A Battery, Honourable Artillery Company

A (1st City of London) Battery, Honourable Artillery Company is a L118 light gun battery that provides a reserve to 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. Its predecessor was a horse artillery battery formed from the Light Cavalry Squadron, HAC, in 1891. It transferred to the Territorial Force in 1908 as artillery support for the London Mounted Brigade. During the First World War it was posted to Egypt in 1915, served as part of the Western Frontier Force in the Senussi Campaign in 1916 and in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign with the Imperial (later Australian) Mounted Division in 1917 and 1918. The second line battery – 2/A Battery, HAC – was formed in 1914 and served on the Western Front in 1917 and 1918 as part of an Army Field Artillery Brigade; the third line – A (Reserve) Battery, HAC – was formed in 1915 to provide trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line batteries. Post-war, the battery, along with B Battery, Honourable Artillery Company, was amalgamated with the City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) to form the 11th (Honourable Artillery Company and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade, RHA. The battery's lineage reflects the evolution of Britain's reserve artillery from horse-drawn mobility to modern light gun roles, and it remains an active unit within the Honourable Artillery Company, the oldest regiment in the British Army.

The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) first raised horse artillery in 1860 when Jay's Troop, HAC was formed. This had a brief existence, being disbanded in 1869. In 1891, the Light Cavalry Squadron, HAC was converted to the Horse Battery, HAC, which in 1899 was redesignated as A Battery (1st City of London Horse Artillery), HAC. At the same time the Field Battery, HAC was converted to horse artillery as B Battery (2nd City of London Horse Artillery), HAC. The Field Battery originated in 1781, but was the second to form a horse artillery battery hence the junior designation. The batteries sponsored the field battery of the City Imperial Volunteers for service in the Second Boer War in 1900–02. The Territorial Force (TF) was formed on 1 April 1908 following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9) which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force, the Honourable Artillery Company and the Yeomanry. On formation, the TF contained 14 infantry divisions and 14 mounted yeomanry brigades. Each yeomanry brigade included a horse artillery battery and an ammunition column. 12 of these were provided by Royal Horse Artillery batteries of the Territorial Force, the other two by the Honourable Artillery Company. On 1 April 1908, the battery transferred to the Territorial Force without a change in title. The unit consisted of the battery and London Mounted Brigade Ammunition Column at Armoury House, Finsbury. The battery was equipped with four Ehrhardt 15-pounder guns and allocated as artillery support to the London Mounted Brigade. In accordance with the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 (7 Edw.7, c.9) which brought the Territorial Force into being, the TF was intended to be a home defence force for service during wartime and members could not be compelled to serve outside the country. However, on the outbreak of war on 4 August 1914, many members volunteered for Imperial Service. Therefore, TF units were split into 1st Line (liable for overseas service) and 2nd Line (home service for those unable or unwilling to serve overseas) units. 2nd Line units performed the home defence role, although in fact most of these were also posted abroad in due course. Later, a 3rd Line was formed to act as a reserve, providing trained replacements for the 1st and 2nd Line batteries. The 1st Line battery was embodied with the London Mounted Brigade on 4 August 1914 at the outbreak of the First World War and concentrated in Berkshire. A decision was made to form a new mounted division from the mounted brigades in and around the Churn area of Berkshire. On 2 September 1914, 2nd Mounted Division, with Headquarters at Goring, came into being and London Mounted Brigade was assigned to the new division. I Brigade and II Brigade, RHA (T.F.) were formed for the division and the battery was assigned to II Brigade, RHA at Churn, along with B Battery, HAC and Berkshire and Nottinghamshire Batteries RHA. In November 1914, the division moved to Norfolk on coastal defence duties. Artillery headquarters was established at Cromer, before joining the divisional headquarters at Hanworth in December, and A Battery, HAC was at Mundesley (London Mounted Brigade was at Hanworth). In March 1915, the 2nd Mounted Division was put on warning for overseas service. In early April, the division starting leaving Avonmouth and the last elements landed at Alexandria before the end of the month. By the middle of May, the horse artillery batteries were near Ismaïlia on Suez Canal Defences. The 2nd Mounted Division was dismounted in August 1915 and served at Gallipoli. The artillery batteries and ammunition columns (along with the signal troops, mobile veterinary sections, Mounted Brigade Transport and Supply Columns and two of the Field Ambulances) were left behind in Egypt. The division returned from Gallipoli in December 1915 and was reformed and remounted. The battery rejoined the division on 13 December, but on 20 December it entrained at Alexandria for the Western Desert, concentrating at Mersa Matruh on 7 January 1916. Thereafter, it served as part of the Western Frontier Force in the Senussi Campaign, taking part in the Affair at Halazin (23 January 1916). The battery returned to Alexandria on 6 March and was rearmed with four 18 pounders. It returned to the Suez Canal Defences on 6 April and rejoined the 8th Mounted Brigade (the redesignated London Mounted Brigade). The brigade left for Salonika in November without the battery which joined the Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade when it was reformed in February 1917. It remained attached to the 4th ALH Brigade for the rest of the war. The Imperial Mounted Division was formed in Egypt in January 1917 and the battery served with it in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. Post-war, the battery, along with B Battery, Honourable Artillery Company, was amalgamated with the City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) to form the 11th (Honourable Artillery Company and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade, RHA. Today, A (1st City of London) Battery, Honourable Artillery Company is a L118 light gun battery that provides a reserve to 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

• 1918

  Continued service in Sinai and Palestine Campaign; 2/A Battery served on Western Front.

• 1917

  Joined Australian 4th Light Horse Brigade in February; served in Sinai and Palestine Campaign with Imperial Mounted Division.

• 1916

  Served with Western Frontier Force in Senussi Campaign, including Affair at Halazin (23 January); rearmed with four 18 pounders.

• 1915

  Posted to Egypt; 2nd Mounted Division dismounted and served at Gallipoli; A (Reserve) Battery formed as 3rd Line.

• 1914

  Embodied with London Mounted Brigade on 4 August; assigned to II Brigade, RHA (T.F.) in 2nd Mounted Division; 2/A Battery formed.

• 1908

  Transferred to the Territorial Force on 1 April, equipped with four Ehrhardt 15-pounder guns, as artillery support to the London Mounted Brigade.

• 1900

  Batteries sponsored the field battery of the City Imperial Volunteers for service in the Second Boer War (1900–02).

• 1899

  Redesignated as A Battery (1st City of London Horse Artillery), HAC; B Battery formed from Field Battery.

• 1891

  Light Cavalry Squadron, HAC converted to the Horse Battery, HAC.

• 1860

  Jay's Troop, HAC formed as the first horse artillery unit of the Honourable Artillery Company; disbanded in 1869.

• Post-war amalgamation with B Battery and City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) to form 11th (HAC and City of London Yeomanry) Brigade, RHA.

Reserve artillery battery of the Honourable Artillery Company, providing light gun support to 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

• L118 light gun

  Current equipment of the battery as a reserve to 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.

• Ehrhardt 15-pounder gun

  Four guns equipped the battery upon transfer to the Territorial Force in 1908.

• 18 pounder

  Four guns rearmed the battery in March 1916 after service in the Western Desert.

1. 1A Battery, Honourable Artillery Company - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2A Battery, Honourable Artillery Company - Wikidatawikidata.org