B Battery Royal Horse Artillery

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.

B Battery Royal Horse Artillery
Active1 February 1793 – 28 March 1819
9 May 1855 – present
Country United Kingdom
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch British Army
TypeArtillery
RoleSelf-propelled artillery
SizeBattery
Part of1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Garrison/HQLarkhill Camp
Motto(s)Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt
AnniversariesSahagun Day 21st December
EquipmentAS-90
EngagementsIrish Rebellion of 1798
Peninsular war
Crimean War
Boxer Rebellion
World War I
World War II
Aden Emergency
Operation Banner-(Northern Ireland)
Operation Granby-(Iraq)
Bosnia
Kosovo
Operation TELIC-(Iraq)
Operation HERRICK-(Afghanistan)
Operation CABRIT-(Estonia)
Battle honoursUbique

History

Formation

Following the French Revolution in 1789, an uneasy truce between England and France collapsed when, on 1 February 1793, Napoléon declared war on England. On the same day, by Royal Warrant of King George III, A Troop (now A Battery The Chestnut Troop) and B Troop (now B Battery) were raised at Woolwich. The Battery flag 'The Chequerboard' was created to distinguish the Battery from other batteries on the gun line. The date of when the flag was first used is unknown.[1][2]

The 'Chequerboard' for B Battery Royal Horse Artillery.

Irish Rebellion of 1798

The troops' first deployment came when it supplied two guns to a composite troop in response to the Irish Rebellion of 1798. The first battle came at the Battle of New Ross on the 5 June 1798 which was later recognised as one of the hardest contests of the rebellion. The guns were later present at the final encounter of the rebellion at the Battle of Vinegar Hill.[3][2]

Peninsular War

B Troop departed from Woolwich Wharf on 23 September 1808 and arrived in Corunna on 8 November. The Troop first saw action in Spain against Napoleon’s armies when supporting 15th Hussars, at the Battle of Sahagun. The troop also later took part in the Battle of Corunna, where both of these battles are now the names of troops within the Battery.[4]

England and Reduction, 1809 - 1819

This period was one of inactivity for B Troop. The Troop had been severely tested in the Peninsular Campaign and saw no more active service from the Napoleonic Wars. In 1813, the first Rocket Troop was formed form a cadre of B Troop and on 28 February 1819, it was decided to reduce B Troop RHA as part of a reduction of size of the British Army following the Waterloo Campaign.[5]

Crimean War

In the Crimean War during the Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855), B Troop, Royal Horse Artillery was re-formed on 1 May 1855, and landed in the Crimea peninsular one month later. However, by this stage the war was well under way with the siege of Sebastopol already commenced. There is no record of B Troop being directly engaged.[5]

The Boxer Rebellion, 1900

In 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion, the Battery was the only Horse Artillery unit present. During the Battery’s time in China, it did not encounter much resistance however, it was forced to travel hundreds of miles over almost impassable terrain. Unfortunately there is very little documented history from the Battery’s activity during this period.  Most of the Battery's most interesting and unusual pieces of silver originate from this campaign.[4][2]

World War I

At the beginning of the war, B Battery was still in India however quickly returned to England in 1914. It became the senior Battery in the famous 29th Division and 1915 was perhaps the greatest in B Battery’s history since the Peninsula Campaign. In April 1915, the Right Section of B Battery was the first Horse Artillery unit ashore during the Gallipoli landings. During the battle, the battery fired more ammunition from their 18-pounder guns than any other battery, and when the Allied forces pulled out, B Battery was the final Battery to leave the peninsula. In 1916, the Battery was almost continually in action during the Somme Offensive. Later in 1917, the Battery moved to support the Allied offensives at Arras, the Third Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Cambrai and the Battle of the Lys. During these years, the Battery experienced gas and aerial bombardment for the first time and B and L Batteries was victorious at the Battle of Cambrai (1917) on 20 November 1917. In 1918 the battery fought at the Battle of Passchendaele.[4]

Between the World Wars

Between 1919 and 1921, the Battery was sent to Egypt and Palestine. It then returned to England until 1932 when it redeployed again to Egypt and Palestine to perform police duties during the British Mandate of Palestine and the Arab-Jewish terrorist campaign which later led to the Great Revolt.[4]

Mechanisation, 1936
A 'Dragon' tractor towing the 3.7 inch howitzer from the A Battery (The Chestnut Troop).

