1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), Battle of France
When the BEF reached Dunkirk and began its evacuation, the Major-General AA, Hugh Martin, set out from De Panne by road on 28 May to make contact with the retreating AA units and organise air defences. By now, 1st AA Brigade was down to 20 out of its original 72 HAA guns. Martin ordered 11 of these to be sent to Bray beach and the remainder to be disabled. 52nd (East Lancashire) Light Anti- Aircraft Regiment, RA (TA) (154th, 155th and 156th LAA Batteries) had started the campaign attached to I Corps and had been heavily engaged during the retreat. Now it joined 1st AA Bde on the Dunkirk beaches. The AA units attempted to cover the shrinking Dunkirk 'pocket' against air attack until it was their turn to destroy their equipment and join the queues of men waiting to be taken aboard small boats back to England.


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), The Blitz
AA units returning from France were rapidly reinforced, re-equipped where possible, and redeployed for integration into Anti- Aircraft Command's existing defence plans for the United Kingdom. AA regiments were now designated either Heavy (HAA) or Light (LAA). 1st AA Brigade HQ and 1st HAA Regiment were sent to Crewe to reform. By November 1940 they had joined a new 11th AA Division, which took over responsibility for the West Midlands; the brigade's specific responsibility was to cover the industrial areas round Crewe and Staffordshire, and to provide LAA air defences for airfields and other Vulnerable Points. The brigade now had the following composition:


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), The Blitz
At this time The Blitz was in full swing, with frequent night air raids on the industrial cities. The role of the S/L units was to track and illuminate raiders for the HAA guns of the Gun Defence Areas (GDAs) and for the few available Royal Air Force Night fighters. New tactics included grouping the S/Ls in clusters, and later in 'killer belts' for the fighters and 'indicator belts' for the guns as the raiders approached the GDAs. In April and May 1941, Merseyside and the North Midlands were particularly badly bombed (the Liverpool Blitz).


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), The Blitz
Although operating within AA Command during the Blitz, 1st AA Bde HQ together with 1st HAA Rgt remained part of the War Office Reserve, available for service in the field. By mid-May 1941 it had handed over its units and responsibilities to a new 68th AA Bde and left AA Command.


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), North Africa
1st AA Brigade HQ left the UK by October 1941, and by the end of the year was in the Middle East. In January 1942 the brigade took over responsibility for the GDAs in Palestine under the command of Ninth Army. It was relieved in  August 1942, and moved to Egypt to join Eighth Army in the North African Campaign.


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), North Africa
After Eighth Army broke through the Axis positions at the Second Battle of El Alamein and began its pursuit across Libya, the AA units were leap-frogged forwards to cover the important objectives as they were taken. 1st AA Brigade moved up from Egypt to relieve 2nd AA Bde at Tobruk, then was in turn relieved by 17th AA Bde and moved on to Benghazi. As well as these ports, it was also involved in the defence of airfields for the supporting fighters and bombers of the Desert Air Force.


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), North Africa
By January 1943, 1st AA Bde was deployed around Benghazi and Agedabia and at nearby landing grounds, with the following order of battle:


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), North Africa
When the North African Campaign ended in May 1943 with the Axis surrender in Tunisia, AA defence in the rear areas was under new headquarters. 1st AA Brigade – still at Benghazi and landing grounds – now came under AA Defence Area Cyrenaica, under No. 212 Group RAF. The brigade had the following composition:


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), North Africa
As the war moved further away from North Africa, 1st AA Bde was redeployed back to the eastern end of the Mediterranean, so that by 1 January 1944 it was responsible for the Levant area, including Haifa, Homs and Baalbek, with the following composition:


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), North Africa
In June 1944 it was still in the Levant area, and had added Cyprus to its responsibilities, with the following composition:


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
By 1947, 1 AA Bde had been reformed in 1 AA Group, which covered London and South East England, with the following cpomposition:.


1st Anti-Aircraft Brigade (United Kingdom), Postwar
After Anti- Aircraft Command was disbanded on 10 March 1955, HQ 1 AA Bde was converted into a Territorial Army formation based at Edenbridge, Kent, and renumbered 30 AA Bde. That formation in turn was disbanded in 1961.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (Japan)
The 1st Anti - Aircraft Division was an Imperial Japanese Army unit of World War II. It was responsible for the anti-aircraft guns and searchlight units assigned to defend cities in the central region of Honshu.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (Japan), History
At the start of the Pacific War, the Eastern District Army included the Eastern Anti- Aircraft Brigade, which was one of two such units in the Imperial Japanese Army responsible for homeland air defence. It was equipped with around 150 anti-aircraft guns, most of which were obsolete, and its personnel were poorly trained. As a result of the Doolittle Raid in April 1942, on 19 November that year a major reorganisation of the Army's homeland air defence units took place. This reform saw the Eastern Anti- Aircraft Brigade replaced by the Eastern Air Defence Headquarters. The size of this force was expanded from April 1944 as part of a broader expansion of the homeland air defence units. However, these units were affected by shortages of anti-aircraft guns. By June 1944 the Eastern Air Defence Headquarters controlled 300 anti-aircraft guns.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (Japan), History
In December 1944 the 1st Anti - Aircraft Division was established to command the Eastern District Army's air defence units. Three other anti-aircraft divisions were also established at this time. The 1st Anti - Aircraft Division was much larger than the other such divisions, and comprised eight anti-aircraft regiments, six independent anti-aircraft battalions, four machine cannon companies and a regiment equipped with searchlights.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (Japan), History
The 1st Anti - Aircraft Division saw extensive combat while trying to contest the Allied air raids on Japan. This included protecting Tokyo from attack, during which it was involved in the devastating raid against the city on the night of 9/10 March 1945. By the end of the war in August 1945, the division claimed to have shot down 193 Boeing B-29 Superfortress heavy bombers and damaged 454. These claims considerably over-stated the division's actual achievements, as like the other anti-aircraft divisions its performance was greatly limited by shortages of equipment.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (Japan), Structure
Upon formation in December 1944, the 1st Anti - Aircraft Division comprised the following units:


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom)
The 1st Anti - Aircraft Division (1st AA Division) was an Air Defence formation of the British Army before and during the early years of World War II. It defended London during the Battle of Britain and The Blitz.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Origin
The 1st AA Division was organised on 15 December 1935 at Hillingdon House, RAF Uxbridge (at that time the headquarters of the Royal Observer Corps).


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Origin
Responsible to London District but under the operational control of RAF Fighter Command, the Division's role was to command the growing number of Territorial Army (TA) anti-aircraft gun and searchlight units around London (the 2nd AA Division was formed in 1936 to cover the rest of the country). The headquarters of the division was formed by converting the headquarters of the 47th (2nd London) Infantry Division, whose General Officer Commanding, Major-General R.H.D. Thomson, continued as GOC of the new formation.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Origin
Thomson had been Commander TA Air Defence Brigades and Inspector of Regular AA Units, and thus already responsible for the four brigades or 'groups' that comprised the division. He also chaired the War Office committee on expansion and mobilisation of TA AA units, which sat from 1935 to 1937. Tompson was followed in 1937 by Maj-Gen Sir Frederick Pile, who was promoted in 1939 to command the whole of Anti- Aircraft Command.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Origin, Order of battle 1935
The 1st AA Division was initially composed of the following formations and units:


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Origin, Order of battle 1935
In 1938 the Royal Artillery replaced the unit designation 'Brigade' by 'Regiment', which allowed the AA Groups to take the more usual formation title of Brigades.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Origin, Order of battle 1935
The AA Divisions were unlike field formations: they were established to organise training and later exercise operational command in the static conditions of home defence, but relied entirely on the Home Forces commands for logistic support, supplies, and heavy repairs.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mobilisation
The TA's AA units were mobilised on 23 September 1938 during the Munich Crisis. The staff of the 1st AA Division now had to implement the Tompson Committee's plan. The call-out of key parties by telephone and telegram went well, and they assembled at their drill halls within a few hours. Because the units possessed only a small scale of transport, elaborate plans had been made to requisition civilian vehicles, ranging from heavy lorries to buses and private cars. Equipment was drawn from mobilisation stores, and the detachments ferried out to their war stations.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mobilisation
Despite some failures and problems, the emergency positions covering London were manned and most of the equipment was in place within 24 hours. The emergency mobilisation lasted nearly three weeks before the TA units were released on 14 October. The experience brought about improvements in equipment scales, and a rapid expansion of AA defences brought many new AA gun and searchlight units into existence, some by conversion of TA infantry battalions.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mobilisation
The existing divisions and brigades were expanded, and the whole AA defence of the United Kingdom was taken over by Anti- Aircraft Command on 1 April 1939. A new 6th AA Division was formed by duplicating the 1st AA Division's HQ at Uxbridge. The 6th AA Division took over responsibility for defending the Thames Estuary and the adjacent areas of Essex and North Kent, allowing the 1st AA Division to concentrate on the defence of London. The 27th, 28th and 29th AA Brigades were transferred to the new formation.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mobilisation
The deterioration in international relations during 1939 led to a partial mobilisation in June, and a proportion of TA AA units manned their war stations under a rotation system known as 'Couverture'. Full mobilisation of AA Command came in August 1939, ahead of the declaration of war on 3 September 1939.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mobilisation, Order of Battle 1939
When the UK declared war on 3 September 1939, the 1st AA Division had the following composition:


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mobilisation, Order of Battle 1939
In August 1940 the RE 'Anti- Aircraft' (searchlight) battalions became regiments of the RA. Royal Artillery AA units were now designated Heavy Anti- Aircraft (HAA), Light Anti- Aircraft (LAA), or Searchlight (S/L) regiments and batteries.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Defences
The 1st AA Division had established a control centre at a disused Underground station at Brompton Road. The tunnels, subways and lift-shafts were adapted to provide bomb-proof accommodation for a Central Operation Room reporting direct to HQ No. 11 Group RAF at Uxbridge, and four Gun Operations Rooms (GORs) subdividing the London Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ). An elaborate network of dedicated telephone lines was laid by the General Post Office and Royal Corps of Signals, linking the AA sites, including many isolated searchlight positions.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Defences
On mobilisation in August 1939, the 1st AA Division controlled 159 HAA guns, 96 searchlights, and a mixture of LAA guns (1 x 3-inch, 1 x 40mm Bofors and 52 light machine-guns (LMGs)). Most of the HAA guns were assigned to the IAZ, with one troop of 4 guns at RAF Fighter Command HQ at Stanmore and four more (16 guns) at airfields.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Defences
The London IAZ extended from Cheshunt and Dagenham in the east to Bexley and Mitcham in the south and to Richmond and Northolt in the west. The HAA positions were sited to produce an optimum density of fire of at least 16 guns engaging any one raid simultaneously.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Defences
It had been intended that the 26th AA Brigade would control the whole zone, but it proved too complex for one HQ, and in September 1939 it was divided among three: the 26th AA Brigade (34 sites disposed to north and east), the 48th AA Brigade (28 sites to south-east and south), and the 49th AA Brigade (12 sites to west). The 26th AA Brigade still had the heaviest concentration of guns, mainly static 3.7-inch and 4.5-inch guns, with sites being increased from four to eight guns each.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Defences
The 48th AA Brigade had a mixture of 3.7 and 4.5-inch guns, half of the former being mobile. The 49th AA Brigade had older 3-inch guns, but also controlled a higher proportion of LAA sites at Vital Points (VPs). Superimposed on the IAZ were the 73 searchlight sites controlled by the 38th AA Brigade.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Battle of Britain
On 5 June 1940, after the British Army had been evacuated from Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain was about to start, the 1st AA Division comprised 45 4.5-inch, 39 3.7-inch and 26 3-inch HAA guns, with three 3-inch, 19 Bofors, three twin Vickers and 185 LMGs in the LAA role, together with 240 90 cm searchlights. On 11 July, the division's guns were disposed with 92 defending London, 28 at Slough, 4 at Hounslow, 4 at Stanmore, and 34 others dispersed to VPs.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Battle of Britain
While the Luftwaffe attacked RAF airfields, only the guns of the 48th AA Brigade in south-east London were engaged. On 1 September, over 200 aircraft attacked Maidstone, RAF Biggin Hill, RAF Kenley and Chatham: the guns of the 1st and 6th AA Divisions broke up the attacks but Kenley and Biggin Hill were badly hit. The following day a raid up the Thames estuary reached the edge of the London IAZ and were engaged by the 26th AA Brigade. Between 11 and 15 September, massed raids approached London, but running battles with RAF fighters broke up most of the raids before they reached the IAZ, where they were engaged by the 48th AA Brigade.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), The Blitz
By 30 September, when the Battle of Britain was effectively over and the Luftwaffe had switched to night raids over London (The Blitz), by now the 1st AA Division had 233 HAA guns, 60 LAA guns, 161 LMGs and 242 searchlights covering the London IAZ, together with 36 HAA guns defending Slough, Langley, Weybridge and airfields.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), The Blitz
In the absence of inland radar coverage, the 1st AA Division's Chief Signals Officer, Lt-Col G.C. Wickens, devised a system of 14 fixed base-lines of sound locators to detect night raids approaching the IAZ. These were linked by automatic telephone equipment to the Brompton operations room, where the angular plots were resolved to indicate grid squares where the HAA guns in range could fire an unseen barrage. This 'Fixed Azimuth' system came into action in June 1940, in time for the opening of the night Blitz on London. It was later replaced as searchlight control (SLC) and gunlaying (GL) radar systems were introduced.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), The Blitz
However, the performance of the AA defences in the early weeks of the Blitz was poor. AA Command moved 108 HAA guns to the IAZ from other divisions, and arranged 'fighter nights' when the guns remained silent and RAF night fighters were allowed to operate over London with the searchlights. GL radar, modern sound-locators and larger (150 cm) searchlights were introduced as rapidly as possible. From September 1940, rocket projectors (Z Batteries) were introduced, equipped with rocket projectiles, and by February 1941, SLC began to be issued. The number of raiders shot down steadily increased until mid-May 1941, when the Luftwaffe scaled down its attacks. During 1941 increasing numbers of women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) took over roles in AA Command. Where they were integrated into units these were designated 'Mixed' ('M').


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mid-war
Towards the end of 1940, at the height of The Blitz, AA Command formed three AA Corps: the 1st AA Division formed part of I AA Corps in Southern England.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mid-war, Order of Battle 1941–42
From this time the 1st AA Division's composition was as follows:


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Mid-war, Order of Battle 1941–42
The 1st AA Division became independent, leaving I AA Corps and coming directly under AA Command, during April 1942.


1st Anti-Aircraft Division (United Kingdom), Disbandment
The 1st AA Division, like the other AA Corps and Divisions, was disbanded and replaced on 1 October 1942 by a new AA Group structure. London was covered by the 1st AA Group.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom)
1st Anti - Aircraft Group (1 AA Group) was a formation created by the British Army's Anti- Aircraft Command in 1942 to control anti-aircraft (AA) units defending London against Luftwaffe attacks during World War II. It continued this role into the Cold War until disbandment in 1955.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II
1 AA Group was formed on 1 October 1942 when Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick 'Tim' Pile, Commander-in-Chief of Anti- Aircraft Command (AA Command), scrapped its previous conventional structure of Corps and Divisions. Each of the new AA Groups was commanded by a major-general and controlled a number of AA Brigades and support units. The new group boundaries were aligned with the Fighter Groups of the Royal Air Force (RAF). (It was jokingly observed that a reorganisation that eliminated eight general officers was the best contribution to the war effort at the time!)


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II
1 AA Group's area of responsibility covered the London Inner Artillery Zone (IAZ) formerly controlled by 1 AA Division, and later included  the 'Thames North' and 'Thames South' defences either side of the Thames Estuary from the former 6 AA Division. This tightly defined area was almost surrounded by 2 AA Group covering South East England, and together the two groups mirrored No. 11 Group RAF.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II
The first General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 1 AA Group was Maj-Gen Erroll Tremlett, who had previously commanded 10 AA Division. A former first-class cricketer, Tremlett had distinguished himself earlier in the war when he commanded 54th (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) Light AA Regiment defending the mole during the Dunkirk evacuation.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle 1943–44
When they were first established there was much interchange of the units allocated to 1 and 2 AA Groups, but from early 1943 1 AA Group had the following order of battle (temporary attachments omitted):


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle 1943–44
'Mixed' indicates that women of the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) were integrated into the unit. HAA regiments were equipped with 3.7-inch guns, LAA regiments with Bofors 40 mm guns, 'Z' Regiments with Z Battery rocket projectors, and S/L regiments with a variety of searchlights and Light machine guns.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle 1943–44
By August 1943 the Group had taken over control of two further AA brigades, with the associated signal units:


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle 1943–44
Z Regiments were termed 'AA Area Mixed Regiments' from April 1944, by which time they were largely operated by ATS and Home Guard personnel.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Baby Blitz
The Luftwaffe carried out few bombing raids on London during 1943, preferring to concentrate on 'hit and run' attacks by Fighter-bombers against coastal targets. However, in January 1944 it resumed night raids on London, which became known as the 'Baby Blitz'. These raids employed new faster bombers with sophisticated 'pathfinder' techniques and radar jamming. For example, on the night of 21 January 200 hostile aircraft were plotted approaching the South Coast in two waves, which intermingled with returning aircraft of RAF Bomber Command.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Baby Blitz
This caused problems of identification and restrictions on fire, but the guns of 2 AA Group and then 1 AA Group engaged as the raiders approached London. Only one-fifth of the raiders reached the city, the remainder turning away to bomb open country. AA guns brought down eight aircraft and RAF Night fighters with S/L assistance also had successes. At the end of January London Docks received a 130-strong raid dropping flares and incendiaries as they had in the London Blitz of 1940–41: about one-third reached their target and five were shot down.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Baby Blitz
February began with a 75-strong raid, of which only 12 reached the IAZ and four were shot down. On 13 February only six out of 115 bombers reached London. The climax came with five raids in the week 18–25 February varying from 100 to 140 in strength. These met intense AA fire from the Thames Estuary onwards and fewer than half made it to central London: the AA score was 13 shot down while the night fighters and S/Ls added 15, with another shared.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Baby Blitz
Facing these casualty rates, the Luftwaffe switched to targets away from London until 24 March, when a 100-strong raid on London lost four aircraft, and finally on 18 April a raid of 125 aircraft lost 14 shot down and only 30 reached the IAZ. Although much damage was caused in London, the rising efficiency of the HAA guns and radar made the enemy's losses unsustainable.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Baby Blitz
By February 1944, 1 AA Gp was responsible for the AA Operations Room at Brompton Road and the following GORs:


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Baby Blitz
together with a number of ordnance depots and miscellaneous establishments, including the AA Command Staff Duties School, Research Workshops and Camouflage Experimental Section, and 37 Radio Installation Detachment. In May 1944 the group was joined by 99 Group, Pioneer Corps, with 801, 809, 814, 817, 818, 841 and 844 semi-mobile smoke companies (in August 801 and 841 Companies were replaced by 4 Company, Non-Combatant Corps).


