[2][3] Officially raised as a sub-division within the 1st Administrative Brigade of Kent Artillery Volunteers on 13 February 1860, the date on which its first officers' commissions were issued, and was increased to battery strength on 15 August.

The brigade won the King's Prize at the National Artillery Association Competition in 1911, and its excellent turnout at annual camps led to the nickname 'The Shiny Fourth'.

[24][25][26] Once mobilised, the 1/IV (H) Brigade moved to Stringers Common, Worplesdon, then to Maresfield Park, and eventually to Edinburgh for coast defence duty, where it spent four months in overcrowded conditions.

[25] The infantry of the division had been posted away to relieve Regular Army garrisons in the Mediterranean or to supplement the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) on the Western Front.

Its infantry were largely drawn from the Ulster Volunteers and had already received weapons training before the war; the artillery however were newly raised Londoners, and the drivers were still being taught to mount and dismount from wooden horses.

The section of C/283 Bty hidden at the edge of Hébuterne was causing considerable damage to the trenches and wire round Gommecourt Park and came in for particular attention from German shelling, but was never located.

The German began counter-attacking about an hour after Zero, and their heavy barrage on No man's land and their own front trenches made it almost impossible for reinforcements and supplies to be got forward to the assaulting battalions, who were now cut off.

At this stage the division's artillery units were split up among many small towns and villages in Suffolk to provide billets for the men and sufficient forage for the horses.

After further spells supporting 2nd Canadian, 7th and 62nd (2nd West Riding) Divisions during the closing stages of the Arras offensive, the brigade was withdrawn to a relatively quiet location in the St Quentin sector.

The brigade responded to SOS signals from the infantry in front, bringing down 'unbearable' fire on the attacking troops, but OPs were overrun and the Germans penetrated the division's Battle Zone and reached the village of Doignies.

Two fresh guns were brought up from the waggon lines that evening, and the Shropshire battery moved to Foncquevillers, from where it sent out mounted patrols to locate the enemy in front.

[77] After a week's rest, the brigade was sent to support the New Zealand Division's defences,[77][74] and later carried out training in open warfare, including anti-tank gunnery.

91st Field Rgt reassembled at Turriff, moved to Peterhead and then to Abercairny, where it was issued with some iron-tyred French 75 mm guns, which were transported aboard 3-tonner lorries.

[105][120][121][122] On 29 October 1940 it moved down to Southport to join III Corps in Western Command, where it stayed (except for a month in Northern Ireland in April 1941) until 1942.

[91][120][124] In January 1942 the division passed under direct War Office control preparatory to embarking for overseas service, and 91st Fd Rgt moved to Beckenham for final training.

En route the division was diverted and between 23 April and 19 May 1942 91st Fd Rgt was detached with 13th Bde to Force 121 for the invasion of Vichy French-controlled Madagascar (Operation Ironclad).

[125][126][127][128] The regiment concentrated at Ahmednagar and then moved across India to Ranchi (the base area for the Burma Campaign), the men by rail and the guns and vehicles by road.

[133][134] 5th Division landed at Reggio di Calabria on 3 September 1943, covered by artillery fire from the opposite side of the Straits of Messina, and then advanced up the coast road to meet US Fifth Army.

The division's 'silent' assault crossing (without artillery fire) on the night of 17/18 January 1944 using beach landing techniques was successful in establishing a firm bridgehead that was held against enemy counter-attacks with the support of the guns, but without further troops it was impossible to advance further.

After a period of rest and reorganisation in Palestine from July 1944 to February 1945, 5th Division was chosen for Operation Goldflake whereby troops from the Mediterranean theatre were transferred to reinforce 21st Army Group fighting in the final stages of the Campaign in North West Europe.

[12][91][150] 139th Field Regiment mobilised at Lewisham on 1 September 1939 and after a week moved to Mill Hill where the men were billetted in private houses with clubs and church halls use as messes and cookhouses.

First World War-vintage 18-pounder Mk II guns on pneumatic wheels replaced the 4.5-inch howitzers, a few Bedford 15-cwt trucks and Morris Quad gun-tractors arrived, and the regiment trained to a standard of efficiency to join the BEF in France, one of the few 2nd Line TA units to do so.

[157] 139th Field Regiment arrived to help and on 27 May was in action south of the River Lys from Merville to Lestrem, one of its officers being captured by enemy tanks.

Described by the corps history as 'this splendid regiment', 139th Fd Rgt still had five guns in action on the Dunkirk beaches at Malo-les-Bains on 2 June and these were among the last to engage the enemy before the final evacuations.

[159] The regiment reformed at Rhos-on-Sea in North Wales and then moved to Llanfairfechan, where it undertook coast defence duty with 200 rifles and some Mark I 18-pounders; later six 4.5-inch howitzers arrived.

Once the Ngakyedauk Pass was fully open in January 1944, 7th Indian Division began building up an administrative and logistic base at Sinzweya, known as the 'Admin Box'.

The task was given to 2nd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers of 89th Indian Infantry Brigade, supported by 364 Bty of 139th Jungle Rgt, under Maj Robin Powell.

Operation HA-GO was called off on 24 February, and 7th Indian Division, supported by 139th Fd Rgt and the whole divisional and corps artillery from Gun Valley, took Buthidaug on 9 March.

It was once more equipped with 24 x 25-pounders, now on narrow 'Jury' axles to aid movement on jungle tracks, and the regiment developed a technique for dismantling these guns and stowing them aboard Dakotas.

In the Territorial Force the uniform was identical to the Regulars, but the men wore a brass shoulder title with 'T' over 'RFA' over 'LONDON', and the RA badge did not carry the motto 'Ubique' ('Everywhere') because they were intended for home defence only.