West Riding Artillery
Encyclopedia
In 1860, as the British
government feared invasion from the continent
, the Secretary at War recommended the formation of Volunteer Artillery
Corps
to bolster Britain's coastal defences. The 1st Yorkshire
(West Riding
) Artillery Volunteer Corps were raised at Leeds
on 2 August and the 2nd Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps at Bradford
on 10 October. They began as Coastal Artillery with 32 pounder guns and in 1886 became Position Artillery with 40 pounders. By 1871 the 1st had grown to eight batteries
and the 2nd had become the 1st Admin Brigade
, Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteers, containing five Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps, numbered the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th. By 1880 a number of these Corps had been disbanded or absorbed and the Bradford Brigade became the 2nd Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteers.
Various reforms from 1889 resulted in the units being renamed as 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire
Artillery Volunteers, then the 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Volunteer Artillery. In 1898 they became 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Royal Garrison Artillery
(Volunteers) equipped with 4.7 inches (119 mm) guns drawn by steam tractors.
in 1902, a review of the Army took place and a Royal Commission reported on the Militia
and Volunteers. The War Office
was concerned over the different standards of efficiency but had to concede that this was in the hands of individual commanding officer
s. Secretary for War, Haldane, in the Liberal Government of 1905, was given the task of preparing legislation for reform. His Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
, brought together volunteer units to form the Territorial Force
(to become the Territorial Army in 1921) giving them the same role as before, but, in addition, giving them the capability of acting as backup to the Regular Army
if the need arose. The result was that the Leeds and Bradford Artillery lost their heavy guns and became the 1st (with its headquarters at Fenton street, Leeds) and 2nd (with its HQ at Valley Parade in Bradford) West Riding Brigade Royal Field Artillery
(Territorial Force). Each brigade had three batteries and an ammunition column
and they were equipped with 15 pounder guns. With the change to the smaller guns, steam tractors were no longer required and the barracks had to be adapted to accommodate horses. In addition, the Act set up County Associations to help co-ordinate the work of the War Office and the new Territorial Force, and to recruit, house and administer the units.
(1914–18) both West Riding brigades were part of the 49th (West Riding) Division, going to France
in 1915, and each formed a second line brigade in 1915 (2/1st and 2/2nd West Riding Brigade RFA(TF) respectively) which then supported 62nd Division
.
and Royal Field Artillery and the Royal Garrison Artillery were reunited under one name and the brigades became the 69th and 70th (West Riding) Field Brigade Royal Artillery
(Territorial Army). Similarly, when artillery brigade
s were rebranded as regiment
s in 1938 the West Riding brigades became the 69th and 70th (West Riding) Field Regiment RA(TA). In 1939, the 69th formed a Second Line regiment at Bramley, Leeds
, 121 Field Regiment RA(TA) and 70th similarly gave rise to 122 Field Regiment RA(TA) in Bradford.
for two years and later, after their return to the UK, took part in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
121 Field Regiment went to Iraq
in 1941, fought with the Eighth Army
in North Africa
and the American Fifth Army in Italy
before returning to the UK to take part in the Normandy invasion as a Medium Regiment with 5.5 inches (140 mm) Gun-Howitzers.
70th went to France in 1940 as part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division
. When the British Expeditionary Force
had to withdraw, 70th returned to the UK via Cherbourg with all their guns, vehicles and equipment intact. They were later transferred to 46th (North Midland) Division and fought with them in the Tunisia
n campaign
and in Italy and Greece
.
122, after training in the UK, went out to the Far East
, suffering war casualties of 13 until the naval base at Singapore
surrendered in February 1942. Thereafter, more than 200 died, mainly as a result of their treatment as prisoners of war.
, unique at the time for a TA unit, was conferred upon the 70th on 5 September 1945. They were granted the Freedom of the City
of Bradford.
