1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
Encyclopedia
The 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is a close support regiment attached to the 7th Brigade
at Enoggera Barracks
in Queensland
. The unit was formed in 1914 under the name 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, part of 1st Division Artillery during World War I and later served in World War II and the Vietnam War. It is currently re-equipping with M777A2 lightweight towed howitzer
s.
. The Brigade saw action both on the Gallipoli Peninsula and in France
. On cessation of hostilities in 1918, the 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade returned to Australia
where it was disbanded in 1919.
. The Regiment saw action in North Africa supporting the 6th Australian Division
between 21 December 1940 and 23 March 1941. The Regiment served with distinction in the battles for Bardia
, Tobruk and Derna. On 5 February 1941, the Regiment captured the town of Barce using only the accurate and timely application of Artillery fire. The 1st Field Regiment's barracks located at Enoggera
is named Barce Lines to commemorate this victory.
The Regiment served two tours in New Guinea
. The first was 15 September 1942 to 13 August 1943, where the Regiment expanded existing doctrine for the deployment of artillery by deploying guns into forward areas by air. The Regiment returned to New Guinea on 4 January 1945 to support operations in the Wewak
areas and was in occupation of these areas when the war ended on 15 August 1945. The last of the Regiment returned to Australia in January 1946 and was disbanded several weeks later as part of the post war demobilisation.
, Sydney. At that time it was the only regular artillery regiment. On the eve of the Vietnam War
the Regiment consisted of 101st Field Battery and 105th Field Battery (Independent), both equipped with the L5, 102nd Light (4.2 inch Mortar) Battery and a Headquarters Battery. In April 1965 the decision was taken to deploy the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
(1RAR) to Vietnam. This resulted in an expansion of artillery regiments by the addition of a third field battery. 1st Field Regiment's order of battle for deployment to Vietnam was 101st Field Battery, 105th Field Battery, 161st Field Battery Royal New Zealand Artillery and Headquarters Battery. When 1 RAR deployed to Vietnam in May 1965 with fire support initially provided by 161st Field Battery RNZA, in September 1965 105th Field Battery arrived to provide additional fire support. With the expansion of the Australian force to two Battalion Groups in June 1966, the remainder of the Regiment, less 101st Field Battery, deployed to Vietnam accompanied by 103rd Field Battery.
In August 1966, the Regiment took part in the Battle of Long Tan
in support of D Company, 6 RAR
with the Regiment firing 3198 rounds in three hours of battle. In September 1966, 105th Field Battery was replaced by 101st Field Battery and returned to Australia
. In May 1967, the Regiment completed its first tour of duty in Vietnam and was replaced by 4th Field Regiment. The Regiment, rejoined by 105th Field Battery, relocated to Sanananda Barracks, Wacol. The 103rd Field Battery was re-roled as a medium battery and moved to 12th Medium Regiment. In February 1969, 105th Field Battery returned to Vietnam for a second tour of duty to be followed by the remainder of the Regiment a month later. On completion of their final tour of duty, the Regiment returned to Sanananda Barracks, Wacol in March 1970.
In February 1983, the Regiment was relocated to its current base at Barce Lines, Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera. In November 1985, the Regiment was integrated with the Army Reserve
resulting in the re-raising of 104th Field Battery as an Army Reserve battery on 8 November 1985.
As part of the restructuring of the Army (RTA) program, 1st Field Regiment took command of 13th Field Battery on 1 May 1997 and amalgamated with 11th Field Regiment on 15 June 1997. As part of the RTA motorised Battalion trial, 101st Field Battery, to be known as Fire Support Company, was placed under command of 6 RAR on 1 July 1997. In November 1999, Fire Support Company 6 RAR was disbanded, with the former 101st Field Battery members joining 105th Field Battery in anticipation of deployment on operations in East Timor
. Although the entire sub-unit did not deploy to East Timor with 6 RAR Battalion Group in April 2000, many 1st Field Regiment members did deploy to East Timor with various units and distinguished themselves during their operational tour.
In January 2011 the Australian Regular Army field regiments were reorganised in preparation for re-equipment with new guns and battle management systems to each contain three observation post batteries, supported by a single gun battery equipped with 12 guns. As part of this reorganisation the regiments were renamed, with the word "field" removed from their title. Under the new structure each regiment is capable of providing a brigade-level Joint Fires and Effects Coordination Centre (JFEEC) and every observation post batter provieds a battle group
JFECC as well as three combat team joint fires teams. Every gun battery now comprises three troop
s of 155 mm towed howitzers.