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Operation Diver
AA Command had been steadily losing men and units to the build-up of 21st Army Group for the planned Allied invasion of Europe (Operation Overlord). In April 1944, while the Baby Blitz was still under way, it was ordered to deploy much of its strength to defend the Overlord concentration areas and embarkation ports. In addition, it was preparing for the anticipated arrival of V-1 flying bombs, codenamed 'Divers'.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Operation Diver
In the event, the first of these did not arrive over England until a week after the D Day landings had begun, and AA units were able to redeploy from their Overlord sites to begin Operation Diver. However, early results of AA fire by 1 and 2 AA Groups against the small, fast, low-flying missiles were disappointing. Even shooting down those that reached the IAZ caused significant damage, so a ban was imposed on fire in this area.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Operation Diver
At the end of June Pile ordered a change in AA Command's tactics: instead of deploying mobile 3.7-inch guns in the Diver Belt, the most up-to-date power-controlled static guns, radars and predictors would be used, which involved a massive redeployment of guns uprooted from all over Britain and emplaced on temporary 'Pile Platforms'. The task was made bigger by the decision to move the Diver Belts to the coast itself, giving the guns a free fire zone out to sea.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Operation Diver
On 16 July 1 AA Group was ordered to form a 'Diver Box' of gun defences across the Thames Estuary, forward of a line from Chelmsford in Essex to Chatham, Kent. The removal of so many guns, and the silencing of those remaining in the IAZ, led Londoners to believe that the city was being defended by the RAF alone.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Operation Diver
As 21st Army Group began to overrun the V-1 launching sites in Northern France, the Luftwaffe turned to launching the missiles from aircraft over the North Sea, and 1 AA Group's Diver Box was heavily engaged. It was equipped with 136 Mark IIC 3.7-inch guns with No 10 Predictors and SCR-584 radar (some manned by three US Army AA Artillery battalions), 210 Bofors guns, and two Z Batteries of mobile nine-rocket launchers manned by a converted S/L regiment. The HAA guns began using the proximity VT fuze with great success. A number of the guns were mounted on the Maunsell Forts in the Thames Estuary. In addition there were 400 20mm guns provided by the RAF Regiment and the Royal Navy. To control these guns the Box was divided into four sectors under 37, 49, 56 and 68 AA Brigades.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Operation Diver
Success rates for AA Command began to rise during this second Diver deployment: from a 9 per cent success rate in July, the average rose to over 50 per cent. On one day 68 missiles were destroyed out of 96 plotted. The weekly total of missiles reaching London fell from a peak of 362 in July to 100, then down to 10 in September. A further redeployment of guns from the South Coast through London to the East Coast was ordered on 21 September.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Operation Diver
3 AA Group HQ was brought from Bristol to take over command of the London IAZ, and a new 9 AA Group took over East Anglia, leaving 1 AA Group to concentrate on the Diver Box and the Thames/Medway and Dover defences (though this was still a massive command temporarily controlling 10 AA brigades). The second phase of V-1 attacks ended in mid-January 1945. AA Command's success rate in this phase was impressive: out of a total of 492 V-1 targets, 320 were shot down, and only 13 reached London.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle late 1944
From mid-October 1944, 1 AA Group had the following order of battle:


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle late 1944
In October 1944, 1 AA Group's HQ establishment comprised 49 officers, 27 male other ranks, and 105 ATS personnel. Maj-Gen Tremlett was replaced by Maj-Gen Roger Reynolds on 1 November 1944.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle 1945
From mid-December, when the worst of the V-1 threat to London had receded and AA Command was being forced to supply manpower to 21st Army Group fighting in NW Europe, 1 AA Group had the following reduced order of battle:


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), World War II, Order of Battle 1945
The Home Guard was stood down in December 1944 and most of the Z Batteries were disbanded; the AA area regiments were disbanded in April 1945, becoming area maintenance units. After VE Day, 1 AA Group reverted to almost its original organisation, with 26, 28, 37 and 28 AA Bdes under command. As  demobilisation progressed, some of the war-formed regiments were replaced by Regular Army units returned from overseas deployments.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), Cold War
1 AA Group was commanded in 1946–47 by Maj-Gen William Revell-Smith, who had been Major-General AA of 21st Army Group during the campaign in North West Europe.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), Cold War
When the Regular Army and Territorial Army (TA) were reorganised for postwar needs in 1947, 1 AA Group was given responsibility for London, the Thames and Medway, Harwich and Dover.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), Cold War, Order of Battle 1947
The 10 Year Plan for AA defence drawn up in 1947 laid down the following order of battle for 1 AA Group:


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), Cold War, Order of Battle 1947
(M) indicates a 'Mixed' unit including members of the Women's Royal Army Corps.


1st Anti-Aircraft Group (United Kingdom), Cold War, Disbandment
The 1947 plan was never fully implemented, and most of the Regular units assigned to AA Command were disbanded as part of postwar demobilisation. As the Cold War developed, there was a need for new weapons, leading to the rise of Surface-to-air missiles and 'blind fire' radar control, with the consequent decline of HAA guns and searchlights. There was also political pressure for defence budget cuts. In March 1955 AA Command and its groups were disbanded and the remaining AA defence units in the UK came under control of the Home Commands and Districts. 1 AA Group completed its disbandment on 31 October 1955.


1st Antiaircraft Artillery Division (People's Republic of China)
The 1st Anti - Aircraft Artillery Division(Chinese: 高射炮第1师) was created on March 12, 1950, from 2nd Garrison Brigade of Henan Military District. The division HQ was set in Wuchang, Hubei province. The division was then composed of:


1st Antiaircraft Artillery Division (People's Republic of China)
From March 15 to 25, 1951, the division was utilized to organize the Air Defense Department, Middle-South Military Region. The division was then disbanded.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron
The 361st Tactical Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was formed in 1985 by the consolidation of the 1st Antisubmarine Squadron and the 661st Bombardment Squadron. However, the squadron was ever active under its new title.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron
The first predecessor of the squadron was activated in 1942 as the 361st Bombardment Squadron. It engaged in antisubmarine operations off the Pacific Coast. In November 1942, it was redesignated as the 1st Antisubmarine Squadron and operated from bases in England, Morocco, and Tunisia until the antisubmarine mission transferred to the United States Navy. It returned to the United States in January 1944 and its remaining personnel were used to form new heavy bomber units.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron
The squadron's second predecessor was the 661st Bombardment Squadron, formed in 1958 when Strategic Air Command (SAC) expanded its Boeing B-47 Stratojet units from three to four squadrons when they began standing alert at their home stations. It was inactivated in 1962 when SAC's alert commitment changed.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, World War II
The first predecessor of the squadron was organized as the 361st Bombardment Squadron at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah in July 1942. It was one of the original squadrons of the 304th Bombardment Group. The squadron was only nominally manned until September, when it moved with the 304th Group to Geiger Field, Washington. The squadron moved to Ephrata Army Air Field, Washington, later that month and equipped with Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress (briefly) and Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, World War II
The following month, the 304th Group moved to Langley Field, Virginia, where it became part of AAF Antisubmarine Command. In the fall of 1942, the Kriegsmarine began to equip its U-boats with radar receivers capable of detecting the Royal Air Force's long wave radars used for Air-to-Surface Vessel radar. This enabled the subs to dive, avoiding detection while on the surface. RAF's Coastal Command requested reinforcements from the AAFin the form of B-24s equipped with radars operating in the microwave band. In response, the squadron's air echelon was dispatched to RAF St Eval, England on 10 November to support Coastal Command. On arrival in England, it was attached to VIII Bomber Command for operations. Later that month, it was redesignated the 1st Antisubmarine Squadron.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, World War II
The squadron flew its first mission from St Eval on 10 November, operating under the control of Coastal Command, training on British operational methods and use of radar while conducting operational missions over the Atlantic lasting up to twelve hours. In January, the squadron was joined by the 2d Antisubmarine Squadron, forming a provisional group. In February, the squadron joined RAF units in a concerted attack on German submarines returning from attacks on convoys in the Atlantic. The group conducted its last mission from England on 5 March 1943.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, World War II
In March the squadron moved to Craw Field, French Morocco, where they augmented two United States Navy squadrons flying Consolidated PBY Catalinas defending the Atlantic approaches to the Straits of Gibraltar. It was administratively attached to the Northwest African Coastal Air Force, but was operationally assigned to Fleet Air Wing 15 of the Moroccan Sea Frontier. Much of the squadron's flying time was spent providing convoy coverage to ships approaching or departing the Straits of Gibraltar, but it also flew patrols as far north as Cape Finisterre and as far west as 1000 miles west of Port Lyautey, French Morocco into the Atlantic.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, World War II
As the German submarine threat in the Atlantic diminished and moved farther west in August 1943, the squadron moved to Protville Airfield, Tunisia in September. It attacked enemy submarines and shipping in the area of Sicily and the Italian peninsula until Operation Avalanche began with landings at Salerno, Italy. It extended antisubmarine patrols after 9 September to cover the sea west of Sardinia and Corsica. In addition to the antisubmarine patrols, the squadron covered the escape of Italian naval vessels from Genoa and Spezia to Malta following Italy's surrender. The squadron's actions in Europe earned it a Distinguished Unit Citation.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, World War II
The squadron returned to Morocco on 18 September and returned to the United States in November 1943, it was inactivated in January 1944 and its personnel were used as cadres for newly forming heavy bomber groups.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, Cold War
From 1958, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet wings of Strategic Air Command (SAC) began to assume an alert posture at their home bases, reducing the amount of time spent on alert at overseas bases. The SAC alert cycle divided itself into four parts: planning, flying, alert and rest to meet General Thomas S. Power’s initial goal of maintaining one third of SAC’s planes on fifteen minute ground alert, fully fueled and ready for combat to reduce vulnerability to a Soviet missile strike. To implement this new system B-47 wings reorganized from three to four squadrons.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, Cold War
The 661st was activated at Pease Air Force Base as the fourth squadron of the 509th Bombardment Wing. The alert commitment was increased to half the squadron's aircraft in 1962 and the four squadron pattern no longer met the alert cycle commitment, so the squadron was inactivated on 1 January 1962.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, History, Cold War
In 1985, the two previous squadrons were consolidated, on paper, under the title of the 361st Tactical Missile Squadron.


1st Antisubmarine Squadron, References, Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website .


1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion
The 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was a First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) battalion of World War I. It was formed in June 1916 with the role of preparing soldiers for combat with the AIF's infantry battalions. From September that year until the battalion's disbandment in October 1917 it was used as a tunnelling unit.


1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion, History
The 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was formed at La Motte in France on 6 June 1916. Like the other British Empire entrenching battalions, the unit was initially used to hold reinforcement infantrymen for I ANZAC Corps. Soldiers were posted to the battalion after completing initial infantry training in the United Kingdom and further training at the base depots of the AIF divisions in France. The role of the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion was to accelerate and improve the training process by providing reinforcement infantrymen with exposure to combat conditions while undertaking engineering works near the front line.


1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion, History
The battalion initially provided all infantry reinforcements for the I ANZAC Corps, but all of its personnel were posted to combat units as part of the response to the heavy casualties suffered by the Australian units involved in the Battle of Pozières between July and September 1916. While it ceased to provide training to infantrymen, the 1st Anzac Entrenching Battalion's headquarters and staff were retained and the unit absorbed the surplus reinforcements for the AIF's tunnelling companies; these comprised 9 officers and 203 other ranks. The battalion subsequently operated as a tunnelling unit on the Western Front alongside Canadian tunnellers. It was disbanded on 20 October 1917.


1st Arabian Gulf Cup
The 1st Arabian Gulf Cup (Arabic: دورة كأس الخليج العربي الأولى) was the first edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup, held every two years and organised by the AGCFF. The first tournament was held in Bahrain. It was won by the Kuwait, who defeated the hosts in the final match to finish first in the round-robin group. The tournament took place between 27 March and 3 April 1970.


1st Arabian Gulf Cup, Tournament
The four teams in the tournament played a single round-robin style competition. The team achieving first place in the overall standings was the tournament winner.


1st Arabian Gulf Cup, Statistics, Goalscorers
There were 19 goals scored in 6 matches, for an average of 3.17 goals per match.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers
The 1st Argyll & Bute Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery formed in Scotland in 1860 in response to a French invasion threat. It 1908 it became the only Mountain Artillery unit in the Territorial Force, and saw action at Gallipoli and Salonika during World War I. Before World War II it became the first Territorial Anti-Tank unit.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers
One of its successor units was captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux during the Battle of France, but others saw action in the campaigns in North Africa and Sicily, and in North West Europe from D Day to VE Day, including Arnhem and the Rhine Crossing. It continued in the postwar Territorial Army until 1955.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Artillery Volunteers
The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle and Artillery Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. The 1st Administrative Brigade, Argyll Artillery Volunteers, was formed with headquarters (HQ) at Oban, on 10 October 1861 to include the following corps of Argyllshire Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs):


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Artillery Volunteers
In 1863 the 1st Bute Artillery Volunteers at Rothesay (raised on 20 March 1862) were added to the unit. In 1867 the 2nd Bute Artillery Volunteers from Millport, Cumbrae (raised on 5 October 1867) were also added to the unit. In 1864 brigade HQ moved to Lochgilphead, and in 1870 to Rothesay. In May 1880 the brigade was consolidated as the 1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, with twelve and a half batteries, distributed as follows:


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Artillery Volunteers
In 1887 a new 12th battery was formed at Rothesay, and in the following year the 8th Battery moved to Dunoon.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Artillery Volunteers, Royal Garrison Artillery
In 1882 all the artillery volunteers were affiliated to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA) and the 1st Argyll & Bute AVC became part of the Scottish Division. In 1889 the structure was altered, and the corps joined the Southern Division. In 1899 the RA was divided into separate field and garrison branches, and the artillery volunteers were all assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). When the divisional structure was abolished their titles were changed, the unit becoming the 1st Argyll & Bute Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902, with its HQ at Tarbert.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Artillery Volunteers, Royal Garrison Artillery
During the South African War in 1900, 211 men of the 1st Argyll and Bute volunteered their services, but only eight were accepted for active service.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Artillery Volunteers, Royal Garrison Artillery
The corps was one of the most scattered in Britain. For example, No 6 Company had detachments at Bowmore, Bridgend, and Ardbeg. Personnel of the corps were spread over fifteen localities in some of the largest and least accessible country in Scotland. Owing to the varying occupations of the men, 75% were Gaelic-speaking, three training camps were arranged at different times of the year. In addition the corps had to maintain 15 carbine ranges. Many prizes were won by the corps, both in gun practice and repository exercises, at the Scottish National Artillery Association camps - the King's Cup was won at Barry Buddon in 1903 by the Easdale companies. The pipe band consisted of over thirty pipers.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Territorial Force
When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908 the bulk of the personnel of the 1st Argyll & Bute RGA (V) formed IV (4th) Highland (Mountain) Brigade, RGA, while the remainder formed one company of the Forth and Clyde Royal Garrison Artillery. The new brigade, which included the Lochcarron, Ross-shire, company from the former Highland Artillery Volunteers, was the only TF mountain artillery unit. It formed part of the Highland Division and had the following organisation:


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Territorial Force
The batteries were equipped with the 10-pounder mountain gun, a 2.75-inch calibre 'screw gun' originally developed for the Indian Army's mountain batteries.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Mobilisation
The Highland Division received a warning order for mobilisation on 29 July 1914, and the order to mobilise was received at 17.35 on 4 August. IV Highland Mtn Bde arrived at Bedford on 10 August, where the division concentrated over the following days. During the winter of 1914–15 a number of units left the division to join other formations in the field. On 10 March 1915 IV Highland Mtn Bde (except the Bute Bty) transferred to the 29th Division. This was a new division formed mainly from Regular Army units returned from stations round the Empire, and was allocated to the forthcoming Dardanelles operation. The battery left from Avonmouth Docks on 16 March, bound for Malta and then Alexandria, where it disembarked.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Gallipoli
29th Division re-embarked at Alexandria and landed at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula at 07.00 on 25 April 1915. IV Highland Mtn Bde and its two batteries served through the difficult opening weeks of the campaign with 29th Division, including the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battles of Krithia and the Battle of Gully Ravine, before transferring to 11th (Northern) Division on 29 July. The 11th was a newly arrived formation of 'Kitchener's Army' volunteers recruited since the outbreak of war.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Gallipoli
It was concentrating on the island of Imbros for a fresh landing on the peninsula at Suvla Bay, which was carried out on 7 August. This landing was no more successful than the first, and the campaign bogged down again. Once at Suvla the Argyll Battery transferred to the command of another Kitchener formation, the 10th (Irish) Division, on 8 August, followed by the rest of the brigade on 13 August.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Gallipoli
The IV Highland Bde fought with 10th (I) Division through the campaign, including the Battle of Hill 60 and the following trench warfare. When the division was withdrawn on 30 September the artillery, including IV Highland Bde, remained in action until the final evacuation of Suvla on the night of 19/20 December, when every gun was successfully withdrawn without loss.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Salonika
After the evacuations from Gallipoli, the troops were transported back to Egypt for rest and reorganisation. The IV Highland Bde was classed as 'Army Troops' with the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the Suez Canal defences. In September 1916 the brigade was sent to Salonika as reinforcements for the Macedonian front. The Bute Battery, which had remained behind in Scotland and later England with the second line troops of the Highland Division (later the 64th (2nd Highland) Division), sailed direct from England to Salonika, disembarking on 20 September. Each mountain battery in Macedonia had four of the improved 2.75-inch mountain guns.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Salonika
The Macedonian Front was another area of stationary trench warfare until late in the war, when the final offensive began on 1 September 1918. IV Highland Bde and its batteries were allocated to different formations as required. The brigade was with 28th Division from December 1916 until 22 July 1918, when the Bute Bty went to 27th Division. The rest of the brigade left 28th Division on 10 September to come under XVI Corps before joining 26th Division on 23 September. The Bute Bty left 27th Division on 8 September when it went to XVI Corps, returning on 23 September. On 25 September the battery rejoined IV Highland Bde, which had left 26th Division and was then operating with 14th Greek Division as the campaign came to a successful end.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Interwar
The unit reformed in 1920 under the command of Lt-Col W.H. Macalpine-Leny, DSO, as the 26th Highland Pack Brigade, RGA with HQ at the Drill Hall at Tarbert. The Bute Bty (initially listed as 102 (Howitzer) (Bute) Pack Bty) had a Cadet Corps affiliated to it. The TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1921 and; the RGA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery (RA) in 1924. The brigade (which was the only 'pack' unit in the TA) changed its number to 13th, with the following organisation:


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Interwar
The brigade changed its designation again from 'Pack' to 'Light' in 1927, but it underwent a more fundamental reorganisation in 1936 when it was converted into a field artillery unit as 54th (West Highland) Army Field Brigade:


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Interwar
However, this was short-lived: by the late 1930s a need for specialist anti-tank (A/T) artillery had been recognised, and in 1938 the regiment (as RA brigades were termed from that year onwards) became the first such unit in the TA as 51st (West Highland) Anti -Tank Regiment.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, Mobilisation
The TA was doubled in size following the Munich Crisis of 1938, with existing units splitting to form duplicates before the outbreak of World War II. 51st A/T Regiment reorganised as follows:


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, Mobilisation
The establishment of an A/T battery at this time was 12 x 2-pounderguns organised in Troops of four guns.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 51st (West Highland) A/T Regiment
51st (West Highland) Anti -Tank Rgt mobilised at Oban under Lt-Col C.N. Roney-Dougal, MC, a Regular RA officer, and trained at Bordon Camp before crossing to France on 2 February 1940 to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) with 51st (Highland) Division.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 51st (West Highland) A/T Regiment
On 22 April the division was sent for a tour of duty with 3rd French Army on the Saar Front, and took over a section of the line in front of the Maginot Line forts by 6 May.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 51st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Battle of France
The Battle of France began on 10 May with the German invasion of the Low Countries. While the rest of the BEF responded by executing the pre-arranged Plan D and advanced to defend Belgium, 51st (H) Division stayed on the Saar Front, which remained quiet until 13 May. At 04.00 that morning the Germans began a heavy bombardment, and strong probing attacks were driven off. Attacks on the following days were half-hearted. On the night of 22/23 May the division was relieved in the line. By now German troops had reached Boulogne and cut off most of the BEF, and 51st (H) Division was ordered to move west to link up with the British 1st Armoured Division operating south of the Somme.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 51st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Battle of France
51st (H) Division held the line of the Bresle, but was very stretched: one battery of 51st (WH) A/T Rgt had to cover 9 miles (14 km) of the river. Attacks by the division against a German bridgehead over the Somme were unsuccessful, and at 04.00 on 5 June the enemy attacked all along the division's front. The Bresle line was outflanked by German Panzers racing for Rouen, and the division received orders to withdraw during the night of 8/9 June.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 51st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Battle of France
During 9 June the division was cut off, and that night an ad hoc brigade group formed at Arques-la-Bataille and known as Arkforce was sent back to protect the approaches to Le Havre, where Operation Cycle was under way to evacuate base troops. Arkforce was formed around 154th Infantry Brigade and accompanied by 204 (Oban) A/T Bty. It set off during the night of 9/10 June, but shortly after it arrived the rest of 51st (H) Division was cut off from Le Havre. The division moved back to Saint-Valery-en-Caux where there was a chance that it could be evacuated.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 51st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Battle of France
But Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division broke through to the cliffs overlooking the harbour. 201 (Argyll) Bty fought furiously to prevent this, but one by one its guns were put out of action. 51st (Highland) Division was forced to surrender on 12 June. All of 51st (WH) Anti -Tank Regiment except 204 (Oban) Bty became prisoners of war and the regiment ceased to exist.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery
Arkforce was successfully evacuated from Le Havre the day after the surrender of the rest of the division at St Valery. 204 (Oban) Bty was under the command of Maj Donald Carmichael, who refused to allow the men to embark until their precious 2-pdrs were safely aboard. Arkforce was taken first to Cherbourg, where a new BEF was to be formed, then evacuated to the UK on 15 June (Operation Aerial) after that attempt was abandoned.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery
Back in the UK, 204 became an independent A/T Bty with 29th Independent  Infantry Brigade Group, a new formation made up of Regular infantry battalions brought back from India. As one of the few fully equipped formations in the UK, the brigade served with XII Corps in the most threatened area of South East England during the 'invasion summer' of 1940, then in the West Sussex County Division along the South Coast from November 1940. When the West Sussex Division moved away in February 1941, 29th Bde remained guarding the South Coast under IV Corps and South Eastern Command. 204 (Oban) Bty left on 5 May 1941 when the brigade came under War Office control to prepare for overseas service.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery
204 (Oban) Independent A/T Bty was with 1st (Guards) Independent Brigade Group between 11 April and 5 August 1942. When that brigade was assigned to 78th Division assembling for Operation Torch, the battery transferred on 5 August to 1st Airborne Division. On 23 October 1942 it was redesignated 2 (Oban) Air-Landing A/T Bty, equipped (with 6-pounder A/T guns) and trained for glider operations.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery, Air-landing battery
The battery served with 1st Airborne in the Tunisian Campaign, but its participation in the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) was cancelled at the last minute. A shortage of transport aircraft for the invasion of mainland Italy meant that 1st Airborne Division landed by sea at Taranto (Operation Slapstick); although the landing was unopposed, the battery suffered heavy casualties (the battery commander, Maj James Wilson, one other officer and 22 other ranks (ORs) when the mine-layer it was travelling aboard (HMS Abdiel) struck a mine in Taranto harbour and sank.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery, Air-landing battery
1st Airborne Division was withdrawn from Italy in the Autumn of 1943 and prepared for operations in North West Europe. The division was not called upon in the invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord). A number of airborne operations were planned and cancelled before the attempt to 'bounce' the bridges up to and across the lower Rhine (Operation Market Garden) was launched. Just beforehand, 2 (Oban) A/L A/T Bty was issued with some of the newer 17-pounder A/T guns: one 6-pdr Troop was converted and three additional 17-pdr Troops organised. The new gun could be transported in the large Hamilcar glider.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery, Air-landing battery
During the operation that battery flew in eight Hamilcars and 24 Horsa gliders from RAF Tarrant Rushton and participated in the Battle of Arnhem. After the failure of the operation, one officer and 58 ORs were evacuated across the river out of 158 who had gone in. The battery commander, Maj A.F. Haynes was among those taken prisoner.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 204 (Oban) Anti-Tank Battery, Air-landing battery
The reduced 1st Airborne Division did not see action again, but it was sent to liberate Norway after VE Day (Operation Doomsday). By then the battery had been combined with the other A/L batteries into a new 1st Airlanding A/T Rgt. It was disbanded in November 1945 after returning from Norway.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment
61st (West Highland) Anti -Tank Rgt  mobilised at Rothesay in 9th (Highland) Infantry Division, the 2nd Line duplicate of 51st (H) Division. It remained training in Scottish Command until 7 August 1940 when 9th (H) Division was redesignated as 51st (H) Division to replace the original formation lost at St Valery. 244 A/T Battery left the regiment on 22 September and was replaced by 296 A/T Bty on 15 December 1941. The regiment added the 'West Highland' subtitle on 17 February 1942. 296 A/T Battery left on 10 May 1942 and was replaced by 193 A/T/ Bty. After completing training in Scotland, the division sailed for Egypt on 16 June 1942, landing on 12 August.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, North Africa
The division's first action was the Second Battle of El Alamein, for which the regiment was equipped with 16 x 2-pdrs and 48 of the new Ordnance QF 6-pounder gun. It moved up during the preceding nights, occupying gun positions and dumping ammunition, and remaining concealed during daylight. The bombardment began at 21.40 on 23 October and the advance began 20 minutes later. 51st (H) Division ran into several centres of resistance and only on the extreme left did it reach its final objective; however, the 'break-in' phase of the battle had started well.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, North Africa
Over following days 51st (H) Division made progress towards its own objective as the 'dog-fight' phase continued. The 'break-out' phase began on the night of 1/2 November with Operation Supercharge, preceded by another powerful barrage. In the early hours of 4 November 51st (H) Division broke through to the Rahman Track, and the Axis forces began to retreat.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, North Africa
51st (H) Division then took part in the pursuit to El Agheila and Tripoli in January 1943. By 25 February it was past Medenine in Tunisia and facing the Mareth Line. The Axis force made a spoiling attack on 6 March (the Battle of Medenine) but there was plenty of warning. 51st (H) Division was positioned along the Wadi Zassar, a natural anti-tank ditch, and the A/T guns had been positioned to 'kill tanks' rather than protect the infantry from them. The Axis advance was easily repulsed.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, North Africa
The Battle of the Mareth Line began on the night of 16/17 March when 51st (H) Division took the outpost line against negligible opposition. The main attack followed on 20/21 March with another massive night barrage, but little progress was made over the Wadi Zigzaou for the first two days and the line held until it was outflanked by other forces in the south. The Axis defence collapsed on 28 March and the following day 51st (H) Division was on its way to Gabès.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, North Africa
The next Axis defence line was along Wadi Akarit. The barrage for 51st (H) Division's assault began at 04.15 on 6 April, and the division's attack, in the words of the Official History, 'went like clockwork'. 61st (WH) Anti -Tank Rgt went into action with its 6-pdrs towed by tanks while the gun crews rode on the back of the tanks with their ammunition. The tanks then formed a protective screen while the A/T gunners dug in under shellfire.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, North Africa
For the first time the regiment encountered Tiger tanks, but these remained out of range of the 6-pdrs using their longer range guns to shell the Highlanders. Axis troops then began counter-attacks and the Highlanders had to fight hard to hold their gains. Some A/T guns got through to support 7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (A&SH), but not to 7th Bn Black Watch, who were isolated 1,500 yards (1,400 m) away. However, the positions were held. The pursuit was resumed the following day, through Sfax. From 22 April the division was in action in the hills around Enfidaville, until the end of the campaign on 15 May.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Sicily
