Search British Army, Royal Artillery Officers 1716-1899

Each record includes an image from the original publication and a transcript created from the information found in each entry. The details in each could vary, but most will include:

Transcript

• Name
• Year of first appointment

Image

• Name
• Rank
• Dates of promotion and ranks
• Remarks may include:
• Notes on officers’ service
• Death place and date
• Theatres of war

See below for help with abbreviations of countries, medals and other general abbreviations.

These records are from the fourth edition of the list of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: The year 1716 to the year 1899, collected by General W. H. Askwith, Colonel-Commandant Royal Artillery. It was published in 1900.

The Royal Artillery provides the fire power for the British Army. It was created by Royal warrant from George I. The warrant created two permanent field artillery companies in 1716. Four years later the name Royal Artillery was attributed to these companies. Soon those first two companies expanded to four and it continued to grow. In 1756 the Royal Irish Regiment was created and then was amalgamated with the Royal Artillery in 1801, after the Act of Union. The Royal Artillery moved to its barracks in Woolwich in 1782. They were under the authority of the Board or Ordnance until 1855 when the board was incorporated into the War Office.

During the early 20th century the Royal Artillery was split into three groups. The first group was a combination of the Royal Horse Artillery and the Royal Field Artillery. The second group was the Royal Garrison Artillery. And the final group was simply the Royal Artillery, responsible for supplies and the storage of ammunition. The Royal Artillery massively expanded during the First World War.

The Royal Artillery has two mottos: ‘Ubique’ – meaning everywhere, referencing that the regiment has been involved in every campaign the Army has participated in; and ‘Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt’ - Whither Right and Glory Lead. Their nickname in the army is The Gunners.

Countries

Abyi - Abyssinia

Afg - Afghanistan

Akha - Akha Expedition

Ash – Ashantee

Aust - Australia

Barb - Barbados

Berm - Bermuda

Bhot - Bhotan Exp

BL Mo - Black Mountains

Boer - Boer War

Bur – Bunnah

Can - Canada

Cape - Cape War

Carth - Carthagena

Cawn - Cawnpore

Cey - Ceylon

Chin - Chin Hills

Cop - Copenhagen

Crim - Crimea

Del - Delhi

Det – Dettingen

Duff – Duffla Expedition

Eg - Egypt

Euz - Euzofzai

Flan - Flanders

Font - Fontenoy

Gamb - Gambia

Ger - Germany

Gib - Gibraltar

Gold - Gold Coast

Guad - Guadeloupe

Hal - Halifax

Hav - Havannah

Haz - Hazara

H.K. - Hong Kong

Holl - Holland

Ind - India

Jam - Jamaica

Jow – Jowaki Expedition

Kaf – Kaffir War

Leip - Leipzig

Luck – Lucknow

Lush - Lushai

Ma - Maida

Mart - Martinique

Maur - Mauritius

Medit - Mediterranean

Min - Minorca

Mind - Minden

Mir - Miranzai

Mo. Vid – Monte Video

Mosc - Moscow

N Am – North America

Nat - Natal

N Brun – New Brunswick

Neth - Netherlands

N Orl – New Orleans

N or S Car – North or South Carolina

Nova – Nova Scotia

N W F – North West Frontier

N Z – New Zealand

Pen - Peninsula

Per – Persia

Port – Portugal

Punj – Punjab

Que - Quebec

Red R - Red River Expedition

S Am - South America

S Af - South Africa

Sara - Saratoga

Scin - Scinde

Sen - Senegal

Ser - Seringapatam

Sing - Singapore

Sikh - Sikh War

S Mah - South Mahratta Campaign

St H - St. Helena

St L - St. Lucia

Soud - Soudan

Sutl - Sutlej Campaign

Trans - Transvaal

Umb - Umbeyla

Virg - Virginia

Wal – Walcheren

Wat – Waterloo Campaign

W C Af – West Coast Africa

W I – West Indies

Waz – Waziri Expedition

York – York Town

Youn – Younie Expedition

Zhob - Zhob Valley Expedition

General Abbreviations

Orders

DSO – Distinguished Service Order

KCB – Order of Bath

Ld H – Legion of honour

Desp - Mentioned in despatches

M = Medal

CI - Clasp (the number of clasps are shown by a prefix numeral = 2 CI)

Brev - Brevet

Foreign medals or orders are shown by capital letters in block type. The letter is the initial of the country granting; or, in the case of a decoration, the initial letter of the name of the decoration.

T - Turkish Medal

S - Sardinian Medal

M – Medjidieh

O - Osmanieh

A - Abyssinian

Periods of service abroad are shown thus — 79-82, 81-2; the former being the year of embarkation, the latter of return.

Active service to be specified by the month as well as the year, thus: — Afg., 2.78 — 6.79. M.

d – Died

w - Wounded

k - Killed

r - Retired

r f p - Full pay retirement

h p - Half pay

f p - Full pay

res - Resigned

g – General

g o – Gentleman of the Ordnance

lg – Lieutenant General

mg – Major General

c - Colonel

Ic – Lieutenant Colonel

m - Major

cap - Captain

L – Lieutenant

2nd l – 2nd Lieutenant

p s c – passed staff college

p a c – passed army college

m c c – Senior Department R M C

ADC – Aide-de-Camp to Queen

S M - Duncan Silver Medallist

L M - Lefroy Gold Medallist

C R A - Commanding Royal Artillery

G M - Duncan Gold Medallist