Under the Land 17 project in 2011 1st Regiment will receive 12 M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers to replace its L119 field gun
s and M198 howitzer
s, and the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), which is a fully automated digital battle-management system. In early 2012 it will take delivery of the Digital Terminal Control System for observation post batteries. The regiment is currently based at Barce Lines, Gallipoli Barrracks, Enoggera.
Australian 7th Brigade
7th Brigade is a combined arms formation or brigade of the Australian Army. The Brigade was first raised in 1915 as part of the First Australian Imperial Force and saw action at Gallipoli and on the Western Front during World War I. Following the end of the war the brigade was disbanded before...
at Enoggera Barracks
Enoggera Barracks
Enoggera Barracks is an Australian Army base in the northwestern Brisbane suburb of Enoggera in Queensland.-History:...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. The unit was formed in 1914 under the name 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, part of 1st Division Artillery during World War I and later served in World War II and the Vietnam War. It is currently re-equipping with M777A2 lightweight towed howitzer
M777 howitzer
The M777 howitzer is a towed 155 mm artillery piece, successor to the M198 howitzer in the United States Marine Corps and United States Army. The M777 is also used by the Canadian Army, and has been in action in Afghanistan since February 2006 along with the associated GPS-guided Excalibur...
s.
History
World War I
The 1st Field Regiment was formed in 1914 following the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The Brigade saw action both on the Gallipoli Peninsula and in France
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. On cessation of hostilities in 1918, the 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade returned to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where it was disbanded in 1919.
World War I formation
- 1st Field Artillery BatteryAustralian 1st Field Artillery Battery1st Field Artillery Battery was formed in August 1914 in New South Wales from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Royal Australian Field Artillery batteries of the regular army and assigned to 1st Field Artillery Brigade. 1st Battery departed for Egypt on 18 October 1914, the battery saw action in Egypt, Sinai and...
- 2nd Field Artillery Battery
- 3rd Field Artillery Battery
- 101st Field Artillery (Howitzer) Battery
- 1st Brigade Ammunition Column
World War II
The 2nd/1st Regiment RAA was raised on 31 October 1939 at Ingleburn, New South WalesIngleburn, New South Wales
Ingleburn is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Ingleburn is located 44 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region...
. The Regiment saw action in North Africa supporting the 6th Australian Division
Australian 6th Division
The 6th Division of the Australian Army was a unit in the Second Australian Imperial Force during World War II. It served in the North African campaign, the Greek campaign and the New Guinea campaign, including the crucial battles of the Kokoda Track, among others...
between 21 December 1940 and 23 March 1941. The Regiment served with distinction in the battles for Bardia
Battle of Bardia
The Battle of Bardia was fought over three days between 3 and 5 January 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first military operation of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army formation took part, the first to be...
, Tobruk and Derna. On 5 February 1941, the Regiment captured the town of Barce using only the accurate and timely application of Artillery fire. The 1st Field Regiment's barracks located at Enoggera
Enoggera
Enoggera may refer to:*Enoggera, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, in Queensland, Australia*Enoggera Barracks an Australian Army base in the suburb...
is named Barce Lines to commemorate this victory.
The Regiment served two tours in New Guinea
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
. The first was 15 September 1942 to 13 August 1943, where the Regiment expanded existing doctrine for the deployment of artillery by deploying guns into forward areas by air. The Regiment returned to New Guinea on 4 January 1945 to support operations in the Wewak
Wewak
Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is located on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak....
areas and was in occupation of these areas when the war ended on 15 August 1945. The last of the Regiment returned to Australia in January 1946 and was disbanded several weeks later as part of the post war demobilisation.
Post World War II
1st Field Regiment was raised on 25 May 1949 at North HeadNorth Head
North Head may mean or refer to:* 'North Head', one of the Sydney Heads at the entrance to Port Jackson , New South Wales, Australia....
, Sydney. At that time it was the only regular artillery regiment. On the eve of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
the Regiment consisted of 101st Field Battery and 105th Field Battery (Independent), both equipped with the L5, 102nd Light (4.2 inch Mortar) Battery and a Headquarters Battery. In April 1965 the decision was taken to deploy the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a regular light infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion in 1945 and since then has been deployed on active service during the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency and the Vietnam War...
