1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, Today, Mission task
Although being an artillery unit, the unit's mission task pertains to the local needs. The East Coast is unfortunately hit harder than other parts of Canada in terms of natural disasters, being prone to hurricanes and blizzards. The unit has thus ended up and adapted to the mission task of, "Light Urn Search and Rescue." "A troop of 35 members, which is trained in specialized rescue skills and the use of rescue tools, including search techniques, first aid, and structural integrity assessments, to provide support to civil authorities in situations of urban disaster emergencies."


1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, Today, Equipment
As any combat arms unit in the Canadian Army, members are regularly equipped with personal weapons but being an artillery unit, also with short-long range artillery.


1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, Armoury
In 2012 Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) and 51 Battery, moved from the Halifax Armoury to their new facility at 73 Hobson Lake Drive. This building, which was purpose built to facilitate an artillery battery, is often used for Basic Military Qualification Courses (BMQ) and other training courses and conferences.


1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, Armoury
Housing 1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, and The Princess Louise Fusiliers this large, urban, Romanesque Revival drill hall, was built for the active militia, of red rough faced brick


1st (Halifax-Dartmouth) Field Artillery Regiment, Media
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1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps
The 1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps (1st Middx AVC) was a unit of the Volunteer Force raised to supplement the British Army at a time of perceived crisis in 1860. The expense of maintaining a unit of this description led to its amalgamation into a better-funded corps in 1876.


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, History
The 1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps was raised on 16 July 1860 during the great surge of enthusiasm after an invasion scare that saw the creation of many Rifle, Artillery and Engineer Volunteer units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. Apart from the Adjutant, Major W.B. Stevens, who had served 21 years in the East India Company's Madras Army, they were all enthusiastic amateurs. A second battery was formed on 22 September 1860


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, History
Initially, the unit was based in Regent Street, but by November 1860 its headquarters (HQ) was at No 3 Hanover Square in London's Mayfair  district. In 1864 it took over commercial premises at No 28 Leicester Square, formerly  the residence of Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh and of his brother Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn, and later of John Hunter the famous surgeon. Since then the square had become less socially exclusive. (The present No 28 dates from 1901.)


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, History
From 21 April 1864 The 1st Middlesex AVC formed part of the 1st Administrative Battalion, Middlesex Artillery Volunteers, which was also headquartered at 28 Leicester Square, and which shared its commanding officer and adjutant. The other unit in the Admin Battalion was the 1st Tower Hamlets AVC, also founded in 1860 and based at Poplar in East London.


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, History
As civilians, the Volunteers sometimes let politics intrude into unit affairs. In 1866, members of the 1st Middlesex Artillery Volunteers were accused of fundraising for Governor Edward Eyre of Jamaica, whose brutal suppression of the Morant Bay Rebellion in the island had divided political opinion in London.


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, History
At the great Easter Volunteer Review at Brighton Racecourse in 1862 (involving the sham 'Battle of White Hawk Down'), the 1st Middx AVC appeared with their field guns pulled by horses supplied for the occasion by Messrs Pickfords, the removal contractors. This initiative was welcomed by the Royal Commission on the Volunteer Force. In 1868 the 1st Middlesex also travelled to Portsmouth with horsed guns, for the great volunteer review there at Easter. They were also present at the Brighton Volunteer Review in 1871 - taking their horse drawn guns there by road.


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, History
But many Regular officers refused to believe that part-timers could be effective as field gunners, and despite the eloquent arguments of Lt-Col Shakespear of the 1st Middlesex Artillery Volunteers, the Secretary of State, Edward Cardwell, refused to allow the upkeep of guns, harness or horses to be paid from the Artillery Volunteers' government grant.


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, History
The cost of maintaining artillery units was high, and as a result many AVCs were wound up during the 1870s. The 1st Tower Hamlets disbanded in 1873, and in October that year the City of London Artillery joined the 1st Admin Battalion, its CO taking over as CO of the whole battalion. In May 1876 the 1st Middx AVC was forced to amalgamate its two batteries with the better-funded City of London Artillery.


1st (Hanover Square) Middlesex Artillery Volunteer Corps, Honorary Colonel
The Honorary Colonel of the 1st Admin Bn was the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, appointed in 1865. He carried on that role in the City of London Artillery after amalgamation


1st (Peshawar) Division
The 1st (Peshawar) Division was a Regular Division of the British Indian Army formed as a result of the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army in 1903. During World War I, the Division remained in India for local defense, but was mobilized for action on the North West Frontier on several occasions.


1st (Peshawar) Division
The Division was a part of the Northern Army, later called the Northern Command. In 1919, the Division was mobilized for operations in Afghanistan during the Third Afghan War. Typical of most Indian Army formations, it contained a mixture of British and Indian units; but, unlike British Divisions, it contained a mixture of cavalry and infantry components.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade
The 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Indian Army formed in 1906 as a result of the Kitchener Reforms. It remained in India during the First World War but took an active part in the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade
It was on the North West Frontier in September 1939, and converted to Risalpur Training Brigade (later 155th Indian Infantry Brigade) in November 1940.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, Formation
The Kitchener Reforms, carried out during Lord Kitchener's tenure as Commander-in-Chief, India (1902–09), completed the unification of the three former Presidency armies, the Punjab Frontier Force, the Hyderabad Contingent and other local forces into one Indian Army. Kitchener identified the Indian Army's main task as the defence of the North-West Frontier against foreign aggression (particularly Russian expansion into Afghanistan) with internal security relegated to a secondary role. The Army was organized into divisions and brigades that would act as field formations but also included internal security troops.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, Formation
The brigade was formed on 1 January 1906 as Mardan Brigade and in June 1907 it was renamed as Nowshera Cavalry Brigade. In 1910, it was renamed again, this time as 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade. Other than a period from September 1920 until 1927 when it was simply numbered as 1st Indian Cavalry Brigade, it retained this identity until finally broken up in November 1940.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, First World War
At the outbreak of the First World War, the brigade was headquartered in the Risalpur Cantonment and commanded the following units:


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, First World War
Of the six cavalry brigades in the Indian Army in August 1914, the 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade was the only one that was not sent to the Western Front. It remained in India throughout the war, guarding the Frontier (with particular responsibility for the post at Mardan). A large number of units rotated in and out of the brigade throughout the war.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, Third Anglo-Afghan War
Under mobilization plans drawn up in July 1918, IV Corps, with 1st (Peshawar) Division under command, would have included 1st and 10th Indian Cavalry Brigades with:


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, Third Anglo-Afghan War
In August 1918, the 21st (Empress of India's) Lancers traded places with the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards in 4th (Meerut) Cavalry Brigade and the latter mobilized with the brigade in May 1919. At Dakka on 16 May, the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards made the last recorded charge by a British horsed cavalry regiment.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, Second World War
The brigade was on the North West Frontier in September 1939 under the command of Peshawar District. It commanded the following units at the outbreak of the Second World War:


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, History, Second World War
The brigade lost most of its units to the 1st Indian Motor Brigade (designate) in early 1940. In the event, 1st Indian Motor Brigade was actually formed as 1st Indian Armoured Brigade at Sialkot on 1 July 1940. In November, 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade was reconstituted as Risalpur Training Brigade and in March 1944 as 155th Indian Infantry Brigade.


1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade, Commanders
The Mardan Brigade / Nowshera Cavalry Brigade / 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade / 1st Indian Cavalry Brigade had the following commanders:


1st (Silesian) Life Cuirassiers "Great Elector"
The 1st (Silesian) Life Cuirassiers were a heavy cavalry regiment of the Royal Prussian Army. The regiment was originally formed as Dragoon Guards in 1674 and reorganized as a cuirassiers unit in 1718. The regiment fought in the Silesian Wars and the War of the Sixth Coalition 1813-15, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War and World War I. The regiment was disbanded in 1919.


1st (Silesian) Life Cuirassiers "Great Elector"
Between 1815 and 1863, its commander was Prince Frederick of Prussia (1794–1863).


1st (The Rasmus EP)
1st is the first EP by the Finnish rock band the Rasmus (named just "Rasmus" when the EP was released). It was originally released independently through Teja G. Records in late 1995, but after some months the band signed with Warner Music Finland and released the EP through there instead. 1st is often described as a regular single.


1st (The Rasmus EP)
The EP features the songs "Frog", "Funky Jam", "Myself" and "Rakkauslaulu". All these songs got later released on the band's debut album Peep in 1996, except for "Rakkauslaulu". However, it is available on a compilation album named Hell of a Collection (2001).


1st (The Rasmus EP)
The EP did not reach any big chart lists, but "Funky Jam" was the first song to be played on the radio. It is also the song which the band made their first music video to.


