page_title: 1st Midlothian Artillery Volunteers
section_title: 1/I Lowland Brigade
hierarchical_section_title: 1st Midlothian Artillery Volunteers / World War I / 1/I Lowland Brigade
caption_attribution_description: English: British 18-pounder mark II field gun at the Imperial War Museum, London. A stalwart of the British Army's artillery for forty years. The 18-pounder field gun was introduced into service in 1904 and, by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, 1226 had been manufactured in Britain. Thereafter production soared and a further 9244 guns were produced by British and American factories by 1918. The 18-pounder saw action with the British Expeditionary Force in the opening weeks of the war and remained in constant use on the Western Front for the duration. The importance of the gun can be measured by the fact that over 86 million 18-pounder shells were fired during the war. The gun remained in service throughtout the inter-war years and into the Second World War. This 18-pounder Mark II field gun saw considerable action on the Western Front during the First World War. Between September 1916 and November 1917 it fired 16,513 rounds before being sent back to Britain to have its barrel relined. When it returned to France in March 1918 it was issued to 53rd Battery, Royal Field Artillery and took part in opposing the German spring offensive of 1918 and in the subsequent British advance in the autumn. Technical specifications: Calibre: 3,3 inch (8,4 cm) Weight in action: 2,820 lb (1,279 kg) Range: 6,525 yards (5,966 m) Ammunition: 18 lb 8oz (8,4 kg) - 10 lb 3oz (4,6 kg) shrapnel, high explosive, star Magyar: Egy brit 18-pounder mark II tábori ágyú a londoni Imperial War Museum-ban.
context_page_description: The 1st Midlothian Artillery Volunteer Corps was formed in 1859 as a response to a French invasion threat. Originally it served as garrison and heavy artillery but transferred to the Territorial Force in 1908 as field artillery, in which role it served through both World Wars. In World War I it fought on the Western Front with 51st Division. In World War II it briefly saw service in France after Dunkirk and was with Eighth Army in North Africa and Italy. Its wartime duplicate regiment served with distinction in the Burma Campaign. Postwar the regiment continued in existence until amalgamation in 1967.
context_section_description: During the winter of 1914–15 the division underwent war training and served in the Forth defences. It was warned for overseas service on 5 April and on 11 May 1915 it was officially numbered as the 52nd (Lowland) Division. However, the division was destined for the Dardanelles Campaign and it was decided that the difficulties of operating artillery on the Gallipoli Peninsula precluded taking all the divisional artillery. 1/1st Lowland Brigade was therefore left behind when the division embarked, and remained in the Forth defences.
  The brigade finally went overseas in October 1915, when it landed at Le Havre to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front. On arrival in France the batteries were rearmed with modern 18-pounder guns, and on 10 November the brigade joined the 51st (Highland) Division, with which it would serve for the rest of its career in World War I.
  In May 1916 the TF brigades of the RFA received numbers, the 1/I Lowland becoming CCLVII (257) Brigade – though this was changed to  CCLX (260) Brigade within a few days – and the batteries became A, B, C and D. D Battery was then exchanged for 2nd Renfrewshire Howitzer Bty from the 1/III Highland (CCLVIII) Howitzer Bde, which became D (H) Bty, equipped with 4.5-inch howitzers. The brigade ammunition columns were abolished at the same time, and absorbed within the divisional ammunition column.
caption: 18-pounder field gun preserved at the Imperial War Museum.
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