City of Bristol Rifles

The City of Bristol Rifles was a Volunteer unit of the British Army from 1859 to 1955. It became a battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment and fought in France, Flanders and Italy in World War I. As a searchlight unit in World War II it defended the West Country against air raids before moving to the East Coast late in the war. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army (TA) as a heavy anti-aircraft artillery regiment until amalgamated with other Gloucestershire units in 1955.

Precursor units

The City of Bristol was one of several English localities that organised an 'armed association' of volunteers for home defence during the Jacobite Rising of 1745, supplementing the professionals of the Regular Army and the embodied Militia. The French Revolutionary War saw the passing of the Volunteer Act, 1794, which encouraged the enlistment of part-time local Volunteer corps under the authority of the county Lords-lieutenant. A large number of these were formed in Gloucestershire, including the Bristol Volunteer Infantry, officially formed on 23 March 1797 and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Evan Baillie, a Bristol merchant who had served as a junior officer in the West Indies during the Seven Years' War. The unit had begun to form on 17 February 1797, but even before being officially accepted its first duty was to guard the French prisoners of war confined at Stapleton Prison after the Militia regiments stationed in the city were sent to deal with the French landing in Pembrokeshire on 22 February 1797 (the Battle of Fishguard). By January 1798 the unit was of battalion strength, with 1000 men enrolled, and an adjutant and permanent staff of Sergeants and drummers. Volunteer units could be called out 'in aid of the civil power': the Bristol Volunteers were on duty during the Bristol food riots of April 1801. Service in the Volunteers conferred immunity from conscription into the Militia.