1st (United Kingdom) Division
The 1st (United Kingdom) Division, formerly known as the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division, is a division of the British Army. It has recently returned home from being stationed in Germany. Originally formed in November 1937 as the Mobile Division, it saw extensive service during the Second World War and was disbanded afterwards; reconstituted in 1976, it remains in service. It should not be confused with the 1st Infantry Division, a historic Division which was disbanded in 1960.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Formation
The division was formed in November 1937 on the initiative of General Sir Archibald Montgomery-Massingberd, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). At the time, it was named The Mobile Division. The choice of General Officer Commanding reflected the tensions within the army. The Secretary of State for War (Leslie Hore-Belisha) wanted a Royal Tank Corps (RTC) officer as tanks would be the main force of the division but Montgomery-Massingberd wanted a cavalry officer.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Formation
Supporters of Montgomery-Massingberd proposed that the tank element of the division should be formed from cavalry regiments equipped only with light tanks and that the tank brigade and its heavier tanks be removed from the division. The compromise was the appointment of Major-General Alan Brooke who was from the Royal Artillery. When Brooke was promoted, his replacement was Major-General Roger Evans, a cavalry officer.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Formation
The Mobile Division was formed with the 1st and 2nd Light Armoured Brigades, the 1st Army Tank Brigade, artillery, engineers and signals. Its paper strength was 620 armoured fighting vehicles but 7⁄8 of these were reconnaissance vehicles and some were simulated by trucks. The heavier tanks were in the tank brigade, which had obsolete medium tanks until cruiser tank deliveries began in December 1938.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Formation
At the same time, the organisation of the division was changed to a Light Armoured Brigade (three regiments with light and cruiser tanks), a Heavy Armoured Brigade (three regiments of cruiser tanks) and a Support Group (motorised rifle battalion, motorised artillery regiment and a company of engineers). In practice, with insufficient cruiser tanks to equip the division, there was no difference in numbers and type of tanks between the light and heavy brigades.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War
The 1st Armoured Division first saw service during the Second World War in incomplete form under the command of Major-General Roger Evans when the second British Expeditionary Force (2nd BEF) was sent to France in May 1940. The 1st Armoured Division, consisting of the understrength 2nd and 3rd Armoured Brigades, along with the 1st


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War
Support Group, and with no infantry support (which had been transferred in April to form the 30th Infantry Brigade), landed in France on 14 May 1940 and, after suffering heavy tank losses during the Battle of France, was evacuated to England on 16 June, having fought south of the river Somme, isolated from the other British formations.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War
Until 27 August 1941, the division was stationed in the United Kingdom on anti-invasion duties, anticipating a German invasion, under the command of Major-General Willoughby Norrie, who had taken command on 24 August 1940. It then embarked for Egypt under the command of Major-General Herbert Lumsden and arrived on 13 November 1941. After Major-General Lumsden was wounded, Major-General Frank Messervy took command in January 1942, retaining command until Major-General Lumsden returned in March.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War
The 1st Armoured Division took part in many of the battles of the North African Campaign against Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, the "Desert Fox", including Gazala, Mersa Matruh, First El Alamein, Second El Alamein, Tebaga Gap, Mareth Line, Akarit, El Kourzia and Tunis. In August 1942, Major-General Raymond Briggs was appointed to command and in July 1943 was succeeded by Major-General Alexander Galloway.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War
From the end of the campaign in Tunisia in May 1943, which saw the surrender of almost 250,000 German and Italian soldiers, the 1st Armoured Division remained in North Africa until May 1944. The division, minus the 18th Lorried Infantry Brigade (previously 7th Motor Brigade, on loan to the 1st Infantry Division in the Anzio beachhead, only rejoining 1st Armoured in August), then transferred to the Italian Front, arriving in Italy in late May.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War
The division came under command of V Corps, under Lieutenant-General Charles Keightley, of the Eighth Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver Leese. The 1st Armoured Division was the only British division, of six in total, to have fought at Alamein under Eighth Army command, to rejoin the army in Italy. During the fighting in front of the Gothic Line throughout August and September, the 2nd Armoured Brigade suffered severe losses in tanks in the Battle of Coriano, with the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), losing 31 tanks, out of 52.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War
Major-General Richard Hull, aged just 37 and three months who became Chief of the General Staff, took over command for this part of the campaign in August 1944. The division was broken up soon after, due to a lack of sufficient drafts to replace casualties; the 2nd Armoured Brigade survived as an independent brigade and the 18th Infantry Brigade was broken up and used to fill gaps in other British divisions, mainly for the 46th and 56th Infantry Divisions. The division was officially disbanded on 11 January 1945.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War, Order of battle
The 1st Armoured Division was constituted as follows and shows some of the changes that were made to British armoured formations during the war.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Second World War, Order of battle, 23 October 1942
Other brigades were part of the division for varying lengths of time:


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Post Second World War
It was not until 1960 that the Division re-emerged in the British Army. It was reformed as the 1st Division following the disbandment of the 1st Infantry Division and was initially based with the British Army of the Rhine at Verden an der Aller in West Germany.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Post Second World War
During the 1970s, the division consisted of two "square" brigades, the 7th Armoured Brigade and 22nd Armoured Brigade. It became the 1st Armoured Division in 1976 and served with I (BR) Corps being based at Caithness and Shiel Barracks in Verden in Germany from 1978. After being briefly reorganised into two "task forces" ("Alpha" and "Bravo") in the late 1970s, it consisted of the 7th Armoured Brigade, the 12th Armoured Brigade and 22nd Armoured Brigade in the 1980s. The divisional badge dates from 1983, and combines the hollow red triangular "spearhead" badge of the 1st Infantry Division with the charging rhinoceros badge of 1st Armoured Division as displayed in the Second World War.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Gulf War
The headquarters of the division was deployed to Saudi Arabia in 1990 to command British land forces in the Gulf War. It had the 4th Armoured Brigade and 7th Armoured Brigade under command. During the war, it came under the US VII Corps and was part of the great armoured left-hook that destroyed many Iraqi Republican Guard formations. The two brigades in the division alternated heading the advance. The division participated in the Battle of Norfolk. During this engagement it destroyed several companies of Iraqi T-55 tanks.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, Gulf War
After 48 hours of combat, the division destroyed or isolated four Iraqi infantry divisions (the 26th, 48th, 31st, and 25th) and overran the Iraqi 52nd Armoured Division in several sharp engagements. The division traveled 217 miles in 97 hours. It captured or destroyed about 300 tanks and a very large number of armoured personnel carriers, trucks, reconnaissance vehicles, etc. The division also took over 7,000 Iraqi prisoners of war including two division commanders and two other general officers.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, 1993 to present
In 1993, HQ 1st Armoured Division was disbanded and the 1st (UK) Armoured Division formed from the 4th Armoured Division. The headquarters were established at Wentworth Barracks in Herford, Germany, in 1993. In 1994 it had the 4th, 7th, and 20th Armoured Brigades, each with two armoured regiments with Challenger tanks and two Warrior‐equipped armoured infantry battalions and an AS90 self‐propelled howitzer regiment.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, 1993 to present
The divisional headquarters was deployed in command of the Multi-National Division (South-West) in Bosnia in 1996–1997 and 1998–1999.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, 1993 to present
The Division headquarters again deployed to the Persian Gulf area in 2003. It again commanded British forces in the area, this time with three full brigades under its control. Those were 7th Armoured Brigade again, along with 16 Air Assault Brigade, and 3 Commando Brigade. In a combined arms operation, the division secured southern Iraq, including the city of Basra during the invasion. It came under I Marine Expeditionary Force during the 2003 conflict.


1st (United Kingdom) Division, 1993 to present
Under Army 2020, the division was renamed 1st (United Kingdom) Division in July 2014 and given responsibility for commanding the Adaptable Force; and then in June 2015, the divisional headquarters moved to Imphal Barracks in York.


1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade
The 1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade was an infantry formation of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 from battalions of the Royal West African Frontier Force and served in the East African campaign against the Italians and against the Japanese in Burma.


1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade, History
The 1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade was originally raised in 1940 as the 3rd (Nigerian) Brigade. In this guise it was involved in the East African Campaign against the forces of the Italian Empire in Kenya under the command of Brigadier Gerald Smallwood. Later it was renamed the 23rd (Nigerian) Brigade and was attached to the 1st (African) Division. In February 1941, the 23rd (Nigerian) Brigade took the Italian Somaliland capital of Mogadishu. On 10 March 1941, the Brigade quickly advanced to Degehabur, about 160 km (100 mi) south of Jijiga, and captured the city days later without resistance, before it participated in the reoccupation of British Somaliland later in the year.


1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade, History
In 1944 the Brigade was attached to the 82nd (West Africa) Division and renamed the 1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade. In this same year it sailed for Ceylon, where the complete division was assembled on 20 July. They then moved to Burma and took part in the third Arakan campaign in December 1944.


1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade, History
During this campaign, the Brigade first advanced south along the Kalapanzin valley, then crossed a steep and jungle-covered mountain range to converge with the British 81st (West Africa) Division on Myohaung at the mouth of the Kaladan River. This move forced the Japanese to evacuate the Mayu peninsula which they had held for almost four years, and retreat south along the coast. They continued to advance maintaining pressure on the Japanese, capturing the port of Gwa shortly before the Japanese abandoned Burma.


1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade, History, Formations
The 1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade was made up of the following units:


1st (album)
1st is the debut album by American rock band Streets, released in 1983 (see 1983 in music).


