THE BROME-WALTON FAMILY. 
33 
should not be behind; and their knowing that we are likewise prepared 
may tend to cause the employment of live shells to be mutually laid 
aside! 1 
In 1804 the Royal Marine Artillery was created,, from the Marine 
Infantry, by Royal Warrant-—on recommendation of Genl. Sir Howard 
Douglas, R.A.—thus finally severing the connection of the Royal Navy 
from the Royal Artillery, of which Lieut. Mackonochie will go down to 
posterity as the last Royal Artillery Commander in the Royal Navy. 
In 1832, Sir James Graham approved, also, of General Douglas's 
scheme for training the seamen to handle guns and mortars, and for 
substituting Naval for Marine Artillery Instructors and Master- 
Gunners 3 on board the training-ship Excellent —thus fixing the capstone 
to the automacy of the Royal Navy at the hands of a R.A. gunner. 
****** 
One item more about the Bomb-ships, and we shall have done with 
these dreadfully dry details — which, however, have had to be got through 
in the interests of R.A. records. 
Service “ On the Bombs " was popular with R.A. officers and men, 
and was regarded as Staff Employment—free cabin, messing, and wines 
for the officer; Royal Navy scale of free rations for the men : not only 
so, but when the full allowances happened not to be procurable, com¬ 
pensation for the difference was allowed by the Admiralty. 3 Powerful 
influence, or conspicuous ability at the academy, and experience in 
command of battalion guns, were essential qualifications of ex-cadet 
officers—-for the following reason, extracted from Essay on Early Artil¬ 
lery Establishments, pp. 20, 21, by Colonel Miller, V.C.:— 
“ Men promoted from the Ranks seem to have been specially useful 
for mortar vessels (and bomb tenders), where the officer in charge had 
only his own practical experience to rely upon. General Belford com¬ 
plained, in 1762, of the great difficulty of finding cadet officers fit for this 
employment, and remarked that if N.-C.O.’s are not made Lieutenants, 
here ends the Bomb service. A letter in 1762, relative to taking steps 
•for filling up some vacancies, for which there were no gentlemen pro¬ 
perly qualified either in the Academy or Drawing-room, states that 
although Lord Townshend, the Master-General, in general disapproves 
of promoting N.-C.O/s, yet, if any could be found fit for the position 
and worthy of the honour, His Lordship may take some future oppor¬ 
tunity of providing for them." 4 
The N.-C.O. as an operative artyler had become past master in the 
mecanique of his profession, but did not necessarily possess the savoir 
faire and tact requisite in the delicate relationships of dual command on 
board ships of war, and the growing aggressiveness of Masters in the 
Royal Navy; while the speculative artillerist, from the then recently 
founded Academy, was apt to rely more on his aplomb and intuition 
1 See also “ Naval Gunnery ” (Douglas), p. 226 of 1851 ed. 
* Ibid, p. 14. 
3 “ History of the R.A.” Vol, 2, p. 83; Ordnance “ Orders to Paymasters.” Lieut. Joseph 
Walton’s requisition of 2nd March, 1757, for the gallions, Furnace Bomb and the Keppel tender, 
under his command. 
4 See also Colonel Duncan’s comments in “ History of the Royal Artillery,” Vol* I., p. 115. 
5 
