Paddington Rifles

The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle, Artillery and Engineer Volunteer units composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need. One such unit was the Paddington Rifles, raised at Hermitage Street, Paddington, on 29 February 1860, which became the 36th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers (Paddington Rifles). Major-General David Downing (1802–88), late of the Bengal Army, became the unit's first commanding officer (CO). In line with the Volunteers' raison d'etre, the Paddington Rifles adopted the motto 'Arm for Peace'.

The unit had two companies on parade at the first Volunteer Review held in Hyde Park in 1860, with recruitment for a third well under way. Soon afterwards the Paddington Rifles had four companies, a cadet corps and a drum and bugle band. Headquarters was at the Vestry Hall of St Mary's Church, Paddington Green, with weapons stored and drills carried out at the Hermitage Street Fire Station across Harrow Road. The Corps also had the use of two riding schools, Pearce's in Westbourne Grove and Gapp's in Gloucester Terrace.

After undergoing 30 recruit drills in their first 18 months in the unit, the basic annual requirement for Volunteers was to attend six company drills, three battalion drills and the annual inspection, but many enthusiastic volunteers did far more than this, In July 1861 the 36th Middlesex RVC held morning and evening drills every weekday leading up to that year's grand Volunteer Review on Wimbledon Common. Discipline was, however, often lacking, and in December 1860 Maj-Gen Downing, had to appeal to his men to avoid insubordination. The following year he was openly criticised in the Paddington Newsman by his own officers. His successor, Lt-Col William Wood (late Royal Marines), appointed 12 March 1861, received the same treatment in the Paddington Times in April 1868. On 22 July 1869, Wood became Honorary Colonel of the unit and was replaced as CO by Gordon Maynard Ives (later Girdon-Ives) of Bentworth Hall (1837–1907), formerly of the Coldstream Guards.

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