• Homepage - a general introduction to the site.

Organizational History

• Bristol Artillery History - A history of the Bristol artillery formations
• Timeline - Major events in the history of 266 Battery, Bristol Gunners, Gloucestershire Artillery, and the Royal Artillery.
• The Artillery Ground - A history of the home of the GVA
• Dress of the Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery - The uniforms of the GVA over the years
• Saint Barbara - The patron saint of artillery and a 2006 service

Pre-WWI

• GVA 19th Century - The formation of the Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery. Its history and events from 1859 to 1899
• GVA 20th Century - Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery. Its history and events from 1900 to 1908
• Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery Early Officers
• 1st South Midland (Gloucestershire) Brigade - A History - The Brigade's history from its formation in 1908
• Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery Bands
• Artillery at Clevedon - No. 9 Battery, Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery (GVA)
• 1st Gloucestershire RGA - Nominal Roll 1897 - 1910
• 1st Gloucestershire RGA - Orders published in newspapers
• Letters to The Times - senior Territorial Force officers as it was and then and their thoughts on its use, training, how it should be financed, and how it should be equipped

WWI

Ypres and Ieper

Ypes is the French / English name for Ieper, which comes from the Dutch and is the official name of the city in Belgium. I have tried to keep to Ypres, but Ieper may appear on some pages.

• 1 (SM) Brigade RFA (T) - Early Days - Remembrance by Colonel E. C. Boyce DSO of pre-WWI training and mobilization
• 1 (SM) Brigade RFA (T) 1914 - 1916 - 1 (South Midland) Brigade RFA (T) War Diary
• From the Viewpoint of a Trumpeter - Remembrance by Captain Essex Lewis DCM of pre-WWI training and mobilization
• 1 (SM) Brigade RFA (T) 1915-1917 by Captain F. S. Gedye MC
• 1 (SM) Brigade RFA (T) - Nominal Roll - The nominal roll from 1908 to 1914
• 1st South Midland Brigade - Overseas - The first days in France in 1915 by Lt. E. L. Gedye
• 3rd Gloucestershire Bty RFA - Nominal roll and images
• 240 Brigade RFA (T) - 240 Brigade RFA (T) and its WWI service
• 240 Brigade RFA (T) 1917 - 1919 - 240 Brigade RFA (T) war diary
• Opening Days of the Somme by Lt. E. L. Gedye
• 1 (SM) Brigade RFA (T) 1917-1919 by Captain F. S. Gedye MC
• 240 Brigade RFA (T) Nominal Roll - 240 Brigade RFA (T) and its WWI service members
• 240 Brigade RFA (T) Battery Officers (1916)
• Gunner Shakespeare - a description of a typical 28Pdr gun battery and how they were used
• WWI Gunnery - a description of a typical 28Pdr gun battery and how they were used
• Hill Top Farm - Used as HQ for 1st South Midland Brigade RFA (T) and an artillery observtion post
• Remembrance - Lest We Forget - The WWI fallen of 240 Brigade RFA
• WWI Obituaries - Information about some of the fallen - Lt. J. B. Fullerton; Lt E. L. Gedye; Sgt. G. H. Sherriff, Captain A. E. Stone; Major C. W. Todd DSO
• 240 Brigade RFA (T) Obituaries - Men who served in 240 Brigade and survived WWI
• Major R. A. Corsan DSO MC (1894 - 1942) - Information about Major R. A. Corsan. Lots of photos
• Major F. S. Gedye MC TD (1894 - 1975) - Information about Major F. S. Gedye
• Lieutenant Colonel Harold Essex Lewis - Lieutenant Colonel H. E. Lewis
• WWI Wounded - Nos. 56 and 61 Casualty Clearing Stations
• WWI Commemoration - Between 2015 and 2019, 266 Bty commemorated the passing of a centenary of the service of Bristol Gunners in the First World War.

Interwar

WWII

• 3rd and 5th Survey Regiments RA (TA) - From 223rd (Field Artillery) Signals Section, Royal Signals (TA) to their disbandment
• 6th Regiment Maritime RA - A WWII unit that manned the guns on defence equipped merchant shipping (DEMS).
• 76th (Gloucestershire) H.A.A Regt R.A. (TA) - Heavy anti-aircraft regiment that defended Bristol and later served in north Africa and Italy
• The War Years in Bristol, 1938 - 1945 by Reg Harris
• Drill Hall Memorials - Memorials at the Drill Hall at The Artillery Ground

Post-WWII

• 43 Wessex Division
• 311th (City of Bristol) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment
• 312th (Wessex) Medium AA Regiment
• 883 (GVA) Locating Bty
• Bristol Royal Artillery Club - Between 1969 and 1971, these men ensured artillery in Bristol did not end
• 266 (GVA) Bty Artefacts - Battery artefacts - the silver, books and other artefacts owned by the battery
• 266 (GVA) Bty Command - Battery command structure
• 266 (GVA) Bty Competitions - King George Fifth Cup (KGV), United Kingdom Land Forces Observation Post & Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race
• 266 (GVA) Bty Miscellaneous Photos
• 266 (GVA) Bty Recruit training and the Crew Commander Course
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1971 - Battery camp at New Zealand Farm, SPTA
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1972 - Battery camp at Sennybridge, Brecon, South Wales
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1973 - Bath Military Tattoo
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1974 - Exercise Beat Blow
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1975 - Battery camp at Fremington
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1977 - OP exercise at BATUS, Canada, and the Queen's Silver Jubilee
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1982 - King George V OP Competition. My Basic Training
• 266 (GVA) Bty 1986 - Battery camp New Zealand Farm, SPTA and King George Fifth Cup at Otterburn Ranges
• 266 (GVA) Bty Reunions - Tales and photos from various Battery unions

People

Some people have created more of the history of 266 Battery and some are a lot easier to find information about than others...