1st (album), Track listing
All tracks are written by Steve Walsh except where noted.


1st (album), Production
The album spent 11 weeks on the charts, while the single spent 5 weeks on the charts.


1st AACTA Awards
The Inaugural Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known more commonly as the AACTA Awards, presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), honoured the best Australian and foreign films of 2011 took place on two separate events, in Sydney, New South Wales: the AACTA Awards Luncheon, on 15 January 2012, at the Westin Hotel, and the AACTA Awards Ceremony, on 31 January 2012, at the Sydney Opera House.


1st AACTA Awards
Following the establishment of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts, by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), these awards marked the inauguration of the AACTA Awards, but served as a continuum to the AFI Awards, which were presented by the AFI since 1958. The ceremony was televised on the Nine Network.


1st AACTA Awards
The nominees for the non-feature award categories were announced on 30 August 2011, and all other non-feature film, feature film and television nominees were announced at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) on 30 November. The Academy presented awards for achievements in foreign film, and announced the nominees at the AACTA Awards Luncheon.


1st AACTA Awards, Background
On 18 August 2011, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) was established by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), to raise the profile of Australian film and television in Australia and abroad, and to change the way it rewards talent from its previous jury system, to the more recognised and understood elements of foreign film organisations. These awards will serve as a continuum to the Australian Film Institute Awards, which were presented by the Australian Film Institute.


1st AACTA Awards, Background
A gold statuette was created by Australian sculptor Ron Gomboc, which depicts "a human silhouette based on the shape of the Southern Cross constellation." The nominees and winners were determined by the Academy's fifteen Chapters, which comprise screen professionals from industry guilds and organisations including actors, directors, producers and screenwriters, who each decide the nominees in their individual fields and then vote for the winners of each category. The president of the awards is Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.


1st AACTA Awards, Background
Works entered between 7 October 2010 and 2 November 2011 for films, and 5 May 2010 and 24 May 2011 for short films and documentaries were eligible for awards. The films in competition for the inaugural awards were revealed at the announcement of the Academy, with twenty-three Australian feature films originally slated to compete for awards, but it was eventually brought down to twenty-one, when two of the films, Burning Man and The Dragon Pearl, could no longer compete due to a change in their release dates.


1st AACTA Awards, Background
The films were showcased at the inaugural Festival of Film from 6 October – 14 November in Sydney and Melbourne, for the general public, and for Academy and AFI members to view and judge. The first nominees were announced on 30 August 2011, for non-feature film categories: Best Feature Length Documentary, Best Short Animation and Best Short Fiction Film. Round one voting for feature film categories commenced on 2 November and ended on 16 November.


1st AACTA Awards, Background
Following the announcement of the nominees on 30 November, round two voting commenced to determine the winners in each category, and ended on 14 December 2011. The first award to be announced was the Longford Lyell Award, which was presented to cinematographer Don McAlpine, at the AACTA awards luncheon, and marked the first award presented by the Academy since its inception. On 30 November 2011, the rest of the non-feature films, along with the entire feature film and television nominees, were announced at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, and was hosted by Adam Elliot.


1st AACTA Awards, Background
Foreign films were also recognised at the AACTA International Awards ceremony, which handed out awards for Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress. The nominees were announced at the AACTA Awards Luncheon on 15 January 2011, in conjunction with the Australia Week Black Tie Gala, and the winners were determined by a jury.


1st AACTA Awards, Ceremonies
The awards were presented over three separate events: the AACTA Awards Luncheon, at the Westin Hotel on 15 January 2012 and the AACTA Awards Ceremony, at the Sydney Opera House, in Sydney, New South Wales on 31 January 2012; and on 27 January, the AACTA International Awards at Soho House, West Hollywood, Los Angeles. The luncheon presented awards in film production, television, all non-feature film categories and the Longford Lyell Award; all other feature film and television awards were handed out at the ceremony; and the International awards presented accolades for films produced outside of Australia, regardless of geography.


1st AACTA Awards, Ceremonies
This marks the first time in ten years since the awards have been presented in Sydney, which had been held in Melbourne previously. The awards date has been shifted from its usual November/December date, to January 2012, to align them with the international film awards season. The awards ceremony was broadcast by the Nine Network.


1st AACTA Awards, Special awards
During the AACTA Awards luncheon, special non-competitive awards were handed out to individuals for their contribution to the Australian screen industry. The Longford Lyell Award, a lifetime achievement award, was presented to Don McAlpine, for his contributions to cinematography in feature film. Ivan Sen received the Byron Kennedy Award, an award given to a person in their early career, for: "his unique artistic vision and for showing us, by his resourceful multidisciplinary filmmaking, that telling stories on screen is in reach of all who have something consequential to say." The Outstanding Achievement in Television Screen Craft award was given to production designer Herbert Pinter, for his work on the television series Cloudstreet (2011).


1st AACTA International Awards
The 1st Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts International Awards (more commonly known as the AACTA International Awards), were presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a not for profit organisation whose aim is to identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements in film and television. The Academy, which normally hand out awards to Australian made films, presented awards for the best films of 2011 regardless of geography.


1st AACTA International Awards
The Artist won three awards, for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor. Other winners were The Iron Lady, The Ides of March and Margin Call, with one. The ceremony was presented in segments, during the 2011 AACTA Awards for Australian films, on the Nine Network.


1st AACTA International Awards, Background
On 18 August 2011, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) was established by the Australian Film Institute (AFI), a non for profit organisation whose aim is "to recognise and honour outstanding achievement in the Australian film and television industry." The purpose of the Academy was to raise the profile of Australian film and television in Australia and abroad, and to change the way it rewards talent from its previous jury system, to the more recognised and understood elements of foreign film organisations. The president of the awards is Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.


1st AACTA International Awards, Background
By 8 November 2011, the Academy announced plans for an international awards program, which would hand out awards to films regardless of geography. The winners are determined by a jury of Australian screen practitioners, in five categories: Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress. The nominees were announced at the AACTA Awards Luncheon on 15 January 2011, in conjunction with the Australia Week Black Tie Gala.


1st AACTA International Awards, Ceremony
The awards were presented on 27 January 2012, at a low key event in Soho House West Hollywood, in Los Angeles, California. The event was shown in segments during the 2011 AACTA Awards for Australian films, on 31 January 2012 at the Sydney Opera House, which was broadcast on the Nine Network.


1st AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
The 1st AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, presented by AARP the Magazine, honored films released in 2001 made by and for people over the age of 50. The awards were announced in the May/June issue of AARP the Magazine, which had recently been created by merging AARP's previous magazines, Modern Maturity and My Generation into one publication.


1st AARP Movies for Grownups Awards
The awards were created by editor Bill Newcott after My Generation discontinued its movie review column due to a lack of films targeted to a 50-plus audience. The goal, according to AARP, was to encourage Hollywood to make films for older adults by rewarding the best examples of the genre. Winners and nominees in seven categories were announced simultaneously in the magazine, and were selected by an advisory board including Newcott and critics from Time, ABC, TV Guide Online, and USA Today. As in other years before the establishment of an in-person ceremony, winners were mailed trophies of a gold theater seat called La Chaise d'Or.


1st AARP Movies for Grownups Awards, Awards, Winners and Nominees
Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger ().


1st AIBA African 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
The 1st AIBA African 2004 Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament was held in Casablanca, Morocco from January 15 to January 22, 2004. It was the first chance for amateur boxers from Africa to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics since the 2003 All-Africa Games. First and second place qualified for the Olympic Tournament in Athens, Greece, except for the heavyweight and super heavyweight events, which only qualified for first place. A total of 89 fighters from 18 countries competed.


1st AIBA African 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
1st AIBA African Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament was held from January 23 to January 31, 2008 in Algiers, Algeria.


1st AIBA African 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Qualifying
Number in ( ) is total boxer in each country


1st AIBA African 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Competition System
The competition system of the 1st AIBA African Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament is the knockout round system. Each boxer fights one match per round.


1st AIBA American 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
The 1st AIBA American 2004 Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament was held in Tijuana, Mexico from March 12 to March 20, 2004. It was the first chance for amateur boxers from North-, Central- and South America to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics after the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The top two boxers in each weight division gained a place in the Olympics, with the exception of the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions in which just the winner was entered.


1st AIBA Asian 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
The 1st AIBA Asian 2004 Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament was held in Guangzhou, PR China from March 18 to March 23, 2004. It was the first chance for amateur boxers from Asia to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics after the 2004 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships in Puerto Princesa, Philippines from January 11 to 18, 2004. The top two boxers in each weight division gained a place in the Olympics, with the exception of the heavyweight and super heavyweight divisions in which just the winner was entered.


1st AIBA European 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
The 1st AIBA European 2004 Olympic Qualifying Tournament was held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from March 30 to April 4, 2004 during the annual Strandjata Boxing Tournament. It was the first chance for amateur boxers from Europe to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics after the European Championships in Pula, Croatia. The number one and two in six weight divisions earned a ticket for the Olympic Tournament in Athens, Greece.


