101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)
Encyclopedia
101st Regiment Royal Artillery
(Volunteers) are a M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
(MLRS) and Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) regiment
of the Territorial Army (TA) with sub units throughout Northumbria
. It is the only unit of the Territorial Army equipped with MLRS.
The Regiment's role is to provide re-inforcements to the Regular Army for operatations. Currently the Regiment is supporting Operation Herrick
in Afghanistan.
History
Formed on the 31 January 1900 the Elswick Battery, as it was then known were formed, marched to the Newcastle upon Tyne,Town Hall, headed by the band to be sworn in before the Lord Mayor of Newcastle.
The Battery was armed with 12 pounder guns manufactured by Armstrongs
at Elswick. The guns had been paid for by the eccentric brewery heiress Lady Meux. Later that year they embarked for South Africa for service in the Second Boer War
. In June 1901 the Battery returned to England with only 175 men of the original 246 that had embarked.
When the Territorial Army was re-organised in April 1967, three TA Batteries of the Royal Artillery in Blyth
and Seaton Delaval
were merged into a Battery to be based in Blyth, Northumberland.
During this period the Battery were equipped with the BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
, converting to the 105mm Light Gun in 1980. In April 1992 the Battery was again re-equipped, this time with FH-70 howitzers
, later in 1998 the Battery became one of only 2 Territorial Army Batteries to be equipped with the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
(MLRS).
(STA) Battery using some of the most modern equipment issued to a TA Unit. It also supplies a Troop to augment the Headquarters of HQ 1 Artillery Brigade.
204 Battery has supplied personnel for Operations in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Cyprus and Afghanistan.
Tyneside Scottish
History
The origins of the Tyneside Scottish are in the Kitchener's Army
and the call to arms in World War 1. The Recruitment to the British Army during World War I
saw the raising of the Pals battalion
. The Tyneside Scottish Committee was formed and raised the Tyneside Scottish Brigade of four service Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers. The Brigade's first major action was the Battle of the Somme where it sustained a large number of casualties. The Brigade was subsequently brought up to strength and served at Armentiers, Battle of Arras (1917)
, and the final battles of 1918. The Brigade was disbanded in 1919.
In 1939 the TA expanded and the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
duplicate Battalion (12 DLI) was authorised to be raised as the Tyneside Scottish. The Battalion immediately sought the affiliation with a Scottish unit and became the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
. The Battalion deployed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and were part of the Dunkirk evacuation. Following a period of Home Defence, 1TS joined the 49th (West Riding) Division and were sent to Iceland. Returning to England in 1942 another period of Home Defence preceded the Invasion of Normandy in 1944. The Battalion were engaged in Operation Martlet
gaining the Battle Honour "Defence of Rauray". Following the Battle and subsequent actions in the Caen area, the Battalion was reduced to cadre strength and subsequently placed in suspended animation.
In 1947 on the re-constitution of the Territorial Army, the honour title passed to the Royal Artillery. Initially the title was held by 670th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (Tyneside Scottish) , before passing to a Battery, 439th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA. In 1974, the title was adopted by 204 Battery of 101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers).
.
History
In 1859 the Volunteer Force was created as a result of rising tensions on the European continent. An appeal was made to citizens to form Artillery Corps and Companies in maritime towns. This appeal resulted in the formation of the 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery in South Shields in 1860. When the Royal Artillery divided in 1899, the unit became the 3rd Durham Royal Garrison Artillery (Vols).
On the formation of the Territorial Army in 1908, the 3rd Durham RGA re-rolled as Royal Field Artillery and designated as the 4th Durham Battery of the 4th Northumbrian (County of Durham) Howitzer Brigade RFA (T). The Brigade mobilised in August 1914 and deployed to France in April 1915. In early May, the Brigade were the first Territorial field gunners to engage in the Ypres fighting in the Second Battle of Ypres
. A reorganisation of Field brigades in 1916 saw the 4th Durham Battery transferred to 250 (Northumbrian Brigade) as D/250 Battery, the 5th Durhams going to 251 Brigade, D/251 Battery. The units would go on to take part in the Battle of the Somme, Battle of Arras (1917)
Battle of Passchendaele before the final battles of 1918.
On the re-forming of the TA in 1921 the brigade became the 3rd (Northumbrian) Field Brigade RA (TA), which was then re-designated as the 74th Field Brigade RA (TA). A re-organisation of Artillery Field Brigades in 1938 resulted in the formation of the 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) together with a duplicate unit, 125th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).
