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L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery
Encyclopedia
L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery are the Tactical Group Battery of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
. They are currently based in Assaye Barracks in Tidworth
.
in February 2005.
, rather the Warrior OPV
. They have Forward Air Controllers
in each team.
in 1809 as 3rd Troop The Bengal Horse Artillery.
, Malaya
, and Cyprus
and Northern Ireland
.
in the Persian Gulf
.
The Battery served in the Balkans.
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
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
.
Current Role
The Battery became a Tactical Group Battery in 2005, with its guns firing their last rounds in OtterburnOtterburn
Otterburn could bePlaces*Otterburn, Northumberland*Otterburn, North Yorkshire*Otterburn, Michigan, an unincorporated location now a part of Swartz Creek, Michigan*Otterburn Park, QuebecEvents*The Battle of OtterburnSurname...
in February 2005.
- 2006 – L/N (Nery) Battery (The Eagles Troop) RHA split to reform separately as L and N Batteries. N Battery returned to 3 RHA3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. They are currently based in Caen Barracks, Hohne, Germany.-Current role:...
to become their Tactical Group Battery and L Battery became 1 RHA’s Tactical Group Battery – supporting the HCRHousehold Cavalry RegimentThe Household Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and is one of two regiments that are formed from the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the amalgamation of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. Both regiments were...
, 1st Mech Bde Formation Reconnaissance RegimentFormation reconnaissance regimentThe Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army. Until recently, it was known as the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment....
.
Battery Structure
L (Nery) Battery are known as a Tactical Group Battery and they consist of approximately 20 personnel:- Battery Commanders FOOArtillery observerA military artillery observer or spotter is responsible for directing artillery fire and close air support onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are rarely in line-of-sight of their target, often located tens of miles away...
Party - FOOArtillery observerA military artillery observer or spotter is responsible for directing artillery fire and close air support onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are rarely in line-of-sight of their target, often located tens of miles away...
Party A - Commanded by the Battery Captain - FOOArtillery observerA military artillery observer or spotter is responsible for directing artillery fire and close air support onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are rarely in line-of-sight of their target, often located tens of miles away...
Party B - Commanded by a Captain. - Battery Commanders Tac Group
Equipment
L (Nery) Battery are currently equipped with CVRTCombat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)
The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance —or CVR—is a family of armoured fighting vehicles s in service with the British Army and others throughout the world...
, rather the Warrior OPV
Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle
The Warrior tracked vehicle family is a series of British armoured vehicles, originally developed to replace the older FV430 series of armoured vehicles. The Warrior started life as the MCV-80 project that was first broached in the 1970s, GKN Sankey/Defence winning the production contract in 1980....
. They have Forward Air Controllers
Forward air control
Forward air control is the provision of guidance to Close Air Support aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller . For NATO forces the qualifications and experience required to be...
in each team.
Formation
L (Nery) Battery were formed in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1809 as 3rd Troop The Bengal Horse Artillery.
1800’s
- 1857 - The Battery was distinguished with service in the Indian MutinyIndian Rebellion of 1857The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
, when in action on 7 July 1857, Gunner William Connolly who was repeatedly injured, refused to leave his post on the gun. He was awarded L Battery's first Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. - 1889 - the Battery was renamed L Battery Royal Horse Artillery.
World War One
- 1914 – L Battery accompanied the BEF to FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. - 1914 - The Action at NéryAction at NéryNéry is set in a north-south oriented valley around a small river, which feeds into the River Autonne to the north; it is overlooked from the east and west by high bluffs. The main landmark was a sugar factory, just south of the village, where L Battery were billeted; the cavalry regiments were...
. On the morning of the 1st September 1914 the German 4th Cavalry Division attacked 1st Cavalry Brigade and L Battery, who had been camped in the village of NéryNéryNéry is a small village in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.. The commune includes the hamlets of Huleux, Vaucelles and Verrines. The Church of Saint-Martin in Néry dates from 1140 with later additions. The Manoir de Huleux was built in 1550...
. In the action that followed, L Battery, less for one gun, was all but destroyed. The 13-pounder gunOrdnance QF 13 pounderThe Ordnance QF 13-pounder quick-firing field gun was the standard equipment of the British Royal Horse Artillery at the outbreak of World War I.-History:...
manned by Captain BradburyEdward Kinder BradburyCaptain Edward Kinder Bradbury VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, WO2 DorrellGeorge Thomas DorrellLieutenant-Colonel George Thomas Dorrell VC, MBE was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Sergeant Nelson, and Gunners Osbourne and Darbyshire, managed to keep the single gun in action against the three German Batteries located a thousand yards away. The Artillery fire put down by this gun allowed the 1st Cavalry Brigade to deliver a successful Counter attack. For this action Captain BradburyEdward Kinder BradburyCaptain Edward Kinder Bradbury VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, WO2 DorrellGeorge Thomas DorrellLieutenant-Colonel George Thomas Dorrell VC, MBE was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Sergeant Nelson, were all awarded the Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
Cold War
L (Nery) Battery also deployed to PalestinePalestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
, and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Persian Gulf War
Elements of the Battery also served in Operation GranbyOperation Granby
Operation Granby was the name given to the British military operations during the Gulf War. 53,462 troops were deployed during the conflict. The total cost of operations was £2.434 billion of which at least £2.049 billion was paid for by other nations such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia; £200...
in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
Balkan Wars
- 1993 – L Battery joined 1 RHA in Assaye Barracks TidworthTidworthTidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
when 2 Regt RA (formerly RHA) disbanded. - 1999- The Battery amalgamated with N Battery (The Eagle Troop) RHA to become L/N (Néry) Battery (The Eagle Troop) RHA.
The Battery served in the Balkans.
Operation TELIC in Iraq
- 2004 - L / N Battery served in Iraq on Op TELIC 4.
See also
- British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
- Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- Royal Horse ArtilleryRoyal Horse ArtilleryThe regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
- List of Royal Artillery Batteries