Memorial stone marking the position where Mercer's troop fought French cavalry on the Waterloo battlefield.
The troop's best known action during the Napoleonic Wars came in June 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo. Under the command of Captain Mercer, the battery was equipped with five 9 pounder cannons and a 5½" howitzer.[3][4][lower-alpha 1] Initially placed on the right, it was ordered to assist in repelling an attack by French cavalry at the centre of the allied line. It beat off repeated charges by the French, disobeying previously issued orders from the Duke of Wellington that gunners were to abandon the guns and take refuge inside nearby infantry squares as the enemy closed.[7] In commemoration of this action, the troop was named after Mercer.[2][lower-alpha 2]
In the usual post-war reductions of the British Army, a number of troops of horse artillery were disbanded between 1815 and 1816, including D Troop (Beane's Troop) on 31 July 1816.[9] The remaining troops were then moved up to assume the next available letter[10] and the G Troop became F Troop on the same date.[1]
Indian Mutiny
The troop was dispatched to India in 1858 to assist in the final operations to quell the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[11] From 1 July 1859, while still in Bengal, it was assigned to the Horse Brigade, Royal Artillery[12] along with all the existing horse artillery batteries of the Royal Artillery. This was an administrative, rather than tactical, formation.[13]
As a result of the Rebellion, the British Crown took direct control of India from the East India Company on 1 November 1858 under the provisions of the Government of India Act 1858. The Presidency armies transferred to the direct authority of the British Crown and its European units were transferred to the British Army. Henceforth artillery, the mutineers most effective arm, was to be the sole preserve of the British Army (with the exception of certain Mountain Artillery batteries). On 19 February 1862, the Horse Brigade RA became the 1st Horse Brigade RA and the Bengal, Madras and Bombay horse artillery formed the 2nd to 5th Horse Brigades.[14][lower-alpha 3]
Late Victorian era
The 1st Brigade with 10 batteries was much larger than the other four (with four to seven batteries each). Therefore, a reorganization of the Horse Artillery on 13 April 1864 saw 1st Brigade split as A and B Brigades.[15][lower-alpha 4] The battery was moved to B Brigade, and as battery designations were tied to the brigade the battery was assigned to, it was redesignated as C Battery, B Brigade (or C/B Battery in short).[1]
From 1866, the term "Royal Horse Artillery" appeared in Army List[16] hence the battery was designated C Battery, B Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery from about this time. Another reorganization on 14 April 1877 saw the number of brigades reduced to three (of 10 batteries each); the battery joined A Brigade and became G Battery, A Brigade.[17] The number of brigades was further reduced to two (of 13 batteries each) in 1882 without effecting the designation of the battery.[18]
The brigade system was finally abolished on 1 July 1889. Henceforth, batteries were designated in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation[19] and the battery took on its final designation as G Battery, Royal Horse Artillery.[1]
The brigade system was reintroduced on 1 March 1901, this time as tactical formations, and the battery was assigned to the XI Brigade-Division, RHA (redesignated as V Brigade, RHA on 1 October 1906) along with O Battery[25] and was stationed at Ambala.[26]
Photo showing 13 pounder gun team galloping into action.
On 24 November 1914, G Battery was transferred to XV (later IV) Brigade, RHA in 3rd Cavalry Division.[29] In practice, the batteries were permanently assigned to the cavalry brigades and G Battery served with 8th Cavalry Brigade.[30] It joined too late to take part in any of the 1914 actions, but in 1915 saw action in the Second Battle of Ypres (Battle of Frezenberg Ridge, 11–13 May) and the Battle of Loos (26–28 September). 1916 saw no notable actions, but in 1917 it took part in the Battle of Arras (First Battle of the Scarpe, 9–12 April).[31] At other times, the battery served in the trenches as infantry.[21]
In March 1918, the 4th (formerly 1st Indian) and 5th (formerly 2nd Indian) Cavalry Divisions were broken up in France. The Indian elements were sent to Egypt where they formed part of the new 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions which played a major part in the successful conclusion of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. The British and Canadian units remained in France[32] and most of them were transferred to the 3rd Cavalry Division causing it to be extensively reorganized.[30]
In March 1918, 8th Cavalry Brigade was broken up. It was replaced in 3rd Cavalry Division by the Canadian Cavalry Brigade with its attached Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Brigade (A and B Batteries, RCHA each with four 13 pounders) from the disbanding 5th Cavalry Division.[30] On 13 March, G Battery was posted to XVII Brigade, RHA (formerly with 5th Cavalry Division[33]) to bring it back up to three batteries.[34]
The battery took part in the Victory Parade in Paris in July 1919,[35] and returned to the United Kingdom (Aldershot) from Germany in October.[38] Still assigned to V Brigade, it remained at Aldershot until November 1926 when it was transferred to Meerut.[39] In 1927, V Brigade was broken up and the battery remained at Meerut, unbrigaded.[40]
From 1938 artillery regiments were reorganized from three six-gun batteries to two 12-gun batteries. Rather than disband existing batteries, they were instead linked in pairs. As a result, G Battery was linked with F Battery to form F/G Battery on 28 May 1939.[1][43][lower-alpha 7] In the event, the batteries were unlinked within months (on 25 November 1939) and the battery resumed its individual existence.[1][43]
Second World War
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the battery was still linked with F Battery as F/G Battery in 4th Regiment, RHA and still in Egypt. It was unlinked on 25 November 1939 and simultaneously assigned to the 5th Regiment, RHA at Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire. It remained part of 5th RHA for the rest of the war.[45]
Gunners of 'G' Battery (Mercer's Troop), Royal Horse Artillery, inside a pillbox, 29 October 1940 (IWM H5110)
Other than a period from 1977 to 1984 when the battery (and the regiment) was rerolled as a field artillery unit and posted to the BAOR in Germany, it has been based in England, initially at Aldershot but latterly at Colchester.[57]
Operation Pitting. In August 2021, members of G Bty TAC Group (held at high readiness), deployed to Kabul in Afghanistan. This was to aid in the extraction of British Nationals, following the rapid Taliban advance across the country and into the city. Over 15,000 eligible Afghans and British Nationals successfully evacuated, in an operation that marked the end of the UK’s 20-year military campaign in Afghanistan. [57]
↑ Other sources state that the battery was armed exclusively with 9 pounder cannons.[5][6]
↑ The Honour Title "Mercer's Troop" was officially granted on 13 October 1926.[8]
↑ The 1st Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery became 2nd Horse Brigade RA, the Madras Horse Artillery became 3rd Horse Brigade RA, the Bombay Horse Artillery became 4th Horse Brigade RA and the 2nd Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery became 5th Horse Brigade RA. The 3rd Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery was split between 2nd and 5th Horse Brigades RA.[14]
The 1st Cavalry Division was a regular Division of the British Army during the First World War where it fought on the Western Front. During the Second World War it was a first line formation, formed from Yeomanry Regiments. It fought in the Middle East before being converted to the 10th Armoured Division.
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.
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.
M (Headquarters) Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the Headquarters Battery of 3rd 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. The Battery Commander is Maj B Johnston RHA.
The 4th Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Army. It served in the Napoleonic Wars, in the First World War on the Western Front where it was initially assigned to The Cavalry Division before spending most of the war with the 2nd Cavalry Division, and with the 1st Cavalry Division during the Second World War.
The 2nd Cavalry Division was a division of the regular British Army that saw service in the Peninsular War and in World War I, when it also known as Gough's Command, after its commanding general. It was part of the British Expeditionary Force that served in France in from 1914 to 1918. It was involved in most of the major actions where cavalry were used as a mounted mobile force, and also many where the troops were dismounted and effectively served as infantry.
Q Battery is the Headquarters Battery of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery in the Royal Artillery. It currently serves as the Headquarters Battery for the British Army's Surveillance and Target Acquisition regiment.
Z Battery RA was a Battery of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery in the Royal Artillery. It had the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role and was equipped with various weapon platform locating equipment using radars and acoustic sound ranging assets.
The 3rd Cavalry Brigade was a cavalry brigade of the British Army. It served in the Napoleonic Wars, in the Boer War, and in the First World War on the Western Front where it was initially assigned to The Cavalry Division before spending most of the war with the 2nd Cavalry Division.
VII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with 1st Cavalry Division throughout World War I and was reorganized post-war before being dissolved. A related unit 7th Regiment, RHA had a brief existence post-World War II, before 7th Parachute Regiment, RHA was formed in 1961.
6th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery was a Regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery that acted as a training formation during World War II. It was the last RHA unit to serve in India between December 1945 and April 1947, before being redesignated as 6th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in Palestine in 1948.
V Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with 8th Division on the Western Front in World War I before becoming V Army Brigade, RHA in January 1917. It was reformed after the war but was disbanded in October 1928.
IV Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with 3rd Cavalry Division throughout World War I but was dissolved shortly thereafter.
III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It served with the 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions on the Western Front throughout World War I.
2nd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery that served in the Second World War. It saw action in France, Greece, North Africa and Italy. It was redesignated as 2nd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1958.
I Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery was a brigade of the Royal Horse Artillery which existed in the early part of the 20th century. It was dissolved at the outbreak of World War I as its constituent batteries were posted to other formations.
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.
T Battery Royal Artillery is an air defence battery of the Royal Artillery that serves with the British Army's 12 Regiment Royal Artillery. It is stationed at Baker Barracks, Thorney Island, West Sussex.
Clarke, W.G. (1993). Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism. Woolwich: The Royal Artillery Institution. ISBN09520762-0-9.
Frederick, J.B.M. (1984). Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978. Wakefield, Yorkshire: Microform Academic Publishers. ISBN1-85117-009-X.
Joslen, Lt-Col H.F. (1990) [1st. Pub. HMSO:1960]. Orders of Battle, Second World War, 1939–1945. London: London Stamp Exchange. ISBN0-948130-03-2.
Perry, F.W. (1993). Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions. Newport: Ray Westlake Military Books. ISBN1-871167-23-X.
Order of Battle of the British Armies in France, November 11th, 1918. France: General Staff, GHQ. 1918.
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