29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery

Last updated
29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery
Guns on the Citadel, Plymouth (5027).jpg
Guns of 29 Commando Regiment at the Royal Citadel, Plymouth
Active1947 – Present
AllegianceFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
Role Field artillery
Size5 Batteries
430 personnel [1]
Part of UK Commando Force
Garrison/HQ Royal Citadel, Plymouth
Nickname(s)The Commando gunners
Equipment L118 Light Gun
Engagements
Commanders
Current
commander
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Alexander Alford Dornan RA

29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery is the Commando-trained unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery, based in Plymouth. The regiment is under the operational control of the UK Commando Force, to which it provides artillery support and gunnery observation.

Contents

History

The regiment was established in 1947 by the redesignation of the 25th Field Regiment. [2] [3] In 1951, it was renamed as the 29th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery and was based at Brancepeth Camp in Durham. [3] In 1957, it was deployed to Cyprus on internal security duties, and spent three years at Karlaos Camp, near Famagusta. By now it had reverted to a field regiment, at one point loaning its 25-pounder field guns to another regiment that was hurriedly deployed with a United Nations force to Lebanon and Jordan. In late 1960 the regiment exchanged with 42 Field Regiment and on return to the UK took over that regiment's guns and station at the Royal Citadel, Plymouth. [3] [4]

In June 1961, Abd al-Karim Qasim's Iraqi Republic announced its intention to annex newly-independent Kuwait, and a British military force was hurriedly sent to the kingdom in Operation Vantage. Regimental Headquarters (RHQ), 79 (Kirkee) and 145 (Maiwand) batteries of 29 Field Regiment were flown without their guns to Kuwait City. 25-Pounder guns and 3-tonner lorries arrived a few days later by sea from the strategic reserve at Aden. The regiment moved up close to the border with Iraq and established gun positions and observation posts (OPs). The threatened invasion did not happen, and in October the British force was relieved by the Arab League. 29 Field Regiment moved back to Aden to await sea transport to Plymouth. [4]

29 Commando Regiment Memorial on Plymouth Hoe. 29 Commando Regiment memorial, Plymouth 2014-04-02 02.jpg
29 Commando Regiment Memorial on Plymouth Hoe.

In 1962, the regiment re-roled and became 29 Commando Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. At that time, each battery consisted of four 105mm pack howitzers (Italian Mountain Gun). [2] [3]

In the 1970s, batteries from the regiment completed operational tours in Northern Ireland. [5]

During the 1982 Falklands War, 29 Commando Regiment accompanied the Royal Marines, providing much needed close support with their L118 Light Guns. [6]

In 1996, the honorary Freedom of the City of Plymouth was conferred on the regiment, with the unanimous support of Plymouth City Council. [7]

The regiment conducted numerous operational tours in Afghanistan to provide artillery support during operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants. [8] A war memorial to the fallen of 29 Commando Regiment in post-1945 conflicts was unveiled on Plymouth Hoe on 16 January 2011; It features a Commando dagger made from shells used in the Afghanistan conflict. [9]

Organisation

Practice firings by 7 (Sphinx) Commando Battery on exercise near Cape Wrath in Scotland. 105mm Light Guns Firing MOD 45149215.jpg
Practice firings by 7 (Sphinx) Commando Battery on exercise near Cape Wrath in Scotland.

The present regiment consists of a HQ battery, three gun batteries, a Naval Gunfire Support Forward Observation battery and an attached Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers workshop, which includes a Royal Logistic Corps stores section. The gun batteries are equipped with six L118 105mm light guns and three OPs each. The batteries are as follows: [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Artillery</span> Artillery arm of the British Army

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises thirteen Regular Army regiments, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and five Army Reserve regiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Marines</span> Maritime land warfare force of the United Kingdom

The Royal Marines, also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, and officially as the Corps of Royal Marines, are the United Kingdom's amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, and provide a company strength unit to the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The Royal Marines trace their origins back to the formation of the "Duke of York and Albany's maritime regiment of Foot" on 28 October 1664, and the first Royal Marines Commando unit was formed at Deal in Kent on 14 February 1942 and designated "The Royal Marine Commando".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Claret</span> Series of raids during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation

Claret was the code name given to operations conducted from about July 1964 until July 1966 from East Malaysia across the border in Indonesian Kalimantan during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. They were instigated by the Director of Borneo Operations (DOBOPS) Major General Walter Walker with the agreement of the British and Malaysian governments. Their purpose was to seize the initiative and put the Indonesians on the defensive instead of allowing Indonesian forces to be safely based in Kalimantan and attack when and where they chose. However, it was important not to cause the Indonesians to lose face and possibly escalate the conflict, or to enable Indonesia to present evidence of 'imperialist aggression', so Claret operations were highly classified and never publicised, although it seems that some British journalists were aware of what transpired. British casualties on Claret operations were publicly reported as being in East Malaysia.

