As initially constituted, the corps was formed of several independent Companies, each under the command of a Captain Commissary, who was individually empowered to buy and sell the horses required for his Company to operate.
This, however, led to mismanagement, with officers deriving 'considerable emoluments from the situation, by the sale of the dung'.
As a result, 'an Officer of Artillery was appointed to take command of the whole': Lt-Col. (
later Lt-Gen.)
Robert Douglas, who served as Commandant from 1795 through until 1817.

Though closely associated with the Royal Regiment of Artillery the corps was listed separately from it in the London Gazette until at least 1815.
In its 1806 warrant it was formally titled the "Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers attached to the Field Train; but after 1817 was listed as the "Corps of Artillery Drivers in the Royal Regiment of Artillery". (
The Field Train Department was responsible for the provision and distribution of guns, ammunition and stores to the Artillery on active service, and maintained 150 guns and 30 howitzers 'in a perfect state of readiness for any service' at its headquarters in the Grand Depôt, Woolwich; it therefore had to have a close working relationship with the corps, which provided, in a similar state of readiness, the horses and drivers to move them.)

The corps' officers had ranks similar to those of the rest of the British Army.
Being closely associated with the artillery they followed their practice of using the ranks of first and second lieutenant.
 Until 1810 all officer ranks were suffixed with "commissary" (eg "first lieutenant-commissary" or "captain-commissary") but this was dropped the following year.
 The uniform was similar to that of the Horse Artillery, particularly with regards to the wearing of the light dragoon-style Tarleton helmet.

Officers of the Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers had no right of field command, all line officers outranked them and could issue commands to higher ranking corps officers on the battlefield.
 There was some controversy during the Napoleonic Wars as to whether officers in the corps should be allowed to freely transfer into the line infantry.
 It was commonplace, for example, for officers of the Royal Waggon Train to be promoted into line infantry regiments once they had accumulated sufficient years of service in their rank.
 A notable exception was a first lieutenant-commissary of the Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers who was granted special permission to become adjutant of the Ceylon Regiment in 1810.

By 1810 the corps comprised a colonel-commandant, three lieutenant-colonels, a major, nine captains, 54 subalterns, 2 adjutants, 8 veterinary surgeons, 45 staff sergeants, 405 other non-commissioned officers, 360 artificers, 45 trumpeters, 4,050 drivers and 7,000 horses.
The sole major of the corps was in charge of the purchase of horses.
Until 1817 the corps included on its strength all veterinary surgeons in the service of the Royal Artillery; after 1817 they were instead attached to the Veterinary Establishment in Woolwich.

The corps (as envisaged in its 1806 Warrant) was divided into ten Troops, each under the command of a captain, with 5 lieutenants and 450 drivers in each Troop; there was also a Riding House Troop (without drivers).
Within a Troop, each lieutenant was responsible for one 'Brigade' of artillery (five guns and one howitzer), along with six ammunition carriages, a forge cart, spares and a camp equipage waggon; the number of horses and drivers used depended on the size of the guns.
As initially constituted, the corps was formed of several independent Companies, each under the command of a Captain Commissary, who was individually empowered to buy and sell the horses required for his Company to operate. This, however, led to mismanagement, with officers deriving 'considerable emoluments from the situation, by the sale of the dung'. As a result, 'an Officer of Artillery was appointed to take command of the whole': Lt-Col. (later Lt-Gen.) Robert Douglas, who served as Commandant from 1795 through until 1817.
Though closely associated with the Royal Regiment of Artillery the corps was listed separately from it in the London Gazette until at least 1815. In its 1806 warrant it was formally titled the "Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers attached to the Field Train; but after 1817 was listed as the "Corps of Artillery Drivers in the Royal Regiment of Artillery". (The Field Train Department was responsible for the provision and distribution of guns, ammunition and stores to the Artillery on active service, and maintained 150 guns and 30 howitzers 'in a perfect state of readiness for any service' at its headquarters in the Grand Depôt, Woolwich; it therefore had to have a close working relationship with the corps, which provided, in a similar state of readiness, the horses and drivers to move them.)
The corps' officers had ranks similar to those of the rest of the British Army. Being closely associated with the artillery they followed their practice of using the ranks of first and second lieutenant.  Until 1810 all officer ranks were suffixed with "commissary" (eg "first lieutenant-commissary" or "captain-commissary") but this was dropped the following year.  The uniform was similar to that of the Horse Artillery, particularly with regards to the wearing of the light dragoon-style Tarleton helmet.
Officers of the Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers had no right of field command, all line officers outranked them and could issue commands to higher ranking corps officers on the battlefield.  There was some controversy during the Napoleonic Wars as to whether officers in the corps should be allowed to freely transfer into the line infantry.  It was commonplace, for example, for officers of the Royal Waggon Train to be promoted into line infantry regiments once they had accumulated sufficient years of service in their rank.  A notable exception was a first lieutenant-commissary of the Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers who was granted special permission to become adjutant of the Ceylon Regiment in 1810.
By 1810 the corps comprised a colonel-commandant, three lieutenant-colonels, a major, nine captains, 54 subalterns, 2 adjutants, 8 veterinary surgeons, 45 staff sergeants, 405 other non-commissioned officers, 360 artificers, 45 trumpeters, 4,050 drivers and 7,000 horses. The sole major of the corps was in charge of the purchase of horses. Until 1817 the corps included on its strength all veterinary surgeons in the service of the Royal Artillery; after 1817 they were instead attached to the Veterinary Establishment in Woolwich.
The corps (as envisaged in its 1806 Warrant) was divided into ten Troops, each under the command of a captain, with 5 lieutenants and 450 drivers in each Troop; there was also a Riding House Troop (without drivers). Within a Troop, each lieutenant was responsible for one 'Brigade' of artillery (five guns and one howitzer), along with six ammunition carriages, a forge cart, spares and a camp equipage waggon; the number of horses and drivers used depended on the size of the guns.
Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers