November 8th 1st Cornwall Artillery Volunteers
     

Today marks the day, in 1859, that the 1st Cornwall (Duke of Cornwall’s) Artillery Volunteers was commissioned as a response to a perceived threat of a French invasion and trained to defend the Cornish coast and continued until it was decommissioned in 1956.

Corps were raised in Padstow, Hayle, St. Just, St. Ives  and St. Buryan, on the north coast and in Penzance, Marazion, Newlyn, Charlestown, Looe, Par, Fowey and Polruan on the south coast.  In 1888, they were consolidated as the 1st Cornwall (Duke of Cornwall’s) Artillery Volunteers, with ten batteries on the south coast of the county and headquartered at Pendennis Castle.

In World War I, the Volunteers were mobilised under the command of Major Francis Freathy Oats, son of the mining magnate Francis Oats (September 1st) to take over the defence of the coast from regular soldiers who were then released to travel to the front. 

By 1915, however, some of the Volunteers with their heavy artillery were deployed to the East Africa Campaign (pictured above left).

 

 

 

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