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A Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery

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Australian Army artillery battery

'A' Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
Members of the battery at Nadzab, New Guinea, September 1944
Active1 August 1871 – present
Country Australia
BranchArmy
TypeArtillery
RoleField artillery
Size1 artillery battery
Part of7th Brigade
Garrison/HQEnoggera Barracks
Motto(s)Semper Paratus
EngagementsSudan Campaign
Second Boer War
First World War

Second World War

Malayan Emergency
Indonesian Confrontation
Vietnam War
East Timor
Afghanistan
Military unit

'A' Field Battery is an artillery battery of the Australian Army. The unit has been in existence since 1871, having originally been raised as part of the New South Wales colonial defence force. As part of several different larger formations, the battery has served in many conflicts including the Sudan Campaign, the Second Boer War, the First World War, the Second World War, the Malayan Emergency, Confrontation, and the Vietnam War. Today it is part of the 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, attached to the 7th Brigade based at Enoggera, Queensland. It was previously an airborne unit, but no longer maintains that role. It is currently equipped with M777 howitzers.

History

Formation and early history

'A' Field Battery was originally formed as a permanent unit on 1 August 1871 following the withdrawal of British artillery units from Australia. This unit was equipped with four 9-pounder guns and two 24-pounder howitzers and had a strength of 100 personnel. The battery was deployed in 1885 to support the British during the Sudan Campaign. Consisting of seven officers and 168 enlisted personnel, under the command of Colonel John Richardson, the battery was re-equipped by the British with six 9-pounder guns and embarked from Sydney in early March. Most of the major fighting had concluded by the time the battery arrived and, after training, it undertook defensive duties to protect the railway around Handoub, remaining until May when it was withdrawn back to Australia. The battery lost three men from disease during the expedition. One officer was detached and served with the British Army in Burma at this time.

The battery's next involvement in conflict came during the Second Boer War, deploying aboard the transport Warrigal on 30 December 1899. Consisting of 179 personnel, including five officers, the battery was equipped with six 15-pounder field guns, and throughout the war deployed mainly in detached sections, each consisting of two guns. During the war, the battery was involved in several important actions, such as playing an important role in the capture of the Boer commander Christiaan de Wet's artillery pieces.

'A' Battery returned to Australia in August – September 1901. During its deployment, it lost one man killed in action, two died of disease; 45 others were returned to Australia due to illness. For its service in South Africa, the Royal Australian Artillery, represented primarily by A Battery NSW Regiment RAA, but also including the Machine Gun Section, Queensland Regiment RAA, and many individuals of the Queensland, NSW and Victoria Regiments RAA, was presented a Kings Banner. It was not the only Commonwealth artillery unit to have been honoured in this way, and Kings Banners were also awarded to the Royal Canadian Field Artillery, the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery, the Cape Field Artillery, the Cape Garrison Artillery, and the Natal Field Artillery.

Following Federation, the battery became part of the Royal Australian Artillery Regiment, and consisted of four guns, based in Sydney. The battery was later used to raise the horsed 'A' Instructional Cadre. When the instructional cadres were disbanded in 1910, No. 1 Field Battery was formed as part of the permanent field artillery.

First World War

Two Australian soldiers and an officer, at a camouflaged gun position of the 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade.

Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the 1st Battery Royal Australian Field Artillery (RAFA) was used to raise the 1st Australian Imperial Force (AIF) Battery, along with other volunteers from the permanent batteries in Victoria and Queensland. Forming part of the 1st Australian Field Artillery Brigade, the battery was among the first units of the AIF to leave Australia. Following a period of training and preparation in Egypt with the rest of the AIF, the unit served at Gallipoli, where the brigade supported the British 29th Division around Cape Helles from early May. By October 1915, the brigade was transferred to Anzac Cove to support the Australian 2nd Division. After the evacuation of Allied troops from the peninsula in December, the brigade returned to Egypt for reorganisation before deploying to France and Belgium for service on the Western Front commencing in mid-1916. Consisting of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 101st Batteries, the 1st Field Brigade supported the 1st Division.

Second World War

Following the war, the battery was reconstituted and provided a mounted escort in Sydney during the Prince of Wales visit to Australia in 1920. During the period between the wars, the battery undertook several changes in name, eventually being designated A Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery Regiment. In the final years before the war, it was expanded to two sections. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the battery changed its designation several times.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, A Field Battery came under the command of the School of Artillery, Holsworthy, in their mobilization role as Depot Battery. However, in August 1943, A Field Battery was reorganized to form the 2nd Australian Mountain Battery, following the successful involvement of the 1st Mountain Battery during operations around Buna and Wau. Equipped with 75 mm pack howitzers, under the command of Major William Stevenson the 2nd Mountain Battery arrived in New Guinea in September of that year, initially based around Port Moresby with the 3rd Division. In November, the battery was transferred to the 9th Division to provide support around Finschhafen. In early 1944, the battery moved to Lae and was re-assigned to support the 7th Division in the Finisterre Ranges, where its operations were hampered due to limited transport in the difficult terrain. The battery was moved to Dumpu in April 1944, where it came under the command of the 11th Division, before moving to Lae in May.

In November 1944, it subsequently moved to Bougainville for operations as part II Corps, initially based around Torokina, until moving forward to Pearl Ridge after its capture in late 1944, to support the Australians across the centre of the island towards the coast, operating under the command of first the 23rd Brigade and then later the 11th Brigade. In January 1945, the battery supported a landing around Amun, followed by an attack on a strong Japanese position. Further actions continued through March and April, during which the battery came under strong Japanese counter-battery fire. In June, the battery supported the failed amphibious landing at Porton Plantation. The battery remained deployed until the end of the war in August 1945.

Service since 1945

Following the end of the war, and returning to its original name, the battery was part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan; drawing personnel from the Royal Australian Artillery Headquarters and the 2nd Mountain Battery, the battery formed at Balikpapan on 7 October 1945 the 6th Independent Field Battery. Under the command of Major Thomas Rodriguez, the battery operated 25-pounder field guns over this period. On 21 February 1946, 2nd Mountain Battery was re-designated as 'A' Field Battery. On 22 December 1948, the battery returned to Australia based at North Head. On 25 May 1949, the battery became part of the 1st Field Regiment. In 1951, the battery moved to Georges Heights. In January 1955, the battery was re-designated as 100th (A) Battery. On 1 September 1957, the battery detached from the 1st Field Regiment for the Malayan Emergency arriving at Penang in October remaining overseas for two years. In 1958, the battery returned to the A Battery designation. The battery supported several Commonwealth Infantry Battalions and was closely associated with 2nd and 48th Field Regiments, Royal Artillery. On return to Australia, the battery rejoined 1st Field Regiment at Holsworthy. It also later served during the Indonesian Confrontation detaching again to join the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group at Terendak Garrison on 21 October 1965. On 12 September 1967, the battery returned to Australia and became 'A' Field Battery, 19th Composite Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery at Holsworthy.

In October 1969, the battery became 'A' Field Battery, 12th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery. The battery served in the Vietnam War arriving on 4 July 1971 at the 1st Australian Task Force base at Nui Dat deploying individual forward observers and guns at Nui Dat and several fire support bases to support the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) until November 1971. In 1974, following the amalgamation of regiments the battery became 'A' Field Battery, 8th/12th Medium Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery.

In 1984, the battery assumed the role of parachute deployable artillery for 3 RAR as part of the Parachute Battalion Group. In 1995, 105mm L119 Hamel guns were air dropped for the first time by the battery. In 1999, the battery deployed personnel to serve in East Timor as part of INTERFET. The same year the battery was made an independent battery after 8th/12th Medium Regiment moved to Darwin. In 2002, the battery became part of 4th Field Regiment. The battery adopted 3 RAR's parachute wings and dull cherry beret. In April 2002, the battery deployed to East Timor as part of UNTAET and later UNMISET in non-artillery roles with 3 RAR returning in October 2002.

