Donegal Artillery

Donegal Artillery Militia
The Donegal Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia)
Donegal Artillery Militia; The Donegal Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia)
Active	1793–1909
Country	Kingdom of Great Britain (1759–1800); United Kingdom (1801–1881)
Branch	British Army
Type	Artillery
Garrison/HQ	Letterkenny
Engagements	Second Boer War
Commanders
Current; commander	n/a

Last updated March 10, 2023

The Donegal Artillery was a British Militia Artillery regiment of the 19th century (the militia had been a nominally infantry force, but had been tasked from 1852 with responsibility for manning coastal artillery batteries in wartime). It was based in and named after County Donegal in the modern Republic of Ireland.

The regiment was raised as The Donegal Infantry Militia in 1793.^[1] In 1855 four out of its twelve companies were converted to form The Donegal Artillery Militia. In November 1855 it assumed the title The Donegal Artillery Militia (The Prince of Wales's).

Between September 1855 and September 1856 the unit was embodied for the Crimean War. In 1882 they were retitled the 3rd Brigade, North Irish Division, Royal Artillery.

From 2 May 1900 until 6 November 1900 the unit was embodied for the Second Boer War, sending a service company of five officers and 144 other ranks. On arrival they joined the service company of the Antrim Artillery. They departed Cape Town for return home on 7 June 1901.^[1] After the end of the war the following year, the officers of the Donegal Artillery presented to Letterkenny church a brass lectern as a memorial to some members of the regiment who died in the war.^[2]

In 1902 it was renamed The Donegal Artillery, Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia).^[3] On the creation of the Territorial Force in 1908 the unit was transferred to the Special Reserve Royal Field Artillery. It was disbanded in 1909.

Related Research Articles

The Militia of the United Kingdom were the military reserve forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Union in 1801 of the former Kingdom of Great Britain and Kingdom of Ireland. The militia was transformed into the Special Reserve by the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907. For the period before the creation of the United Kingdom, in the home nations and their colonies, see Militia.

The Forfar and Kincardine Artillery was a British artillery militia regiment of the 19th century. It was based in and named after Forfarshire and Kincardineshire in Scotland.

The East Suffolk Militia was one of two regiments of militia raised in Suffolk. Formed in 1759 it was converted in 1853 to an Artillery Militia unit, which was eventually disbanded in 1909.

The Tipperary Militia was a regiment of militia raised in County Tipperary. Formed in 1793 it was converted in 1854 to an Artillery Militia unit, which was eventually disbanded in 1909.

The Durham Artillery Militia was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in County Durham from 1853 to 1909. Volunteers from the unit served in the Second Boer War where they distinguished themselves fighting as infantry in the defence of Fort Prospect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire Artillery Militia</span> Military unit

The Yorkshire Artillery Militia was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire from 1860 to 1909.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Own Edinburgh Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in the City of Edinburgh from 1853 to 1909. Volunteers from the unit served in the Second Boer War.

The Royal Lancashire Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in Lancashire from 1853 to 1909.

The Antrim Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, from 1853 to 1919. It numbered 1st on the order of precedence of the Militia Artillery. Volunteers from the unit served in the Second Boer War. During World War I it defended Belfast Lough and trained gunners for service overseas. Subsequent units continued the Antrim Artillery traditions.

The Mid-Ulster Artillery Militia was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in Northern Ireland. Formed from three smaller units in 1875, it served until 1909.

The Dublin City Artillery Militia was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in Dublin, Ireland, from 1854 to 1909.

The Kent Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based at Dover in Kent, from 1853 to 1909.

The Galway Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in County Galway, Ireland, from 1854 to 1888.

The Royal Glamorgan Artillery Militia (RGAM) was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based at Swansea in Glamorgan, South Wales, from 1854 to 1909.

The Northumberland Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based in the County of Northumberland, from 1854 to 1909.

The Royal Sussex Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery from the County of Sussex, which served from 1853 to 1909.

The Argyll & Bute Militia was a part-time military unit in the west of Scotland from 1798 to 1909, serving in Home Defence during the French Revolutionary War, Napoleonic Wars and Second Boer War. Originally an infantry regiment, it was converted into artillery in 1861.

The Clare Militia was a British militia regiment from 1798 to 1909. It was based in County Clare. At first an infantry unit, it was converted to artillery in 1882, making it the last artillery militia unit raised in the British forces. It was disbanded in 1909.

The Militia Artillery units of the United Kingdom and Colonies were military reserve units made up of volunteers who served part-time during peacetime, training to take over responsibility for manning fixed artillery batteries from the regular Royal Artillery during times of war.

The Fifeshire Militia was an auxiliary regiment raised in Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1798. It served in home defence during the Napoleonic Wars and again during the Crimean War when it was converted into an artillery unit as the Fifeshire Artillery Militia. It served in home defence again during the Indian Mutiny and the Second Boer War. It was disbanded in 1909.

References

1 2 Litchfield, Norman E H, 1987. The Militia Artillery 1852-1909, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham, p.67
↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36878. London. 20 September 1902. p. 9.
↑ Army List, HMSO, 1902

Publications

Beckett, Ian F W (2011). Britain's Part Time Soldiers. The Amateur Military Tradition 1558—1945 (2 ed.). Barnsley: Pen & Sword. ISBN 9781848843950.
Hay, George Jackson (Colonel) (1987) [1908]. An Epitomized History of the Militia (The "Constitutional Force"). Ray Westlake Military Books. ISBN 0-9508530-7-0.
Litchfield, Norman E H, 1987. The Militia Artillery 1852-1909, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0-9508205-1-2

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Litchfield-1] 1 2 Litchfield, Norman E H, 1987. The Militia Artillery 1852-1909, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham, p.67

[2] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36878. London. 20 September 1902. p. 9.

[3] Army List, HMSO, 1902

[1]

[2]

[3]