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.

Discover more about these records

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