1st AIBA European 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament
1st AIBA European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament was held from February 25 – March 1, 2008 in Roseto degli Abruzzi-Pescara, Italy. During the tournament 250 boxers from 40 countries competed for 26 Olympic qualifying places in 11 different weight categories.


1st AIBA European 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Qualifying
Number in ( ) is total boxer in each country


1st AIBA European 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Competition System
The competition system of the 1st AIBA European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament is the knockout round system. Each boxer fights one match per round.


1st ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly
The First ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly was a meeting of the unicameral regional legislature of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.


1st ARY Film Awards
The 1st ARY Film Awards or AFA'14 ceremony, presented by ARY Digital Network and Entertainment Channel, sponsored by Nokia, powered by ZONG and L'Oréal and took place on April 27, 2014 at the Golf Club, DHA Phase VIII, Karachi. The ceremony was held recorded and televised on May 24, 2014. During the ceremony ARY Digital Network and Entertainment Channel presented ARY Film Awards (commonly referred to as AFA's) in 29 categories and 4 special awards honoring the actors, technical achievements and films of 2013. The ceremony, televised in Pakistan by ARY Digital and was produced by ARY Digital Network chairman Salman Iqbal. ARY Film Awards became the most expensive event held in Pakistan.


1st ARY Film Awards
Actor Shaan Shahid hosted the ceremony, while different segments were co-hosted by Ayesha Omer, Fahad Mustafa, Sarwat Gilani and Hamza Ali Abbasi. During the ceremony ARY presented its honorary lifetime achievement award and special honorary recognition to media and entertainment personalities.


1st ARY Film Awards
Waar won the most awards with thirteen including Best Director - Viewers, Best Director - Jury and Best Film - Viewers. Other winners  include Main Hoon Shahid Afridi with seven, Zinda Bhaag with five awards including Best Film - Jury and  Josh, Chambaili, Ishq Khuda, Siyaah with one. The telecast garnered more than 15 million viewers in Pakistan.


1st ARY Film Awards, Winner and nominees
The nominees of 1st ARY Film Awards were announced on April 9, 2014 in Viewers Choice Categories for public voting's till April 24, 2014 at official website, While rest of the categories were announced on April 25, 2014. Main Hoon Shahid Afridi and Zinda Bhaag tied for the most nominations with nineteen each.


1st ARY Film Awards, Winner and nominees
Winners were announced during the awards ceremony on April 27, 2014, televised on May 24, 2014. Only three films won multiple awards with Waar became the highest awarded film of the night with thirteen trophies out of it sixteen nominations, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi with seven including Best Actor Jury  for Humayun Saeed and Best Star Debut Male for Hamza Ali Abbasi. Zinda Bhaag was the third and last multiple winner film with five trophies including Best Actress Jury for Amna Ilyas and Best Film Jury for Mazhar Zaidi.


1st ARY Film Awards, Winner and nominees
Hamza Ali Abbasi and Aeysha Khan became the first AFAs acting winner to win for a debut film. Waar became the first film to win both leading Male and Female acting awards in addition with Both Jury Choice and Viewers Choice in directing. All the Film and Acting nominations were the highlights of awards. Bilal Lashari and Hassan Waqas Rana were the highest awarded individuals with four and three trophies respectively, while Shaan, Hamza, Ayesha and Humayun with two trophies each.


1st ARY Film Awards, Winner and nominees, Awards
Winners are listed first and indicated with a double-dagger .


1st ARY Film Awards, Winner and nominees, Honorary ARY Film Awards
The ARY Group presented Special Awards during the ceremony, that usually are not a part of specific category, but, a special honor for artists related to cinema.


1st ARY Film Awards, Presenters and performers
The following individuals and groups, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information
ARY Film Awards marked the inception of celebration of New Pakistani cinema by recognizing industry artist and technicians, ARY Films and ARY Group chairman Salman Iqbaal and CEO Jerjees Seja announced the Film Awards in early 2014, looking at the super-hit 2013 cinematic year and collaboration of ARY Films with other productions. Award ceremony was produced by Salman Iqbal with the cost of Rs 80 million, which made this event one of the most expensive ceremonies ever held.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information
Producer Slaman Iqbal and Jerjees Seja, centered the show around the theme. They asperse the show with a theme of celebrating the New Face of Pakistani Cinema commenting "Another milestone is going to be achieved by the Pakistan’s film industry with ARY Film Awards. It is a matter of pride for us that we are creating another platform to appreciate the talent of Pakistan and motivate the young and creative to make more films next year and keep the ball rolling". To coincide with the themes ARY Digital Network and Entertainment Channel presented a foray of special arrival by exhibiting dozens of sixty's hits movie banners, photographs, and artifacts.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information
Several other people were involved with the telecast and its promotion including show main sponsor Nokia's managing director Burhandun Qurreshi, while ZONG and L'Oréal served as a secondary sponsors. ARY team and crew designed 200-high feet stage in an open air at Golf club, while ARY Group spend Rs 80 million for the event. Winners with the ARY Trophy were awarded with Nokia mobile set. Television personality and actress Mawra Hocane hosted the Red carpet of ceremony.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, Broadcasting
1st ARY Film Awards were broadcast by ceremony presenter ARY Digital Network and Entertainment Channel's ARY Digital. Ceremony was held live on April 27 while airs on May 24 after completion of editing and censorship process of Pakistan.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, Voting trend and summary
As of 1st Ceremony fourteen categories were set open for online public voting's in viewers choice categories, from April 9 to April 25. All the categories were made by AFA's Jury members and AFA's membership as a whole, but Viewers Choice portion were voted by public and winners were declared according to highest votes gain by relevant winner. Online voting system proves enormous beneficial in selecting winners by holding fairness among nominees, around ten million online voters votes for their actors and artists across the globe, and a special thank were given at the end of ceremony.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, ARY Film Awards motto
Cinema and Film making in Pakistan makes an enormous hit comeback in the year 2013, with the name like Revisiting the death and Revival of Pakistani Cinema and phrases like New-wave, rebirth and revival become the tagline of every event that held in Pakistani Film Industry. Release of around seven Pakistani films throughout the country gave a much-needed push to aspiring local film-makers, it also produced a hyper-sentimental wave about the rise of Pakistan cinema, which masked the realities on the ground. The current year holds more promise for Pakistani cinema as more than two dozen productions are reportedly on the floor.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, ARY Film Awards motto
ARY Digital Network and Entertainment Channel joins hand with many film ventures and give birth to the new subsidiary to entire Group ARY Films, which mark the new milestone in Pakistani cinema foundation. ARY Films release thirty five films including 11 Urdu, 6 Punjabi and 17 Pashto films. Among them Waar, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi, Josh, Chambaili, Zinda Bhaag, Siyaah and Lamha tops the charts in industry and collects splendid box office performances on domestically and internationally. To celebrate the success of Pakistani cinema, ARY Films inaugurated First Film Awarding Ceremony after the demolishing of Nigar Awards, with the motto of "Celebrating the New Face of Cinema" to honor the films from all over the Pakistan, actors and technical achievements.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, Box office performance of nominated films
At the time of the nominations announcement on April 9, 2014, the combined gross of the five Best Film nominees at the Pakistani box office was Rs 327.4 million, with an average of Rs 65.48 million per film. When nominations were revealed, Waar was the highest-grossing film among the Best Film nominees with Rs 230 million in domestic box office receipt. Main Hoon Shahid Afridi was the second highest-grossing film with Rs 55 million; this was followed by Chambaili and Zinda Bhaag tied with (Rs 20 million), and finally, Ishq Khuda (Rs 2.4 million).


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, Box office performance of nominated films
Out of top-grossing movies of the year, all nominations went to 8 films. Only Waar, Main Hoon Shahid Afridi, Chambaili, Ishq Khuda and Zinda Bhaag were nominated for Best Film Jury, Best Film Viewers, or any of directing, acting or screenwriting awards. Other top box office hits that earned nominations were Josh, Lamha and Siyaah.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, Box office performance of nominated films
Among best film nominees Zinda Bhaag was the film who achieve the success ride of critical reception which made its way to Oscars, the film was selected as the Official Pakistani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, the second film after 1950 Aina to achieve that feet in 50 years, but was out of the race in final five nominations for category.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, Special screening of films
During the ceremony many upcoming Pakistani films were released through their trailers, press release or official announcement. Shaan Shahid released the first look of his upcoming film Arth 2, a joint venture of ARY Films and Riaz Shahid Films, this film is the remake of bollywood most controversial film Arth by Mahesh Bhatt. The second film which was screened was Kambakht a comedy-thriller starring Hamza Ali Abbasi., this was followed by first Pakistani art-film Mah-e-Meer starring Fahad Mustafa as Mir Taqi Mir. and Yasir Jaswal's Jalaibee was also screened where film's star cast promoted the film. Another one of the most awaited movie by mother-son Zeba Bakhtiar and Azaan Sami Khan's O21 (formally known as The Extortionist) directed by Summer Nicks was revealed.


1st ARY Film Awards, Ceremony information, Special screening of films
Chairman of ARY Group Salman Iqbal and Oscar-winner filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy revealed the first look of Pakistani first ever computer animated feature film 3 Bahadur, based on the story of 3 extraordinary children's with the enthusiasm of removing hate and evil from Pakistan. 3 Bahadur or 3B is a joint venture of ARY Films and SOB Films, and film is all set to release in summer 2015.


1st ARY Film Awards, ARY Film Awards categories
ARY Film Awards were awarded in three rendered portion of categories which includes Jury Choice, Viewers Choice or Popular and Technical Awards, except Viewers All categories were awarded by AFA's Jury.


1st ARY Film Awards, ARY Film Awards categories, Jury choice
As of 1st Ceremony, this portion contains only Four Categories which were also included in Viewers Choice, in order to put forth justice, Jury themselves awarded Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Actor. For Jury Choice Categories no nominations were made, all categories contains solo win.


1st ARY Film Awards, ARY Film Awards categories, Viewers Choice
Popular or Viewers Choice awards were the main and highlight of show, total of 14 categories were announced with multiple nominations on April 9, for public voting's till April 25 on awards official website. Viewers Choice portion were voted by millions of viewers around the globe, at the ceremony special thank were given to voters from Canada, UK, America and Pakistan.


1st ARY Film Awards, ARY Film Awards categories, Technical
Technical Awards were also completely based on Jury Decision, total of 11 categories were made and announced on April 25 at awards website, all the categories were contains solo nominations and solo win. Technical awards were the first set of awards presented first at ceremony.


1st ARY Film Awards, Controversies
The biggest catch of the evening was the war of dialogues between actors Shaan and Ali, which turns this happening in to evening then controversy. Shaan used his opening monologue to address patriotism, and the lack thereof, in the Pakistani industry. Specifically calling out artists who accept work from across the Indian border, he labeled all those who choose to work outside Pakistan as unpatriotic sell-outs. At the occasion, where he also unveiled the first look of his upcoming film Arth 2, he blamed local celebrities for making Bollywood a stairway to their success.


1st ARY Film Awards, Controversies
Shaan's comment was seen as a thinly veiled dig at Ali Zafar, who was set to receive the International Icon Award of Pakistan later that night. In replied when Ali come up to stage to receive his honorary award said that we make excuses to hide our weaknesses, sometimes, in the name of patriotism, sometimes, in the name of other things. We should speak the truth and the time has come when the new generation should be told the truth.


1st ARY Film Awards, Controversies
Ali mentioned that calling him an unpatriotic means calling artists like, Ghulam Ali, Zeba Bakhtiar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam and many more who have made their mark in India through their work and have received tremendous appreciation for it, unpatriotic too. Aftermath in press Shaan replies that "It hurts to see when your own misunderstand you. Ali Zafar needs to understand when I said undersell it means you are worth more than you are selling for positivity is a sign that show us that ego is not making your decisions.


1st ARY Film Awards, Controversies
I havent lost until my own leave my side. I hope you understand as I still have hope that one day you will realize we are all green and have a place next to the crescent on our flag, he added." Many critics and filmmakers favors Shaan like Altaf Hussain, Chaudhry Ijaz Kaleem while director-writer Pervaiz Kaleem said that "Shaan evidently loves his nation and advocates inhabitant firmness while thespian Ali Zafar is ignorant about such nationalistic emotions. ' Our nation is a identity'. What is discernible is to use a talent for a possess country. Ali Zafar needs to call Shaan Shahid and apologize to him."


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers
The 1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army raised in Aberdeenshire and neighbouring counties in Scotland in 1860. Its successor units served with 51st (Highland) Division through many of the major battles on the Western Front during World War I. In World War II one of its regiments escaped the surrender of the 51st (Highland) Division in 1940 and went on to serve as heavy artillery in the Italian Campaign. The other regiment served with the reconstituted division at Alamein, in Sicily, Normandy and through North West Europe to the Rhine Crossing and beyond. It served on in the Territorial Army until 1967.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force
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. Seven Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed in Aberdeenshire:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force
On 24 October 1860 these units were brought together as the 1st Administrative Brigade, Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers based in the city of Aberdeen, to which Lieutenant-Colonel William Cosmo Gordon of Fyvie (former captain in the Madras Artillery) was appointed commanding officer (CO) on 21 May 1862.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force
In 1863 the AVCs raised in neighbouring Kincardineshire were also included in the 1st Aberdeenshire Administrative Brigade:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force
In 1874 the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th Aberdeen AVCs were combined into a new 3rd Aberdeenshire AVC of five companies (the 7th providing two companies), with a sixth added in September 1877 and a seventh in 1877–78. In 1876 the AVCs in North East Scotland were reorganised. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th Kincardineshire AVCs were transferred from the 1st Aberdeen to the 1st Forfarshire Administrative Brigade, and replaced by the units of the 1st Banffshire Administrative Brigade:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force
The 1st Kincardineshire AVC at Cowie remained with the 1st Aberdeen.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force
In 1880 the Volunteer Force was consolidated into larger units. The 1st Aberdeenshire Administrative Brigade became the 1st Aberdeenshire AVC on 10 May 1880, with the subtitle 'Aberdeen and Kincardine'. The former 1st Kincardineshire battery at Cowie was disbanded at the end of 1880 and replaced by a new No 14 Battery raised at Aberdeen out of the 7th Battery. The three other Kincardine batteries returned to the 1st Aberdeen in May 1882 and the Banffshire batteries (including No 1 (Peterhead) and No 5 (Fraserburgh) Batteries) became an independent unit once more. The 1st Aberdeenshire then had the following organisation:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force
In 1885 a new No 8 Battery was formed at the University of Aberdeen and Nos 8–10 Batteriies were renumbered 9–11; a new No 12 Battery was formed at Stonehaven in December 1886.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force, Position Artillery
The AVCs were intended to serve as garrison artillery manning fixed defences, but a number of the early units were semi-mobile 'position batteries' of smooth-bore field guns pulled by agricultural horses. The War Office (WO) refused to pay for these batteries and they died out. However the concept was revived in 1888 when some Volunteer batteries were reorganised as position artillery to work alongside the Volunteer infantry brigades. On 17 January 1889 the 1st Aberdeenshire AVC was issued with a position battery of 40-pounder Rifled Breech-Loading guns, which were staffed by Nos 5 and 8 Batteries.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force, Position Artillery
On 1 November 1892 these were amalgamated as the 1st Position Battery and the remaining garrison batteries were redesignated companies (Nos 2–7 at Aberdeen, 8 at Johnshaven, 9 at St Cyrus, 10 at Bervie and 11 at Stonehaven). In 1893 the Johnshaven and St Cyrus companies merged and Nos 10 and 11 were renumbered. A 2nd Position Battery was raised on 1 April 1901 and No 2 Company was renumbered 8, with Nos 8–10 renumbered again.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force, Royal Garrison Artillery
In 1882 all the AVCs were affiliated to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA) and the 1st Aberdeenshire 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 Aberdeenshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902. The position batteries were re-armed with 4.7-inch guns and redesignated as heavy batteries, giving the following organisation:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Volunteer Force, Royal Garrison Artillery
In 1899 the unit built a new HQ and drill hall in North Silver Street, Aberdeen, with 5-inch and 6-inch guns for training the garrison companies. These companies carried out their live firing at Torry Point Battery, which had been rearmed with modern guns. For musketry training the unit used the Seaton Links Rifle Range belonging to the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Gordon Highlanders. Annual camp and training for the heavy batteries, was carried out at Buddon. In 1904 the garrison companies won the King's Cup at the Scottish National Artillery Association's camp at Buddon. During the Second Boer War 13 volunteers from the 1st Aberdeenshire served with various units in South Africa.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Territorial Force
When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) under the Haldane Reforms of 1908, the personnel of the 1st Aberdeenshire and 1st Banffshire RGA (V) were distributed to two new units:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Territorial Force
In 1911 the Banffshire battery was disbanded and replaced by a 3rd City of Aberdeen Battery.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Territorial Force
The I Highland Brigade was the senior field artillery unit in the TF's Highland Division. The batteries were each issued with four 15-pounder guns.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Mobilisation
A warning order of the imminence of war was received at the Highland Division's HQ on 29 July 1914, and the order to mobilise was received at 17.35 on Tuesday 4 August 1914. Mobilisation began the following day at unit drill halls. On 12 August the division was ordered to concentrate at Bedford and entrainment began on 15 August. Concentration was completed by 17 August and the division formed part of First Army (Home Forces) in Central Force.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, Mobilisation
On the outbreak of war, units of the Territorial Force were invited to volunteer for Overseas Service: the majority of men in every unit of the Lowland Division did so. On 15 August the WO issued instructions to separate those men who had signed up for Home Service only, and form these into reserve units. Then on 31 August the formation of a reserve or 2nd Line unit was authorised for each 1st Line unit where 60 per cent or more of the men had volunteered for Overseas Service. The titles of these 2nd Line units would be the same as the original, but distinguished by a '2/' prefix. In this way duplicate batteries, brigades and divisions were created, mirroring those TF formations being sent overseas.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade
During the winter of 1914–15 the 1st Line units underwent war training, and a number left to join the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front. The division was warned for overseas service on 13 April and on 3 May it crossed to France, the artillery embarking at Southampton for Le Havre. The Highland Division completed its concentration at Lillers, Busnes and Robecq by 6 May and on 12 May it was officially numbered as the 51st (Highland) Division.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Western Front
The raw division was soon in action at the Battle of Festubert (18–25 May). The 51st (Highland) and 1st Canadian Division together formed 'Alderson's Force', which relieved  the attacking divisions at the end of the first day's fighting. It was also engaged at the Battle of Givenchy (15–16 June). Afterwards the division was moved to a quiet front to gain more experience. 1/I Highland Bde's old 15-pounders were replaced with modern 18-pounder guns on 24 August.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Western Front
On 14 April 1916 1/I Highland Bde formed an additional battery (D Bty). Then on 15 May the TF brigades of the RFA received numbers, the 1/I Highland becoming CCLV (255) Brigade, and the old batteries were redesignated A, B and C. D Battery was then exchanged for 1/1st Renfrewshire (Howitzer) Bty from the CCLVIII (III Highland) Howitzer Bde, which became D (H) Bty, equipped with 4.5-inch howitzers. The brigade ammunition columns were abolished at the same time, and absorbed within the divisional ammunition column.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Somme
In July 51st (Highland) Division joined in the Somme Offensive. An attack on 14 July had failed to capture the dominating ground of High Wood, and 51st (H) Division was tasked with renewing the attack on High Wood a week later. A night attack was to be tried: the bombardment began at 19.00 on 22 July, under the direction of low-flying artillery observation aircraft. German sources reported that the shelling was of 'painful accuracy' and prevented the troops in High Wood from being relieved, despite the number of casualties.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Somme
At 01.30 the following morning the division attacked, but by 03.00 they were back on their start line having suffered heavy casualties. British gunners had difficulty supporting attacks on High Wood, because they had to fire over Bazentin Ridge. The low elevation of the guns meant that shells skimmed the British trenches, the margin for error was small and numerous complaints were made that British infantry casualties were caused by friendly fire. Worn guns, defective ammunition and inaccurate information about the location of British infantry positions were blamed for short-shooting.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Somme
The setback seemed to confirm the division's nickname of 'Harper's Duds' (from their commander, Major-General George Harper, and their 'HD' formation badge). The division was withdrawn from the front on 7 August for rest and reorganisation. On 23 August CCLV Bde was reorganised again: the former D Bty rejoined from CCLVIII Bde together with the Right Section of C/CCLVIII Bty, to bring A, B and C Btys up to six guns each.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Somme
The division returned to the front in October for the Battle of the Ancre Heights, the final series of actions of the Somme Offensive. A mass of guns was assembled, with the artillery of no less than eight divisions and eight heavy artillery groups supporting 51st (H) Division's attack on Beaumont-Hamel, which had been an uncaptured objective on the first day of the offensive on 1 July. The operation was planned for 24 October, and the batteries began firing to cut the barbed wire on 20 October, but it was postponed several times because of bad weather.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Somme
Eventually 13 November was chosen. H hour was 05.45, when the 18-pounders started a Creeping barrage (a recent innovation) moving in front of the infantry at 100 yards (91 m) every five minutes. A quarter of the 18-pounders deliberately fired 100 yards (91 m) short of the barrage line – this would have suppressed German outposts sheltering in shell craters in No man's land. The attack was helped by a dense fog, which screened the infantry from retaliatory shellfire as they struggled through the mud towards their objectives.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Somme
The barrage halted for an hour on the first objective before moving on. Some of the infantry were held up by machine guns in the notorious 'Y Ravine', which had caused so much trouble on 1 July, but reserves were employed and both attacking brigades had reached the third German trench line (the Purple Line) by 07.50. The Green Line was next taken, but the fourth wave of attackers lost the barrage on their way to the final (Yellow) objectives and had to pull back to the Green Line to consolidate a position in captured trenches. Beaumont Hamel had finally fallen, and 51st (Highland) Division had gone some way to shaking off the 'Harper's Duds' slur.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Somme
On 25 January 1917 the Right Section of C (H) Bty of CCLX (1/I Lowland) Bde joined to bring D Bty up to six howitzers C (H)/CCLX had originally been 535 (H) Bty, formed in the UK in 1916). CCLV Brigade then had the following organisation until the end of the war:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Arras
For the Battle of Arras opening on 9 April, the biggest concentration of guns yet seen was assembled, all working to a single plan. 51st (H) Division was in XVII Corps, where the field batteries were placed from 1,400 yards (1,300 m) to 2,000 yards (1,800 m) yards behind the line. The 18-pdrs began firing a creeping barrage at Zero hour to protect the infantry advance while 4.5s laid down a standing barrage on each objective in turn.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Arras
The barrage lasted for over 10 hours, advancing at a prescribed rate onto the final objective, over 7,000 yards (6,400 m) from the guns, some of which were moved forward during the day. Overall, XVII Corps' attack was a great success, even though some of 51st Highland's men were held up by unsubdued machine guns and drifted away from their barrage. After the first day the successes were harder won: the British guns had to move up through appalling conditions, and the follow-up attacks were less well planned and executed.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Arras
51st (H) Division attacked again at Gavrelle on 23 April under a full barrage (the 2nd Battle of the Scarpe), with the chemical works and village of Roeux as its objectives, but could not hold Roeux itself. The divisional artillery supported an attack by 34th Division on 28 April (the Battle of Arleux). The fire was not as  effective as had been hoped, failing to cut the barbed wire or subdue all the enemy machine guns, although a German counter-attack was 'mown down by the 18-pounders firing shrapnel'. 51st (H) Division distinguished itself in the eventual capture and defence of Roeux.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Ypres
An even greater concentration of guns was massed for the Third Ypres Offensive, but the circumstances were less favourable. Gun batteries were packed into the Ypres Salient, where they were under observation and counter-battery (CB) fire from the Germans on the higher ground. Casualties among guns and gunners were high even before Zero hour on 31 July (the Battle of Pilckem Ridge). Two thirds of the field guns fired a creeping barrage, the other third and the 4.5-inch howitzers provided the standing barrage.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Ypres
51st (H) Division reached the German second line and was consolidating when it was hit by a German counter-bombardment followed by a counter-attack. The British guns fired their pre-arranged protective barrages and destroyed the counterattack. Gains had been made, but now the rain came, and the guns had to move up through shell-churned mud to fresh positions before the attack could be renewed, and continued to suffer badly from German CB fire. 51st (H) Division was relieved on 8 August.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Ypres
The division was back in the line for the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge starting at 05.40 on 20 September. This was a limited attack made with massive artillery support. 51st (H) Division attacked towards the Poelcappelle Spur with one brigade (154th (3rd Highland) Brigade), supported by 22 batteries of 18-pdrs and six of 4.5s. At first the going was heavy and there was strong German resistance at 'Pheasant Trench', but thereafter there were no problems and the brigade had occupied its final objective across the spur by 08.25. A heavy German bombardment in the afternoon was followed by a counter-attack, but this was completely destroyed by the British artillery.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Cambrai
51st (Highland) Division was then moved south to take part in Third Army's surprise attack with tanks against the Hindenburg Line at Cambrai on 20 November. There was no preliminary bombardment, but for the attack the divisional artillery was reinforced, firing a lifting barrage of smoke, high explosive (HE) and shrapnel shells. The initial attack was a brilliant success, but on 51st (H) Division's front the advance stalled once the tanks crossed the Flesquières ridge, where many were knocked out by unsuppressed enemy guns. Artillery support could not be requested because of broken communications.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Cambrai
The fight at Flesquières went on all afternoon, but the Highlanders made little ground. However, the defenders in the village were almost cut off, and withdrew during the night. By now the division's guns were moving up into the former No man's land. They began a bombardment at 07.05 the following morning and at 07.30 the Highlanders moved on across the Graincourt road, but could not take the village of Cantaing until tanks came up. Although 51st (H) Division took Fontaine by 23 November, German opposition was stiffening, and the troops had to consolidate a line.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Cambrai
The infantry of 51st (H) Division had been relieved by the time the German counter-attack came on 30 November, but the divisional artillery remained in the line, supporting 59th (2nd North Midland) Division. The attack against the 59th was easily broken by the guns of 51st (H)  and Guards Division. But breakthroughs elsewhere meant a scrambled retirement to a line further back.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Spring Offensive
The German spring offensive was launched on the misty morning of 21 March 1918 with great initial success against Fifth Army. In Third Army the situation was better: the mist cleared early and despite heavy casualties the batteries could fire at observed targets. On 51st (H) Division's front the attacking Germans described the British artillery fire as 'unbearable'. However, the division's flank had already been turned, and the troops here had to fall back to a 'switch' line. On this flank the division's forward zone was overrun, but the rear of the main battle zone was held from 15.00. The German pressure was maintained the following day. Attempting to widen the hole in the flank, large numbers of Germans were seen at 2,000 yards (1,800 m) range and the British guns did great execution among them.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Spring Offensive
Over the next two days the division retired slowly, its units becoming increasingly tired and reduced in numbers. On 23 March the very weak 152nd Bde threw back three attacks with rifle and artillery fire. Next day the division pulled back into the Red (fourth) Line behind other formations that took over holding the Green (third) Line. On 24 March all the artillery of the divisions in IV Corps was pooled, CCLV Bde forming part of 'Right Group'. About 14.00 the infantry in front began to give way, and the artillery group had to withdraw.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Spring Offensive
51st (H) continued to hold the Red Line all day, forming a defensive flank, before falling back during the night. On 25 March 51st (H) Division was presented with some remarkable targets of German masses at long range, which were prevented from closing, but the enemy continued to move round the flank. However, reserves came up, and the exhausted 51st (H) Division was finally withdrawn that evening for rest.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Spring Offensive
51st (H) Division was sent north to First Army, absorbing drafts of reinforcements en route. The divisional artillery arrived on the evening of 9 April, just after the second phase of the German offensive (Operation Georgette) had struck First Army (the Battle of the Lys). The division's infantry had already been thrown into the gap left by the defeat of the 2nd Portuguese Division. The infantry and artillery together held the line through the next critical days.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Spring Offensive
51st (H) Division was sent back south in July to assist the French in the Second Battle of the Marne. The divisional artillery covered 80 miles (130 km) in three days, crossing the Marne near Épernay at 02.00 on 20 July. After a short halt they pushed on, reaching their assembly position near Nanteuil-la-Fosse, and CCLV Bde was in action 500 yards (460 m) by 10.00, although they were only engaged in harassing fire during the Battle of Tardenois, while the division's infantry had attacked behind a barrage fired by French and Italian field guns.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Spring Offensive
An enemy counter-attack was expected, so the batteries were withdrawn at dusk, leaving a few guns in close support of the infantry during the night. In fact, the Germans withdrew across the Marne, and when the division attacked again the following morning the information on enemy positions was so poor that the barrage was fired too far ahead to be of use. On 23 and 27 July the division put in better-organised attacks behind barrages fired by its own artillery supported by French guns, against the now-retreating Germans. On 28 July, in the closing stages of the battle, CCLV Bde moved up through the village of Chaumuzy under shellfire, having been misinformed that it was already in friendly hands.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
In August all the Allied armies began attacking in the Hundred Days Offensive. 51st (H) Division returned from the French sector and joined the Canadian Corps in First Army  in late August for the Battle of the Scarpe on 26 August. 51st (H) divisional artillery supplemented by that of 16th (Irish) Division to provide a barrage for its own division's attack on the second objective against little opposition. The division attacked Greenland Hill the following day and failed to capture it, but succeeded two days later behind another barrage from 51st (H) and 16th (I) divisional artillery.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
After the Battle of the Selle the Allied armies began a pursuit. By 26 October First Army was lagging behind the advance, and 51st (H) Division was among those given the task of pushing on. The divisional artillery was supplemented by that of 39th Division together with army brigades and heavies. The attack went well, even though in some places the infantry lost the barrage. The Germans were now badly shaken and exhausted, and the campaign developed into a pursuit, although one serious counter-attack was broken up by the guns on 1 November.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
From 29 October the infantry of 51st (H) Division began to be withdrawn from the line, but the divisional artillery remained in action. On 1 November it supported 49th (West Riding) Division's assault crossing of the Rhonelle (the Battle of Valenciennes), and it remained in action until the Armistice with Germany came into force on 11 November.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 1/I Highland Brigade, Hundred Days Offensive
After the Armistice the division went into billets and demobilisation began. This was completed by mid-March 1919, and CCLV Bde passed into suspended animation.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 2/I Highland Brigade
Recruiting for the 2nd Line unit was good, and 2/I Highland was raised at North Silver Street by the end of 1914. 2nd Highland Division formed in January 1915 (numbered as 64th (2nd Highland) Division in August) but the lack of equipment and need to supply drafts to 1st Line units delayed training. The division was not fully assembled around Perth until August 1915, with 2/I Highland Bde at Edzell, moving into Perth for winter quarters in November.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 2/I Highland Brigade
In January 1916 the division was assigned to the 'Eighth New Army', and in March it division moved south to Norfolk and joined Northern Army (Home Forces). By May, the artillery brigades had received 18-pounders and that month they were numbered: 2/I Highland became CCCXX (320) Brigade and the batteries became A, B and C. Later, CCCXXIII (2/III Highland) (H) Bde was broken up, with one battery joining CCCXX as D (H) Bty.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 2/I Highland Brigade
In Autumn 1916, A/CCXCIII (2/III County of London) Bty from 58th (2/1st London) Division was temporarily attached to the brigade. In November a new CCCXXII Bde of 18-pdr batteries was raised by V Reserve Bde, RFA, and joined the division, but on 29 January 1917 this was broken up to bring the existing batteries up to six guns each.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War I, 2/I Highland Brigade
By the winter of 1917 the division had become solely a training organisation, with no Highland associations. The artillery were quartered around Norwich, Aylsham and Haveringland, then in the summer of 1918 Westwick Park replaced Haveringland. In the winter of 1918 quarters at Reepham replaced Westwick Park. The division remained in Norfolk until after the Armistice, and was demobilised by April 1919.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Interwar
The 1st Highland Brigade reformed in 51st (Highland) Division on 7 February 1920 with three Aberdeen batteries and one formed by the former Inverness-shire Royal Horse Artillery based in Inverness. When the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) in 1921, the brigade was redesignated 75th (Highland) Brigade, RFA, (becoming a Field Brigade, RA, in 1924 when the RFA was subsumed into the Royal Artillery) with the following organisation:


