[6][7][8] 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.

[22][23][26] 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.

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.

CCLV Brigade then had the following organisation until the end of the war:[22][24][25] For the Battle of Arras opening on 9 April, the biggest concentration of guns yet seen was assembled, all working to a single plan.

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.

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.

[41][42] 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.

Air photos revealed signs of these preparations on 51st (H) Division's front, including numerous rectangular mounds in the valley of the River Agache that the staff dubbed 'lice'.

Each RFA brigade (CCLV was supporting 152nd (1st Highland) Bde in the division's centre) deployed nine 18-pdrs and four 4.5s forward, with the remainder of the guns in the main battery positions 3,500 yards (3,200 m) back.

In addition 51st Divisional Artillery deployed seven single 18-pdrs and two old 15-pdrs as anti-tank guns in the support and reserve line where they could cover the main approaches over open sights.

On the afternoon of 20 March a patrol observed large numbers of German troops in fighting order entering their trenches, obviously preparing for an attack.

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.

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).

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.

For the Highland regiment this resulted in the following organisation from 24 June 1939:[19][75][79][80] The TA was doubled in size following the Munich Crisis of 1938, with existing units splitting to form duplicates before the outbreak of the Second World War.

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.

[91][93] 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.

[88][89][97][98] One of the lessons learned from the Battle of France was that the two-battery organisation did not work: field regiments were intended to support an infantry brigade of three battalions.

[19][75] After two 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.

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.

[112] 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.

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.

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.

This was a major operation with a massive field artillery preparation alongside support from medium guns and RAF bombers, which cowed the opposition.

[129] 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.

[19][148][151][152] 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:[19][148][151][153][154][155][156] 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.

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'.

[7][8][159] From 1908 the standard RFA service dress was worn, initially with an unusual pattern of brass shoulder title bearing the words 'ABERDEEN CITY' over 'RFA'.