• Boyce, E. C. DSO - Colonel - Early days of 1st (South Midland) Brigade RFA (T) | Bristol Royal Artillery Club - Old Stiffs Mess | 266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V) - Historical Artefacts
• Boyd, George Samuel James M.R.C.S., L,R.C.P., L.S.A. - Second Lieutenant - GVA Early Officers
• Cave, Charles Henry - GVA Early Officers
• Coates, Herbert - Captain - GVA Early Officers
• Corsan, Reginald Arthur DSO MC, Major - Major Reginald Arthur Corsan D.S.O. M.C. (1894 - 1942)
• Daniel, John Francis Ranald - Honorary Major - GVA Early Officers
• Davies, David Samuel M.D., Lond., D.P.H. Cantab., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. - Surgeon-Captain - GVA Early Officers
• Elton, Sir Edmund Harry, Bart., CC, Major and Honorable-Lieutenant-Colonel - GVA Early Officers | Artillery at Clevedon
• Frowde, James Henry - Captain - GVA Early Officers
• Fullerton, James Basil - Lieutenant, A Bty 240th Bde RFA - WWI Obituaries
• Gedye, Edward Leonard - Lieutenant, 240th Bde. RFA - 1st South Midland Brigade - 1914-1916 War Diary | 1st South Midland Brigade - Overseas | Opening Days of the Somme | WWI Obituaries
• Gedye MC, F. S. - Major - Major F. S. Gedye MC TD (1894 - 1975) | 1st (South Midland) Brigade RFA (T) 1915-1917 | 1 (SM) Brigade RFA (T) 1917-1919 | Hill Top Farm, Ypres | 266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V) - Historical Artefacts
• Lansdown, Francis Poole - Surgeon-Lieutenant-Colonel - Francis Poole Lansdown
• Lewis MBE DCM TD KStJ DL, Harold Essex - Lt. Colonel - Lieutenant Colonel Harold Essex Lewis | Viewpoint of a Trumpeter | Bristol Royal Artillery Club - Old Stiffs Mess
• Metford, Francis Killigrew Seymour CB, OBE, VD, TD - Lieutenant Colonel - GVA Early Officers
• Ogilvy, Alexander, B.A. , B.C., F.R.C.S.I. - Second Lieutenant - GVA Early Officers
• Ord, Fredrick Cusac - Colonel, Commanding 1st Gloucestershire Artillery Volunteers (Gloucester and Somerset) - Colonel F. C. Ord CB VD TD DL | Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery
• Platt, Ralph Ernest - First Lieutenant - GVA Early Officers
• Savile, Henry Bourchier Osborne - Colonel, Gloucesterhsire Volunteer Artillery - Colonel H. B. O. Savile (1819-1917) | Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery
• Sherriff, Bernard Henry - Sergeant, 825064, 240th Bde. RFA - WWI Obituaries
• Stone, Arthur Edward - Captain, A Bty 243rd (1st/4th South Midland) Bde RFA - Viewpoint of a Trumpeter | Opening Days of the Somme | WWI Obituaries
• Swayne, Walter Carless, B.S. Lond., M.D., Ch.B. Bristol. - Major - Walter Carless Swayne
• Todd, Chester William - Major, DSO, A Bty 240th Bde RFA - WWI Obituaries | 266 (GVA) O.P. Bty R.A. (V) - Historical Artefacts
• Trestrail, Alfred Bond MBE FRGS - Major - The Trestrail's | Artillery at Clevedon
• Trestrail, Alfred Ernest Yates Trestrail, BA - Lieutenant Colonel - The Trestrail's | Artillery at Clevedon
• Wathen, John Hancocke - Alderman, Surgeon Captain - GVA Early Officers
• Weston-Stevens, Joseph - Honorary Major - Honorary Major Sir Joseph Weston-Stevens
• Whitwill, Mark Jnr - Major - GVA Early Officers
• Worcester, H. - Major - Battery Commander, 883 (GVA) Locating Bty R.A. (V) - 883 (GVA) Locating Bty R.A. (V)
• Worth, John - Captain - GVA Early Officers
• Yabbicom, Thomas Henry - Colonel - GVA Early Officers

Documents and PDFs

• Basic Battle Skills (1991) PDF, 14.03Mb
• BAOR Order of Battle July 1989 PDF, 2.50Mb
• Contemporary Officer Biographies PDF, 7.03Mb
• Historical Records of 66th Field Brigade R.A. (T.A.) PDF, 3.64Mb
• Survive to Fight (1995) PDF, 16.99Mb
• Puff Range PDF, 1.43Mb
• The Active Service of the 240 Brigade R. F. A. (T.) PDF, 539Kb
• The National Artillery Association 1863-2014 PDF, 1.04Mb
• The Royal Regiment of Artillery Aide-Memoire 2021 PDF, 522Kb

Information

• Abreviations - Abbreviations used on this site
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