The battery has since deployed personnel in artillery roles to Iraq and Afghanistan with the Reconstruction Taskforce and on secondment to 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery. The battery has also deployed personnel to East Timor for Operation Astute in non-artillery roles. In the late 2000s, the Parachute Battalion Group changed to a Airborne Combat Team reducing the battery's role supporting 3 RAR to maintaining the parachute qualifications of observers. On 30 September 2010, the battery became part of 1st Field Regiment and moved to Enoggera Barracks in Queensland in January 2011. An artillery parachute capability was to be maintained by a battery within 4th Field Regiment. In January 2011, the battery was re-roled into a gun battery and re-designated as 'A' (Gun) Battery, 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery with the word "field" dropped from the battery's and regiment's title. Reorganising into a gun battery meant the loss of the battery's forward observers and joint-fire teams. The same year the battery equipped with the new M777A2 155mm Lightweight Towed Howitzer (LWTH). In 2012, the battery was to reorganise back to a traditional battery role by the end 2013 with the designation 'A' Battery.

Lineage

The battery's lineage is as follows:

  • 1871–1876 — A Battery, New South Wales Artillery
  • 1876–1891 — No 1 Battery, New South Wales Artillery
  • 1891–1893 — The Field Battery, New South Wales Artillery
  • 1893–1899 — 'A' Battery, New South Wales Artillery
  • 1899–1902 — 'A' Battery, New South Wales Regiment of Royal Australian Artillery (Field)
  • 1902–1903 — 'A' Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1903–1910 — 'A' Instructional Cadre, Royal Australian Artillery Regiment
  • 1910–1911 — No 1 Battery, Australian Field Artillery (Permanent)
  • 1911–1920 — No 1 Battery, Royal Australian Field Artillery
  • 1920–1927 — 1st Battery, Royal Australian Field Artillery
  • 1927–1930 — 1st Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1930–1936 — 1st Field Cadre, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1936–1939 — 1st Field Cadre, Royal Australian Artillery Regiment
  • 1939–1942 — 'A' Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery Regiment
  • 1942–1943 — Depot Battery, LHQ School of Artillery (Field, Medium, Survey)
  • 1943 — 2nd Aust Mountain Battery (Mechanised)
  • 1943–1945 — 2nd Aust Mountain Battery (Mechanised) (Australian Imperial Force)
  • 1945–1946 — 2nd Mountain Battery
  • 1946–1949 — 'A' Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery Regiment
  • 1949–1955 — 'A' Field Battery, 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1955–1958 — 100 (A) Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1958–1965 — 'A' Field Battery, 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1965–1966 — 'A' Field Battery, 45th Light Regiment, Royal Artillery
  • 1966–1967 — 'A' Field Battery, 6th Light Regiment, Royal Artillery
  • 1967–1969 — 'A' Field Battery, 19th Composite Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1969–1974 — 'A' Field Battery, 12th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1974–1999 — 'A' Field Battery, 8th/12th Medium Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 1999–2002 – 'A' Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 2002–2010 — 'A' Field Battery, 4th Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 2011–2012 — 'A' Gun Battery, 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
  • 2012–Present — 'A' Battery, 1st Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery

See also

References

  1. ^ "A Battery, RAA, Second Boer War". Australian War Memorial. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  2. Horner 1995, p. 15.
  3. Horner 1995, pp. 26–27.
  4. Horner 1995, pp. 42–43.
  5. ^ "The History of 'A' Field Battery, Royal Australian Artillery". 'A' Field Battery Association. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  6. ^ Armour, Lt Col Brian (Retd). "A Short History of 'A' Field Battery, RAA". Department of Defence. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  7. Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Standing Orders Volume 1, May 2015, para 407
  8. Orpen 1965, p. 74.
  9. Nöthling 1987, p. 291.
  10. Horner 1995, pp. 53–54.
  11. Horner 1995, p. 56.
  12. Horner 1995, pp. 60–61.
  13. Horner 1995, p. 79.
  14. Horner 1995, p. 99.
  15. Horner 1995, pp. 106–113.
  16. Horner 1995, pp. 117 & 138.
  17. Horner 1995, p. 209.
  18. ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 3100.
  19. Horner 1995, p. 369.
  20. Horner 1995, pp. 372–373.
  21. ^ McKenzie-Smith 2018, p. 3101.
  22. Horner 1995, pp. 394, 400–406.
  23. Burke 2006, p. 6.
  24. ^ Kelly 2004, pp. 93–95.
  25. Horner 1995, pp. 426–427.
  26. Horner 1995, p. 431.
  27. Horner 1995, pp. 450–451.
  28. Horner 1995, p. 467.
  29. Horner 1995, pp. 491–495.
  30. Fire support bases Vietnam: Australian and allied fire support base locations and main support units by Bruce Picken 2012 at Google Books
  31. Gunfire 2013, p. 13.
  32. Liaison 2006, p. 18.
  33. Horner 1995, p. 514.
  34. Gilby 1995, p. 12.
  35. ^ Watkins 2008.
  36. ^ Schinkel & King 2010, p. 7.
  37. Cornelia 2010, pp. 35.
  38. ^ ArmyNewspaper 2011, p. 27.
  39. ^ Kennedy & Doran 2011, p. 3.
  40. ^ Hill 2015, p. 54.
  41. NSW Government Gazette No 290 dated 22 August 1876. The original battery of NSW Artillery raised in 1871 assumed the number 1 on this date, being reduced to nil strength as 1st Coast Artillery Battery RAA effective 7 December 1951, and deleted from the ORBAT as 128th Mobile Coast Battery by 30 June 1957
  42. Effective new establishments introduced on 9 January 1891 the field battery component of No 2 Battery became an independent unit of the NSWA, while the garrison component was absorbed into the newly raised Depot Battery NSWA. The former No 3 Battery NSWA, raised 1877, became the new No 2 Battery, being broken up effective 7 December 1951 as 2nd Coast Artillery Battery RAA, see Historical Record of the New South Wales Regiment of Royal Australian Artillery, Sydney 1903, pp. 13–14.
  43. Change in designation was effective 24 June 1893 with the formation of the Brigade Division Field Artillery, consisting of 'A' Battery NSWA, 'B' and 'C' Batteries NSWA (Partially-Paid), and from January 1894, 'D' (Cadet) Battery
  44. NSW General Order No 91 of 7 September 1899
  45. Effective 1 July 1902 vide GO 101/1902 of 04 Jul 02, para 4, as amended by GO 124/1902 of 31 July 1902, para 3; and Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 44 of 12 September 1902
  46. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 1 of 9 January 1903, reduction to be effected by 30 June 1903
  47. Military Order No 405/1910 of 25 November 1910
  48. MO 160/1911 of 25 April 1911
  49. Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 85 of 14 October 1920
  50. AAO 357/1927 of 16 July 1927, effective 1 July 1927
  51. AAO 330/1930 of 19 July 1930, amending AAO 74/1930, Annual Training Establishments – Permanent Forces
  52. AAO 12/1936 of 31 January 1936
  53. AAO 32/1939 of 28 February 1939, effective 1 February 1939
  54. LHQ Appointments Order No 7/1942, entry relating to the appointment of the BC Depot Battery on 27 February *1942