51st (H) Division then went into training for the Allied landings in Sicily (Operation Husky). Together with its 6-pdrs the regiment was issued with a few of the new 17-pounder A/T guns on the stop-gap Pheasant carriage (adapted from the 25-pounder field gun). 51st (H) Division sailed in the invasion convoy from Sfax on 8 July and the assault brigade (154 Bde) landed near Pachino at 03.00 on 10 July. There was little opposition and 241 A/T Bty's guns were got ashore and deployed at pre-arranged sites in the morning.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Sicily
The larger Landing Ships, Tank, arrived about 12.00 and the rest of the regiment went ashore that night. 242 A/T Battery was assigned to 153 Bde and 243 Bty to 152 Bde, while 193 A/T Bty remained with RHQ as divisional reserve. The division then moved forward to Vizzini and Francofonte, where it met its first opposition on 13 July. 243 A/T Bty fired the first rounds of the campaign at a pillbox with great effect, and thereafter the divisional policy was to have A/T guns well up with the infantry as close assault guns for use against pillboxes and machine gun posts in houses.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Sicily
The division continued with scarcely a pause towards the Dittaino river, where it sent a composite force of infantry and armour ('Arrow Force') accompanied by 243 AT Bty to cross the Dittaino and attempt to capture Paternò. It achieved a bridgehead on 17 July but further advance was checked, so on the night of 20/21 July the division made an attack against the main enemy defences at Gerbini Airfield. 7th A&SH made the attack supported by A Trp and half of B Trp (Pheasants) and some tanks.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Sicily
Although the attack succeeded, fierce counter-attacks by the Hermann Goring Division drove the Highlanders out the following morning, after which 51st (H) Division was put onto the defensive. Further counter-attacks and heavy shelling on 23/24 July led to more casualties. Because of casualties in men and guns 193 A/T Bty made use of three captured German 75 mm A/T guns and H Trp was immobilised to keep the others up to strength.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Sicily
The division was relieved on 30 July and redeployed for operations against Adrano (the battles round Etna). The A/T guns were assembled at Sferro under fire, so that they could be quickly deployed as soon as the infantry were on their objectives. 51st (H) Division took its new bridgeheads over the Dittaino on the night of 31 July/1 August and the A/T guns were in action by daylight. Enemy armour put in a counter-attack at 14.00 and a few tanks got close enough to be destroyed by the A/T guns.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Sicily
Paternò fell on 4 August, Biancavilla on 6 August, and the division began a 50 miles (80 km) 'sidestep' north of Zafferana on 12 August. By now the Axis forces were evacuating Sicily, which was completed on 17 August. During the Sicily campaign the regiment lost 1 officer and 5 ORs killed, 1 officer and 40 ORs wounded, and 2 ORs missing.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Sicily
51st (H) Division did not take part in the subsequent Italian Campaign, having been earmarked for Operation Overlord.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Normandy
51st (Highland) Division was in the first follow-up wave of formations in Overlord. On 2 June 1944 it embarked at East India Docks, London, bound for Normandy and began landing on 7 June (D + 1). The first troops ashore on D + 1 included 242 A/T Bty with 153 Bde Gp and the 17-pdr Trp of 193 A/T Bty with Divisional troops. The division then got bogged down for several weeks in operations round 'The Triangle' north-east of Caen. It then supported 3rd Division's attack on the flank of Operation Goodwood on 18 July.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Normandy
On 8 August 51st (H) Division spearheaded II Canadian Corps' attack towards Falaise (Operation Totalize). The attack began before dawn and by first light the break-in was going well, with a number of villages taken. 4th Canadian and 1st Polish Armoured Divisions then passed through to continue the advance. The Canadians renewed the advance to Falaise on 14 August in Operation Tractable, with 51st (H) Division attacking towards the Laison Valley on the left flank. By 21 August the Falaise Pocket had been closed and the division was advancing eastwards towards Lisieux. It was then sent across the Seine to liberate St Valery, site of the original division's surrender in 1940.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Normandy
51st (H) Division then moved in for the assault on Le Havre (Operation Astonia). This was a major operation, with heavy air and artillery bombardment  and armoured support, which cowed the opposition. It was followed by a similar assault to take Boulogne (Operation Wellhit), and operations to mask Dunkirk.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Low Countries
The division next made a long move to the Antwerp area at the end of September, then spent three weeks in the line at Sint-Oedenrode. 61st (WH) Anti -Tank Rgt was deployed to cover the chain of bridges captured during Operation Market Garden, engaging occasional targets such as occupied houses or with long-range harassing fire. On 13 October 193 Bty helped drive off a 'small but well organised' German attack with their A/T guns and Bren guns, while 241 Bty contributed fire from 2-inch mortars. The regiment also practised assault river crossings, using stormboats to ferry Jeep-towed 6-pdrs and improvised pontoons with outboard motors to carry 17-pdrs and Quad tractors.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Low Countries
On 23 October the regiment took part in Operation Colin, a divisional attack on Schijndel. Schijndel was taken relatively easily and the division pressed on to take Vught on 25 October.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Low Countries
On 4 November the division began an operation against 'The Island' west of 's-Hertogenbosch with a crossing of the Afwaterings Canal. Deception shoots were carried out by 193 Bty on the right flank and by 243 Bty on the left flank, including giving covering fire from 12 Bren guns for the infantry crossing.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Low Countries
On 14 November the division carried out an assault crossing of the Willems Canal near Weert (Operation Ascot), then moved on to the Zig Canal and crossed that on 17 November with much less preparation. Once the canal had been bridged, 61st (WH) A/T Rgt's guns were deployed to defend the bridgehead, helped through the bad conditions by being towed by Kangaroo armoured personnel carriers.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Low Countries
51st (H) Division was then tasked with holding the wet low-lying country between Nijmegen and Arnhem that had been captured during Operation Market Garden, some of which subsequently had to be evacuated (Operation Noah) when the Germans broke the dykes and flooded the area. At the beginning of December the division was pulled out of the line for rest.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Low Countries
In December the division was suddenly moved south as part of the response to the German breakthrough in the Ardennes (the Battle of the Bulge), and then in January 51st (H) Division fought its way into the flank of the 'Bulge' in winter conditions.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Low Countries
In the winter of 1944–45 the A/T batteries of infantry divisions were restructured to have one Troop each of towed 6-pdrs, towed 17-pdrs and Archer self-propelled (SP) 17-pdrs on Valentine tank chassis.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Rhineland
51st (H) Division was next engaged in the fighting in the Reichswald (Operation Veritable). It began at 05.00 on 8 February with a huge artillery preparation, after which the Highlanders attacked and were on their objectives by 23.00 that night. 61st (WH) A/T Rgt's batteries were as usual attached to the infantry brigades (and 193 Bde with RHQ), but the guns were not actually needed. On 10 February the SP Trp of 242 Bty came into action against enemy machine gun posts and houses, though several Archers of 242 and 243 Btys were bogged or damaged by enemy A/T fire.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Rhineland
The slow advance continued through Gennep on 11 February, and the gunners suffered from enemy shellfire. One of the regiment's officers reconnoitring in a Valentine observation post (OP) tank on 12 February attacked and drove off an enemy party in the forest. On 13 February the SP guns destroyed a tank and a church steeple at Hekkens used as an enemy OP, while other gunners drove off local attacks by German paratroopers with small arms fire. On 16 February 243 Bty's SP and towed 17-pdrs supported a night attack by 152 Bde on Asperden. The final  phase of the operation for 51st (H) Division began on 18 February against Goch, which was successfully taken after stiff fighting.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Rhineland
The division took a leading part in the Rhine crossing (Operation Plunder). The division then  continued through Isselburg and Anholt.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 61st (West Highland) A/T Regiment, Rhineland
The division reached the Dortmund–Ems Canal on 8 April. After a pause at the canal, it advanced rapidly towards Bremen against delaying actions. It reached Delmenhorst on 20 April and closed in on the centre of Bremen. The German surrender at Lüneburg Heath ended the fighting on 5 May.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, the regiment reformed as 254th (West Highland) Anti -Tank Regiment with HQ at Dumbarton, forming part of 51st/52nd (Lowland) Division. In 1950 the regiment re-roled as 254th (West Highland) Light Anti- Aircraft Regiment. In 1954 it absorbed 417th (Dumbartonshire) (Mixed) Heavy Anti- Aircraft Rgt (originally the Clyde RGA, to which the 1st Argyll & Bute Artillery Volunteers had contributed personnel). The combined regiment reverted to being 254th (West Highland) A/T Rgt, with one battery from the 417th.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Postwar
Finally, on 10 March 1955 the regiment was amalgamated into the Greenock-based 277th (Highland) Field Rgt and the Argyll & Bute lineage ended.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Uniforms & insignia
The original uniforms varied greatly. Colonel F. Campbell (commanding 1884–1903) wrote:'The corps had their separate uniforms, which were tunics or Garibaldi shirts, caps with red, yellow, or white bands ; belts brown, black, or white. The officers' dress was even more varied. They joined simply to encourage the movement, and wore much what they chose, utilising any old uniform that they might have worn some time or other, whether cavalry, infantry, or other. Swords of all patterns, perhaps presentations to their forefathers before and after Waterloo'.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Uniforms & insignia
In 1860 the 3rd Corps had blue uniforms with scarlet facings, white pouch belts, black waistbelts, and busbies. The 4th Corps wore a jumper and trousers of blue flannel, and a broad Kilmarnock bonnet, such as was usually worn by Tarbert fishermen, of whom it was mainly composed.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Uniforms & insignia
On the creation of the TF in 1908 IV Highland (Mtn) Bde adopted the usual brass shoulder titles consisting of 'T' over 'RGA' over the territorial designation, but in this case the three batteries adopted individual titles: T/RGA/ARGYLL, T/RGA/ROSS&CROMARTY and T/RGA/BUTE.


