The 8th London (Howitzer) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery was a new unit formed when Britain's Territorial Force was created in 1908. Its origin lay in Artillery Volunteer Corps formed in the 1860s in Plumstead, Kent, later incorporated into London. Together with its wartime duplicate the brigade served during the First World War on the Western Front, at Salonika and in Palestine where it was the first British unit to enter Jerusalem. It again formed two units for service in the Second World War, one of which saw extensive action in France, North Africa, and Italy, while its duplicate was captured at the Fall of Singapore. Its successor unit continues in the Army Reserve today. Origin When the Volunteer Force was subsumed into the new Territorial Force (TF) on 1 May 1908 under the Haldane Reforms, the 2nd Kent Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) split to form two brigades in the Royal Field Artillery: the headquarters and four companies at Lewisham provided the IV County of London (Howitzer) Brigade while the four companies at Plumstead formed the VIII County of London (Howitzer) Brigade from 7 July 1908 with the following organisation: VIII County of London (Howitzer) Brigade, RFA 21st County of London (Howitzer) Battery 22nd County of London (Howitzer) Battery VIII London (Howitzer) Brigade Ammunition Column (added 26 May 1909) The new headquarters (HQ) was established at 'Oaklands', St Margaret's Road (later St Margaret's Grove), Plumstead, soon after the units split. VIII Brigade also had a presence at the old 2nd Kent RGA drill hall at Bloomfield Road, Greenwich. The first commanding officer (CO) was Major P.O. Thomas of the 2nd Kent, who was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. Armed with four horsedrawn Breech-loading 5-inch howitzers each, the batteries of IV and VIII Brigades were intended to provide indirect fire support for the TF's 1st London and 2nd London Divisions respectively. First World War Mobilisation On the outbreak of war the brigade was commanded by a Regular officer, Maj W.E. Emery, who was a Temporary Lt-Col in the TF. When war was declared in August 1914, VIII London Bde had only just arrived at Perham Down on Salisbury Plain for its annual training camp, and it was immediately recalled to London to mobilise. After completing their mobilisation the 2nd London Division's artillery brigades moved to the country round Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Kings Langley in Hertfordshire to begin war training. After mobilisation TF units