Bermuda Volunteer/Territorial Army Units 1895-1965 - Creation of The Volunteer Force

Creation of The Volunteer Force

In response to the perils Britain faced following the Crimea the Volunteer Force was formed as a ready reserve to the British Army. On May 12, 1859, the Secretary of State for War, Jonathan Peel issued a circular letter to lieutenants of counties in England, Wales and Scotland, authorising the formation of volunteer rifle corps (VRC, a.k.a. corps of rifle volunteers and rifle volunteer corps), and of artillery corps in defended coastal towns. Volunteer corps were to be raised under the provisions of the Volunteer Act 1804 (44 Geo.3 c.54), which had been used to form local defence forces during the Napoleonic Wars. Their part-time soldiers would serve voluntarily, unlike those of the militia, gathering in their spare time to practice drill and marksmanship. Volunteers were unpaid, and, indeed, were expected to pay for their own uniforms and equipment. Although the militia had become largely moribund, and the yeomanry were unable to mount a useful military force, the Volunteer Force quickly became very popular, and, despite the initial reservations of professional officers, the War Office took an increasing interest in its organisation, equipment and training. With the British Army traditionally underfunded, to the benefit of the Royal Navy, the advantages of this large, but economical reserve of trained soldiery were inescapable to the generals. The Volunteer Force provided the pattern subsequently used in creating volunteer units in Bermuda.

• Corps were only to be formed on the recommendation of the county’s lord-lieutenant.
• Officers were to hold their commissions from the lord-lieutenant
• Members of the corps were to swear an oath of allegiance before a justice of the peace, deputy lieutenant or commissioned officer of the corps.
• The force was liable to be called out “in case of actual invasion, or of appearance of an enemy in force on the coast, or in case of rebellion arising in either of these emergencies.”
• While under arms volunteers were subject to military law and were entitled to be billeted and to receive regular army pay.
• Members were not permitted to quit the force during actual military service, and at other times had to give fourteen days notice before being permitted to leave the corps.
• Members were to be returned as “effective” if they had attended eight days drill and exercise in four months, or 24 days within a year.
• The members of the corps were to provide their own arms and equipment, and were to defray all costs except when assembled for actual service.
• Volunteers were also permitted to choose the design of their uniforms, subject to the lord-lieutenant’s approval.
• Although volunteers were to pay for their own firearms, they were to be provided under the superintendence of the War Office, so as to ensure uniformity of gauge.
• The number of officers and private men in each county and corps was to be settled by the war office, based on the lieutenant’s recommendation.

Originally corps were to consist of approximately 100 all ranks under the command of a captain, with some localities having subdivisions of thirty men under a lieutenant. The purpose of the rifle corps was to harass the invading enemy’s flanks, while artillery corps were to man coastal guns and forts. Although not mentioned in the circular letter, engineer corps were also formed, principally to place underwater mines for port defence.