The 74th Regiment mobilised as divisional Artillery within the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division,supporting 151st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) ,The Durham Light Infantry Brigade, with whom they served from 1939 to 1944 . They deployed to France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The Regiment returned to the UK in the Dunkirk evacuation
In 1941 they embarked with the 8th Army for the Middle East Theatre of World War II
. Initially they took part in the Jock column
actions to harass the enemy. Supporting 151 (DLI) Brigade they were engaged in the Battle of Gazala
, breaking out to avoid capture through Mersa Matruh, though suffering many casualties. Following re-fitting and re-equipment the Regiment was engaged in the Second Battle of El Alamein
followed by the assault on the Mareth Line
. Joining the Italian Campaign (World War II)
they landed in the Allied invasion of Sicily
where they were engaged in the battle of Primosole Bridge (Operation Fustian
)and the barrage across the Straits of Messina for the invasion of Italy.
The Regiments next major action was D-Day and the Invasion of Normandy, landing on Gold Beach
with the 50th Northumbrian (Infantry) Division. They were subsequently involved in the Normandy Battle to breakout in Operation Perch
. Later service through North West Europe saw the Regiment involved in the liberation of Brussels and the battle of the Gheil bridgehead on the Albert Canal. In September 1944 they formed part of Operation Market Garden
. When the rest of the 50th Division returned to England, in November 1944, 74 Regiment was attached to 49th (West Riding Division) being engaged on the Grebbe line. Following the German surrender in May 1945 the Regiment remained in the Army of Occupation returning to South Shields in 1946.
The 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment fought with distinction in some of the most decisive battles of the Second World winning 3 DSO,7 MC, and 8 MM.
125 (Northumbrian) Field Regiment re-roled as 125 Anti-Tank Regiment in 1940. It deployed to the Far East and was captured in 1942. Many of the Regiment became Far East Prisoners of War.
In 1947 the Territorial Army was reconstituted, 74 Regiment was re-formed as 274 (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA), with 125 Regiment formed as 325(Durham) L.A.A. Regiment R.A. (T.A.). Following subsequent amalgamations 325 Regiment became 463 (Durham Light Infantry) Light Air Defence Regiment R.A. (T.A.). On disbandment of Anti-Aircraft Command in 1955, 274 Regiment absorbed 487 H.A.A. Regiment R.A. (Durham) (T.A.) and 377 (Durham) Observation Regiment R.A. (T.A.).
In 1967 the TA became the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR). As part of this re-structuring 101 (Northumbrian) Medium Regiment RA (V) was formed. 205 Medium Battery was constituted from 274 Field and 463 LAA Regiments. In 1974 the honour title 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery was adopted by the Battery.
Initially equipped with the BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
, they converted to 105mm Light Gun in 1980 and to FH-70
in 1991. The Battery was the last to fire 101 Regiment's guns during the prestigious Queens Cup which they won for the second year running. The Battery therefore concluded 137 years service on the guns of the Royal Artillery as the premier Gun Battery in the Territorial Army. The following year, in 1997, 205 Battery converted to a missile Battery equipped with M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
and became the first TA Battery to fire that weapon system.
The Battery currently provides reinforcements for Operation Herrick
in Afghanistan. The first firing of MLRS in Afghanistan by a formed troop from the Territorial Army was fired by a detachment from 205 Battery.
are a Surveillance and Target Acquisition battery. In this role they act in support of 5th Regiment RA, based in Marne Barracks, Catterick.
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
(Volunteers) are a M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher; a type of rocket artillery.Since the first M270s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983, the MLRS has been adopted by several NATO countries. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured in the...
(MLRS) and Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the Territorial Army (TA) with sub units throughout Northumbria
Northumbria
Northumbria was a medieval kingdom of the Angles, in what is now Northern England and South-East Scotland, becoming subsequently an earldom in a united Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England. The name reflects the approximate southern limit to the kingdom's territory, the Humber Estuary.Northumbria was...
. It is the only unit of the Territorial Army equipped with MLRS.
The Regiment's role is to provide re-inforcements to the Regular Army for operatations. Currently the Regiment is supporting Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...
in Afghanistan.
Sub units
- 203 Elswick BatteryElswick, Tyne and WearElswick is a ward of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the western part of the city, bordering the river Tyne. One of the earliest references to the coal mining industry of the north east occurs in 1330, when it was recorded that the Prior of Tynemouth let a colliery, called Heygrove, at...
(MLRS) - 204 Tyneside Scottish BatteryTyneside ScottishTyneside Scottish is an honour title which has been held by a variety of British Army units since 1914. The Regiments which have held the title are the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham Light Infantry, Black Watch and Royal Artillery....
(STA) - 205 (3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery) Battery205 (3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers)205 is part of the 101st Regiment Royal Artillery and is equipped with the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System. They are based in South Shields, United Kingdom....
(MLRS) - 269 West Riding BatteryWest Riding ArtilleryIn 1860, as the British government feared invasion from the continent, the Secretary at War recommended the formation of Volunteer Artillery Corps to bolster Britain's coastal defences. The 1st Yorkshire Artillery Volunteer Corps were raised at Leeds on 2 August and the 2nd Yorkshire Artillery...
(STA) - 101 Regt RA(V) Wksp REMERoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
203 Elswick Battery
Is equipped with the MLRS system. 203 Bty is based in Blyth, NorthumberlandBlyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
History
Formed on the 31 January 1900 the Elswick Battery, as it was then known were formed, marched to the Newcastle upon Tyne,Town Hall, headed by the band to be sworn in before the Lord Mayor of Newcastle.
The Battery was armed with 12 pounder guns manufactured by Armstrongs
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
at Elswick. The guns had been paid for by the eccentric brewery heiress Lady Meux. Later that year they embarked for South Africa for service in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
. In June 1901 the Battery returned to England with only 175 men of the original 246 that had embarked.
When the Territorial Army was re-organised in April 1967, three TA Batteries of the Royal Artillery in Blyth
Blyth, Northumberland
Blyth is a town and civil parish in southeast Northumberland, England. It lies on the coast, to the south of the River Blyth and is approximately 21 kilometres northeast of Newcastle upon Tyne...
and Seaton Delaval
Seaton Delaval
Seaton Delaval is a village in Northumberland, England, with a population of 4,371. It is the largest of the five villages in Seaton Valley and is the site of Seaton Delaval Hall, the masterpiece completed by Sir John Vanbrugh in 1727....
were merged into a Battery to be based in Blyth, Northumberland.
During this period the Battery were equipped with the BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
The BL 5.5 inch Gun was a British artillery gun introduced during the middle of the Second World War to equip medium batteries.-History:In January 1939 a specification was issued for a gun to replace the 6 inch 26 cwt howitzers in use with most medium batteries...
, converting to the 105mm Light Gun in 1980. In April 1992 the Battery was again re-equipped, this time with FH-70 howitzers
FH-70
The FH-70 is a towed howitzer in use with several nations.-History:In 1963 NATO agreed a NATO Basic Military Requirement 39 for close support artillery, either towed or tracked. Subsequently Germany and UK started discussions and design studies and in 1968 established Agreed Operational...
, later in 1998 the Battery became one of only 2 Territorial Army Batteries to be equipped with the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher; a type of rocket artillery.Since the first M270s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983, the MLRS has been adopted by several NATO countries. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured in the...
(MLRS).
204 (Tyneside Scottish) Battery
The present role of 204 (Tyneside Scottish) Battery is Surveillance and Target AcquisitionSurveillance and Target Acquisition
For Artillery STA, see belowSurveillance and Target Acquisition is a military role assigned to units and/or their equipment. It involves watching an area to see what changes and then the acquisition of targets based on that information....
(STA) Battery using some of the most modern equipment issued to a TA Unit. It also supplies a Troop to augment the Headquarters of HQ 1 Artillery Brigade.
204 Battery has supplied personnel for Operations in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Cyprus and Afghanistan.
Tyneside Scottish
Tyneside Scottish
Tyneside Scottish is an honour title which has been held by a variety of British Army units since 1914. The Regiments which have held the title are the Northumberland Fusiliers, Durham Light Infantry, Black Watch and Royal Artillery....
History
The origins of the Tyneside Scottish are in the Kitchener's Army
Kitchener's Army
The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, Kitchener's Mob, was an all-volunteer army formed in the United Kingdom following the outbreak of hostilities in the First World War...
and the call to arms in World War 1. The Recruitment to the British Army during World War I
Recruitment to the British Army during World War I
At the start of 1914 the British Army had a reported strength of 710,000 men including reserves, of which around 80,000 were regular troops ready for war. By the end of World War I almost 1 in 4 of the total male population of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland had joined, over five...
saw the raising of the Pals battalion
Pals battalion
The Pals battalions of World War I were specially constituted units of the British Army comprising men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbours and work colleagues , rather than being arbitrarily...
. The Tyneside Scottish Committee was formed and raised the Tyneside Scottish Brigade of four service Battalions of the Northumberland Fusiliers. The Brigade's first major action was the Battle of the Somme where it sustained a large number of casualties. The Brigade was subsequently brought up to strength and served at Armentiers, Battle of Arras (1917)
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
, and the final battles of 1918. The Brigade was disbanded in 1919.
In 1939 the TA expanded and the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
Durham Light Infantry
The Durham Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1968. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 68th Regiment of Foot and the 106th Regiment of Foot along with the militia and rifle volunteers of County Durham...
duplicate Battalion (12 DLI) was authorised to be raised as the Tyneside Scottish. The Battalion immediately sought the affiliation with a Scottish unit and became the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish, Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)
It all began in 1725 when General Wade, as leader of the King's Army in Scotland, and involved in his great project of building the military roads there, set up six companies of the Highland "Watch". These were formed to stop fighting among the clans; controlling the roads was an important part of...
. The Battalion deployed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and were part of the Dunkirk evacuation. Following a period of Home Defence, 1TS joined the 49th (West Riding) Division and were sent to Iceland. Returning to England in 1942 another period of Home Defence preceded the Invasion of Normandy in 1944. The Battalion were engaged in Operation Martlet
Operation Martlet
Operation Martlet was the name given to the diversionary operation undertaken on 25 June 1944 by the 49th Infantry Division, of XXX Corps, to support Operation Epsom; the assault by the VIII Corps into the Odon Valley...
gaining the Battle Honour "Defence of Rauray". Following the Battle and subsequent actions in the Caen area, the Battalion was reduced to cadre strength and subsequently placed in suspended animation.
In 1947 on the re-constitution of the Territorial Army, the honour title passed to the Royal Artillery. Initially the title was held by 670th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (Tyneside Scottish) , before passing to a Battery, 439th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA. In 1974, the title was adopted by 204 Battery of 101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers).
205 (3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery) Battery
Is equipped with the MLRS system. 205 Bty is based in South ShieldsSouth Shields
South Shields is a coastal town in Tyne and Wear, England, located at the mouth of the River Tyne to Tyne Dock, and about downstream from Newcastle upon Tyne...
.
History
In 1859 the Volunteer Force was created as a result of rising tensions on the European continent. An appeal was made to citizens to form Artillery Corps and Companies in maritime towns. This appeal resulted in the formation of the 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery in South Shields in 1860. When the Royal Artillery divided in 1899, the unit became the 3rd Durham Royal Garrison Artillery (Vols).
On the formation of the Territorial Army in 1908, the 3rd Durham RGA re-rolled as Royal Field Artillery and designated as the 4th Durham Battery of the 4th Northumbrian (County of Durham) Howitzer Brigade RFA (T). The Brigade mobilised in August 1914 and deployed to France in April 1915. In early May, the Brigade were the first Territorial field gunners to engage in the Ypres fighting in the Second Battle of Ypres
Second Battle of Ypres
The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in the First World War and the first time a former colonial force pushed back a major European power on European soil, which occurred in the battle of St...
. A reorganisation of Field brigades in 1916 saw the 4th Durham Battery transferred to 250 (Northumbrian Brigade) as D/250 Battery, the 5th Durhams going to 251 Brigade, D/251 Battery. The units would go on to take part in the Battle of the Somme, Battle of Arras (1917)
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
Battle of Passchendaele before the final battles of 1918.
On the re-forming of the TA in 1921 the brigade became the 3rd (Northumbrian) Field Brigade RA (TA), which was then re-designated as the 74th Field Brigade RA (TA). A re-organisation of Artillery Field Brigades in 1938 resulted in the formation of the 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA) together with a duplicate unit, 125th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).
The 74th Regiment mobilised as divisional Artillery within the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division,supporting 151st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) ,The Durham Light Infantry Brigade, with whom they served from 1939 to 1944 . They deployed to France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The Regiment returned to the UK in the Dunkirk evacuation
In 1941 they embarked with the 8th Army for the Middle East Theatre of World War II
Middle East Theatre of World War II
The Middle East Theatre of World War II is defined largely by reference to the British Middle East Command, which controlled Allied forces in both Southwest Asia and eastern North Africa...
. Initially they took part in the Jock column
Jock column
During World War II, "Jock columns" were small combined arms groups of armoured cars, artillery, and motorised infantry, generally drawn from the 7th Armoured Division...
actions to harass the enemy. Supporting 151 (DLI) Brigade they were engaged in the Battle of Gazala
Battle of Gazala
The Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
, breaking out to avoid capture through Mersa Matruh, though suffering many casualties. Following re-fitting and re-equipment the Regiment was engaged in the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
followed by the assault on the Mareth Line
Mareth Line
The Mareth Line was a system of fortifications built by the French between the towns of Medenine and Gabès in southern Tunisia, prior to World War II...
