The 106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) is a Territorial Army (TA) Air Defence Artillery Regiment, with mixed equipment, in the British Army. One unit use the Starstreak HVM missile, while the other two use the Rapier SAM. The role 106 Regt is to provide reinforcement to regular army units. There is a Regimental HQ and three firing batteries.
It is headquartered in Grove Park, London and 3 sub-units in London , Wolverhampton and Southampton.
265 (Home Counties) Battery – Grove Park, London – Rapier FSC
Location: The Battery is based at Napier House Grove Park in South East London, near Blackheath and Bromley. There is a local mainline railway station less than 5 mins walk away and there are a number of bus routes which run past the TA Centre. For those who wish to travel by car the South Circular (A205) is a short distance from the TA Centre and there are ample secure parking facilities available on site.
Role: 265 Battery carry out exactly the same role as their counterparts at 210 Battery in Wolverhampton. They operate with the same Rapier equipment and have their own firing unit and simulator equipment on site.
Training: This is an ongoing myriad of activity throughout the year which consists of ‘special to arms’ training (Rapier) and many other types of military training. New recruits progress through the various stages of their syllabus until they are qualified to take their place on signals and rapier courses in the Bty. The opportunities to train will only be constrained by the availability of the individual depending on the amount of spare time they can commit to the TA. Training can be exciting, varied, challenging, rewarding, difficult or simple and the staff at 265 Bty will put a lot of time and effort into making it worthwhile.
Travel: This is one of the main reasons why people are attracted to a life in the regular army however there is also plenty of scope to travel far and wide with the TA. As an example, in the last year four members of 265 Bty took part in a two week NATO air defence exercise in the Czech Republic and soldiers also spent six weeks on an Infantry exercise in the jungles of Belize with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
210 (Staffordshire) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers) – Wolverhampton – Rapier FSC
Location: 210 Battery is located in the Fallings Park area of Wolverhampton, and is 106 Regt RA(V)’s most northerly location. We actively recruit from the surrounding areas, with some soldiers travelling from as far away as Shrewsbury and South Cheshire to join the team.
Role: After completing basic training soldiers are initially instructed on the Rapier missile system. This is a state-of-the-art anti-aircraft weapon which requires skill and determination to qualify on. The satisfaction all soldiers experience when they fire their first qualifying live missile in the Outer Hebrides is huge. Other roles within the Battery include signallers, medics, drivers, clerks and chefs, with relevant trade training provided across these disciplines for the right people. Training is systematic and focused on individual core strengths, which means that the Battery gets the most out of its members, and the soldiers derive the most enjoyment and satisfaction out of their time on duty.
Training: By concentrating on core Air Defence and military skills the Battery have consistently delivered soldiers of a high standard to the Regular Army for deployment on operations. No better measure of 210 Battery’s training proficiency can be found than in the success achieved in the Director Royal Artillery’s Special-to-Arm Training Assessment (The National Artillery Association Competition) in 2007. Teams from 210 Battery won four out of seven trophies, thereby making a significant contribution to 106 Regt RA(V)’s success in winning overall The Queen’s Cup for 2007. The culmination of the training year saw the Battery deploy on Exercise SOLDIER FIRST, the regimental exercise on Salisbury Plain in southern England and the Brecon Beacons in Wales. Exercise SOLDIER FIRST enabled soldiers to start their Air Defence training courses and hone their Infantry skills in Wales, as well as participating in adventurous training such as free fall parachuting, hill walking, climbing and abseiling. Some (lucky) soldiers also experienced the Royal Navy’s helicopter dunker trainer – an experience all concerned hope never to undergo for real.
457 Battery (Hampshire Yeomanry) Battery – Southampton – HVM
Location: The Battery is based at Blighmont TA Centre on Millbrook Road (A35) directly opposite the Southampton Docks and within easy access of the city centre. There are good public transport links nearby and the M271 is only a short distance away if travelling by road.
Role: Unlike the other two Batteries in the Regiment 457 Battery carry out their air defence role by training and operating with the HVM Light Mobile Launcher which is more commonly known in military terms as HVM LML.
Training: This continues in many different forms which includes Missile Firing Camps in Tenby, South West Wales along with other interesting military activities throughout the year. One such activity recently involved members of the Bty being trained and tested at the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, on the Underwater Escape Training Unit (UETU) otherwise known as ‘The Dunker’. This involves being strapped into a mock helicopter then being dropped into a deep pool of water whilst the aircraft gets flooded then rolled over before the occupants can escape. The RAF seemed to be slightly bemused when they learned that all those who took part in the training had actually volunteered to do so!
Travel: Recently members of the Bty have taken the opportunity to attend a Battlefield Tour in Normandy in addition to exercises in Belize and adventurous training in Austria. Planning is currently ongoing to organise a Battlefield Tour to South Africa to visit battle sites of the Imperial Yeomanry. There are also future plans to conduct an adventurous training diving expedition in Turkey.