Interesting question from Geoff:

Source: Royal Field Artillery - Special Reserve

Could anyone tell me how the Royal Field Artillery incorporated its Special Reservists into regular units in August 1914? In the Special Army Order issued on Th of December 1907, which outlined the planned scheme for the training and organization of the Special Reservists, it states that on mobilization the RFA required a considerable amount of Special Reservists for Divisional Ammunition Columns in order to bring it up to full strength. The rationale being that this would allow the maximum amount of regular artillerymen to man the guns. Was this still the case in August 1914, or had the Special Reservists received sufficient training to be incorporated into the gun teams?

From the Long Long Trail:

Men would enlist into the Special Reserve for 6 years and had to accept the possibility of being called up in the event of a general mobilisation and otherwise undertake all the same conditions as men of the Army Reserve. Their period as a Special Reservist started with six months full-time training (paid the same as a regular) and they had 3-4 weeks training per year thereafter. A man who had not served as a regular could extend his SR service by up to four years but could not serve beyond the age of 40. A former regular soldier who had completed his Army Reserve term could also re-enlist as a Special Reservist and serve up to the age of 42.

The Special Reserve arose out of the Haldane Reforms. The mobilisation of the Royal Artillery for the Boer War saw the ammunition columns and any reserves being drawn from throughout the Royal Artillery. To ensure a proper reserve was available in the future, partilculay with regard to the need for ammunition columns. It was decided that the Brigade Ammunition Columns would come from Army Reservists, and the Divisional Ammunition Columns from non regularly reservists. With the disbanding of the militia artilleries, they manpower would be used to form a reserve for the Royal Field Artillery.

The Army Order of December 1907 converted the Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia), into the Royal Field Reserve Artillery. On mobilisation they were to furnish the whole brigade and ammunition columns for the Regular Army.

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