. Joining the Italian Campaign (World War II)
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
they landed in the Allied invasion of Sicily
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
where they were engaged in the battle of Primosole Bridge (Operation Fustian
Operation Fustian
Operation Fustian was a British airborne forces mission during the Allied invasion of Sicily in the Second World War. The operation was carried out by the 1st Parachute Brigade, part of the 1st Airborne Division. Their objective was the Primosole Bridge across the Simeto River. The intention was...
)and the barrage across the Straits of Messina for the invasion of Italy.
The Regiments next major action was D-Day and the Invasion of Normandy, landing on Gold Beach
Gold Beach
Gold Beach was the code name of one of the D-Day landing beaches that Allied forces used to invade German-occupied France on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
with the 50th Northumbrian (Infantry) Division. They were subsequently involved in the Normandy Battle to breakout in Operation Perch
Operation Perch
Operation Perch was a British offensive of the Second World War which took place between 7 and 14 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy. The operation was intended to encircle and seize the German occupied city of Caen, which was a major Allied objective in the early stages of the invasion of...
. Later service through North West Europe saw the Regiment involved in the liberation of Brussels and the battle of the Gheil bridgehead on the Albert Canal. In September 1944 they formed part of Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
. When the rest of the 50th Division returned to England, in November 1944, 74 Regiment was attached to 49th (West Riding Division) being engaged on the Grebbe line. Following the German surrender in May 1945 the Regiment remained in the Army of Occupation returning to South Shields in 1946.
The 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment fought with distinction in some of the most decisive battles of the Second World winning 3 DSO,7 MC, and 8 MM.
125 (Northumbrian) Field Regiment re-roled as 125 Anti-Tank Regiment in 1940. It deployed to the Far East and was captured in 1942. Many of the Regiment became Far East Prisoners of War.
In 1947 the Territorial Army was reconstituted, 74 Regiment was re-formed as 274 (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA), with 125 Regiment formed as 325(Durham) L.A.A. Regiment R.A. (T.A.). Following subsequent amalgamations 325 Regiment became 463 (Durham Light Infantry) Light Air Defence Regiment R.A. (T.A.). On disbandment of Anti-Aircraft Command in 1955, 274 Regiment absorbed 487 H.A.A. Regiment R.A. (Durham) (T.A.) and 377 (Durham) Observation Regiment R.A. (T.A.).
In 1967 the TA became the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve (TAVR). As part of this re-structuring 101 (Northumbrian) Medium Regiment RA (V) was formed. 205 Medium Battery was constituted from 274 Field and 463 LAA Regiments. In 1974 the honour title 3rd Durham Volunteer Artillery was adopted by the Battery.
Initially equipped with the BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun
The BL 5.5 inch Gun was a British artillery gun introduced during the middle of the Second World War to equip medium batteries.-History:In January 1939 a specification was issued for a gun to replace the 6 inch 26 cwt howitzers in use with most medium batteries...
, they converted to 105mm Light Gun in 1980 and to FH-70
FH-70
The FH-70 is a towed howitzer in use with several nations.-History:In 1963 NATO agreed a NATO Basic Military Requirement 39 for close support artillery, either towed or tracked. Subsequently Germany and UK started discussions and design studies and in 1968 established Agreed Operational...
in 1991. The Battery was the last to fire 101 Regiment's guns during the prestigious Queens Cup which they won for the second year running. The Battery therefore concluded 137 years service on the guns of the Royal Artillery as the premier Gun Battery in the Territorial Army. The following year, in 1997, 205 Battery converted to a missile Battery equipped with M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher; a type of rocket artillery.Since the first M270s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983, the MLRS has been adopted by several NATO countries. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured in the...
and became the first TA Battery to fire that weapon system.
The Battery currently provides reinforcements for Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...
in Afghanistan. The first firing of MLRS in Afghanistan by a formed troop from the Territorial Army was fired by a detachment from 205 Battery.
269 (West Riding) Battery
The West Riding ArtilleryWest Riding Artillery
In 1860, as the British government feared invasion from the continent, the Secretary at War recommended the formation of Volunteer Artillery Corps to bolster Britain's coastal defences. The 1st Yorkshire Artillery Volunteer Corps were raised at Leeds on 2 August and the 2nd Yorkshire Artillery...
are a Surveillance and Target Acquisition battery. In this role they act in support of 5th Regiment RA, based in Marne Barracks, Catterick.