The 1st Lancashire Artillery Volunteers (1st LAV), popularly known as 'Brown's Corps', was an auxiliary unit of the British Army raised in Liverpool in 1859.

As the Lancashire & Cheshire Royal Garrison Artillery in the Territorial Force it was responsible for defending the Mersey Estuary and the coastline of North West England.

It was one of the few coast defence units to fire a shot during World War I but also provided personnel for a number of siege batteries that saw action on the Western Front.

It continued in the coast defence role during World War II, at the end of which it sent troops to work in the rear areas in Europe.

[6][7][8] By 1869, due to disbandments and amalgamations, the admin brigade disappeared leaving the 1st Lancashire AVC as an independent unit of eight batteries.

In peacetime the defences were maintained by a small detachment of Regular gunners from the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) who also trained the Volunteers.

[7][30][31][32] On 29 January 1915, No 7 Company, manning the Walney Island Battery guarding the shipyards and airship sheds at Barrow, exchanged fire with the German U-boat U-21.

[33] By October 1914, the campaign on the Western Front was bogging down into Trench warfare and there was an urgent need for batteries of siege artillery to be sent to France.

[33][35][36] This process meant a continual drain on the manpower of the defended ports units and in April 1917, the coastal defence companies of the RGA (TF) were reorganised.

By this stage of the war, the L&C RGA serving in the Mersey and Barrow Defences of Western Command consisted of 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/5, 2/1, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, 2/5 and 2/7 Companies.

[39][40][41] After participating in the seven-day bombardment, the battery fired a sequence of barrages lifting from one predetermined line to the next in support of III Corps' assault on La Boisselle during the First day on the Somme.

[41] In January 1917 the battery rejoined Second Army at Ypres where activity increased as preparations began for that year's Flanders campaign.

[41] It supported the successful Battle Messines (7 June), then moved to forward positions under Fifth Army for the bombardment preceding the opening of the Third Ypres Offensive on 31 July.

[35][52] This battery was formed at Portsmouth on 16 December 1915 by a cadre of 3 officers and 78 other ranks (the equivalent of a TF Company) drawn from the L&C RGA.

[35][53] It went out to the Western Front in May 1916 equipped with four 9.2-inch howitzers and immediately joined Third Army to begin the bombardment for the disastrous Attack on the Gommecourt Salient on the first day on the Somme.

[35][39][58] Third Army was attacked on the first day of the German Spring Offensive (21 March) and all the batteries of 90th Bde had to be pulled back in the 'Great Retreat'.

The front was stabilised in early April and by late August Third Army had joined in the Allied Hundred Days Offensive across the old Somme battlefields.

The subsequent advance in September and October entailed 95th Siege Bty hauling its howitzers forward in pairs to new gun positions.

[62][63] The battery began its training under the supervision of the Commander, Royal Artillery, Mersey Defences, before moving to Aldershot.

[65][66] Trench warfare then set in once more, but at the end of July 40th Bde moved to join Fourth Army as it launched the Hundred Days Offensive with the Battle of Amiens on 8 August.

The batteries supported Canadian Corps in that battle, and as the lighter howitzers moved up in the pursuit, the gunners of 256th Siege Bty took over and operated some captured German guns.

[65][67] 40th Brigade then supported French troops in the area before moving north to rejoin Canadian Corps in First Army for the Battle of the Drocourt-Quéant Switch Line.

The battery was involved in the Battle of the Canal du Nord and a few subsequent operations, but after 18 October was left behind as the pursuit of the beaten Germans accelerated.

During 1921 the TF was reorganised as the Territorial Army and the unit was redesignated the Lancashire & Cheshire Coast Brigade, RGA, the batteries being numbered 177 and 178.

[72] During the 1930s until the eve of World War II the organisation of the L&C Heavy Bde was:[6][73] In line with the RA's modernisation of its titles, the brigade was termed a regiment from 1 November 1938.

[26][69] On the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939 it was responsible for the following guns:[74] With the danger of invasion after the British Expeditionary Force was evacuated from Dunkirk, the coastal artillery regiments underwent a major reorganisation in the summer of 1940.

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

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.