It comprised the following Ayrshire Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs):[1][7][8][9][10] In 1863, the following corps were added to the brigade: The first commanding officer (CO) of the administrative brigade was Major Sir Edward Hunt-Blair, 4th Baronet of Dunskey, Wigtown, appointed on 8 May 1861, who was replaced on 17 July 1863 by Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon Greville Vernon, whose his second-in-command (with the rank of major) was Captain (later Admiral) John Eglinton Montgomerie, Royal Navy.

[8][10] In 1863, brigade HQ moved from Irvine to Ayr, and in May 1880 the brigade was consolidated as the 1st Ayrshire & Galloway Artillery Volunteers, with headquarters at Ayr and 11 batteries as follows:[1][8][9] The AVCs were intended to serve as garrison artillery manning fixed defences, but a number of the early units manned semi-mobile 'position batteries' of smooth-bore field guns pulled by agricultural horses.

When the divisional structure was abolished their titles were changed, the unit becoming the 1st Ayrshire and Galloway Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902, with its HQ at Kilmarnock.

[8] When the Volunteers were subsumed into the new Territorial Force in 1908 under the Haldane Reforms,[15][16][17] the 1st Ayrshire and Galloway RGA (V) was to have formed the III (or 3rd) Lowland Brigade in the Royal Field Artillery (RFA).

[10][2][23][24][25][26][27] The Lowland Division had been attending annual camp on the Ayrshire coast when the order to mobilise was received at 17.25 on Tuesday August 1914.

II Lowland Bde was stationed at Larbert, near Stirling, with a battery detached to Invergordon to defend the naval base.

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.

It travelled by rail to Devonport where on 2 June a section of 1/1st Ayrshire Bty sailed on the troopship Mercian with 1/IV Lowland Bde.

Brown (recently promoted from the Kirkcudbright battery), arrived in time and fought as a section commander in Maj J. Milligan's B Bty.

The batteries had not previously had a chance to fire their new 18-pdrs, and ammunition was limited, but from 05.40 the forward observation officers on the ridge behind began to give them targets.

As the Turkish attack moved round the British right flank, B Bty had to reposition its guns under enemy bullets, shells and aircraft bombs.

By mid-day the situation was well in hand and the artillery were able to conserve ammunition in the afternoon while the mounted troops began counter-attacking.

[25][43][44] The division participated in a renewed attempt, the Second Battle of Gaza, beginning on 17 April, advancing without difficulty through the Turkish outposts to its objective, the El Sire Ridge.

The EEF's artillery then spent 18 April bombarding the Turkish main position, before attacking the following day, when CCLXI Bde under Lt-Col G.S.

The Turkish artillery searched the El Sire Ridge and the area behind: one of CCLXI Bde's observation posts (OPs) was knocked out by a direct hit.

At 11.00 the single tank on the division's front, 'War Baby', advanced under covering fire from the brigade and crushed the wire at Outpost Hill, allowing the infantry into the position, but it was then knocked out by Turkish artillery, and the Turks launched repeated counter-attacks.

In case of wire-tapping, units were given codenames for use on the telephone: these were based on Scottish football teams, with CCLXI RFA assigned 'Celts' (as in Celtic F.C.).

After a renewed bombardment 156th Bde attacked again at 03.00 on 2 November and took the front line trenches at El Arish Redoubt after a fierce fight.

Having attracted attention to the Gaza front, the rest of the EEF broke through the Turkish lines further inland, beginning with the capture of Beersheba on 31 October.

By 7 November, with the EEF's Desert Mounted Corps sweeping round into their rear, the Turks abandoned Gaza and 52nd (L) Division went in pursuit, capturing Wadi el Hesi the following day.

The important Junction Station fell to the British the day following the Battle of Mughar Ridge., while 52nd (L) Division's artillery made for Mansurah[25][26][54][55][56] On 19 November the EEF moved east into the Judaean Hills to begin closing in on Jerusalem.

The village itself was captured by surprise on 21 November, but moving artillery on the hill roads was difficult: at Berfilya CCLXI Bde had to pull out of the column with many of its guns stuck in very bad ground and blocking the way for the infantry.

The onset of heavy rain made the conditions worse, but by employing 10-horse teams, 52nd (L) Divisional Artillery got 10 guns (including a section of C(H)/CCLXI) up for 75th Division's attack on El Jib on 23 November, described by the corps commander as 'a magnificent feat'.

The Royal Engineers then built bridges and the whole divisional artillery crossed during 22 December as the division advanced rapidly to Arsuf.

On 28/29 May the divisional artillery supported an advance of about 1.5 miles (2.4 km), then on 8 June 7th (Meerut) Division seized the 'Two Sisters' hills being used as OPs by the Turks: the attack was launched at 03.45 after a 15-minuted bombardment.

A composite RFA brigade went with Column C, following the advance guard and the engineers and pioneers who widened the 'Ladder of Tyre' route for artillery.

Partial mechanisation was carried out from 1927, but the guns retained iron-tyred wheels until pneumatic tyres began to be introduced just before World War II.

[82][84][86] 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.

[76][86] 130th Field Regiment mobilised in 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division (the duplicate of 52nd (Lowland)) and served with it through the early years of war.

The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit:[8][10] There is a brass memorial plaque in a marble surround in Troon Town Hall to the 14 men of B Battery, 261st Brigade, RFA, who died in World War I.