4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery 4th Regiment Royal Artillery | |
---|---|
Active | 31 May 1939 –present |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Artillery Regiment |
Role | Field artillery |
Size | 6 Batteries 489 personnel [1] |
Garrison/HQ | Alanbrooke Barracks, North Yorkshire |
Nickname(s) | The North East Gunners The Fighting Fourth |
Colors | Black & Gold |
Equipment | L118 light gun |
Website | 4 Regiment Royal Artillery |
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.
It is currently based at Alanbrooke Barracks in Topcliffe and serves in the light close support role, equipped with 105mm L118 light guns supporting 7 Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team. The regiment is part of NATO's Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (Land). [2]
In 1939, the regiment was formed as 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) at Helmieh, Egypt on 28 May 1939. The original batteries were C Battery, F (Sphinx) Battery, and G Battery (Mercer's Troop), drawn from independent commands in India, [3] and equipped with the Ordnance QF 25 pounder. During the Battle of Sidi Rezegh in the Western Desert on 23 November 1941, Brigadier John Charles Campbell, who only a few months earlier had been commanding 4th RHA, won the Victoria Cross. [4]
After World War Two, in 1947, 4th Regiment RHA was based in Germany at Dorset Barracks in Kiel. By 1948, the regiment moved to Alma Barracks at Blackdown Camp and in 1951, the regiment moved to Barracks at Hohne. In 1961, the regiment became 4th Regiment, Royal Artillery, with three batteries moving to 33rd Parachute Light Regiment Royal Artillery, which immediately became 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. 4th Regiment RA gained 29 (Corunna), 88 (Arracan) and 97 Battery (Lawson's Company) as gun batteries and was posted to Hong Kong. [5]
In 1965, the regiment deployed on operations to the Malayan Peninsula. It saw active service from February to April and during the confrontation with Indonesia in Borneo until November. By 1966, the regiment resumed service in West Germany, moving to Munsterlager in support of 1st Division (renamed the 1st Armoured Division in the 1970s). Across the 1970s, the regiment served three emergency tours in Northern Ireland in 1971/1972, 1974, and 1976. In 1977, the regiment relieved 7th RHA in Aldershot in support of 6 Field Force and equipped with the 105mm Light Gun adopted the parachute role. In 1981, 29 (Corunna) Battery deployed to Long Kesh (HMP Maze) in Northern Ireland.
In 1982, two gun batteries and the regimental HQ (RHQ), with mortar locating radar and intelligence sections, deployed to retake the Falkland Islands. [5]
In 1984, the regiment moved to Osnabrück and was equipped with the M109 155mm Self-propelled gun, remaining in support of the 1st Armoured Division and in 1986, 88 (Arracan) Battery deployed to Long Kesh (HMP Maze) in Northern Ireland. By 1991, the regiment undertook an emergency tour of Northern Ireland as the Tyrone Roulement Battalion. In 1994, it deployed to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Equipped with the AS90 gun and returning to Osnabruck in 1997, batteries of the regiment deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina. [5]
In 2004, parts of the regiment deployed to Iraq for Operation TELIC 5, where they were involved in the reconstruction of Basra. Two years later, the regiment deployed on Operation TOSCA on peacekeeping duties as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). In 2007, the regiment began its conversion to the 105mm Light Gun and then deployed for Operation HERRICK 7 in Afghanistan. Later, in 2008, the regiment moved from Osnabrück to Topcliffe. It deployed on Operation HERRICK 12 in Afghanistan in 2010 and in 2012, the regiment returned to Afghanistan for the final time for Operation HERRICK 17. [6]
Under the initial Army 2020 reforms, the regiment was placed under Force Troops Command (now 6th (UK) Division) and tasked to support the Adaptable Force. The regiment's Army Reserve pairing is with 103 Regiment RA, based in the north west of England. [7]
In 2019, the regiment was deployed to the Republic of Cyprus as part of the army's Operation Tosca; the deployment was part of the wider Operation Tosca 30. [8]
In 2020, the regiment assisted with the construction of NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, a temporary critical care hospital, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. [9]
The regiment consists of: [10]
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.
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 3 Commando Brigade, to which it provides artillery support and gunnery observation.
47 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It is equipped with the Thales Watchkeeper WK450. It is located at Horne Barracks, Larkhill in Wiltshire. It falls under command of Joint Aviation Command.
26th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. The regiment is equipped with MLRS and is 3rd Division's divisional fires regiment.
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. They are currently based at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland, England.
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.
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.
35 Battery Royal Artillery was part of the Royal Artillery. Its name is pronounced "three five", The battery is one of the sub-units of 39th Regiment Royal Artillery, part of the British Army. It was formed in 1765. It is the senior battery.
A Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the senior Battery in the British Army's Royal Artillery and is part of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. The Chestnut Troop is currently based in Purvis Lines at Larkhill Barracks. The unit is currently equipped as a Close Support Artillery Battery, with the AS-90 Self-propelled gun.
B Battery, Royal Horse Artillery is a Close Support Battery of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. It is currently based in Purvis Lines in Larkhill Camp.
E Battery Royal Horse Artillery is a Close Support Battery of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. It is currently based in Purvis Lines in Larkhill Camp.
N Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery is a Tactical Group Battery of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. They are currently based in Merville Barracks Colchester, home of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team.
F (Sphinx) Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery is a close support battery of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army, currently based in Merville Barracks in Colchester.
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.
G Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery is a close support battery of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army, currently based in Merville Barracks in Colchester.
I Parachute Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the Headquarters battery of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army, currently based in Albemarle Barracks in Newcastle Upon Tyne.
H Battery Royal Horse Artillery is a battery of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army. As of 2015, it is based at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland, England and is equipped with GMLRS.
V Battery Royal Horse Artillery was a battery of the Royal Horse Artillery. Formed in 1804, the battery took part in the Napoleonic Wars – notably the Peninsular War and Battle of Waterloo – before being placed into suspended animation in 1816 as part of the usual post-war reductions of the British Army.
97 Battery Royal Artillery was formed on 13 September 1803 as Captain H. Douglas's Company, 8th Battalion Royal Artillery and is currently a tac battery within 4th Regiment Royal Artillery based in Alanbrooke Barracks, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire. The battery was until recently a gun battery but was reduced to a tactical or tac battery in 2013 following its last operational tour of Afghanistan. It is now one of three tac batteries that call in artillery fire from 4th Regiment Royal Artillery's two remaining gun batteries. The battery has been known by a variety of names during its existence and moved between different Royal Artillery Regiments or Battalions due to reorganisations of the Royal Regiment of Artillery and changes in role. In the First World War it fought as 87th (Howitzer) Battery, Royal Field Artillery.