30 
MILITIA FIELD ARTILLERY. 
Training of 
artillery 
branch of 
H.A.C. 
Finance 
H.A.C. 
Arsenal at Woolwich, and are mostly old gunners and drivers of the 
Royal Artillery. 
With regard to gun-drill, there are fewer difficulties in the way of 
volunteers. Most corps have good drill sheds, where gun-drill can be 
thoroughly taught during the winter evenings; frequent drills are 
possible and cost nothing. The report on the work of the National 
Artillery Association at Shoeburyness shows that a high standard is 
attained^in this respect. 
I now propose to show briefly what training the batteries of the 
Honourable Artillery Company get, and then to compare that which 
the militia would carry out. The artillery division Honourable Artillery 
Company consists of one Horse and one Field battery each of four 
guns. During the six months, from October 1st to April 1st, 
there are two evenings a week for riding-drill, and another two for 
gun-drill for each battery (they do not at this season drill together). 
With the beginning of March we start driving-drill on Saturday 
afternoons, there is also driving-drill on other evenings for recruit 
drivers as soon as it is fairly light after 6 p.m. (say the end of the 
second week in April). The driving-drills gradually merge into battery 
drills, followed by one or two brigade division drills, before going to 
Aldershot for a week at Whitsuntide. The batteries usually march to 
camp and return by rail so that experience is gained in billets, in 
entraining, and detraining. Whilst at camp they are out mounted six 
hours a day, the inspection taking place during the last day's work 
(the Gr.O.C. R.A. at Aldershot has for the last two years been the 
inspecting officer). 
The guns (and detachments of Horse Artillery) are now all horsed 
by the same firm, with whom there is of course a contract including 
the ordinary work and mobilisation. In the course of each year we 
generally get the same horses, and in the following year there is a good 
percentage of trained horses again. 
As soon as Whitsuntide is over, the work is almost entirely fire 
discipline followed by gun practice in the middle of July; the men 
going down to Shoeburyness on a Thursday, returning the following 
Monday. 
Every penny received from Government, i.e. } the Capitation Grant, 
travelling expenses, allowances for camps, etc., goes toward pay¬ 
ing for the gun teams; the mounted men of the Field battery and 
the gunners of Horse Artillery pay for or find their own horse. The men 
also pay for their uniform, their expenses in camps, all riding lessons, 
and they in addition pay a yearly subscription to the corps. 
The Government, therefore, certainly gets its moneysworth. 
I need hardly say that the number of men prepared to bear this 
expense and the very hard work in camp is limited, and therefore, the 
country cannot hope to increase the number of batteries doing so much 
mounted work for so little money, especially in these days when 
bicycling, golf, football, cricket and rowing are very much on the 
increase. 
The Honourable Artillery Company are also very fortunate in having 