(1RAR) to Vietnam. This resulted in an expansion of artillery regiments by the addition of a third field battery. 1st Field Regiment's order of battle for deployment to Vietnam was 101st Field Battery, 105th Field Battery, 161st Field Battery Royal New Zealand Artillery and Headquarters Battery. When 1 RAR deployed to Vietnam in May 1965 with fire support initially provided by 161st Field Battery RNZA, in September 1965 105th Field Battery arrived to provide additional fire support. With the expansion of the Australian force to two Battalion Groups in June 1966, the remainder of the Regiment, less 101st Field Battery, deployed to Vietnam accompanied by 103rd Field Battery.
In August 1966, the Regiment took part in the Battle of Long Tan
Battle of Long Tan
The Battle of Long Tân was fought between the Australian Army and Viet Cong forces in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tân, about north east of Vũng Tàu, South Vietnam...
in support of D Company, 6 RAR
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment is a motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conflicts including South Vietnam, East Timor and Iraq...
with the Regiment firing 3198 rounds in three hours of battle. In September 1966, 105th Field Battery was replaced by 101st Field Battery and returned to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In May 1967, the Regiment completed its first tour of duty in Vietnam and was replaced by 4th Field Regiment. The Regiment, rejoined by 105th Field Battery, relocated to Sanananda Barracks, Wacol. The 103rd Field Battery was re-roled as a medium battery and moved to 12th Medium Regiment. In February 1969, 105th Field Battery returned to Vietnam for a second tour of duty to be followed by the remainder of the Regiment a month later. On completion of their final tour of duty, the Regiment returned to Sanananda Barracks, Wacol in March 1970.
Post Vietnam
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
resulting in the re-raising of 104th Field Battery as an Army Reserve battery on 8 November 1985.
As part of the restructuring of the Army (RTA) program, 1st Field Regiment took command of 13th Field Battery on 1 May 1997 and amalgamated with 11th Field Regiment on 15 June 1997. As part of the RTA motorised Battalion trial, 101st Field Battery, to be known as Fire Support Company, was placed under command of 6 RAR on 1 July 1997. In November 1999, Fire Support Company 6 RAR was disbanded, with the former 101st Field Battery members joining 105th Field Battery in anticipation of deployment on operations in East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
. Although the entire sub-unit did not deploy to East Timor with 6 RAR Battalion Group in April 2000, many 1st Field Regiment members did deploy to East Timor with various units and distinguished themselves during their operational tour.
In January 2011 the Australian Regular Army field regiments were reorganised in preparation for re-equipment with new guns and battle management systems to each contain three observation post batteries, supported by a single gun battery equipped with 12 guns. As part of this reorganisation the regiments were renamed, with the word "field" removed from their title. Under the new structure each regiment is capable of providing a brigade-level Joint Fires and Effects Coordination Centre (JFEEC) and every observation post batter provieds a battle group
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
JFECC as well as three combat team joint fires teams. Every gun battery now comprises three troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
s of 155 mm towed howitzers.
Under the Land 17 project in 2011 1st Regiment will receive 12 M777A2 lightweight towed howitzers to replace its L119 field gun
L118 Light Gun
The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer, originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and widely exported since, including to the United States, where a modified version is known as the M119A1...
s and M198 howitzer
M198 howitzer
The M198 howitzer is a medium-sized, towed artillery piece, developed for service with the United States Army and Marine Corps. It was commissioned to be a lightweight replacement for the WWII era M114 155mm howitzer. It was designed and prototyped at the Rock Island Arsenal in 1969 with firing...
s, and the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), which is a fully automated digital battle-management system. In early 2012 it will take delivery of the Digital Terminal Control System for observation post batteries. The regiment is currently based at Barce Lines, Gallipoli Barrracks, Enoggera.
Current formation
- Operations Support Battery
- 104th (Observation Post) Battery104th Field Battery, Royal Australian ArtilleryThe 104 Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery was formed in the town of Moascar in Egypt during March 1916 as the 104th Field Artillery Battery, part of 4th Field Artillery Brigade. The battery was disbanded, reformed and rerolled many times during its history...
- 105th (Observation Post) Battery105th Medium Battery, Royal Australian ArtilleryThe 105th Medium Battery is a unit of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery that can trace its history back to March 1916, when it was raised as 105th Howitzer Battery in Egypt...
- 114th (Observation Post) Battery
- A (Gun) BatteryA Field Battery, Royal Australian ArtilleryA' Field Battery is an airborne artillery battery of the Australian Army. The unit has been in existence since 1871, having originally been raised as part of the New South Wales colonial defence force...
- Combat Service Support Battery