103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment Royal Artillery
Encyclopedia
103rd Regiment Royal Artillery is a British
Territorial Army Artillery
unit, whose purpose is to provide reinforcements for units that use the 105 mm L118 Light Gun
and AS90.
companies. However, in Manchester
, numerous units that would later form the Lancashire Artillery Gunners had existed from as early as 1804, when the Duke of Gloucester
inspected the Heaton Artillery Volunteers before they were shipped off to the fronts of the Napoleonic Wars
. More than half a century later, numerous battalions of the King's Regiment and the Prince of Wales's Volunteers were rebadged as the Lancashire Gunners.
, the regiment had been down-sized to just seventeen Artillery Brigades. The Lancashire Artillery Volunteers held a distinguished record, with two Victoria Crosses and numerous other medals and honors to its merit.
In both World Wars the Regiment served in many theatres, including the Western Front
, the South-East Asian Front African Front of World War I
and the Battle of France, Defense of India
, Invasion of Sicily, Invasion of Italy, Operation Overlord
, French Campaign, Battle of the Bulge
, Ruhr Pocket
campaign, Operation Plunder
, and Invasion of Germany in the Second World War.
By 1955, the regiment had been expanded to 33 Territorial Gunner Regiments based in north-western England
. In 1967, only seven Regiments remained and were amalgamated to form 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Light Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers), The West Lancashire Regiment (T) Royal Artillery and The South Lancashire Territorials (Prince of Wales' Volunteers) Royal Artillery. Since its re-formation in 1967, Officers, Warrant Officers, NCOs and soldiers of 103rd Regiment have volunteered and served in support of the Regular Army in Bosnia, Borneo
, Belize
, Canada
, Kosovo
, Kenya
, Latvia
, Iraq
, Northern Ireland
and Afghanistan
.
In 1977, the Regiment changed its designation to 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) upon being equipped with the blowpipe missile
air-defense weapon. Consequently upon the enhancement of the Territorial Army, another Battery of the Home Service Force
and a fourth Air Defence Battery were raised. In early 1987, the Regiment converted to the javelin surface-to-air missile
, a substantial improvement over the BLOWPIPE. In 1992, as a result of the Options for Change
, the Regiment lost one Air-Defence Battery (213 Air-Defense Battery which was amalgated with HQ Battery at St Helens
) and Regimental Headquarters were moved from Deysbrooke Barracks, Liverpool, to St. Helens to be co-located with 213/HQ Battery.
to each Battery having its own REME Fitter Section. 213/HQ Battery has gone into suspended animation, the 209th Battery split into 2 Troops, D Troop in Manchester and G Troop in St. Helens, and its title is to be 209th (The Manchester and St Helens Artillery) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers).
helicopter
. It has been in service since 1975, when it was developed so as to replace the 105mm Pack howitzer.
Detachment of 6 personnel, Weight 1,858 kg, Length 8.8m, Width 1.78m, Height 2.13m
Ammunition HE, Smoke, Illuminating, Target Marking, Maximum Range (HE) 17.2 km;
Anti Tank Range 800m, Muzzle Velocity 709m/s, Shell Weight 5.1 kg, Rate of Fire 6 rounds per minute.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Territorial Army Artillery
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:...
unit, whose purpose is to provide reinforcements for units that use the 105 mm L118 Light Gun
L118 Light Gun
The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed howitzer, originally produced for the British Army in the 1970s and widely exported since, including to the United States, where a modified version is known as the M119A1...
and AS90.
Formation
The Lancashire Artillery Volunteers were first raised in 1859 as 23 ArtilleryArtillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
companies. However, in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, numerous units that would later form the Lancashire Artillery Gunners had existed from as early as 1804, when the Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
inspected the Heaton Artillery Volunteers before they were shipped off to the fronts of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. More than half a century later, numerous battalions of the King's Regiment and the Prince of Wales's Volunteers were rebadged as the Lancashire Gunners.
20th Century History
During the First World War, the Lancashire Artillery Volunteers served as a mixed-regiment, consisting of both Artillery Brigades and Infantry Battalions, divided into twenty-five separate units. By World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the regiment had been down-sized to just seventeen Artillery Brigades. The Lancashire Artillery Volunteers held a distinguished record, with two Victoria Crosses and numerous other medals and honors to its merit.
