The Bristol Gunners tells the story of the Gloucestershire Volunteer Artillery (GVA) from its birth in the French invasion crisis of 1859 through to the modern day. An Italian revolutionary sparked the crisis which gave life to the GVA, and by a strange quirk of circumstances the GVA became intimately linked with the Italian people through two world wars. Bristol gunners have served in many wars and actions since the formation of the GVA, and they continue to serve today in the newly created Reserve Forces. Through many changes of challenge and technology the GVA have always responded with expertise and enthusiasm for the task. While this is a story of Bristol men, it reflects the stories of many other Territorial and Volunteer military units throughout the UK. This account is based on archives, records, and personal diaries kept by men of the GVA and held in our archives. Many of these accounts have not before been published.