The 2003 Defence White Paper, titled Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out the future structure of the British military, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001. Published under the then Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon, the report effectively introduced a series of cutbacks to core equipment and manpower and the scaling back of a series of future capital procurement projects. This was justified due to the implementation of a policy termed Network Enabled Capability. The review also outlined a major restructuring and consolidation of British Army Infantry regiments.

This is a list of British ground forces in the Falklands War. For a list of ground forces from Argentina, see Argentine ground forces in the Falklands War

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Citadel, Plymouth</span>

The Royal Citadel in Plymouth, Devon, England, was built in the late 1660s to the design of Sir Bernard de Gomme. It is at the eastern end of Plymouth Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound, and encompasses the site of the earlier fort that had been built in the time of Sir Francis Drake. The citadel site is a Scheduled Monument and many of the buildings within are Grade II Listed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team</span> Active British Army formation

16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, known simply as 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1999 – 2021, is a formation of the British Army predominantly based in Colchester, Essex. It makes up the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readiness, and is the only brigade in the British Army focused on operating via parachute, helicopter and air-landing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L118 light gun</span> Towed field gun

The L118 light gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer. It was originally designed and produced in the United Kingdom for the British Army in the 1970s. It has since been widely exported. The L119 and the United States Army's M119 are variants that use a different type of ammunition.

100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery is a reserve unit of the British Army that provides tactical air control parties, naval gunnery liaison officers, specialist staff officers and gunnery instructors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">104th Regiment Royal Artillery</span> British Army reserve artillery regiment

104 Regiment Royal Artillery is part of the British Army Reserve and has sub-units throughout Wales and the West Midlands of England. It is equipped with the 105mm Light Gun.

148 (Meiktila) Commando Forward Observation Battery is a specialist Naval Gunfire Support Forward Observation (NGSFO) unit within 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery of UK Commando Force Royal Marines.

41 Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery was formally raised in Egypt during March 1916 for service with the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, part of 4th Division Artillery. Today 41st Field Battery is one of 4 batteries that make up the 1st Field Regiment, part of 7 Brigade.

32 Regiment Royal Artillery (The Wessex Gunners) is a regiment in the Royal Artillery, part of the British Army and is the only Royal Artillery unit equipped with miniature unmanned aerial systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Regiment Royal Artillery</span> British Army artillery regiment

The 4th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It was formed in 1939 as 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, before being redesignated in 1961.

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS90 self-propelled gun. The regiment is currently based at Larkhill Garrison, Larkhill. The regiment completed its move from Assaye Barracks, Tidworth, to Larkhill in June 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Regiment Royal Artillery</span> British Army artillery regiment

5th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It was formed in 1939 as 5th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery before being redesignated in 1958. It currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role and is equipped with radars and acoustic sound ranging equipment; it also provides Special Observation Post teams.

7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the field artillery role with 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, and is equipped with the L118 Light Gun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment Royal Artillery</span> British Army reserve artillery regiment

103rd Regiment Royal Artillery is part of the Army Reserve and primarily has sub-units throughout the Greater Manchester and Merseyside area of the North-West of England, in recent years it has extended its footprint to Wolverhampton, Isle of Man, Carlisle and Nottingham. Its purpose is to provide reinforcements for units that use the 105 mm L118 Light Gun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Artillery Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

The 1st Artillery Brigade was a support formation of the British Army from 1961-77 and from 1997. Part of the 3rd Division, it oversaw all army close support artillery and deep fires units. Under the Future Soldier programme, the brigade merged with 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade to form 1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team.

The 289 Commando Troop originated as a parachute artillery regiment of the Territorial Army formed in London in 1956. It was transferred to the Royal Horse Artillery in 1960 and reduced to a battery in 1967. In 1977 it was re-roled as a Commando battery before being reduced to a troop in 1999. It is now based in Plymouth as a detached part of 266 Battery where they perform the same Close Support Light Gun Role as part of 104 Regiment Royal Artillery, whilst also supporting 29 Commando Regiment in an unofficial role.

References

  1. "Army – Question for Ministry of Defence". p. 1. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 J.B.M. Frederick, Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978, Vol II, Wakefield: Microform Academic, 1984, ISBN 1-85117-009-X, p. 947.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "29th Regiment RA". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  4. 1 2 Major Colin Robins, '29 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in Kuwait, 1961', Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research, Vol 99, No 396 (Spring 2021), pp. 95–100.
  5. "3 April 1973 → Written Answers (Commons) → DEFENCE". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . 3 April 1973. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  6. Fairhall, David (21 May 1982). "Why British invasion will be risky affair". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  7. "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 1 Feb 1996 (pt 18)". Hansard, UK Parliament. 1 February 1996. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  8. Gall, Carlotta (6 May 2002). "From Hilltop Perch, British Troops Watch for Holdouts". The New York Times . Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  9. "Memorial - 29 Commando Regt Royal Artillery". www.iwm.org.uk. Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  10. "29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery: Batteries". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  11. "29 Commando Royal Artillery". Army.Mod.UK. Retrieved 5 May 2021.