1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

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 AS-90 self-propelled gun. They are currently based in Assaye Barracks in Tidworth

Current role

Regiment structure

*A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) - Equipped with AS-90 and based at Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
*B Battery - Equipped with AS-90 and based at Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
*E Battery - Equipped with AS-90 and based at Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
*L (Néry) Battery - Tactical Group Battery, and based at Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
*O Battery (The Rocket Troop) - Headquarters Battery and based at Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
*REME Workshops

Unit trades

Equipment

History

Formation

*1938 - Although some of the Batteries had existed for 145 years, 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery were formed at Bulford Camp on 1 May 1938.

World War II

*1939 - 1RHA were part of 51 Armd Division, and fought at Saint Valery. The Regiment was captured after severe fighting, but some Batteries managed to escape after the Battle of Dunkirk. The Regiment reformed and was deployed to Northern Africa in late 1940.

*1940 -The Regiment arrived with the Middle East Command in October 1940 and took a large part in Wavell's Campaign which opened on 9 December 1940. The most notable actions were those during the Siege of Tobruk and all the batteries fought during the fierce fighting just before El Alamein and then the First and Second Battles of El Alamein itself. After battle the Regiment was withdrawn to refit, and took no further part in the war in the Western Desert Campaign

1RHA then joined 10 Armd Division in Aleppo and spent the next year training all over Syria, Palestine and the Suez Canal Zone. 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery then landed in Italy from Palestine in May 1944 at Taranto, and were in action south of Rome on 15 May 1944 and thereafter played a full part in the remainder of the Italian Campaign and finished the war in Italy

Cold War

*1945 - 1RHA were stationed in Palestine after World War II, during the period of terrorist activity that led to the creation of the State of Israel.
*1950 - 1RHA returned to England as part of 6th Armoured Division at Salisbury Plain. They were formed because of the emerging threat from the Soviet Union
*1952 - 1RHA moved to Munster in West Germany, where they remained until 1958 as part of the 20th Armd Bde of 6th Armd Div
*1958 - Moved to Hildesheim, where they were equipped with the M44 Self Propelled 155mm Howitzer

*1965 - 1RHA deployed to the Aden with two batteries (split into two independent 2 gun section), where they supported British battalions in the Radfan, and South Arabian battalions on the Yemeni border. The third battery was based at BP Camp in Little Aden, where they carried out internal security duties during the Aden Emergency. All three batteries rotated, and during 21 months in Aden, 1RHA fired over 23,000 rounds in over 200 operations, supporting seven British and six Arab battalions, and suffered nearly 50 casualties.

Recent and current conflicts

Northern Ireland

*1969 - 1RHA were the first Gunner regiment to be tasked on Operation Banner and deployed in November 1969. With a mobile force comprised with more Land Rovers and Radios than predecessors; it was able to respond more rapidly to troublespots.
*1972 - 1RHA moved to Northern Ireland to support 3 Inf Bde. E Battery deployed to the Long Kesh, The Chestnut Troop in Fermanagh, B Battery around Dungannon and the Radar Troop in County Down.
*1974 - In February 1RHA arrived in Belfast City Centre to take over from 19 Field Regt RA. They dealt with over 600 real and hoax Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb alerts of which approx 60 were real. B Battery sadly lost Gunner Farrington during an IRA attack.
*1976 - 1RHA deployed on its fourth Northern Ireland tour, in Belfast City Centre.

Persian Gulf War

*1990 - A composite Battery comprising elements of B Battery and E Battery Royal Horse Artillery|E Battery] were sent to support 40 Field Regt RA in the Persian Gulf

1RHA moved to Assaye Barracks in Tidworth in preparation for the AS-90 Self-propelled artillery

Balkan Wars

*1996 - 1RHA deployed with IFOR to Bosnia
*1996 - 1RHA deployed with SFOR to Bosnia
*1999 – 1RHA deployed with the NATO led force in Kosovo
*2000 - The Chestnut Troop deployed to Sanski Most, Bosnia; whilst L/N Battery deployed to Luzanne, Kosovo
*2002 - 1RHA sent B Battery to Sipovo in Bosnia as the UK Artillery Battery.

Operation TELIC in Iraq

*2004 - 1RHA deployed to Basra, Iraq on Operation Telic (Op TELIC 4) as part of 1 Mechanised Brigade. The Chestnut Troop initially supported the 1 Cheshire Battlegroup monitoring the city police. B Battery trained the regional police departments before providing protection Provincial Support and Liaison Team. E Battery trained the Border Police, and also had soldiers attached to the Danish contingent to the north of Basra.

August and September 2004 were particularly violent, resulting in the tragic loss of Cpl Marc Taylor REME and Gunner David Lawrence in a improvised explosive device/rocket-propelled grenade attack on their convoy. Sgt Terry Bryan received a Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his role as commander of a multiple which was ambushed and had to abandon their vehicles.

ee also

*British Army
*Royal Artillery
*Royal Horse Artillery
*List of Royal Artillery Batteries

External links

* [http://www.army.mod.uk/1rha/ 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]

References

* [http://www.army.mod.uk/1rha/ 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/1rha/history.htm History of 1RHA]