269th and 270th (West Riding) Field Regiment RA(TA) reconstituted in the TA in Leeds and Bradford respectively on New Year's Day 1947. Both units were equipped with the 25 pounder self propelled gun (the Sexton
), and both became part of 49th (West Riding) Armoured Division. In 1956 they were re-equipped with 25 pounder (towed), familiar to so many. When Anti-Aircraft Command
was abolished in the mid-fifties 269th absorbed 321 (West Riding) HAA Regiment and the 270th absorbed 584 LAA Regiment RA (6th West Yorkshire) without changing their titles (although 270th did move their HQ from Valley Parade
to 584's barracks at Belle Vue
, Bradford).
To mark the centenary of the formation of the 1st Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps the Freedom of the City of Leeds was granted to the 269th on 3 February 1960. Shortly afterwards the 269th and 270th amalgamated with each other to form 249th (The West Riding Artillery) Field Regiment RA(TA), with Headquarters at Carlton Barracks in Leeds and batteries at Leeds, Bramley and Bradford. So came together two regiments who started out alongside each other a hundred years earlier.
battery, 269 (West Riding) OP Battery RA (Volunteers), was formed at Leeds from the cadre (and the cadre disbanded), reviving the West Riding Artillery lineage in the Royal Artillery.
In 1989, 269 (West Riding) Battery RA(V) re-roled to the 105 mm L118 Light Gun
, dropping "OP" from its title. 269 Battery joined 19 Regiment RA 'The Highland Gunners', a regular regiment in 24 Airmobile Brigade, in 1993.
Field Standard B2 surface-to-air missile
system and supported 22 Regiment RA 'The Welsh Gunners', then based at Rapier Barracks, Kirton-in-Lindsey.
When the decision was made in 2004 to scrap Rapier FSB2 and disband 22 Regiment RA, 269 Battery converted to Rapier FSC and their support role was transferred to 16 Regiment RA, based in Woolwich
, London
.
(STA) Battery. 269 Battery was formally handed over to 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) at a ceremony in Carlton Barracks, Leeds on 5 September 2006.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
government feared invasion from the continent
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Secretary at War recommended the formation of Volunteer Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
Corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
to bolster Britain's coastal defences. The 1st Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
(West Riding
West Riding
West Riding could refer to:Areas:*West Riding of Yorkshire, England*West Riding of Lindsey in Lincolnshire, England*West Riding of County Cork, Ireland*West Riding of County Galway, IrelandTransport companies:*West Riding Automobile Company...
) Artillery Volunteer Corps were raised at Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
on 2 August and the 2nd Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps at Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
on 10 October. They began as Coastal Artillery with 32 pounder guns and in 1886 became Position Artillery with 40 pounders. By 1871 the 1st had grown to eight batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
and the 2nd had become the 1st Admin Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
, Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteers, containing five Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps, numbered the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th. By 1880 a number of these Corps had been disbanded or absorbed and the Bradford Brigade became the 2nd Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteers.
Various reforms from 1889 resulted in the units being renamed as 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire
West Riding of Yorkshire
The West Riding of Yorkshire is one of the three historic subdivisions of Yorkshire, England. From 1889 to 1974 the administrative county, County of York, West Riding , was based closely on the historic boundaries...
Artillery Volunteers, then the 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Volunteer Artillery. In 1898 they became 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Garrison Artillery
The Royal Garrison Artillery was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege...
(Volunteers) equipped with 4.7 inches (119 mm) guns drawn by steam tractors.
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
After the end of the Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in 1902, a review of the Army took place and a Royal Commission reported on the Militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and Volunteers. The War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
was concerned over the different standards of efficiency but had to concede that this was in the hands of individual commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
s. Secretary for War, Haldane, in the Liberal Government of 1905, was given the task of preparing legislation for reform. His Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territorial Force ; and disbanding the Militia to form a new Special Reserve of the...
, brought together volunteer units to form the Territorial Force
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army from 1908 to 1920, when it became the Territorial Army.-Origins:...
(to become the Territorial Army in 1921) giving them the same role as before, but, in addition, giving them the capability of acting as backup to the Regular Army
Regular Army
The Regular Army of the United States was and is the successor to the Continental Army as the country's permanent, professional military establishment. Even in modern times the professional core of the United States Army continues to be called the Regular Army...
if the need arose. The result was that the Leeds and Bradford Artillery lost their heavy guns and became the 1st (with its headquarters at Fenton street, Leeds) and 2nd (with its HQ at Valley Parade in Bradford) West Riding Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery of the British Army provided artillery support for the British Army. It came into being when the Royal Artillery was divided on 1 July 1899, it was reamalgamated back into the Royal Artillery in 1924....
(Territorial Force). Each brigade had three batteries and an ammunition column
Ammunition column
An ammunition column consists of military vehicles carrying artillery and small arms ammunition for the combatant unit to which the column belongs. Thus the ammunition columns of a division, forming part of the brigades of field artillery, carry reserve ammunition for the guns, the machine guns of...
and they were equipped with 15 pounder guns. With the change to the smaller guns, steam tractors were no longer required and the barracks had to be adapted to accommodate horses. In addition, the Act set up County Associations to help co-ordinate the work of the War Office and the new Territorial Force, and to recruit, house and administer the units.
First World War
In the Great WarWorld 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...
(1914–18) both West Riding brigades were part of the 49th (West Riding) Division, going to France
France
The 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...
in 1915, and each formed a second line brigade in 1915 (2/1st and 2/2nd West Riding Brigade RFA(TF) respectively) which then supported 62nd Division
62nd (2nd West Riding) Division
- History :During the First World War the division fought on the Western Front at Bullecourt in the Battle of Arras and Havrincourt in the Battle of Cambrai. In the First Battle of the Somme , they were in the line near Arras and in the Second Battle of the Marne, in the Ardre Valley...
.
Inter-war period
By the end of the First World War the Leeds and Bradford brigades had become the 245th and 246th Brigade RFA respectively but were renamed back to 1st and 2nd West Riding Brigade RFA when they reconstituted into the Territorial Army in 1920. This was short-lived, however as they were again renamed 69th and 70th (West Riding) Brigade Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Army) in 1921. In 1924 the Royal HorseRoyal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
and Royal Field Artillery and the Royal Garrison Artillery were reunited under one name and the brigades became the 69th and 70th (West Riding) Field Brigade Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The 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:...
(Territorial Army). Similarly, when artillery brigade
Artillery brigade
An artillery brigade is a specialised form of military brigade dedicated to providing artillery support. Other brigades might have an artillery component, but an artillery brigade is a brigade dedicated to artillery and relying on other units for infantry support, especially when...
s were rebranded as regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s in 1938 the West Riding brigades became the 69th and 70th (West Riding) Field Regiment RA(TA). In 1939, the 69th formed a Second Line regiment at Bramley, Leeds
Bramley, Leeds
Bramley is a district in west Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is an old industrial area and home to a lot of 19th century architecture alongside 20th century council housing in the east and private suburban housing to the west. It has its own railway station which is on the Caldervale and...
, 121 Field Regiment RA(TA) and 70th similarly gave rise to 122 Field Regiment RA(TA) in Bradford.
Second World War
69th, as part of 49th (West Riding) Division served in IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
for two years and later, after their return to the UK, took part in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
121 Field Regiment went to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 1941, fought with the Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and the American Fifth Army in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
before returning to the UK to take part in the Normandy invasion as a Medium Regiment with 5.5 inches (140 mm) Gun-Howitzers.
70th went to France in 1940 as part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division
British 52nd (Lowland) Division
The British 52nd Division was a Territorial Army division that was originally formed as part of the Territorial Force in 1908.- World War I :...
. When the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
had to withdraw, 70th returned to the UK via Cherbourg with all their guns, vehicles and equipment intact. They were later transferred to 46th (North Midland) Division and fought with them in the Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
and in Italy and Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
122, after training in the UK, went out to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
, suffering war casualties of 13 until the naval base at Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
surrendered in February 1942. Thereafter, more than 200 died, mainly as a result of their treatment as prisoners of war.
Post-war
An honourHonour
Honour or honor is an abstract concept entailing a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body such as a family, school, regiment or nation...
, unique at the time for a TA unit, was conferred upon the 70th on 5 September 1945. They were granted the Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of Bradford.
