29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
| 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1947 – Present |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Role | Field artillery |
| Size | 5 Batteries |
| Part of | 3 Commando Brigade |
| Garrison/HQ | Royal Citadel, Plymouth |
| Nickname | The Commando gunners |
| Equipment | L118 Light Gun |
29 Commando Regiment is the Commando-trained unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery. The regiment is under the operational control of 3 Commando Brigade providing artillery support and gunnery observation.
History
The regiment was established in 1947 by the redesignation of 25th Field Regiment.[1] In 1951 it was renamed 29th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery and was based at Brancepeth Camp in Durham.[1] In 1957 it was deployed to Cyprus.[1]
In 1962 it re-roled and became 29 Commando Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. At that time, each battery consisted of 4 x 105mm pack howitzers (Italian Mountain Gun).[1]
In the 1970s Batteries from the regiment completed operational tours in Northern Ireland.[2]
During the 1982 Falklands War, 29 Commando Regiment accompanied the Royal Marines, providing much needed close support with their L118 Light Guns.[3]
In 1996, the honorary Freedom of the City of Plymouth was conferred on the regiment (with the unanimous support of Plymouth City Council).[4]
They conducted numerous operational tours in Afghanistan to provide artillery support during operations against Al Qaeda and Taliban militants.[5]
Organisation
The regiment consists of an HQ battery, three gun batteries, a Naval Gunfire Support Forward Observation battery and an attached Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers workshop which includes a Royal Logistic Corps stores section. The gun batteries are equipped with six L118 105MM light guns and three Observation Posts each. The batteries are as follows:[6]
- 7 (Sphinx) Battery Royal Artillery – Commando trained L118 gun battery based at RM Condor, Arbroath
- 8 (Alma) Commando Battery Royal Artillery – Commando trained L118 gun battery based at the Royal Citadel, Plymouth
- 23 (Gibraltar 1779–1783) Commando Battery Royal Artillery – The Headquarters Commando Battery, and Radar Troop, for 29 Commando Regiment are based at the Royal Citadel, Plymouth
- 79 (Kirkee) Commando Battery Royal Artillery – Commando trained L118 gun battery based at the Royal Citadel, Plymouth
- 148 (Meiktila) Battery Royal Artillery – The battery are based at RM Poole. Their primary role is as a Naval Gunfire Support Forward Observation (NGSFO) battery. Tasked to direct naval gunfire support from Royal Navy ships, air strikes from Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft and artillery fire from the regiment's gun batteries, when landed in support of 3 Commando Brigade.
- 29 Commando Regiment Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers – Workshop main HQ is based at the Royal Citadel, Plymouth with battery fitter sections permanently attached to, and based with each battery.
In addition the regiment is supported by 266 (GVA) Commando Battery, their affiliated Territorial Army unit, who train with and support 29 Regiment on operations. This will not be the case under Army 2020.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "29th Regiment RA". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ "3 April 1973 → Written Answers (Commons) → DEFENCE". Hansard, UK Parliament. 3 April 1973. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ Fairhall, David (21 May 1982). "Why British invasion will be risky affair". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 1 Feb 1996 (pt 18)". Hansard, UK Parliament. 1 Feb 1996. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ Gall, Carlotta (6 May 2002). "From Hilltop Perch, British Troops Watch for Holdouts". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
- ↑ "29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery: Batteries". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
External links
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