1st Aberdeenshire 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. 75th Field Regiment reorganised as follows:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, Mobilisation
The former 297 Field Battery was converted into 297 (Inverness) Heavy Anti- Aircraft Battery, an independent unit that later joined 101st Heavy Anti- Aircraft Regiment, serving in the defence of Scapa Flow and later in the Burma Campaign. The establishment of a field battery was increased to 12 guns organised into three Troops.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field Regiment
51st (Highland) Division mobilised in Scottish Command at the outbreak of war, moved to Aldershot Command in October 1939, and joined the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France on 24 January 1940. On 22 April it 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. Here the gun positions came under occasional shellfire as the German guns registered their targets.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field 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 by advancing into 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, which was answered by 51st (H) Division's guns firing their defensive fire (DF) tasks. Three strong probing attacks were driven off by the infantry and guns. Attacks on the following days were half-hearted.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field Regiment, Battle of France
On the night of 22/23 May the division was relieved in the line and concentrated 25 miles of Metz. By now German troops had reached Boulogne and cut off 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 Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field Regiment, Battle of France
At the beginning of June, as the last of the BEF was evacuated from Dunkirk, 51st (H) Division went into action facing the German bridgehead over the Somme at Abbeville. With French troops under command it was ordered to attack Mareuil-Caubert and the high ground south of Gouy on the morning of 4 June. Although 1st Battalion Gordon Highlanders made some progress, having worked out a system of Very lights to call down fire from the divisional artillery against German machine gun positions, the other attacks failed, and it proved impossible to hold the Gordons' small gains. The following day the Germans went over to the offensive, attacking all along the division's front. The Highlanders were slowly driven back from the widely spaced villages they held. Some batteries held on in forward positions until they were almost engulfed.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field Regiment, Battle of France
By 7 June 51st (H) Division had been forced back to the line of the Bresle, but this line was outflanked by German Panzers racing for Rouen, and the division received orders to withdraw during the night of 8/9 June. 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 154 Bde and accompanied by 75th (Highland) Fd Rgt.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field Regiment, Battle of France
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. While the division was forced back to Saint-Valery-en-Caux and forced to surrender on 12 June, Arkforce was successfully evacuated from Le Havre the following day, first to Cherbourg where a new BEF was being formed, then to the UK on 15 June (Operation Aerial) after that attempt was abandoned.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field Regiment, Home Defence
Back in the UK the regiment was assigned to a newly formed 31st Independent Brigade Group from 2 July 1940. This brigade was composed of Regular infantry battalions brought back from garrison duty in India. It joined IV Corps, part of the mobile forces defending the UK against the expected invasion (Operation Sea Lion). Later it was stationed in South Wales as part of Western Command. However, the invasion never came and the regiment left on 4 December 1941 when 31st Bde was converted into 1st Airlanding Brigade.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Field Regiment, Home Defence
By August 1942 75th (H) Fd Rgt was serving as the Depot Regiment at the School of Artillery at Larkhill in Southern Command, with its own Light Aid Detachment (LAD) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) and its own Signal Section of the Royal Corps of Signals. It left this role in January January 1943, and from 1 February to 10 April it was part of  47th (London) Infantry Division, a home defence formation serving in Hampshire and Dorset District.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 75th (Highland) Heavy Regiment
The regiment was next shipped to Tunisia, where it joined 1st Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) in First Army at the end of the Tunisian Campaign. Here it was converted into 75th (Highland) Heavy Regiment. It moved to Sicily and then served in the Italian Campaign from September 1943 until the end of the war. For part of this time it was serving as the heavy regiment with 6th AGRA.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment
126th (Highland) Field Rgt mobilised 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, most of which had been captured at Saint-Valery-en-Caux (see above). After two more years' training in Scotland, the division sailed for Egypt on 16 June 1942, landing on 12 August, with the field regiments each equipped with 24 25-pounder guns.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, North Africa
For a week (1–8 September) 126th (H) Fd Rgt was attached to 9th Armoured Bde, an independent brigade operating under the command of 'Calforce'. Calforce, commanded by Brigadier Percy Calvert-Jones of 12th Anti - Aircraft Brigade, had fought a long series of rearguard actions at landing grounds during Eighth Army's retreat to the El Alamein position. Calforce had remained in position during the First Battle of El Alamein and was not withdrawn from the front line until September.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, North Africa
51st (Highland) Division's first action was the Second Battle of El Alamein. It moved up during the preceding nights, occupying gun positions and dumping ammunition, and remaining concealed during daylight. For the first time in the Western Desert Campaign, the Eighth Army had enough 25-pounders to allow them to be concentrated and switched from one set-piece target to another. Almost every gun was used to neutralise enemy batteries. The bombardment began at 21.40 on 23 October and lasted for 15 minutes; then after 5 minutes silence they opened again on the enemy's forward positions and the infantry began to advance.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, North Africa
After a further 7 minutes the guns began firing concentrations at a succession of specific locations. The whole artillery programme lasted for 5 hours 30 minutes. 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 Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, North Africa
On the second night of the battle, 51st (H) Division's guns fired a similar succession of CB tasks, concentrations and then a barrage to support 1st Armoured Division's attack. On the night of 25/26 October 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 Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field 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 and the advance was easily repulsed. 51st (H) Division had already moved most of its artillery south in waiting for the attack, leaving three Troops to move and fire between various positions to simulate the whole divisional artillery remaining in its old positions.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field 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 Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field 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, followed by four other barrages over five hours, one involving a difficult change of direction, and the division's attack, in the words of the Official History, 'went like clockwork'. Axis troops then began counter-attacks and the Highlanders had to fight hard to hold their gains. The pursuit was resumed the following day, through Sfax, after which the divisional artillery was in action in the hill country near Enfidaville. This lasted until the fall of Tunis and the end of the campaign on 15 May.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Sicily
126th Field Rgt then rested and trained for the Allied landings in Sicily (Operation Husky). The regiment landed shortly after the assault infantry on 10 July. The division was moving forward by nightfall, with the objectives of Palazzolo Acreide and Vizzini, which it reached by the night of 14/15 July. Despite some fierce fighting the division continued with scarcely a pause towards the Dittaino river.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Sicily
On 17 July the division deployed to cross the Dittaino and attempt to capture Paternò. It achieved a bridgehead but further advance was checked, so on the night of 20/21 July the division sent a composite force of infantry and armour against the main enemy defences at Gerbini Airfield. 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.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Sicily
51st (H) Division's artillery joined in XXX Corps' artillery preparation for operations against Adrano (the battles round Etna). This began on 31 July while 51st (H) took bridgeheads over the Dittaino. Paternò fell on 4 August, Biancavilla on 6 August. The division began a 50 miles (80 km) 'sidestep' on 12 August and the guns came into action north of Zafferana the following night. By now the Axis forces were evacuating Sicily, which was completed on 17 August.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Sicily
51st (H) Division did not take part in the subsequent Italian Campaign, having been earmarked for the Allied invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord. However, its guns did assist in the massive bombardment covering the assault crossing of the Strait of Messina on 3 September (Operation Baytown). The division embarked for the UK on 7 November and disembarked at Liverpool on 26 November. It then went into training for Overlord.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Normandy
51st (Highland) Division was in the first follow-up wave of formations in Overlord. On 2 June 1944 it embarked on Liberty ships at East India Docks, London, bound for Normandy and began landing on 7 June (D + 1). The guns went into action supporting the Orne bridgehead. On 23 June the division expanded the bridgehead by a night attack at Ste Honorine la Chardonnerette. The guns had remained silent before the attack to ensure surprise, after which the enemy's successive attempts to recover the village were stopped by artillery fire.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Normandy
The division supported 3rd Division's attack on the flank of Operation Goodwood. On 8 August 51st (H) Division spearheaded II Canadian Corps' attack towards Falaise (Operation Totalize), preceded by a massive barrage. The attack began before dawn and by first light the break-in was going well, with a number of villages taken. After a second artillery preparation the 4th Canadian and 1st Polish Armoured Divisions 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 Liaison Valley on the left flank. By 21 August the Falaise Pocket had been closed and the division was advancing eastwards towards Lisieux.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Normandy
51st (H) Division then moved up to and across the Seine for the assault on Le Havre (Operation Astonia). This was a major operation with a massive field artillery preparation alongside support from medium guns and RAF bombers, which cowed the opposition. It was followed by a similar assault to take Boulogne (Operation Wellhit). 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.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Low Countries
The division's next offensive action was west of 's-Hertogenbosch on the night of 23 October, with massive artillery support the infantry took all their objectives, with follow-up advances over succeeding days through Loon op Zand and across the Afwaterings Canal towards the Meuse (Dutch: Maas) by early November. On 14 November the division carried out an assault crossing of the Willems Canal near Weert accompanied by another heavy artillery barrage, then moved on to the Zig Canal and crossed that on 17 November with much less preparation.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Low Countries
51st (H) Division was then moved to hold 'The Island', the wet low-lying country between Nijmegen and Arnhem that had been captured during Operation Market Garden (see above). In mid-December the division was pulled out of the line for rest. 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  51st (H) Division fought its way into the flank of the 'Bulge' in winter conditions.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Rhineland
Like 3rd Division, 51st (H) Division was 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. Over the next two days the regiment fired smoke and HE to help the brigade continue the advance through the forest. The slow advance continued through Gennep on 11 February, then German counter-attacks were driven off by DF fire. The final  phase of the operation for 51st (H) Division began on 18 February against Goch, which was successfully taken after stiff fighting.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Rhineland
The division took a leading part in the Rhine crossing (Operation Plunder). OP parties from the regiment were among the first troops across the river on the night of 23/24 March, while the guns fired throughout the night just 600 yards from the river and under frequent return fire. The division fought its way into Rees, and the guns were brought over two days later. The division then  continued through Isselburg and Anholt.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, World War II, 126th (Highland) Field Regiment, Rhineland
The division reached the Dortmund–Ems Canal on 8 April. After a pause at the canal, tit 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 Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Postwar
When the TA was reconstituted in 1947, the regiment reformed at Aberdeen as 275th (Highland) Field Regiment, including R Battery at Grangemouth. It was once more in 51st (Highland) Division. When Anti- Aircraft Command was disbanded in 1955 the regiment absorbed 501st Heavy Anti- Aircraft Rgt at Aberdeen (which included the former 297 (Inverness) Bty, see above).


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Postwar
On the reduction of the TA in 1961, the regiment amalgamated with 276th (Highland) Field Rgt, HQ 51st Infantry Division Counter-Battery Staff Trp and 862 Locating Bty (successor to the North Scottish RGA, see above), to form 400th (Highland) (Aberdeen/Angus) Field Regiment with the following organisation:


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Postwar
R Battery of 275th Fd Rgt at Grangemouth was not included in the merger, and was reorganised as 517 (General Transport) Company, Royal Army Service Corps (RASC), which joined other converted RA batteries in forming 433 (Forth) Transport Column, RASC. This unit now forms part of the 154 (Scottish) Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Postwar
In 1967 the TA was reduced further into the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve and 400th Rgt was amalgamated into The Highland Regiment, RA. In 1969 the Highland Regiment was itself reduced to a cadre and then disbanded in 1975. In 1986 105 (Scottish) Air Defence Regiment was designated as its successor unit.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Uniforms and insignia
Upon formation in 1860, the 1st (Peterhead) AVC wore the RA uniform with white/silver lace instead of yellow/gold. The 3rd (Artisans) AVC wore the RA uniform with four rows of black braid on the tunic, scarlet Austrian knots on the sleeves, scarlet cap bands and brown belts. The 4th (Citizens) AVC wore a blue Frock coat with black braiding, scarlet collars and Austrian knots, blue trousers with black stripes edged scarlet, blue caps with peaks and a black band edged scarlet, and black belts. The 6th (Artisans) AVC wore the same uniform as the 3rd but with black belts.


1st Aberdeenshire Artillery Volunteers, Uniforms and insignia
The 7th AVC wore the RA uniform with white/silver cords, a Busby, and white belts. The 1st (Stonehaven) Kincardine AVC wore the RA uniform with white cord, its 2nd Battery (originally the 5th (Cowie) AVC) being composed mainly of fishermen wore a semi-naval dress. The whole administrative brigade adopted the uniform of the 7th AVC in 1864. The plume holder on the busby consisted of a grenade badge with Royal Arms of Scotland on the ball surrounded by a strap bearing the motto 'IN DEFENCE'. A forage cap with white band was used when the busby was not worn. Pouch belts were abandoned in 1875. Standard pattern RA helmets were worn from 1878 onwards.