1st oekney royal garrison artillery

(volunteers).

(Plate VII.)

Ohder op Precedence, 54.

Headquarters Kirkwall.

The 1st Administrative Brigade, Orkney Artillery-
Volunteers, was formed on August 15, 1867, with head-
quarters at Kirkwall, and to it were attached, then or
on subsequent date of formation, the following corps
of Orkney Artillery Volunteers, of one battery each,
except when otherwise stated :

1st, Kirkwall, formed May 1, 1860.

2nd, Scar House, Sanday, formed June 23, 1863.



164 Records of the Several Corps.

3rd, Balfour, Shapinshay, formed July 10, 1863.

4th, Stromness, formed June 23, 1863.

5th, Stronsay, formed August 17, 1865.

6th, Holm, formed November 28, 1866.

7th, Firth, formed October 31, 1868 as a half battery. Disbanded

in 1877.
8th, Evie, formed June 25, 1870.
9th, Eousay, formed December 1 3, 1874.
10th, Birsay, formed March 2, 1878.

The 1st to 6th Corps had since 1863, or date of for-
mation, been attached to the 1st Administrative Brig-
ade, Caithness A.V.

In March 1880 the brigade was consolidated as the
1st Orkney Artillery Volunteers, with headquarters at
Kirkwall, and nine batteries, numbered in the above
sequence, the 8th, 9th, and 10th Corps becoming the
7th, 8th, and 9th Batteries respectively. In 1886 the
headquarters of the 8th (Rousay) Battery were trans-
ferred to Kirkwall, so that the latter-day constitution
of the corps in nine companies was

Nos. 1 and 8, Kirkwall (former 1st and 9th O.A.V.)

No. 2, Sanday (former 2d O.A.V.)

No. 3, Shapinshay (former 3rd O.A.V.)

No. 4, Stromness (former 4th O.A.V.)

No. 5, Stronsay (former 5th O.A.V.)

No. 6, Holm (former 6th O.AV.)

No. 7, Evie (former 9th O.A.V.)

No. 9, Birsay (former 10th O.A.V.)

The original uniform of the 1st Orkney A.V. was
frock-coats with blue cuffs and collars and five rows of
black lace on the breast, the men having scarlet and
the officers silver piping on the collar and Austrian
knots on the sleeves, blue trousers with red stripes,
blue peaked caps with black bands and scarlet piping,
with the Royal Arms in front, and white belts. The



ist Orkney Royal Garrison Artillery. 165

uniform of this corps was assimilated in 1863 to that of
the Royal Artillery, which the other corps adopted from
the outset.

The corps had erected commodious headquarters at
Kirkwall, with drill-hall, stores, lecture and recreation
rooms, officers' mess, &c, and had provided at each of
its seven outstations a drill-hall with an armoury and a
four-room cottage for the serjeant-instructor all these
the property of the corps and free from debt. There
was a practice battery at each station, that at Kirkwall
being of four and the others of two guns. These were,
however, only armed with 64-pounder KM.L. guns,
and the principal practice was carried out in camp with
modern ordnance. Each of the eight practice batteries
had a carbine-range in its immediate vicinity.

The lieutenant-colonels commanding have been

David Balfour, August 15, 1867 (became honorary colonel March

20, 1872, reappointed lieut.-colonel, December 7, 1872).
Fred W. Burroughs, C.B., Brevet- Colonel (half pay), late 93rd

Foot, November 1, 1873.
J. W. Balfour, V.D., late Captain 7th D.G., October 9, 1880.
G. F. F. Horwood, late Captain 2nd Foot (hon. col.), March 27,

1895.
Richard Bailey, late Captain B.A., and formerly Adjutant of the

corps (hon. col.), January 19, 1898.
Thomas S. Peace, V.D. (hon. col.), March 28, 1906.