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RGA redirects here. For the Danish political party, see Red-Green Alliance (Denmark). For Residual Gas Analyzer, see Residual gas analyzer.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, generally known as the Royal Artillery (RA), is, despite its name, a corps of the British Army. It is made up of a number of regiments.
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History
Before the 18th century, artillery 'traynes' were raised by Royal Warrant for specific campaigns and disbanded again when they were over. On 26 May 1716, however, by Royal Warrant of George I two regular companies of field artillery, each 100 men strong, were raised at Woolwich. On 1 April 1722 these companies were grouped with independent artillery companies at Gibraltar and Minorca to form the Royal Regiment of Artillery, commanded by Colonel Albert Bogard. The regiment expanded rapidly and by 1757 had 24 companies divided into two battalions, as well as a Cadet Company formed in 1741. By 1771 there were 32 companies in four battalions, as well as two Invalid Companies comprising older and unfit men employed in garrison duties. In January 1793, two troops of Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) were raised to provide fire support for the cavalry, joined by two more in November 1793. All RHA personnel were mounted. The Royal Irish Artillery was absorbed in 1801.
The regiment was under the control of the Board of Ordnance until the Board was abolished in 1855. Thereafter the regiment came under the War Office along with the rest of the army. In 1861 the regiment absorbed the artillery of the British East India Company – 21 horse batteries and 48 field batteries – which brought its strength up to 29 horse batteries, 73 field batteries and 88 heavy batteries. On 1 July 1899, the Royal Artillery was divided into three groups: the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery comprised one group, while the coastal defence, mountain, siege and heavy batteries were split off into another group named the Royal Garrison Artillery. The third group continued to be titled simply Royal Artillery, and was responsible for ammunition storage and supply. Which section a gunner belonged to was indicated by collar badges (R.A., R.F.A., R.H.A., or R.G.A.). The RFA and RHA also dressed as mounted men, whereas the RGA dressed like foot soldiers. The three sections effectively functioned as separate corps. This arrangement lasted until 1924, when the three amalgamated once more. In 1938, RA Brigades were renamed Regiments. There used to be hundreds of regiments within the Royal Artillery - at the end of the Second World War, the RA was larger than the Royal Navy. Among the Territorial Army regiments was the West Riding Artillery.
The Royal Horse Artillery, which has always had separate traditions, uniforms and insignia, still retains a separate identity within the regiment, however, and is considered (by its members at least) to be an élite.
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The Royal Artillery Today
The Royal Artillery is equipped with a variety of equipment and fulfils a wide range of roles, including:
Long range observation, Unmanned air vehicle surveillance, Amphibious / Airborne artillery, Armoured Artillery, Long Range Missile Systems, Air defence.
The Captain General of the regiment is Queen Elizabeth II. The post was previously known as Colonel-in-Chief until King George VI expressed the desire to be known as Captain General. The head of the regiment is the Master Gunner, St. James's Park.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises both regular (full-time) and volunteer (part-time) units. The current regiments of the Royal Artillery are:
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Regular Army
A Battery (The Chestnut Troop)
L/N (Néry) Battery (The Eagle Troop)
O/HQ Battery (The Rocket Troop)
4th Regiment Royal Artillery 'The North East Gunners' (Armoured Artillery)
94 (New Zealand) HQ Battery
97 Battery (Lawson's Company)
5th Regiment Royal Artillery 'The North, East & West Yorkshire Gunners' (Surveillance and Target Acquisition)
P Battery (The Dragon Troop)
Q (Sanna's Post) HQ Battery
4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery
F (Sphinx) Parachute Battery
G Parachute Battery (Mercer's Troop)
H Parachute HQ Battery (Ramsay's Troop)
I Parachute Battery (Bull's Troop)
12th Regiment Royal Artillery (Air Defence Artillery)
T/HQ Battery (Shah Sujah's Troop)
14th Regiment Royal Artillery (Training and Support)
1st Battery 'The Blazers'
16th Regiment Royal Artillery 'The London and Kent Gunners' (Air Defence Artillery)
30 Battery (Rogers's Company)
19th Regiment Royal Artillery 'The Highland Gunners' (Armoured Artillery)
13 (Martinique 1809) HQ Battery
5 (Gibraltar 1779–1783) Battery
28/143 Battery (Tomb's Troop)
26th Regiment Royal Artillery 'The West Midland Gunners' (Armoured Artillery)
16 Battery (Sandham's Company)
55 (The Residency) HQ Battery
7 (Sphinx) Commando Battery
8 (Alma) Commando Battery
23 (Gibraltar 1779–1783) Commando HQ Battery
79 (Kirkee) Commando Battery
32nd Regiment Royal Artillery (Surveillance and Target Acquisition – Unmanned Air Vehicles)
22 (Gibraltar 1779–1783) Battery
39th Regiment Royal Artillery (MLRS)
74 Battery (The Battle Axe Company)
132 Battery (The Bengal Rocket Troop)
40th Regiment Royal Artillery 'The Lowland Gunners' (Field Artillery)
6/36 (Arcot 1751) Battery
38 (Seringapatam) Battery
47th Regiment Royal Artillery 'The Hampshire and Sussex Gunners' (Air Defence Artillery)
21 (Gibraltar 1779–1783) Battery
43 Battery (Lloyd's Company)
Band of the Royal Artillery
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Territorial Army
201 (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Battery (Luton/ Romford) (Hat Artillery attached to 16th AA)
Regimental headquarters located at 201 Battery, Luton
266 (Gloucestershire) Parachute Battery (Bristol)
203 (Elswick) Battery (MLRS) (Blyth)
208 (3rd West Lancashire) Battery (Liverpool)
216 (The Bolton Artillery) Battery (Bolton)
217 (City of Newport) HQ Battery (Newport)
The Royal Artillery's traditional home is Woolwich, in south east London but much of their training activity takes place on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.