269th and 270th (West Riding) Field Regiment RA(TA) reconstituted in the TA in Leeds and Bradford respectively on New Year's Day 1947. Both units were equipped with the 25 pounder self propelled gun (the Sexton
Sexton (artillery)
The 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton was a self-propelled artillery vehicle of World War II, based on an American tank hull design, built by Canada for the British Army, and associated Commonwealth forces, and some of the other Allies....
), and both became part of 49th (West Riding) Armoured Division. In 1956 they were re-equipped with 25 pounder (towed), familiar to so many. When Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the anti-aircraft artillery units of the British Isles.-History:...
was abolished in the mid-fifties 269th absorbed 321 (West Riding) HAA Regiment and the 270th absorbed 584 LAA Regiment RA (6th West Yorkshire) without changing their titles (although 270th did move their HQ from Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...
to 584's barracks at Belle Vue
Belle Vue, Bradford
Belle Vue is a district of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England with a Post Code of BD8. It is located near Manningham Lane, home of the Belle Vue Barracks, Belle Vue Pub and the original location of Belle Vue Boys' School. The area overlooks Valley Parade, the home of Bradford City AFC. Its name...
, Bradford).
To mark the centenary of the formation of the 1st Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps the Freedom of the City of Leeds was granted to the 269th on 3 February 1960. Shortly afterwards the 269th and 270th amalgamated with each other to form 249th (The West Riding Artillery) Field Regiment RA(TA), with Headquarters at Carlton Barracks in Leeds and batteries at Leeds, Bramley and Bradford. So came together two regiments who started out alongside each other a hundred years earlier.
TAVR III
This reform saw the Regiment reorganised as The West Riding Regiment RA (Territorials) on 1 April 1967: but by 1969 the Regiment was reduced to a cadre at Bradford (some of Q Battery absorbed into E Company, The Yorkshire Volunteers; 272 (West Riding Artillery) Field Support Squadron, 73 Engineer Regiment RE(V) also formed at Bradford). In 1971 this cadre was expanded to become "A" (West Riding Artillery) Battery, 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Volunteers.269 (West Riding) Battery RA(V)
On 1 April 1975 an independent observation postObservation post
An observation post, temporary or fixed, is a position from which soldiers can watch enemy movements, to warn of approaching soldiers , or to direct artillery fire...
battery, 269 (West Riding) OP Battery RA (Volunteers), was formed at Leeds from the cadre (and the cadre disbanded), reviving the West Riding Artillery lineage in the Royal Artillery.
In 1989, 269 (West Riding) Battery RA(V) re-roled to the 105 mm L118 Light 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...
, dropping "OP" from its title. 269 Battery joined 19 Regiment RA 'The Highland Gunners', a regular regiment in 24 Airmobile Brigade, in 1993.
Strategic Defence Review
On 1 July 1999 a new TA "war establish reserve" air defence artillery regiment, 106 (Yeomanry) Regiment RA(V), was formed from the transfer and conversion of existing sub-units, including 269 Battery who converted to the RapierRapier missile
Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and...
Field Standard B2 surface-to-air missile
Surface-to-air missile
A surface-to-air missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles...
system and supported 22 Regiment RA 'The Welsh Gunners', then based at Rapier Barracks, Kirton-in-Lindsey.
When the decision was made in 2004 to scrap Rapier FSB2 and disband 22 Regiment RA, 269 Battery converted to Rapier FSC and their support role was transferred to 16 Regiment RA, based in Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Future Army Structure
The FAS reforms, announced in 2004, resulted in a rebalancing of the TA in 2006. As part of this rebalancing the West Riding Artillery ceased training on its Rapier FSC equipment on 1 April 2006 in preparation for its new role as a Surveillance and Target AcquisitionSurveillance and Target Acquisition
For Artillery STA, see belowSurveillance and Target Acquisition is a military role assigned to units and/or their equipment. It involves watching an area to see what changes and then the acquisition of targets based on that information....
(STA) Battery. 269 Battery was formally handed over to 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) at a ceremony in Carlton Barracks, Leeds on 5 September 2006.
External links
- The Royal Regiment of Artillery http://www.wix.com/Northumbrian/Royal-Artillery