nd Corps formed at Tarbert on 12 April 1860 (disbanded 1862)
 * 3rd Corps formed at Oban on 8 March 1860
 * 4th Corps formed at West Tarbert on 12 April 1860. Headquarters moved in 1864, to Dunmore, and in 1866 to Eonachan (disbanded 1874)
 * 5th Corps formed at Ardgour on 16 January 1861 (one subdivision, disbanded in 1865)
 * 6th Corps formed at Campbeltown on 11 February 1861. Increased to two batteries, 1870.
 * 7th Corps formed at Port Ellen, Islay, on 3 July 1861
 * 8th Corps formed at South Hall on 10 September 1861. Headquarters changed to Castle Toward, 1878.
 * 9th Corps formed at Tobermory, Mull on 15 May 1862. Reduced to a half -battery, 1874.
 * 10th Corps formed at Lochgilphead on 15 May 1862
 * 11th Corps formed at Tarbet on 13 February 1866
 * 12th Corps formed at Inveraray on 2 April 1867. Recruited from men of the Furnace Quarries.

In 1863 the 1st Bute Artillery Volunteers with headquarters Rothesay (raised on 20 March 1862) were added to the unit. In 1867 the 2nd Bute Artillery Volunteers with headquarters Millport, Cumbrae (raised on 5 October 1867) were also added to the unit.

In 1864 brigade headquarters were moved to Lochgilphead, and in 1870 to Rothesay. In May 1880 the brigade was consolidated as the 1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, with twelve and a half batteries, distributed as follows


 * Nos. 1 and 2, Easdale (late 1st Argyll).
 * No. 3, Oban (late 3rd Argyll).
 * Nos. 4 and 5, Campbeltown (late 6th Argyll).
 * No. 6, Port Ellen, Islay (late 7th Argyll).
 * No. 7, Castle Toward (late 8th Argyll).
 * No. 8, Rothesay (late 1st Bute).
 * No. 9, Millport (late 2nd Bute).
 * No. 10, Lochgilphead (late 10th Argyll).
 * No. 11, Tarbert (late 11th Argyll).
 * No. 12, Inveraray (late 12th Argyll).
 * Half-battery, Tobermory, Mull (late 9th Argyll) (disbanded in 1887)

In 1887 a new 12th battery was formed at Rothesay, and in the following year the headquarters of the 8th Battery were removed from Castle Toward to Dunoon.

During the South African War in 1900, 211 men of the 1st Argyll and Bute volunteered their services, but only eight were accepted for active service.

The corps was one of the most scattered in Britain. For example Number six Company had detachments at Bowmore, Bridgend, and Ardbeg. Personnel of the corps were spread over fifteen localities in some of the largest and least accessible country in Scotland. Owing to the varying occupations of the men, 75% were Gaelic-speaking, three training camps were arranged at different times of the year. In addition the corps had to maintain 15 carbine ranges. Many prizes were won by the corps, both in gun practice and repository exercises, at the Scottish National Artillery Association camps - the King's Cup was won at Barry Buddon in 1903 by the Easdale companies. The pipe band consisted of over thirty pipers.

The headquarters of the corps were transferred in March 1906 to Tarbert, Loch Fyne. By this time the unit was styled 1st Ayrshire and Galloway Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers).

Uniform
The original uniforms varied greatly. Colonel F. Campbell (commanding 1884-1903) writes: "The corps had their separate uniforms, which were tunics or Garibaldi shirts, caps with red, yellow, or white bands ; belts brown, black, or white. The officers' dress was even more varied. They joined simply to encourage the movement, and wore much what they chose, utilising any old uniform that they might have worn some time or other, whether cavalry, infantry, or other. Swords of all patterns, perhaps presentations to their forefathers before and after Waterloo."

In 1860 the 3rd Corps had blue uniforms with scarlet facings, white pouch belts, black waistbelts, and busbies. The 4th Corps wore a jumper and trousers of blue flannel, and a broad Kilmarnock bonnet, such as are usually worn by Tarbert fishermen, of whom it was mainly composed.

Commanding Officers
The lieutenant-colonels (commandant since 1866) of the Corps were:


 * J Campbell, CB, Major-General ; Major, 10 October 1861; Lieut.-Colonel, July 23, 1863.
 * J D S Marquis of Lorne, KT, GCMG, 13 July 1866.
 * Frederick Campbell, late Lieutenant RA, CB, VD (hon. col.), 21 March 1884.
 * John W Stewart, VD (honorary Colonel), 1 August 1903.
 * Colin G P Campbell, late 2nd Lieutenant Scots Guards, 17 February 1906

Territorial Force (TF) 1908-1920
When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force in 1908 under the Haldane Reforms, the 1st Argyll and Bute Volunteer Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) were split between two units: Two Batteries of the 4th Highland (Mountain) Brigade, Royal Garrison Artillery and one company of the Forth and Clyde Royal Garrison Artillery (TF), a 'defended ports' unit based at Edinburgh.

The 4th Highland Brigade had headquarters at Rothesay and batteries at Campbelltown, Lochcarro and Rothesay. During the First World War it served at Gallipoli, Egypt and Salonika.

1920-1955
In 1920 the unit was reconstituted as 26th Highland Pack Brigade RGA (TF) and by 1924 was designated as 13th Highland Pack Brigade, Royal Artillery (TA). The need for the creation of Anti-Tank Regiments in the 1930s led to the unit being reorganised and redesignated in 1938 as 51st (West Highland) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA), with headquarters in Oban. Despite this it was placed in suspended animation in 1940, without serving overseas.

On the reconstitution of the Territorial Army in 1947 the unit was raised again as 254th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery (West Highland) (TA), with headquarters moving to Dumbarton. Following this it was re-roled in 1950 as an air defence unit, becoming 254th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (West Highland) (TA). In 1955 it was then amalgamated 277th (Highland) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA) and became part of that regiment.

External sources

 * The Royal Artillery 1939–45
 * The Long, Long Trail
 * The Regimental Warpath 1914–1918
 * Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth
 * British Military History