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Air Defence
The Royal Artillery is equipped with two main weapons in the air defence mission;
Rapier FSC - Rapier is the standard Low Level Air Defence (LLAD) weapon in the British Army. In the Royal Artillery, it equips 16 Regiment, and a battery of 106 Regiment RA(V).
Starstreak HVM - Starstreak is a continuation of the Blowpipe and Javelin missile series. In the RA it can be used as a shoulder launched weapon, in the Lightweight Multiple Launcher (LML) or mounted on a Stormer armoured vehicle. The weapon equips 12 Regiment, 47 Regiment, 104 Regiment RA(V), 105 Regiment RA(V), and two batteries of 106 Regiment RA(V).
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Close Support
In the support mission, the Royal Artillery has three types of weapon;
MLRS - the Multiple Launch Rocket System equips the "heavy" regiments of the Royal Artillery, 39 Regiment and 101(V) Regiment.
AS90 - the AS90 is a self-propelled gun that equips five field regiments, 1 RHA, 3 RHA, 4 Regiment, 19 Regiment and 26 Regiment.
Light gun - the Light Gun is a 105 mm howitzer used in the close support mission in support of light or specialist forces. It equips three regular regiments, 7 (Para) RHA, 29 (Commando) Regt RA and 40 Regiment RA, as well as three Territorial Army Regiments - 100 Regt RA(V), 103 Regt RA(V) and 105 Regt RA(V).
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Surveillance and Target Acquisition
COBRA, MAMBA, ASP - the COunter Battery RAdar (Cobra), Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Asset (Mamba) and Advanced Sound ranging Program (ASP) are the main pieces of equipment used in the battlefield surveillance mission by 5 Regiment.
Desert Hawk UAV - the Desert Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is a smaller, more discreet vehicle. Also operated by 32 Regiment.
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Miscellaneous Facts
The Royal Artillery does not carry Colours. Its guns are its colours and are saluted on parade.
Since it is present in every campaign in which the British Army fights, the Royal Artillery does not have Battle Honours. Instead, it has the motto and battle honour Ubique ("Everywhere"), granted by William IV in 1833. Its subsidiary motto is Quo fas et gloria ducunt ("Where Right and Glory Lead"). Both mottoes are shared with the Royal Engineers, due to the shared Board of Ordnance history.
Many Regular Army batteries bear an Honour Title (in parentheses) commemorating an exceptional act of service.
Battalions and Companies were renamed Brigades and Batteries in 1859.
Until 1794, the Royal Artillery hired civilian horses and drivers to haul its guns. In that year the Corps of Captains' Commissaries and Drivers was formed to provide these services. This was reformed as the Corps of Gunner Drivers in 1801. In 1806 these became the Royal Artillery Drivers. In 1822 these were disbanded and from that date all men enlisted into the Royal Artillery as "Gunner and Driver" until 1918, when they simply became Gunners. None of this applied to the Royal Horse Artillery, which had always had its own drivers.
During World War II comedian Spike Milligan served as a signaller in the 56th Heavy Regiment, D Battery, as Gunner Milligan, 954024.
On 1 April 1947, all Royal Artillery units (except the Royal Horse Artillery) were placed on a single roll. This meant that each battery and regiment carried a unique number (whereas before there could have been, for instance, a 10th Field Battery, 10th Heavy Battery, 10th Coastal Battery etc). The numbers of the batteries within a regiment bear no relation to the regiment or each other. Royal Horse Artillery batteries (and batteries that used to be RHA) bear letters instead of numbers.
All British coast defence artillery units were disbanded in the 1950s.
When on parade with its guns, the Royal Horse Artillery takes precedence over every other regiment and corps in the British Regular Army (and parades at the right of the line). Otherwise it immediately follows the Household Cavalry. The rest of the Royal Artillery takes precedence immediately after the regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps. If the Territorial Army were included in the parade, the honour of right of the line would fall to the HAC being the oldest regiment which has guns as colours.
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Order of Precedence
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See also
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