British Artillery Battalions and the Men Who Led Them 1793-1815 By Steve Brown 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1757: Royal Artillery as a single formation comprising 19 companies 1757: 2 April - augmented to 24 companies 1757: 1 August - Royal Artillery split into two battalions of 12 companies each 1757: 2nd Battalion formed from 12 existing RA companies 1759: 3rd Battalion formed 1771: 4th Battalion formed 1794: 14 August - 5 companies of 5th Battalion formed 1795: 6 March - 5th Battalion augmented to 10 companies 1819: Reduced to 8 companies 1825: Companies to be known by number rather than commander's name 1855: Board of Ordinance abolished, Royal Artillery transferred to War Office 1859: Battalion renamed Brigades, Companies renamed Batteries 1862: Royal Artillery absorbed East India Company Artillery 1899: Royal Artillery divided into Royal Field Artillery and Royal Garrison Artillery 1924: RFA and RGA amalgamated as Royal Regiment of Artillery 1936: Brigades renamed Regiments 1947: Permanent numbers allotted to batteries Colonels-Commandant 1795: 6 Mar - Duncan Drummond 1805: 2 Mar - William Orchard Huddlestone 1814: 14 Feb - Thomas Trotter Colonels 1796: 25 Sept - William Congreve 1803: 13 Sept - John Ramsay 1804: 20 Jul - Thomas Seward 1812: 17 Mar - George Cookson 1813: 4 Jun - William Mudge Lieutenant-Colonels 1795: 6 Mar - Abraham Whitham 1795: 6 Mar - Robert Douglas 1795: 6 Mar - John Barnes 1799: 8 Jan - William P Smith 1799: 16 Jul - Bailey Willington 1801: 14 Oct - Charles Terrot 1802: 12 Apr - James Boag 1803: 17 May - William Bentham 1803: 1 Sept - Edward Stehelin 1804: 20 Jul - Charles N Cookson 1806: 1 Jun - John Lemoine 1808: 1 Feb - Robert Wright 1809: 20 Jun - James Viney 1814: 20 Dec - Robert Thornhill Majors 1797: 27 Aug - Bailey Willington 1799: 2 Oct - Thomas Desbrisay 1802: 11 Feb - Henry Hutton 1805: 28 Jan - George Ramsay 1808: 16 Dec - Francis Rey 1811: 4 Jun - Humphrey Owen 1813: 23 Jan - Nathaniel Foy Page 1 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Service Histories of Companies Companies were not given numbers until 1825; until that time, were known by company commander's names, which changed frequently. The 1825 company numbering scheme ignored the previous order of seniority (based on date of formation) as existed in the period 1793-1815. Companies are shown according to seniority in 1815, and referred to by their commanders names in 1793 / 1815. Rogers' / Gardiner's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1794: October - Plymouth; Roxborough Camp; November - Plymouth (OC Capt Henry Rogers) 1795: Plymouth; August - Roxborough Camp; November - Plymouth 1796: Plymouth 1797: Plymouth; to Ireland; May - Dublin 1798: Dublin; December - Birr 1799: Ireland 1800: Ireland 1801: Athlone; April - Athlone & Birr 1802: Athlone & Birr (OC Capt Charles Gold) 1803: Athlone (OC Capt Henry Phillott) 1804: Athlone; November - Banagher 1805: Athlone 1806: Athlone 1807: Athlone; September - Limerick 1808: Cork; to Canada; June - Halifax NS; December - detachment to Barbados 1809: Halifax; detachment on Martinique 1810: Halifax; October - St John NB 1811: St John; November - Halifax 1812: Halifax; July - St John NB 1813: St John (OC Capt Herbert Gardiner) 1814: St John; October - Halifax 1815: Halifax 1825: 1st Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 6th Battery, 1st Brigade RA 1939: 26th Field Battery RA 1947: 67th Field Battery RA Miller's / Campbell's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1794: October - Plymouth; October - Plymouth (OC Capt James Miller) 1795: Plymouth; August - Roxborough Camp; November - Plymouth 1796: Plymouth 1797: Plymouth 1798: Plymouth 1799: Plymouth 1800: Plymouth 1801: Plymouth; to Ireland; May - Bandon & Cork 1802: Clonmel; November - Dublin (OC Capt Joseph H Carncross) 1803: Dublin 1804: Dublin 1805: Dublin 1806: Dublin 1807: Dublin 1808: Dublin 1809: Dublin (OC Capt Robert Douglas) 1810: Dublin (OC Capt J Chamberlayne, died 28 December 1810) 1811: Fermoy; October - Ballincolig; November - to West Indies (OC Capt Frederick Campbell) 1812: Barbados 1813: Barbados 1814: Barbados 1815: Barbados; July - detachments to Martinique and Guadeloupe 1825: 2nd Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 4th Battery, 8th Brigade RA 1939: 27th Field Battery RA 1947: 68th Field Battery RA Page 2 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Hutton's / Wilgress's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1794: October - Woolwich (OC Capt Henry Hutton) 1795: Woolwich; May - Brighton 1796: Brighton 1797: Brighton; February - Lewes 1798: Lewes; September - Ringmer; November - Canterbury 1799: Canterbury 1800: Canterbury; August - Dover 1801: Dover 1802: Dover; April - Canterbury (OC Capt Alexander Watson) 1803: Canterbury; July - Ashford 1804: Ashford 1805: Canterbury; to Ireland; June - Cork; September - to Cape of Good Hope 1806: Cape Town; detachment to Buenos Ayres 1807: Cape Town 1808: Cape Town 1809: Cape Town (OC Capt Edward Wilgress) 1810: Cape Town 1811: Cape Town; October - 4th Kaffir War 1812: Cape Town 1813: Cape Town 1814: Cape Town 1815: Cape Town; November - detachment to St Helena 1825: 3rd Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 2nd Battery, 2nd Brigade RA 1939: 107th Field Battery RA 1947: 70th Field Battery RA Harding's / Trelawney's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1794: October - Woolwich (OC Capt John Harding) 1795: Woolwich; March - Chatham; May - Woolwich; June - Tynemouth; August - Monkseaton Camp; November - Newcastle on Tyne (OC Capt Benjamin Stehelin, died 18 Nov 1802) 1796: Newcastle on Tyne; June - Tynemouth; July - Newcastle on Tyne 1797: Newcastle on Tyne; July - Whitney Camp; October - Newcastle on Tyne 1798: Tynemouth; February - Newcastle on Tyne; August - Tynemouth; September - Newcastle on Tyne 1799: Newcastle on Tyne; September - to Holland; Helder campaign; November - to England; Sevenoaks 1800: Sevenoaks; July - Woolwich 1801: Woolwich; to Ireland; April - Dublin 1802: Dublin (OC Capt Gother Mann) 1803: Waterford (OC Capt Richard W Unett) 1804: Waterford 1805: Waterford 1806: Waterford 1807: Waterford 1808: Waterford; April - Galway; September - Cork; October - Fermoy (OC Capt Frederick Glubb) 1809: To England; Plymouth; to Portugal; March - Lisbon; April - Cascaes; May - Fort St Julian 1810: Fort St Julian; June - Lisbon; October - lines of Torres Vedras 1811: Torres Vedras; July - Pasco de Bispo; September - Villa de Ponte 1812: Villa de Ponte; February - Elvas; July - Salamanca; August - Penaranda; October - Burgos 1813: Almeida; August - St Sebastian; October - Arnani; November - Urroz; December - Estregaraga (OC Capt Hamelin Trelawney) 1814: Estregaraga; April - Tarbes; May - Plaisance; June - Bordeaux; to Canada; August - Montreal; September - Kingston; November - Queenston 1815: Queenston 1825: 8th Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 5th Battery, 5th Brigade RA 1939: 17th Medium Battery RA 1947: 77th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA Page 3 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Sproule's / Ilbert's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1794: October - Woolwich (OC Capt Flower M Sproule) 1795: Woolwich; July - Warley Camp; November - Woolwich 1796: Woolwich; June - Portsmouth 1797: Portsmouth 1798: Portsmouth 1799: Portsmouth; September - to Gibraltar; October - Gibraltar 1800: Gibraltar 1801: Gibraltar; March - detachment to Egypt 1802: Gibraltar; company drafted out 1803: Cadre home to recruit; February - Woolwich (OC Capt Stephen G Adye) 1804: Woolwich; March - Chatham 1805: Chatham 1806: Chatham 1807: Chatham 1808: Chatham; April - Canterbury; July - Dover 1809: Dover; July - Portsmouth; to Walcheren; December - Woolwich, only cadre remaining 1810: Woolwich 1811: Woolwich 1812: Woolwich (OC Capt Courtney Ilbert) 1813: Woolwich; October - Portsmouth; November - Woolwich 1814: Woolwich 1815: Woolwich; April - to Belgium; Ostend; June - Brussels; advance to Paris 1825: 5th Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 1st Battery, 5th Brigade RA 1939: 1st (Sphinx) Medium Battery RA 1947: 73rd (Sphinx) Medium Battery RA Current: 4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery, RA. Wood's / Tyler's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1795: March - Plymouth; Woolwich; June - Tynemouth; August - Perth (OC Capt Edward Wood) 1796: Brighton 1797: Brighton; February - Lewes 1798: Lewes; June - Woolwich 1799: Woolwich (OC Capt George Cookson) 1800: Portsmouth; June - to Quiberon; Isle de Houat; August - to Malta; November - Valetta 1801: To Egypt; February - Marmorice; March - Egypt; Alexandria 1802: Alexandria (OC Capt Richard Buckner) 1803: Alexandria; to Malta; Valetta (OC Capt John S Williamson) 1804: Malta 1805: Malta 1806: Malta; to Sicily 1807: Sicily - Messina; March - Milazzo; June - Messina; October - Syracuse; February - detachment to Egypt; November - to England; December - Spithead 1808: Spithead; February - Woolwich (OC Capt Richard Buckner) 1809: Woolwich; August - to Walcheren; September - to England; Woolwich; November - Eastbourne 1810: Eastbourne (OC Capt William G Elliot) 1811: Eastbourne 1812: Eastbourne 1813: Eastbourne; December - Canterbury; Deal; to Holland; Stavenisse (OC Capt C Tyler) 1814: Willemstad; February - Breda; March - Willemstad; July - Antwerp 1815: Antwerp; July - Brussels; August - St Denis; October - Louvres; December - Villeron 1825: 6th Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 3rd Battery, 3rd Brigade RA 1914: 2nd Company RGA 1939: 26th Medium Battery RA 1947: 76th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RA Page 4 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Cookson's / Wilkinson's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1795: March - Plymouth; Woolwich; June - Monkseaton Camp; October - Woolwich (OC Capt George Cookson) 1796: Woolwich; March - to Gibraltar; June - Gibraltar 1797: Gibraltar 1798: Gibraltar 1799: Gibraltar (OC Capt Edward Wood) 1800: Gibraltar 1801: Gibraltar; June - to Egypt; August - Alexandria 1802: Alexandria (OC Capt Alexander Y Spearman) 1803: Alexandria; March - to Malta; April - Valetta (OC Capt William H Gardner) 1804: Malta (OC Capt J Brooke Young, then Capt Samuel Reynell) 1805: Malta 1806: Malta 1807: Malta 1808: Malta 1809: Malta 1810: Malta 1811: Malta 1812: Malta 1813: Malta 1814: Malta (OC Capt Christopher Wilkinson) 1815: Malta 1819: 31 January - disbanded at Woolwich. Riou's / Rawlinson's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1795: March - Plymouth; Woolwich; July - Haston Camp; November - Colchester (OC Capt Phillip Riou) 1796: Colchester; March - Lowestoft; September - Colchester 1797: Colchester; May - Woolwich 1798: Woolwich 1799: Woolwich; September - to Helder; October - to England; November - Canterbury 1800: Canterbury 1801: Canterbury 1802: Canterbury; February - Dover; June - Canterbury 1803: Canterbury; April - Battle (OC Capt Humphrey Owen) 1804: Battle 1805: Battle; August - Woolwich; December - to Hanover 1806: Hanover; February - to England; March - Woolwich 1807: Chatham 1808: Chatham; April - Portsmouth 1809: Portsmouth 1810: Portsmouth; to Portugal; Lisbon; February - Cadiz 1811: Cadiz; May - detachment at Barrosa 1812: Cadiz; September - Isla de Leon; joined main field army 1813: April - Coimbra; July - Vittoria; October - Aligria 1814: Arcangues; June - Retuerta; Bordeaux; to England; July - Chatham; November - Woolwich 1815: Woolwich (OC Capt S J Rawlinson) 1819: 31 January - disbanded at Ballincolig. Page 5 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Smith's / Bates' Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1795: March - Plymouth; Woolwich; June - Tynemouth; July - Perth (OC Capt John F S Smith) 1796: Perth 1797: Perth 1798: Perth 1799: Perth 1800: Perth 1801: Perth 1802: Perth; April - Woolwich 1803: Woolwich (OC Capt Abraham J Classon) 1804: Woolwich; July - Canterbury 1805: Canterbury; to Ireland; August - Cork; to Cape of Good Hope 1806: Cape of Good Hope; Cape Town 1807: Cape Town 1808: Cape Town 1809: Cape Town 1810: Cape Town; November - to Mauritius 1811: Mauritius; October - detachment to Bourbon 1812: Mauritius 1813: Mauritius 1814: Mauritius (OC Capt Henry Bates) 1815: Mauritius 1825: 7th Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 1st Battery, 9th Brigade RA 1939: 29th Field Battery RA 1947: 75th Field Battery RA Stehelin's / Lacy's Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Artillery 1795: March - Plymouth; Woolwich; June - Tynemouth; September - Whitney Camp; November - Newcastle on Tyne (OC Capt Benjamin Stehelin, then Capt John Harding) 1796: Newcastle on Tyne 1797: Newcastle on Tyne 1798: Tynemouth 1799: Tynemouth 1800: Tynemouth 1801: Tynemouth 1802: Tynemouth (OC Capt Henry Geary, killed 17 August 1808) 1803: Tynemouth 1804: Tynemouth 1805: Tynemouth; December - to Hanover 1806: Hanover; February - to England; March - Woolwich; August - Portsmouth 1807: Portsmouth 1808: Portsmouth; June - to Portugal; Cork; Rolica; Vimeiro; September - Quelas; October - Lisbon; November - Elvas; December - Salamanca; retreat to Corunna (OC Capt Robert Carthew, died 22 January 1809) 1809: Corunna; to England; February - Chatham (OC Capt James P St Clair, then Capt Richard J J Lacy) 1810: Chatham 1811: Chatham; October - Portsmouth; to Sicily; December - Milazzo 1812: Messina; February - Palermo; November - to east coast of Spain; December - Alicante 1813: Alicante; April - Castalla; August - Tarragona; October - Constanti 1814: Constanti; March - Villafranca; June - Retuerta; July - to England; August - Chatham 1815: Chatham 1825: 4th Company, 5th Battalion RA 1859: 3rd Battery, 2nd Brigade RA 1939: 112th Field Battery RA 1947: 72nd Field Battery RA Page 6 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016
Sources: War Office. Army Lists 1791 to 1815. London: various years. Laws, Lt Col M. E. S. Battery Records of the Royal Artillery 1716-1859. Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institute, 1952. Duncan, Francis. History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. 2 volumes; London: John Murray, 1879. Kane, John. List of Officers of the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Greenwich: Elizabeth Delahoy, 1815. Gordon, Iain. Bloodline: The Origins and Development of the Regular Formations of the British Army. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military, 2010. McKenna, Michael G. The British Army And Its Regiments and Battalions. West Chester, Ohio: The Nafziger Collection. 2004. Page 7 of 7 Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2016