Content area
Full text
THE ROYAL MARINE ARTILLERY
Published by the Royal Service Institution, Whiteha 111, S. W., London, 1930. 2 volumes. Illustrated. Price 3 Guineas.
Any authorative work on the subject of the Royal Marines has a vital interest for the personnel of the U. S. Marine Corps since that famous organization, which had its origin in the "Lord High Admiral's Regiment in 1664, is the prototype of the American Marine Corps, founded in 1775 before the American Colonies had declared their independence from England.
From its foundation in 1664 down to the dawn of the nineteenth century in 1800 the Royal Marines, as they came to be styled in later years, functioned as a naval military force for duty on board ship and on shore as occasion dictated. In this service they were used wherever the British Navy saw service and in such service won many words of praise from the Admirals and Captains of the Royal Navy.
Early in the nineteenth century Admiral Nelson, commanded the British Mediterranean fleet and the Downs Squadron, was on duty observing the French fleet at Boulogne with which Napoleon hoped to conquer Britain. With these British sea forces there were a large number of "bomb vessels" armed with heavy bombing guns which were manned by detachments of Army artillerymen. Unaccustomed as were these land trained artillerymen to life aboard naval vessels, they failed to meet the requirements of this service and the admirals in command made recommendations to the Admiralty at London for the formation of suitable Marine Artillery detachments to man the guns of the bombing vessels.
After due consideration the Lords of the Admiralty in London approved these recommendations and the result was the establishment of the Royal Marine Artillery which, with its coordinated branch the Royal Marine Light Infantry, formed the Marine forces of Great Britain as a part...