Between 1859 and 1900, independent batteries were brigaded together into geographic groups termed at different times 'brigades', 'divisions' or 'brigade divisions' (though the titles had no connection with the field formations of the same names).

[1][2] One such new unit was XII Brigade Division,[a] formed in March 1900 as its constituent batteries were sent to South Africa for service against the Boers.

[16] For example, two howitzers of 43rd Bty accompanied Sir Archibald Hunter's column in September 1900 as he endeavoured to trap Christiaan de Wet's forces in the Doornberg area.

Sir Henry Hildyard employed a larger concentration of artillery, including two howitzers of 86th (H) Bty, to bombard Boer positions when he forced the Winderhoogte defile on 10 September.

Hamilton and Knox were on the Orange River near Bethulie, and two howitzers of 43rd (H) Bty were with Hickman's newly organised column in reserve near Naauwpoort.

However, De Wet's incursion into Cape Colony failed to raise a rebellion there, and he had to return to Orange Free State where he disappeared again, having lost his wagons and guns.

[21][22] Simultaneously, single howitzers of 87th (H) Bty accompanied the columns of Colonels Edmund Allenby and William Pulteney operating against Gen Louis Botha in Eastern Transvaal from 28 January.

The columns pursued Generals Koos de la Rey and Jan Kemp through the winter, but often the guns were held up by thick bush, which provided cover for the Boers.

On 5 February the British columns began the 'Drive' with a cordon of mounted men at intervals of 10 yards pushing towards the blockhouse line along the railway, 50 miles ahead.

In the confusion, Commandant Jan Meyer with the Harrismith Commando lost their bearings and ran into the section of the line held by Dunlop's gunners.

Again, De Wet got away with a hard core of Boers and some of the civilians, but hundreds were caught in the closing net and forced to surrender, including Meyer and over 570 Harrismith men.

The drives continued, Col Barker now commanding a group of six small columns, and in May the Boers finally surrendered, signing the Treaty of Vereeniging.

XII (H) Bde was detached to 5th Division, and after dark on 16 September its batteries 'came into action' near La Pavillon Farm, where they dug in their guns overnight.

The brigade's guns fired very little on the morning of 18 September and at noon it was transferred to 4th Division, moving to Venizel where it could observe enemy trenches on the Vregny Plateau.

4th Division continued holding its line, and XII (H) Bde moved sections of howitzers to different positions to bring enemy trenches along the Maubeuge road under fire.

The batteries prepared to support a resumption of the attack next morning, but the FOO of 43rd (H) Bty reported that the enemy had vacated their positions during the night.

Part of 72nd Bty stood by for action as III Corps continued its advance on 15 October, and the brigade was about to return to billets in Bailleul when 6th Division was ordered to secure the bridges over the River Lys at Sailly that evening.

[46][47][54][55] III Corps began a general advance on 17 October, encountering little opposition as it entered Armentières, and 6th DA moved up through Fleurbaix before going into billets at Bac St Maur.

The German resistance had now hardened, and on 19 October 86th (H) and 112nd Btys supported 16th Bde's infantry who were holding a line south of Chateau de Flandres, 72nd Bty coming up from reserve later in the day.

On 20 October the Germans made determined attempts to break through the positions of 1st Battalion Buffs at the chateau, but were halted by effective fire brought down by XII Bde's FOOs.

On 23 October XII Bde drove off some German batteries coming into action near Ennetières church, causing considerable losses.

There was some firing at enemy-held farms and trenches, and some enemy shelling received in reply, but shortage of ammunition often kept the field artillery inactive through the winter.

6th DA carried out bombardments of German barbed wire and defences on 10 March 1915 as a demonstration to draw attention away from the attack at Neuve Chapelle.

[46][47][58][59] In February 86th (H) Bty was relieved in the line by an ad hoc four-gun battery under Maj Woodside made up from one section each from 43rd and 87th (H) Btys.

On 28 July XII Bde HQ moved into Reigersburg Chateau north-wets of Ypres and made arrangements to cover the front of 14th (Light) Division which was fighting at Hooge.

The Salient was a particularly dangerous sector, and 87th (H) Bty lost 10 per cent of its strength as casualties during preparations for this battle, mainly among signallers repairing telephone wires to the observation post (OPs).

On 9 August the brigade carried out a bombardment from 02.45 to 03.15 (indistinguishable from the usual morning 'hate' of preceding days) and the infantry launched their attack at daybreak, having deployed in No man's land close up to the falling shells.

16th and 18th Brigades made a concentric attack and went through the outer defences almost immediately, joining up at Hooge Crater where there was hand-to-hand fighting.

Between the nights of 12/13 and 19/20 March the sections of 43rd and 87th (H) Btys were relieved by the divisional artillery of Guards Division and joined Bde HQ and the BAC in a move to Arnèke, where they overhauled equipment and carried out training.

The brigade was reformed from former Provisional (home service) TF batteries:[4][68][69] That winter 67th (2nd HC) Division was deployed in Eastern England, with the field artillery between Colchester and Ipswich.