Kent Militia Artillery
The Kent Militia Artillery was a part-time reserve unit of Britain's Royal Artillery based at Dover in Kent, from 1853 to 1909. Background The long-standing national Militia of Great Britain was greatly expanded during the French Revolutionary Wars, and one of the new regiments was an artillery unit in the county of Kent, raised at Dover in 1798. It was embodied for full-time service from 1803 to 1815 during the Napoleonic Wars. Thereafter it disappeared from the Army List. The militia was revived by the Militia Act 1852, enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of the Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the Act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: 'Whenever a state of war exists between Her Majesty and any foreign power'. 'In all cases of invasion or upon imminent danger thereof'. 'In all cases of rebellion or insurrection'.