The last time the Battery officially paraded with horses was for the funeral of its commander, Major McKay, in Cairo on 14 June 1937. In 1936, B Battery became mechanised and ‘Dragon’ tractors towing 3.7 inch howitzers replaced the 13 pounder guns and horses. At this time, B Battery formed part of 1st Brigade RHA and supported the 1st Cavalry Brigade station in Egypt whose task was to defend the country’s railways. In 1938, B and O Batteries, and A and E Batteries, were merged to form two six gun Batteries forming the A/E Battery and B/O Battery. 1st Brigade RHA was shortly after renamed 1st Regiment RHA.[4]

World War II

In Lille (France) in 1939, the battery was equipped with the 25-pounder gun, towed by the Morris Quad. In June 1940, with the 51st (Highland) Division, it suffered severe losses in St Valery which resulted in the Dunkirk evacuation. In 1940, after reforming in England, B Battery departed for the Middle East, as part of the Desert Rats. It fought in all the major battles in the Middle East Theatre of Operations. Most significantly, during the Siege of Tobruk the Battery was in constant action. The Battery also fought at Derna, Bir El Igela, El Adem, Elvet El Tamar, Deir El Abram, and the First Battle of El Alamein, Alam el Halfa and the Second Battle of El Alamein. It was at Alam el Halfa that the battery supported 133 Infantry Brigade firing over open sights against the tanks of 21. Panzer Division, knocking out or damaging some 30 German tanks. Sometime between 1942 and 1945 the battery was retrained on the 105mm Priest and were involved in the Battles for the Gothic Line and River Po in Italy.[4]

Post war

In 1947, as part of the 1st Armoured Division, B battery returned to Palestine to assist the civil police.[6] In 1952 it was deployed to British Army of the Rhine in Münster and Hildesheim and was equipped with M44 155 mm Howitzers.[6] Between 1965 and 1967, B battery was equipped with the Italian 105 mm Pack Howitzer and deployed to Aden.[6] In the 1970s, the battery completed tours in Northern Ireland, and in 1990, the battery provided soldiers for a combined A/B/E Battery which fought in the Gulf War.[6] In 1996, the battery was deployed to Bosnia.[6] In 2004, B Battery deployed with 1 RHA to Basra in Iraq on Operation Telic 4 and in 2007 the battery deployed with 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery to Basra in Iraq on Operation Telic 10.[6]

Current role

Structure and equipment

B Battery has four troops named after famous battles:

  • El Tamar Troop is the Targeting Troop and it is equipped with three Warrior OPVs, a Warrior BCV and a 432 FPC.
  • Corunna Troop is the Logistics Troop containing the BQMS and Motor Transport departments which are responsible for all the wheeled vehicles both in and out of camp and for all re-supply in the field.
  • Downman's Troop is equipped with three AS-90s, a Command Post FV 432 and a Gun Line Section Commander's FV 432.
  • Sahagun Troop is also equipped with three AS-90s, a Command Post FV 432 and a Gun Line Section Commander's FV 432.
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See also

References
  1. Duncan, Major Francis (1879). "History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery Vol II (1784-1815)". John Murray. p. 35.
  2. Iain, Daniels (2007). Anthology of B Battery Royal Horse Artillery. Larkhill: Royal Horse Artillery.
  3. "Stations, Combats & Troop Commanders – B Troop". Napoleon Series. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  4. "Artillery Regiments That Served With The 7th Armoured Division". Desert Rats. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  5. "Royal Horse Artillery". British Empire. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  6. "1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery". British Army Units 1945 on. Retrieved 30 August 2019.

Bibliography
  • Clarke, W.G. (1993). Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism. Woolwich: The Royal Artillery Institution. ISBN 09520762-0-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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