It provided coastal defence artillery along the Humber Estuary from 1908 to 1956, manned siege batteries on the Western Front during World War I at the Somme and Ypres and played a role in the pursuit of the German army during the Hundred Days Offensive.

At times of national crisis volunteers were regularly called upon to defend the vulnerable harbours on the coast of East Yorkshire.

When the peace broke down in 1803, the Bridlington Volunteer Artillery reformed, but the guns at Hull were manned by the Sea Fencibles and by Regulars.

[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The 4th East Riding AVC competed with other Hull volunteer units for recruits, increasing its establishment in 1877 from eight to 12 batteries with a total of 965 men in 1878.

One battery was formed by employees of Messrs Rose, Downs & Thompson (a manufacturer of oilseed crushing machinery), and another from members of the Hull Gymnastic Society.

Eight were used for drill purposes at the Hull Citadel and four were placed in a battery built on the Humber Bank adjacent to Earle's shipyard.

From 1886 the coastal artillery batteries were supplemented by minefields, and the 2nd East Riding AV trained with the Humber Division Submarine Miners.

The battery fired 16 rounds against Beaucourt Redoubt on 30 May, only two of which burst properly, reflecting the notoriously unreliable fuzes of the 8-inch shells at that time.

[36][40] Gunner T. Tharratt, ERRGA, was later awarded the Military Medal (MM) for conspicuous good work as a telephonist and line repairman under heavy shellfire on 1 July.

[36][41] As the battle continued, 77th Siege Bty concentrated on counter-battery (CB) fire, sometimes directed by aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps.

[36] During August, the battery remained at Sailly, but it dug new gun pits closer to Hébuterne, which gave it an arc of fire from the sunken lane north of Serre to Thiepval, covering the whole northern sector of the Somme battlefield.

After registering new targets, the battery carried out a 'steady bombardment of trenches' on 26 August, and then on 3 September fired a large number of rounds in support of an unsuccessful attack by V Corps along the Ancre.

Fifth Army opened the offensive on 31 July with the Battle of Pilckem Ridge, which was preceded by a preliminary bombardment lasting 18 days, during which British batteries suffered badly from CB fire.

[52][53][54] On 4 November, 77th Siege Bty was at Hooge engaged in CB work when No 2 gun, a Mk V 8-inch howitzer, was put completely out of action by direct hit from a German 24 cm shell.

Again, on 26 November, after the end of the major fighting, 77th Siege Bty lost a number of men killed and wounded from German CB fire.

[43] During the Second Battle of Cambrai on 8 October 84th was among the six heavy artillery brigades that supported the attack of VI Corps (2nd and 3rd Divisions), which made an advance of over 300 yards and took about 500 prisoners.

[57] By now the German line was breaking up, and during 10 October, VI Corps ordered Guards Division to continue the pursuit across 8 miles towards the River Selle, supported by cavalry, cyclists, tanks and artillery, including 84th Heavy Bde.

Once again, 84th Bde supported VI Corps in this successful attack, the heavy gunners taking care to avoid hitting the town of Solesmes, which was occupied by French civilians.

[59][60][61] VI Corps pushed on after its success at the Selle, and on 26 October 84th Bde once again joined the cavalry and cyclists in supporting the pursuit, this time by 3rd Division.

The TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army (TA) the following year and the unit was redesignated as the East Riding Coast Brigade, RGA, with the two batteries numbered 182 and 183 and Major Allderidge as Adjutant.

[69][6][10][19] On the outbreak of war, the East Riding Heavy Rgt comprising Regiment Headquarters (RHQ), 182 and 183 Btys mobilised at Hull and formed part of the coastal defences under Northern Command.

[72] The Humber Estuary (the Defended Port of Humber) was defined as a Class A Port with defences already in place and the East Riding Heavy Rgt was responsible for manning the following guns:[73][74] After the German invasion of the Low Countries in May 1940 the War Office and the Admiralty agreed a programme of coast defence emergency batteries, which included amongst its highest priorities the installation of two 6-inch Mk VII guns (initially manned by the Royal Navy) at Grimsby on the south side of the Humber Estuary.

[84] Between May and July 1942 the three regiments were completely reorganised:[75][84] By late 1942 the threat from German attack had diminished and there was demand for trained gunners for the fighting fronts.

In March 1944 the East Riding and Lincolnshire Coast Artillery HQ was scrapped, and the regiments came directly under Northern Command.

[86] The manpower requirements for the forthcoming Allied invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord) led to further reductions in coast defences in April 1944.

But by this stage of the war many of the coast battery positions were manned by Home Guard detachments or in the hands of care and maintenance parties.

In 1969, the squadron absorbed part of P Bty of The Humber Regiment, RA, lineal successor to the other half of the 2nd East Riding Artillery Volunteers.

[19][95][105] The following served as Honorary Colonel of the unit:[10] A memorial plaque was placed in Holy Trinity Church, Hull, in 1960 to mark the centenary of the East Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers.