1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

The regiment was formed as 5th Brigade Royal Horse Artillery in March 1901 and was renamed 1st Brigade Royal Horse Artillery in October 1906.[2] It served in Iraq in 1920, returned to the Uk in 1923 and served in Egypt in 1931, before returning to the UK again in 1936.[2] It was re-named 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery on 1 May 1938.[2]

Sexton 25pdr self-propelled gun of 1st Royal Horse Artillery, operating as part of 'Porter Force' on the Adriatic coast near Ravenna, 1 December 1944. (IWM NA20334)

In 1939, 1 RHA was part of 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, and fought at Saint Valery. The Regiment was captured after severe fighting, but some batteries managed to escape after the Battle of Dunkirk. The Regiment reformed and was deployed to Northern Africa in late 1940. The Regiment then arrived with the Middle East Command in October 1940 and took a large part in Wavell's Campaign which opened on 9 December 1940. The most notable actions were those during the Siege of Tobruk and all the batteries fought during the fierce fighting just before El Alamein and then the First and Second Battles of El Alamein itself.[2]

1 RHA then joined 10 Armd Division in Aleppo and spent the next year training all over Syria, Palestine and the Suez Canal Zone. 1 RHA then landed in Italy from Palestine in May 1944 at Taranto, and were in action south of Rome on 15 May 1944 and thereafter played a full part in the remainder of the Italian Campaign and finished the war in Italy.[2]

The regiment saw service as follows:[3] 1 RHA was stationed in Palestine after the Second World War, during the period of terrorist activity that led to the creation of the State of Israel.[3] 1 RHA returned to England as part of 6th Armoured Division at Salisbury Plain in 1951.[3] in 1952 1 RHA moved to Münster in West Germany, where they remained until 1958 as part of the 20th Armoured Brigade of 6th Armoured Division.[3] In 1958, it moved to Hildesheim, where it was equipped with the M44 Self Propelled 155 mm Howitzer.[3]

In 1965, RHA deployed to Aden with three batteries (each split into three independent two-gun sections), where they supported British battalions in the Radfan, and South Arabian battalions on the Yemeni border.[3]

Elements of 1 RHA were deployed on Operation Banner in November 1969.[3] As part of support to support 3rd Infantry Brigade, units were deployed to Long Kesh and Belfast City Centre.[3] The regiment moved to Alanbrooke Barracks at Topcliffe in 1977, deployed to Hohne in Germany in 1982 and returned to Assaye Barracks in Tidworth in 1992.[3]

In 2004, 1 RHA deployed to Basra, Iraq on Operation Telic (Op TELIC 4) as part of 1st Mechanised Brigade: Sergeant Terry Bryan[4] from 1RHA was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for his actions during an incident on the 9 August 2004.[5] On the 28 September 2004, a convoy of 1 RHA vehicles was ambushed, resulting in the loss of Cpl Marc Taylor REME and Gunner David Lawrence in an improvised explosive device attack.[6] In 2007, 1 RHA re-deployed to Basra, Iraq on Operation Telic (Operation TELIC 10).[7]

In September 2009 1 RHA deployed for approximately 7 months to Helmand province, Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK 11 supporting 11 Light Brigade.[8] 1 RHA deployed to Afghanistan for a second time, on Operation Herrick 16, in 2013.[9]