The Society of Merchant Venturers in Bristol provided land in Whiteladies Road, Clifton, to build its headquarters (HQ), known as 'the Artillery Grounds'.

[11][12] The brigade was consolidated in March 1880 under the command of Lt-Col Adolphus H. Versturme, formerly of the 59th Foot, as:[5][6][7][9][12] 1st Gloucestershire (Gloucester and Somerset) AVC Further batteries were added in following years: No 10 at Portishead, No 11 at Weston-Super-Mare, No 12 at Clevedon and No 13 at Bedminster.

It formed part of the South Midland Division of the TF, with the following organisation (each battery consisted of four 15-pounder guns):[6][7][9][12][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] On the outbreak of war, I SM Bde mobilised at Clifton and Gloucester under Lt-Col A.M. Balfour, a retired Regular officer who had been in command since 7 December 1909.

1/I South Midland Bde formed an additional battery, D Bty, at Thièvres on 29 March, including a fresh draft of men from the UK.

It moved to Coigneux, inspected its guns, and carried out training while the brigade and battery staffs reconnoitred the new positions it was to take up for the coming offensive.

Despite the successful wire-cutting, not enough OPs and MG posts had been destroyed and 31stDivision's attack was a disaster: the survivors had made their way back to the British lines by the end of the day.

Moving forward close under 'an excellent barrage', the stormers were in among the surprised Germans as soon as it lifted, and were able to secure the Ovillers–Pozières light railway and adjacent trenches.

During 26 and 27 July A and B Btys took up forward positions in 'Mash Valley' near Ovillers, but the following night the brigade was relieved by 12th (E) DA and marched to rest at St Ouen.

A follow-up attack by 7th Bde of 25th Division on 24 August, covered by 'Right Group' succeeded in capturing 'Hindenburg Trench' across the rear of the Leipzig Salient 'in fine style'.

They returned to the line on 13 September and next day a combined group of CCXL and CCXLIII (SM) Bdes supported 32nd Bde of 11th (Northern) Division, which captured the 'Wonder Work'.

Brigade HQ was established at Ste-Emilie, with two batteries of CCXI Bde (newly arrived from Egypt with 42nd (East Lancashire) Division) under its command.

[20][22][38][39][40] The division was back in action at the Battle of Broodseinde (4 October), with one infantry brigade attacking, but CCXL (SM) Bde (now commanded by Lt-Col C.M.C.

The attack of 9 October (the Battle of Poelcappelle) was partially successful and the brigade moved forward to the outskirts of Ypres, with the Group HQ at Hussar Farm.

It remained in Italy for the remainder of the war, taking part in the following operations:[20][22][46][47] On 10 November 1917 the 48th (SM) Division received orders to move to the Italian Front.

[20][22][48][49][50] Later in April 48th (SM) Division began tours of duty on the Asiago plateau, where the guns were manhandled into positions on steep slopes and hidden among trees.

The division was wakened by the effects of the Spanish flu epidemic, but the artillery began their counter-preparation barrage at 03.30 in response to the wild Austrian bombardment, and shortened the range at 05.00 after their own infantry outposts had withdrawn.

This machine gun was knocked out by a single 18-pdr of 12th Bty, XXXV Bde, RFA (7th Division), which had been manhandled forward through the woods to cover the open ground round Cesuna.

At the end of the month it moved to No 7 Camp at Bulford for final battle training on Salisbury Plain, with firing on the West Down Ranges at Larkhill.

[57][58][56][59] The bombardment for that summer's 'Big Push' (the Battle of the Somme) began on 24 June, and 61st (2nd SM) DA joined in, with CCCV Bde engaged in Counter-battery fire.

[63] It replaced 238 HAA Bty, which left in October–November to join the field force under War Office control and later transferred to 83rd (Blythswood) AA Rgt.

[85] In October 1942 the advance parties of the regiment sailed for North Africa as part of Operation Torch, and began unloading their equipment in Algiers harbour soon after it was secured on 9 November.

However, the HAA units had not been 'combat loaded' and it took some time to assemble the 3.7-inch guns, vehicles and equipment and deploy to engage the Luftwaffe air attacks that quickly developed against the port and nearby airfields.

It was not until the end of the year that the regiment was at full strength, but by mid-January 1943 it had a battery in action at Algiers port, and troops at Maison Blanche and Blida airfields, all under 62 AA Bde.

As the campaign developed and First Army advanced eastwards, the regiment had full batteries deployed in 'Inner Artillery Zones' (IAZs) at Algiers, Bougie and Djidjelli by mid-March.

In these positions the gunners found that the performance of their gun-laying (GL) radar sets was degraded by nearby hills and it was difficult to engage 'unseen' targets.

Because of the port's vital importance for the assembly and despatch of forces for the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) this became the largest British AA commitment in the theatre.

The vital harbours at Syracuse and Augusta received constant raids from Luftwaffe bombers and fighters by day and night, with the AA gunners scoring several 'kills'.

Initially, it was involved in airfield defence, but after Fifth Army's capture of Rome in June 1944 it deployed to defend the bridges over the Tiber and the port of Piombino.

Although the Luftwaffe's losses meant the air threat was lowered, HAA batteries of 62 AA Bde also employed their versatile long-range 3.7-inch guns in a medium artillery role against ground targets.

On 26 December the German forces put in a major counterattack, Unternehmen Wintergewitter (Operation Winter Storm), between Lucca and Pistoia aimed at retaking the port of Livorno (Leghorn).