Cheshire Artillery Volunteers
military unit
The Cheshire Artillery Volunteers was a brigade of Volunteer artillery units raised in the county of Cheshire in the mid-19th century. Their successors served as field artillery in Palestine during World War I and as anti-aircraft (AA) gunners in the Middle East in World War II. They continued in the air defence role in the Territorial Army until 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. A number of Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were quickly formed in Cheshire, and in June 1860 they were brought together into the 1st Administrative Brigade of Cheshire Artillery Volunteer Corps with headquarters (HQ) at Chester and the following organisation:
1st (Birkenhead) Cheshire AVC (2 batteries), raised 30 December 1859 at Jackson & Brassey's Canada Works
2nd (Earl of Chester's) Cheshire AVC (1, later 2 batteries), raised in Chester 8 February 1860
3rd (Seacombe) Cheshire AVC (1 battery), raised 10 February 1860
4th (New Brighton) Cheshire AVC (1 battery), raised 15 February 1860
5th (Laird's Iron Works) Cheshire AVC (3 batteries), raised at Birkenhead 1 March 1860 with William Laird junior as Captain Commandant
The commanding officer (CO) of the admin brigade was Major, later Lieutenant-Colonel, Henry A. Gray.
By November 1863, the following units had also been included in the 1st Cheshire Admin Brigade:
1st Shropshire AVC
1st Staffordshire AVC
1st Worcestershire AVC – joined June 1865
These units left in 1866 to form the 1st Staffordshire Admin Brigade, but rejoined in August 1867. They left once more in 1869 to form the 1st Shropshire Admin Brigade.
In 1873, another group of AVCs from outside the county joined the 1st Cheshire Admin Brigade:
1st Anglesey AVC – from 1st Anglesey Admin Brigade; disbanded 1875
3rd Anglesey AVC – from 1st Anglesey Admin Brigade; renamed 2nd Carnarvonshire 1878
1st Carnarvonshire AVC – from 1st Anglesey Admin Brigade
1st Isle of Man AVC – disbanded 1875
The 1st and 5th Cheshire AVCs were dependent upon low-paid workers from Birkenhead ironworks, and, as the numbers who could remain with the Volunteers declined, these units were disbanded in 1873 and 1869 respectively. In 1866, the subtitle 'Earl of Chester's' was formally conferred on the 2nd Cheshire AVC (the Earldom of Chester is held by the Prince of Wales). When the Volunteers were consolidated in June 1880, the 1st Admin Brigade became the 2nd Cheshire AVC, taking the number of its senior surviving corps, but within a month this had been changed to 1st Cheshire and Carnarvonshire AVC, with HQ at Chester and the following organisation:
Nos 1, 2 and 3 Companies at Chester – from 2nd Cheshire AVC'
No 4 Company at New Brighton – from 4th Cheshire AVC
No 5 Company at Seacombe – from 3rd Cheshire AVC
Nos 6 and 7 Companies at Bangor – from 2nd Carnarvonshire AVC
No 8 Company at Caernarfon – 'from 1st Carnarvonshire AVC
In 1886, the unit made an unsuccessful application for the subtitle 'Earl of Chester's' to be restored. In 1882, it was assigned to the Lancashire Division of the Royal Artillery, but when the divisional structure was reduced in 1889 it joined the Southern Division.
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