page_title: Master gunner
section_title: Historical usage
hierarchical_section_title: Master gunner / United Kingdom / Historical usage
caption_attribution_description: The Master Gunner's House at Scarborough Castle, Scarborough
context_page_description: Master gunner is an appointment of the warrant officer rank in the British and United States armed forces.
context_section_description: The title of master gunner was in use from at least the fourteenth century for the person commanding a team of gunners and directing the use and upkeep of one or more guns. The term gradually fell out of use on board ship (where the term 'gunner' took its place), and in the field (where the command structure of 'artillery traynes' took precedence). It remained in use, however, in coastal fortifications, from the time of Henry VIII through to 1956 when Britain's coastal artillery network was disbanded.
  Initially, master gunners had executive command of their guns in times of battle, but this responsibility ceased when commissioned Artillery officers began to be appointed to coastal forts and garrisons. Thereafter, the artillerymen took charge of aiming and firing the guns; but within each fortification the master gunner retained responsibility for gun maintenance and preparation, and for the safe storage and supply of ammunition. They were also responsible for firing gun salutes, and other routine tasks. To carry out these duties, each master gunner had to recruit a team of 'district gunners' to serve under them: in the 18th and 19th centuries detachments of 'invalids' (usually war-wounded artillerymen) often fulfilled this task; otherwise the master gunner would have to try to recruit regular artillery from a nearby garrison (or else local militiamen, volunteers or even civilians might be seconded). A list of 1824 records 59 master gunners at separate stations around the coast of the British isles, and 90 'invalids' assisting them. (The number of invalid artillery was set to increase, to 450 by 1859.) It is noted that every master gunner listed had served a minimum of sixteen years in the Royal Artillery prior to being appointed to that position.
caption: The Master Gunner's House (1748), Scarborough Castle.
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