Bristol Royal Artillery Club - Old Stiffs Mess

In 1967, the Territorial Army forces were halved under a review produced by Generals John Hacket and Michael Carver. Thus 883 Battery became A (GVA) Squadron, Royal Gloucestershire Hussars (V) and served as part of the TAVR 3 force, with a responsibility for Home Defense, until 1969 when it was disbanded.

Although officially disbanded, the Bristol Gunners refused to relinquish their right to parade at the Artillery Ground and formed the Bristol Royal Artillery Club, sometimes known as the "Old Stiffs Mess," which met every Friday night for "Bar Drills." It was in 1971 that the BRA Club was responsible for providing the nucleus of the newly formed 266th (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Observation Post Battery RA (V).

Lieutenant Colonel Harold Essex Lewis MBE DCM TD KStJ DL was a founder member of Bristol Royal Artillery Club or "Old Stiffs Mess," and its last Honorary Secretary. He had served in 240th Brigade RFA during WWI and wrote the article "Was It All Worth It" featured on the WWI Remembrance page. Among his papers held by the Imperial War Museums is a large cartoon of the Club's members made in 1980, which, unfortunately, has not yet been digitized.

266 (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Battery

In 1971, 266 (Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery) Observation Post Battery was formed using the Bristol Royal Artillery Club as a nucleus as an independent Observation Post unit as a reinforcement unit for BAOR supplying observation post teams. The battery had a four gun troop of 25pdr field guns. In time of war the battery would provide 18 Observation Post Parties to regular army units

The Battery has amongst its treaures a cased stopwatch. It was used by the then Adjutant, Capt. Boyce R. A. for timing gundrill from 1912 to 1916. He returned the watch in the 1970s at a Old Stiffs dinner. Lt. Col. Boyce as he was then apologized to the Old Stiffs mess and begged their forgiveness for taking the watch with him when he was posted out from the battery in 1916.

Sources and Resources

Derek Driscoll's original pages

The Bristol Gunner Tradition by Major J. Smith RA (V) MBE TD

Other References

Private Papers of Lieutenant Colonel H E Lewis MBE DCM TD KStJ DL (Imperial War Museums) - A description of the papers of Lt-Colonel H. E. Lewis