1st Royal Tank Regiment
| 1st Royal Tank Regiment | |
|---|---|
|
Cap badge of the Royal Tank Regiment | |
| Active | 28 July 1917– |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Armoured |
| Role | Div Troops/Land Warfare training |
| Size | One regiment |
| Part of | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Garrison/HQ |
Warminster, Wiltshire. RAF Honington |
| Motto | Fear Naught |
| March |
Lippe Detmold Quick: My Boy Willie Slow: The Royal Tank Regiment Slow March |
| Anniversaries | Cambrai, 20 November |
| Battle honours | see Battle Honours |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | HM The Queen |
| Notable commanders | Hugh Elles |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash |
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| Tartan | Hunting Rose (Pipers kilts and plaids) |
The 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps and operationally under 12th Mechanized Brigade.
History
The regiment was originally formed as A Company, Heavy Section, Heavy Machine Gun Corps in May 1916. It took part in the first ever tank offensive in 1916 and saw action again in the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. In 1939 it was renamed the 1st Royal Tank Regiment. During the Second World War it took part in the Siege of Tobruk in Summer 1941 and Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, the advance up Italy in 1943, the Normandy landings in June 1944 and the advance into Germany in 1945.[1]
After a period based in Germany, 1 RTR helped repelled Communist forces during the Korea War. In 1993, it amalgamated with the 4th Royal Tank Regiment without change of title.[1] It incorporated both the original regiments' traditional recruiting areas of Merseyside and Scotland.[2]
In 1999, two squadrons were split off as part of the Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Regiment (CBRN) amalgamating with No. 27 Squadron, RAF Regiment.[1] In December 2011 the Regiment handed over its responsibility for CBRN to the RAF Regiment.[3] On 25 June 2008 at Buckingham Palace, both 1RTR and 2 RTR were presented with their new Standard by The Queen, which included the new Battle Honour of Al Basrah 2003.[4]
In August 2014 the regiment will merge with 2RTR and form "The Royal Tank Regiment" (RTR). The new regiment will be based at Aliwal Barracks, Tidworth and be one of three armoured regiments equipped with the Challenger II tank.[5]
Organisation
The regiment has four squadrons (A, D, G, and H) and a HQ squadron commemorating the original Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps companies.[6]
Associated Cadet Forces
- Mildenhall Detachment of the Suffolk Army Cadet Force.
- Cadbury Heath Detachment of the Bristol Army Cadet Force.
- Merseyside ACF
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "1st Royal Tank Regiment: History". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ↑ "1st Royal Tank Regiment takes part in homecoming parade in Glasgow". Ministry of Defence. 11 December 2012.
- ↑ "Future of 1 RTR". 5 August 2011.
- ↑ "Battle Honour Awards (Operation Telic)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 10 November 2005. col. 21WS–22WS.
- ↑ "Regular Army Basing Matrix by Formation and Unit" (PDF). Army Families Federation (AFF). 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ↑ "1st Royal Tank Regiment". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
External links
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