Haldane Reforms After the end of the
Boer War in 1902, a review of the Army took place and a Royal Commission reported on the
Militia and
Volunteers. The
War Office was concerned over the different standards of efficiency, but had to concede that this was in the hands of individual
commanding officers.
Lieutenant-Colonel Allen of the 4th West Riding RGA (V) was one of five Volunteer officers invited to sit on a committee under
Lord Raglan to consider the difficulties of the new efficiency regulations. Eventually, the Secretary for War in the Liberal Government of 1905,
Richard Haldane, was given the task of preparing legislation for reform. His
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 brought together the Volunteer and
Yeomanry units to form the
Territorial Force (TF), with the same home defence role as before, but, in addition, giving them the capability of acting as backup to the
Regular Army if the need arose, with a full organisation of infantry divisions and mounted brigades, with supporting arms. In addition, the Act set up County Associations to help co-ordinate the work of the War Office and the new TF, and to recruit, house and administer the units.
West Yorkshire Divisional Artillery The West Riding Territorial Association was responsible for the whole of the TF's
West Riding Division, including its Divisional Artillery. The majority of TF artillery units transferred to the
Royal Field Artillery (RFA), with a smaller number remaining as heavy artillery under the RGA. The heavy RGA battery at York was brought back from the East Riding Association, but the West Riding Association still needed to form some new units and subunits to complete the force, which was organised as follows: • Divisional Artillery HQ: Red House, Marygate, York •
I West Riding Brigade, RFA –
from 1st West Riding RGA (V) • Brigade HQ: Fenton Street, Leeds • 1st West Riding Battery, Fenton Street • 2nd West Riding Battery,
Bramley • 3rd West Riding Battery, Fenton Street • 1st West Riding Brigade Ammunition Column, Fenton Street •
II West Riding Brigade, RFA–
from 2nd West Riding RGA (V) • Brigade HQ:Valley Parade, Bradford • 4th West Riding Battery, Valley Parade • 5th West Riding Battery, Skircoat Road, Halifax • 6th West Riding Battery, Artillery Street, Heckmondwike • 2nd West Riding Brigade Ammunition Column, Valley Parade •
III West Riding Brigade, RFA –
from 4th West Riding RGA (V) • Brigade HQ: Norfolk Barracks, Sheffield • 7th–9th West Riding Batteries, Norfolk Barracks • 3rd West Riding Brigade Ammunition Column, Norfolk Barracks •
IV West Riding (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA – ''new unit formed from part of
2nd Yorkshire (West Riding) Royal Engineers (V) and C Company, 3rd Volunteer Battalion,
Duke of Wellington's Regiment'' • Brigade HQ: Nelson Street,
Otley • 10th West Riding Battery, Otley • 11th West Riding Battery, East Parade,
Ilkley • 4th West Riding Brigade Ammunition Column, Peel Place,
Burley •
West Riding Heavy Battery, RGA –
from part of 1st East Riding RGA (V), originally 3rd West Riding AVC • Battery HQ: Lumley Barracks, Burton Stone Lane, York • Battery Ammunition Column, York Each RFA battery was equipped with four
15 pounder guns or four
5-inch howitzers as appropriate; the RGA heavy battery retained its 4.7-inch guns. With the change to the smaller guns, steam tractors were no longer required and the drill halls had to be adapted to accommodate horses. ==World War I==