)[1][2] Formally constituted on 28 February 1860, and designated the 10th (Royal Arsenal) Kent AVC from August that year, the unit was manned by artisans from the Shot and Shell Factory.

But the War Office refused to pay for the upkeep of field guns for Volunteers and they had largely died out in the 1870s.

[13] The infantry of the division were soon posted away to relieve Regular Army garrisons in the Mediterranean or to supplement the British Expeditionary Force 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 1st London Divisional Artillery were therefore attached to the Ulster Division until its own gunners were ready for active service.

During the preliminary bombardment Macart was under VII Corps control, but from Zero Hour it was assigned to support the assaulting infantry of 168th (2nd London) Brigade.

The howitzers of D (H)/281 Bty were dug into the gardens and orchards behind Hébuterne, and could range into the German rear areas.

Then at Zero Hour, 07.30, the guns lifted to pre-arranged targets in the German support and reserve lines while the infantry began their assault.

[34][35][36] Having reverted to divisional control at Zero Hour, the 18-pounders had a series of very short lifts, almost amounting to a creeping barrage.

On 168 Bde's front, the London Rifle Brigade found the wire well cut, except at Point 94 where the shelling had piled it into mounds that still presented an obstacle, and the battalion reached Gommecourt Park and began to consolidate.

The Germans 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.

[42] By 12.30 the counter-attacks were beginning to drive 168th Bde out of its gains and at about 13.00 the isolated battalions in the German lines began to crumble.

[43][44][45][46] The attack at Gommecourt had only been a diversion, so it was not continued after the first day., and 56th Division remained in position, holding its original line.

[13] After the First Line divisional artillery left for France, 2/II London Bde joined 58th Division on 27 September at Saxmundham with the following composition:[14] 2/II London Brigade RFA The division remained in East Anglia, digging trenches, manning coastal defences.

The division began embarking for France on 20 January 1917 and by early February it was on the Western Front, where it remained for the rest of the war.

[14][16][18][21] CCXCI Bde supported 58th Division in the following actions:[14][16] After the Armistice came into force, skilled men began to return home.

Just before World War II, 360 Battery was split off to form a duplicate unit (138th Field Regiment), which fought in Tunisia and Italy.

[48][49] The left-hand (northern) figure flanking this memorial depicts a Royal Artilleryman representative of the various London Artillery units.

[50] A memorial board naming the 192 officers and men of 281st and 291st Brigades, RFA, who died in World War I (and in South Africa 1899–1902) was also at the Vicarage Lane TA Centre.