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Uniforms & insignia
While serving in Macedonia in 1916 IV Mtn Bde was issued with Balmoral bonnets for officers and Kilmarnock bonnets for ORs. Tartan flashes were worn behind the RA gun badge, each battery having a different tartan:


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Commanding Officers
The following served as Commanding Officer (CO) of the units:


1st Argyll and Bute Artillery Volunteers, Memorial
There is a memorial in Stornoway to the men of 1st Ross-Shire Mountain Bty who died in Egypt, at Gallipoli and in the Balkans during World War I, and during World War II. The monument is of stone in the form of a cairn surmounted by a thistle, standing in front of the Drill Hall and TA Centre at the crossroads of Church and Lewis Streets.


1st Arizona State Legislature
The 1st Arizona State Legislature, consisting of the Arizona State Senate and the Arizona House of Representatives, was constituted from February 14, 1912 (the day Arizona was admitted to the United States) to December 31, 1914, during the first term of George W. P. Hunt as Governor of Arizona, in Phoenix.


1st Arizona State Legislature, Sessions
The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Phoenix on March 18, 1912; and adjourned on May 18.


1st Arizona State Legislature, Sessions
A special session was called by the governor, and met between May 23 – June 22, 1912. A second special session was invoked from February 3 – April 7, 1913. A third special session was convened from April 14 – May 17, 1913.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature
The 1st Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was a session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature which began on September 26, 1864, in Prescott, Arizona, and ran for forty-three days. The session was responsible for enacting Arizona's first legal code, creation of the territory's first four counties, and authorizing a volunteer militia to fight hostile Indians.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Background
Arizona Territory was created by the Arizona Organic Act and officially established on December 29, 1863, in a ceremony performed at Navajo Springs, Arizona. Following completion of an initial census, Governor John N. Goodwin proclaimed an election to select delegates to the first territorial legislature would occur on July 18, 1864. As no counties had been established within Arizona Territory at the time of the election, the territory's three judicial districts were instead used for allocation of delegates. The first district included all of Arizona east of the 114th meridian west and south of the Gila River, the second district was all of Arizona west of the 114th meridian, and the third district included all of Arizona east of the 114th meridian and north of the Gila.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session
Session was opened by Territorial Secretary Richard C. McCormick on September 26, 1864. All the members of the legislature had not arrived on that date, so the legislature sent out for beverages and tobacco and adjourned to wait for the remaining members to arrive. The session resumed on September 29 will all members present. The territory's Attorney General, Coles Bashford, was selected president of the Council while Tucson attorney W. Claude Jones was selected speaker of the House. Two members of the legislature left during the session with Council member José M. Redondo resigning on October 10 on the grounds he was ineligible to hold the office and Representative Henry D. Jackson dying on October 16.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session
The session met in a recently constructed two-room log cabin. The building was simply furnished with tables and chairs made from roughly hewn boards. The chinking had not been completed, allowing the cold autumn air into the building, and an early winter storm forced the assembly to take shelter in the Governor's house. The assembly members themselves primarily wore frontier dress and many bore weapons used for protection from Indian attack during their journey to and from Prescott.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Governor's address
Governor Goodwin gave his address to the assembly on September 30, 1864. In his speech, Goodwin reminded the legislature that under the Arizona Organic Act the new territory had inherited the laws of New Mexico Territory and that they would remain in force "until repealed or amended by future legislation". The Governor did not believe that New Mexico's laws were well suited for Arizona's needs and called for a commissioner to be appointed to draft a new legal code. Goodwin also called for the immediate repeal of acts allowing for peonage and imprisonment for debt.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Governor's address
Another key issue was dealing with hostile Indians within the territory. To address this need, Goodwin called for U.S. Army troops and the creation of a volunteer militia. Other issues covered were creation of mail routes and establishment of a public education system, including a public university under the provisions of the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Howell code
The legislature's first act was passed on October 1, 1864, and authorized the Governor to appoint a commissioner to study and propose a legal code for the new territory. Anticipating the need for a new legal code, Judge William T. Howell and Coles Bashford had begun researching a tentative code in April 1864. By the time the legislature met, a 400-page code has been written, based primarily upon the laws of New York and California. After Goodwin was authorized to choose a commissioner, he chose Howell.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Howell code
Debate over the proposed legal code consumed the majority of the session's efforts. After some modifications, the code was enacted and named the "Howell Code" after its principal architect. The Howell Code underwent a major revision, supervised by Bashford, in 1871 and was replaced in 1877 by the "Hoyt Code".


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Other legislation
In addition to establishing a new legal code, the session also performed several actions to administratively organize the new territory. While the Governor had chosen Prescott as the site of the capital, the legislature had the authority to move the capital. Two other locations were proposed, the first being La Paz and the second a new community named Aztlan to be located at the juncture of the Salt and Verde rivers. Efforts to move the capital to both locations were defeated. Besides considering the location of the capital, the session created Arizona's first four counties.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Other legislation
Mohave County encompassed all of the territory north of the Bill Williams River and west of longitude 113° 20' with its seat at Mohave City. Yuma County encompassed the area south of the Bill Williams River and west of longitude 113° 20' with its seat at La Paz. Pima County contained all territory south of the Gila River and east of longitude 113° 20' with its seat at Tucson. The final county, Yavapai, encompassed the area north of the Gila and east of longitude 113° 20' with Prescott serving as its seat.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Other legislation
To deal with hostile Indians, the session requested the U.S. Congress authorize US$250,000 to creation of a ranger force with an additional US$150,000 requested to create reservations along the Colorado River for friendlier tribes. No funds came until 1867 when US$50,000 was authorized. In the meantime a group of Arizona Volunteers consisting of 350 men and 11 officers were organized into five companies. The force provided an effective check against hostile Apaches till the arrival of U.S. Army troops following the American Civil War.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Other legislation
To address educational needs, the legislature authorized a payment of US$250 for public education to any county seats provided the towns provided a matching amount. For Tucson, this amount was doubled to US$500 under the provision that English lessons were added to the daily curriculum. Only two towns collected the funds, the mission school at San Xavier del Bac and a private school in Prescott. The need for roads was addressed by granting six franchises for construction of private roads. The franchisees were required to grade the right of way, build bridges, maintain wells along the route in exchange for the right to charge tolls of US$0.08/mile for wagons and US$0.025/mile for riders on horseback.


1st Arizona Territorial Legislature, Legislative session, Other legislation
Finally the session granted two divorces. The first annulled the marriage of John G. Capron, a member of the territorial House of Representatives, and Sarah Rosser Capron on the grounds that he had been lured into the marriage "by fraudulent concealment of criminal facts". The second divorce was of Fort Whipple's post surgeon, Elliot Coues, from his wife, Sarah A. Richardson Coues.


1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry
1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in federal service from Arizona Territory that served under special provisions during the Apache wars in 1865–1866. The regiment was primarily raised among the native and indigenous population of Arizona, Mexicans, Maricopas, and Pima. It was thwarted by the US Army, and disbanded when the federal government refused to continue funding.


1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry, Formation
After the end American Civil War, the last troops of the California Column returned to California. Due to the ongoing Apache Wars, the need for a local fighting force still existed. The territorial legislature discussed the feasibility of creating a corps of territorial rangers, but the project died because its cost were approximated to be ten time as large as the annual tax revenue of the Territory. Already in 1864, governor John Noble Goodwin had been authorized to raise a regiment of volunteer infantry for three years or for the duration of the war.


1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry, Formation
No troops had, however, been raised during the war. Approval for raising this regiment after the end of the war was given by the War Department in the Spring of 1865 because of the Indian menace, and about 350 men were recruited and mustered into federal service between Sept. 2 and Nov. 3, 1865.


1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry, Organization
Colonel William H. Garvin was appointed adjutant general and the immediate superior of the regimental organization. The regiment would primarily be raised among the native and indigenous population of Arizona, Mexicans, Maricopas, and Pima, and be organized into six companies. Company D was, however, never organized.


1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry, Operations
The regiment never fought as a unit, but operated as one- or two-company detachments. The basic tactics were search and destroy operations under severe conditions; the United States Army denied the Arizona Volunteers proper quarters, even tents, and the footgear and uniforms were often deficient due to hard service. The indigenous soldiers were very efficient in fighting their traditional enemies, the Apaches. In spite of the demanding service only 20 men deserted. Ten had been killed in action, five died of diseases, and 13 were seriously wounded but survived.


1st Arizona Volunteer Infantry, Disbandment
The regiment had been enlisted according to the war provisions of the Federal Government, but when Governor Richard Cunningham McCormick in 1866 wrote to the Secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, asking for a prolongation of the enlistment period of the Arizona Volunteers, Stanton denied the request as there were no law authorizing it. Attempts to include appropriation for its equipment, subsistence and payment failed. The regiment was officially disbanded on July 1, 1866. The actual discharge of the men took, however, much longer time; the last soldiers were discharged Nov. 7, 1866.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment
The 1st Arkansas Infantry (30 Day Volunteers) (1861) was a Confederate Army infantry regiment during the American Civil War. The unit was composed mainly of militia units called to service by Colonel Solon F. Borland in response to an anticipated invasion of Northeast Arkansas in the fall of 1861.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Organization
The 1st Arkansas Regiment, 30-Day Volunteers (infantry), was formally organized on November 23, 1861, which is the date of the appointments of the field and staff officers—under command of Colonel James Haywood McCaleb. Col . McCaleb was the commander of the 25th Militia Regiment, from Lawrence County, Arkansas. It appears that several of the companies that composed the new "30 Day Volunteer" regiment originated as part of the 25th Militia Regiment:


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Organization
Field and staff officer appointments were dated November 23, 1861. The following regimental staff was elected for the unit:


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
In May 1861, Pocahontas and the nearby strategically important Pitman's Ferry, in Randolph County, became an important Confederate military depot. Following the transfer of the State Troop regiments to Brig. Gen Hardee, virtually all the regiments stationed in northeast Arkansas were transferred in late September east of the Mississippi River to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Col. Solon Borland was left in command of a small force at Pitman's Ferry. Col. Borland's force was the only defense left in Northeast Arkansas.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
The forces included: Borland's own cavalry regiment of seven companies, Col. McCown's five companies of infantry, Maj. Desha's four companies of raw troops, Capt. Robert's artillery unit of 60 men but no guns and about 150 recruits brought by Maj. McCray – altogether about 1,286 men. But of these, owing to sickness and casualties Col Borland said he could count on no more than 600 for fighting service, and all were "raw, inexperienced, poorly disciplined and indifferently armed."


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
A second round of recruiting for new regiments was just getting underway when Col. Borland began receiving reports of enemy movements in Missouri. The initial reports seemed to indicate a possible movement on Pitman's Ferry. The Union army was massing troops in southeast Missouri mainly for the purpose of a thrust down the Mississippi River. But this posed a very real threat to all areas of northeast Arkansas.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Col Borland indicated that he had reliable information "that there are 300 infantry and 150 cavalry at Rives' Station, on Black River, 35 miles (56 km) north of Pitman's Ferry Also that there is a strong infantry force-7,000-at Greenville, 15 miles (24 km) north of Rives' Station." Borland was maintaining a regular correspondence with Brig Gen. M. Jeff Thompson, of the Missouri State Guard, who commanded the First Military District of Missouri at Bloomfield, Missouri.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Reports of these Union troop movements were sent to area militia units. The Jacksonport Herald of October 26, 1861, published a communication received by Christopher W. Board, Commander of the 34th Militia Regiment of Jackson County.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
. . . We have commenced taking steps to call out the militia but will not call them out unless there is certainty a necessity for it. It might be well for your officers to take such steps as will enable prompt action in case of necessity. I send it to you, believing that you can have the proper persons ready for action; and at the same time keep down all unnecessary excitement . . .


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Col. Borland moved his command from Pitman's Ferry to Pocahontas and was sufficiently alarmed over the reports to issue a call for reinforcements from the militia. On November 5, 1861, Col. Borland issued an appeal for volunteers in the surrounding counties to hastily organize companies for the defense of Pitman's Ferry until new regular Confederate regiments could be organized and dispatched.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
When news of Borland's situation reached Little Rock, the state Military Board responded to Borland's call for aid by calling out the 8th Militia Brigade under the command of Brig. Gen. Phillips:


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
It being represented that the State was in danger of invasion, and that Colonel Borland's command was threatened with immediate attack, it was ordered that Brigadier-General Phillips be ordered to call out the Eighth Brigade of Militia, and that he also order out one company each from the following counties, viz: Prairie, Monroe, Poinsett, Saint Francis, and Craighead.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Brig. Gen. Theodore H. Phillips offered his services to Col. Borland, who welcomed his aid in the emergency. Phillips undertook the organization of the new 30 day volunteer companies into a brigade. He placed a requisition for camp equipment as follows:"


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Requisition for Camp and Garrison Equipage viz: Four camp kettles. 4 ovens, lids and pot hooks, 4 coffee boilers, 15 tin cups. 25 tin plates. 4 mess Bins, 1 coffee mill, 6 spoons, 8 knives. Requisition for forage for 8 horses, 96 pounds (44 kg) of corn.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Brig. Gen Phillips added his explanation for the requisition: "In response to Col. Borland's call for militia service for 30 days. We have responded and entered service. [ with] Capt. Ruffner." The receipt was dated Pocahontas November 23. 1861, and was signed by "T. H. Phillips, Brig. Gen. 8th Brigade of Arkansas Militia."


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Col. Borland's call received an almost immediate response, but he continued to harbor serious misgivings about his situation. On November 10, he wrote to Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk, C.S.A., commanding the 1st Division Western Department, at Columbus, Kentucky, and told of his call for reinforcements from the militia. He said the response was "somewhat tumultuous." On November 9, 1,000 men had arrived unorganized and so ill-supplied with arms that be deemed it best to direct them to return home.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
They followed this direction and assured Borland that within a week's time he would have at least 3,000 men at his command. He told them that companies thus organized and prepared would be received into service for 30 days from the time they reported again to him. Borland added a postscript to this letter, saying that he had just received a report from his scouts that a Federal force of 7,450 was between Reeve's Station and Greenville in Missouri. He told Gen. Polk that the force he had was wholly insufficient for either attack or defense.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
It should be three times as large or be abandoned altogether; and finally he asked to be relieved of his command. "It is a Brigadier's command, and should have his responsibility, which I am daily growing more and more distrustful of my competency to sustain. Public interests here would be better provided for by other and abler hands."


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
News of Borland's call for volunteers and the resulting convergence upon Pocahontas was of course reported to other parts of the state. The Arkansas True Democrat of November 14 printed a dispatch from Des Arc dated November 9, 11:00pm:


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
The steamer Kanawa Valley left Jacksonport this morning and reports here that large numbers of men are flocking to Bor1ands aid. The Federal forces 7,000 strong are advancing on Pocahontas rapidly, and were expected to make an attack on the town to-day. There is a tremendous excitement throughout the country. The women and children are all being moved from Pocahontas and active preparations are making for a stern resistance to the invaders. Borland's command has retreated from Pittman's Ferry to within a mile of Pocahontas, where they have made a stand. This intelligence is perfectly reliable.


1st Arkansas 30 Day Volunteer Regiment, Background
Some two dozen of these emergency companies were organized in Greene, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Lawrence and Randolph counties, including the areas now encompassed in present-day Clay, Cleburne, Sharp and Woodruff counties. They converged on Pocahontas and Pitman's Ferry, beginning about November 9, and were mustered into Confederate service for a period of thirty days. Few records of these hastily organized and short-lived companies have survived.


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's)
The 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's) (1864-1865) was a Confederate Army cavalry battalion during the American Civil War. The unit was also known as Brooks 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, Stirman's, 1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion, Stirman's Sharpshooter Regiment, 1st Regiment Arkansas Sharpshooters, and finally simply as Stirman's Arkansas Cavalry Regiment.


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Organization
1st (Brooks') Cavalry Battalion was recruited in Carroll, Marion, Pope, Scott, Van Buren, and Washington counties, Arkansas, from August to October 1861 under the command of Major William H. Brooks. Many of the enlistments are from August to October 1861:


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Service
In January, 1862, the battalion totalled 300 officers and men and was assigned to L. Hebert's Brigade in the western part of Arkansas. The battalion was apparently stationed in Fayetteville Arkansas, before that city was occupied by Union Forces on 23 February 1862.


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Service
During the Battle of Pea Ridge, the battalion was assigned to Brigadier General James M. McIntosh's Brigade of Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch Division. After fighting at the Battle of Pea Ridge, the unit was ordered east of the Mississippi River and dismounted. Private Albert McCollum described the retreat from Pea Ridge, dismounting and boarding of ships to move east of the Mississippi River as follows:


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Service
From Lees Creek we went to Van Buren, from there to Clarksville and then to Dover. There we camped 8 days. Then we had a happy time getting across the pintry moove bottom. (Point Remove). From Dover we went to Springfield, then to Searcy in White County, then to Des Arc i n Prairie Co. We were dismounted at Searcy. The horses was sent back to Dover. Vie were put on a boat at Searcy, on Little Red River which runs into White River about 30 or 35miles above Des Arc. White River is out of its banks down here. The boat is loading now to take us to Memphis. I expect we will start tomorrow. The Major said we would draw pay at Memphis. The Vicksburg (that is the name of the boat) is 220 ft long & about 60 ft wide."


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Service, Creation of the Sharpshooters
Late April and early May 1862 the Confederate Army underwent an army-wide reorganization due to the passage of the Conscription Act by the Confederate Congress in April 1862. All twelve-month regiments had to re-muster and enlist for three years or the duration of the war; a new election of officers was ordered; and men who were exempted from service by age or other reasons under the Conscription Act were allowed to take a discharge and go home. Officers who did not choose to stand for re-election were also offered a discharge. At this time Major Brooks was granted a medical leave and Captain Stirman, of Company E, was elected to lead the Battalion. Major W.H. Brooks of Brooks Arkansas Battalion of Cavalry is authorized 30 days leave [due to health reasons].


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Service, Creation of the Sharpshooters
GENERAL ORDERS, WAR DEPARTMENT,                        ADJT. AND INSP. GENERAL'S OFFICE,       No. 34. Richmond, Va., May 3, 1862.


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Service, Creation of the Sharpshooters
I. The following act of Congress and accompanying regulations are published for the information of all concerned:


1st Arkansas Cavalry Battalion (Stirman's), Service, Creation of the Sharpshooters
SECTION 1. The Congress of the Confederate States of America do enact, That the Secretary of War may cause to be organized a battalion of sharpshooters for each brigade, consisting of not less than three nor more than six companies, to be composed of men selected from the brigade or otherwise, and armed with longrange muskets or rifles, said companies to be organized, and the commissioned officers therefor appointed by the President, by and with the advice, and consent of the Senate. Such battalions shall constitute parts of the brigades to which they belong, and shall have such field and staff officers as are authorized by law for similar battalions, to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.