The appointment was made provisionally in the first instance, but confirmed before the close of a year. In April, 1853, the department was increased by the addition of French and German masters, who, besides assisting the young officers, were called upon to afford instruction in their respective languages to officers of artillery of all ranks who might be desirous of profiting by it.
An allowance of 300l. per annum was also made to enable a proportion of the more intelligent of the young officers to accompany the Director in visits to arsenals and fortresses abroad and manufacturing districts at home.
In July, 1855, the Director of Artillery Studies was allowed the following assistants: 2 Captains of Artillery, 1 Instructor in Surveying, 1 Instructor in Military Drawing, etc., 1 Lecturer on Natural Philosophy and Mechanics, 3 Non-commissioned officers, for the purpose of giving instruction to certain gentlemen provisionally commissioned from public colleges or schools after a competitive examination, but without passing through the Academy.
The Director was expected to advise and assist the efforts of officers of the Royal Artillery in improving their professional qualifications, and to arrange classes of officers for instruction in chemistry, photography, drawing, French, and German, at the Royal Artillery Institution. He was to inform himself of all the more interesting experiments under the Ordnance Select Committee, as well as the operations and processes carried on in the Government manufacturing departments. He was to arrange and conduct the annual military tour on the continent; and direct the studies of young officers.
Upon the formation of the Advanced Class in 1864, the staff was greatly increased, and an Assistant Director appointed, to take charge in the absence of the Director; to give instruction to classes of officers of the regiment sent to Woolwich from time to time, to officers from the Staff College, and to Militia and Volunteer artillery officers; to prepare questions for the examination of subaltern officers Royal Artillery for promotion, and report on the results of such examinations; to attend on foreigners of distinction, and other duties performed by the Director prior to the formation of the Advanced Class.
The following shows the attendance for the year ending 31st March, 1869:
| Advanced class of artillery officers, | 6 | 2 years’ course. | ||
| Firemasters’ class, R.A., | 7 | 9 months’ course. | ||
3 short courseclasses, | Royal Artillery, | 29 | 2 “ “ | |
Military Store Staff, | 8 | |||
| Shoeburyness gunnery class, R.A., | 20 | 3 “ “ | ||
| Officers of the late Indian brigades, | 3 | 1 for 3 months’ course; 2 for 2 months’ course. | ||
| Officers from the Staff College, | 13 | 1½ months’ course. | ||
| Militia artillery officers, | 6 | 2 “ “ | ||
| Volunteer artillery officers, | 2 | |||
| Total, | 94 | |||
Non-commissioned Officers and Men, Royal Artillery.
2 long course classes, non-commissioned officers, | 19 | 6 months’ course. | |
10 short course classes, non-commissioned officers andmen, | 200 | 2 “ “ | |
Shoeburyness gunnery class, non-commissioned officers. | 36 | 3 “ “ | |
| Total, | 255 |
The young officers lately joined attend here twice a week to receive instruction, by lectures, from the Assistant Director of Artillery Studies on military law, courts-martial, and interior economy.