O Battery (The Rocket Troop) Royal Horse Artillery
Active7 June 1813 – present
CountryUnited Kingdom
BranchArmy
TypeHeadquarters
Part of1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Garrison/HQLarkhill
AnniversariesLeipzig Day 16 October
EngagementsWar of the Sixth Coalition

War of the Seventh Coalition

Crimean War
Second Anglo-Afghan War
Second Boer War
World War I
World War II
Battle honoursUbique
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Richard Bogue Edward Charles Whinyates

O Battery (The Rocket Troop) Royal Horse Artillery is the Headquarters Battery of the British Army's 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. It is currently based in Purvis Lines in Larkhill Garrison.

History

Formation

The battery was formed on 1 January 1813.[1] In that year the battery fought as the only British Army unit present at the Battle of Leipzig as 'The Rocket Brigade' under Captain Richard Bogue.[2] It was attached to the bodyguard of Bernadotte, Crown Prince of Sweden.[2] During the battle Bogue was killed in action after a successful attack on five French and Saxon battalions at Paunsdorf, and Lieutenant Fox-Strangways assumed command.[3] In 1815, the battery fought with some of its rockets at the Battle of Waterloo, under Captain Edward Charles Whinyates.[4] It served in the Crimean War, Second Anglo-Afghan War and the Second Boer War.[1]

World War I

During World War I the battery supported the charge by the Royal Horse Guards at Villeselve in March 1918.[1]

World War II

During World War II the battery served with 6th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery.[1]

Post war

The battery transferred to 2nd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery in 1951 which re-roled to become 2nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery in 1958.[1] In the 1970s, the battery completed tours in Northern Ireland.[5] In 1993 it transferred to 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery[1] and, in 1996, the battery was deployed to Bosnia.[5] In 2004, B Battery deployed with 1 RHA to Basra in Iraq on Operation Telic 4 and in 2007 the battery deployed with 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery to Basra in Iraq on Operation Telic 10.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Artillery Regiments That Served With The 7th Armoured Division". Desert Rats. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Captain Richard Bogue". British Empire. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  3. ^ Latham, Captain H.B., "The Rocket Service and the award of the Swedish Decorations for Leipzig", The Royal Artillery Journal, LVI (4)
  4. ^ Lloyd, E. M. (2004). "Whinyates, Sir Edward Charles". In Matthew, H. C. G. (ed.). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29208. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 30 August 2019. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  5. ^ a b c "1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery". British Army Units 1945 on. Retrieved 30 August 2019.

Bibliography

External links

Units of the Royal Horse Artillery
Categories