  55. LHQ SM19531 of 5 Aug 43. 93 other rank personnel of Depot Battery formed 2 Aust Mtn Bty (Mech) on 9 August 1943, and were joined by 28 other ranks ex- 9 Aust Fd Regt (AIF), and five ORs drawn from other units of Second Aust Army. The BC was from 2/5 Aust Fd Regt, the remaining five officers joined in New Guinea from units serving in that theatre. Note that the remnants of Depot Battery LHQ School of Artillery (Field) appear to have been absorbed into the staff of the School during reorganization in late September 1943, but the OC remained posted until 8 August 1944 when he marched out on appointment as OC 1st Aust Young Soldiers Training Battery
  56. GRO G.741/1943 of 5 November 1943
  57. 54 Battery, 2/4th Aust Field Regiment, at Balikpapan was reduced to a cadre pending disbandment on 1 October 1945, was repopulated and redesignated 6th Independent Field Battery on 3 October 1945, and redesignated 2nd Mountain Battery on 25 October 1945, moving to Morotai in October/November 1945. The original 2 Aust Mtn Bty (Mech), still at Bougainville and being reduced to a cadre prior to return to Australia, was directed to reform and replace 6 Indep Fd Bty in BCOF on 6 October 1945 but this instruction was changed on 22 October to direct that it was now to be deleted from the ORBAT and five volunteers only, with the battery funds and certain memorabilia, joined the new 2 Mtn Bty on Morotai in mid-November 1945. Accordingly there were two units bearing the title 2 Mtn Bty on the ORBAT during October/November 1945. See the following war diaries – AWM52: 1/2/4/8; Adv LHQ GS(SD) war diary for September 1945; AWM52: 1/2/4/9; Adv LHQ GS(SD) war diary for October 1945; AWM52: 1/1/19/56; Directorate of Organization AG 1(a), war diary for October 1945; AWM52: 1/5/4/104; HQ 3 Aust Div G Br war diary for October 1945, Appendix B, Action Diary; AWM52: 1/5/4/104; HQ 3 Aust Div G Br war diary for November 1945, Appendices B and K; AWM52: 1/3/4/13; HQ First Aust Army G Branch (SD and Trg) war diary for September 1945; AWM52: 1/3/4/15; HQ First Army G Br (SD and Trg) war diary for November 1945; AWM52: 1/3/11; HQ First Aust Army Q Br war diary, November 1945, Daily Return of Movements – Return No 547; AWM52: 1/1/1/65 Part 2; LHQ G (Ops) and G (SD) war diary for October 1945; AWM52: item 1/1/19/58, Directorate of Organization AG 1(a) war diary for November 1945; AWM52: 1/2/3/22; Adv LHQ GS(Ops) Sec, war diary for November 1945, Part 1, HQ Morotai Force
  58. Amendment No 7 to the AMF ORBAT Pt 1 of October 1945, promulgated as HQ AMF SM224 of 2 Feb 46
  59. AHQ memo A240/1/257(G3) of 24 Dec 54, effective 31 January 1955. Appendix A (Sheet 2) to AHQ A240/1/257(G3) of 15 Nov 54, Renumbering of Units of Royal Australian Artillery, provides for the new title of A Fd Bty, 1 Fd Regt, to be 100(A) Fd Bty, 1 Fd Regt, stating at Note (b) that "It is considered desirable that this battery have a number. In order to preserve the pre-war PMF association it will also retain the letter 'A'."
  60. AHQ letter A240/6/58 of 8 December 1958, see also AWM95: 3/1/14; Commanders Diary, A Field Battery RAA, 1–31 December 1958, entry dated 16 December 1958 noting AHQ approval for redesignation. The battery became independent effective 1 September 1957 for deployment to Malaya
  61. Org Instn 37/99 effective 4 November 1999
  62. AHQ Org Instn 52/02, effective 1 November 2002

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Burke, Arthur (2003). 4th Field Regiment RAA Historical Guide. Brisbane: Arthur Burke. ISBN 0-9750389-0-7.
  • Cubis, Richmond (1978). A History of 'A' Battery NSW Artillery (1871–1899), Royal Australian Artillery (1899–1971). Sydney: Elizabethan Press.
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