In both World Wars the Regiment served in many theatres, including the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, the South-East Asian Front African Front of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Battle of France, Defense of India
South-East Asian theatre of World War II
The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...
, Invasion of Sicily, Invasion of Italy, Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, French Campaign, Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, Ruhr Pocket
Ruhr Pocket
The Ruhr Pocket was a battle of encirclement that took place in late March and early April 1945, near the end of World War II, in the Ruhr Area of Germany. For all intents and purposes, it marked the end of major organized resistance on Nazi Germany's Western Front, as more than 300,000 troops were...
campaign, Operation Plunder
Operation Plunder
Commencing on the night of 23 March 1945 during World War II, Operation Plunder was the crossing of the River Rhine at Rees, Wesel, and south of the Lippe River by the British 2nd Army, under Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey , and the U.S. Ninth Army , under Lieutenant General William Simpson...
, and Invasion of Germany in the Second World War.
By 1955, the regiment had been expanded to 33 Territorial Gunner Regiments based in north-western England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1967, only seven Regiments remained and were amalgamated to form 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Light Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers), The West Lancashire Regiment (T) Royal Artillery and The South Lancashire Territorials (Prince of Wales' Volunteers) Royal Artillery. Since its re-formation in 1967, Officers, Warrant Officers, NCOs and soldiers of 103rd Regiment have volunteered and served in support of the Regular Army in Bosnia, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
In 1977, the Regiment changed its designation to 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) upon being equipped with the blowpipe missile
Blowpipe missile
The Shorts Blowpipe is a man-portable surface-to-air missile which was in use with the British Army and Royal Marines from 1975. It was superseded by an interim design, Javelin, and later the greatly improved Starstreak missile.-Description:...
air-defense weapon. Consequently upon the enhancement of the Territorial Army, another Battery of the Home Service Force
Home Service Force
The Home Service Force was a Home Guard type force established in the United Kingdom in 1982. It was linked to the Territorial Army and recruited from volunteers aged 18–60 with previous British forces experience...
and a fourth Air Defence Battery were raised. In early 1987, the Regiment converted to the javelin surface-to-air missile
Javelin surface-to-air missile
Javelin is a British, man-portable surface-to-air missile, formerly used by the British Army and Canadian Army. It can be fired from the shoulder, or from a dedicated launcher known as Javelin LML—Lightweight Multiple Launcher...
, a substantial improvement over the BLOWPIPE. In 1992, as a result of the Options for Change
Options for Change
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....
, the Regiment lost one Air-Defence Battery (213 Air-Defense Battery which was amalgated with HQ Battery at St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
) and Regimental Headquarters were moved from Deysbrooke Barracks, Liverpool, to St. Helens to be co-located with 213/HQ Battery.
Modern-Day
In 2001, the Regiment was ordered to transfer from Air Defence to the Field Artillery as a Light Gun Regiment. The changes have seen the Light Aid Detachment REME (V) move from WidnesWidnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
to each Battery having its own REME Fitter Section. 213/HQ Battery has gone into suspended animation, the 209th Battery split into 2 Troops, D Troop in Manchester and G Troop in St. Helens, and its title is to be 209th (The Manchester and St Helens Artillery) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers).
Sub-Units
- 208th (3rd West Lancashire) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers)
- 209th (The Manchester and St Helens Artillery) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers)
- 216th (The Bolton Artillery) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers)
- Lancashire Artillery Volunteer Band and Pipes and Drums (Crawford tartan)
Equipment
The 103rd Regiment is equipped with the 105mm Light Gun, a versatile, air-portable and air-mobile artillery piece that can be carried around the battlefield slung under a SA 330 Puma or a CH-47 ChinookCH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. It has been in service since 1975, when it was developed so as to replace the 105mm Pack howitzer.
Detachment of 6 personnel, Weight 1,858 kg, Length 8.8m, Width 1.78m, Height 2.13m
Ammunition HE, Smoke, Illuminating, Target Marking, Maximum Range (HE) 17.2 km;
Anti Tank Range 800m, Muzzle Velocity 709m/s, Shell Weight 5.1 kg, Rate of Fire 6 rounds per minute.