British Army, Royal Artillery Officers 1716-1899

Was your ancestor an officer with The Gunners? Search more than 7,000 names of Royal Artillery Officers from the List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery published in 1900. The Royal Artillery has served in every British Army campaign since its formation. Officers in this list have served in countries around the world including India, Canada, America, Jamaica, St. Helena and more.

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.

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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.

Abbreviations

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 and Awards

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

Armed Forces & Conflict

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Abbreviations