The Batteries

36th Heavy Air Defence Regiment |

The Batteries

36th Regiment Royal Artillery

37th Regiment Royal Artillery

On this page we will try to tell you some of the History of the Batteries that have been associated

with 36th & 37th Regiment's Royal Artillery. I will try to find out as much as is possible about

each Battery and update this page as I progress.

Please Click Below

56 (Olpherts) Battery

60 Battery

168 Battery

171 (Broken Wheel) Battery

111 (Dragon) Battery

10 (Assaye) Battery

56 (Olpherts) Battery

Royal Artillery

56 (Olpherts) Special Weapons Battery has its origins in India as 5th Company 3rd Battalion Bengal

Artillery formed on 2nd June 1786. It was frequently in action, most notably during the siege of

Pondichery in 1793, the Nepal war 1814 and the second siege of Bhurtpore in 1805, the Nepal war

1814 and the second siege of Bhurtpore in 1825.

The Indian Mutiny of 1857 played a significant part in Battery history. During the first relief of lucknow,

Captain Olpherts or “Hellfire Jack” as he was known (later General Sir William Olpherts) won the Victoria

Cross for conspicuous gallantry; he charged the enemy on horseback and captured two rebel guns which

were pouring fire onto the flanks of the advancing forces. To commemorate this distinction on 19th October

1966, the honour title “OLPHERTS” was awarded to 56 Battery Royal Artillery as the direct

descendants of Captain Olpherts Battery.

The First World War saw the Battery in action in places whose names have become famous in the

annals of the British Army, Mons - Hooge - Arras - Bethune - Le Cateau - Cambrai and Le Bassee.

In the Second World War Olpherts was predominantly involved in Malta and Italy as both a field

and medium battery equipped with 25pdrs and 5.5in guns. It was reformed on 1st April 1947 as an

anti-aircraft battery, which it remained, serving with both guns and guided weapons in 36 Regiment

until 28th March 1968. The battery then moved to 50 Missile Regiment Royal Artillery, changing role

and taking on towed 8” Howitzers. In April 1972 Olpherts became self - propelled with the introduction

of M110 and moved to 27 Regiment Royal Artillery in Lippstadt on 2nd November 1972.

On the formation of 39 Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery in April 1982 Olpherts moved to Paderborn

to support 4th Armoured Division. On 1st November 1987 the Battery was re-designated 56 (Olpherts)

Special Weapons Battery and assumed its operational role of nuclear support to 1st British Corps M109

regiments on 1st July 1988. The Battery lost its role on 31 July 1992. It then amalgamated with

Headquarter Battery 39 Heavy Regiment to form 56 (Olpherts) Headquarter battery.

1786	Raised as 5 Company, 3rd Battalion, Bengal Artillery
1824	Redesignated 2 Company, 3rd Battalion, Bengal Artillery
1862	Absorbed into the Royal Regiment of Artillery
1889	23 Field Battery formed from A Battery, 3rd Field Brigade
1901	23 Battery became part of 40 Brigade RFA and served on the Western Front 1914 - 1918 with the 3rd Division
1920	23 Battery in 12 Brigade RFA.
1938	23 Field Battery in 12th Field Regiment. Served in Malta from April 1941, and Eygpt March 1942.
Nov 1943	Converted to 252 Medium Battery and served in Italy.
1.1.1947	Converted to 56 HAA Battery, 36 HAA Regiment.
28.3.1968	Left 36 Regiment for 50 Missile Regiment.
2.11.1972	Moves to 27 Medium Regiment.
Feb 1993	Moves to 39 Regiment.

Battle Honours

Siege of Pondicherry	1793
First Mahratta War	1803
First Siege of Bhurtpore	1805
First Nepal War	1814
Second Siege of Bhurtpore	1825

The Indian Mutiny 1857

Benares	First Relief of Lucknow
Defence of the Residency	Second Relief of Lucknow
Defence of Alam Bagh	Siege and Capture of Lucknow

First World War 1914-18

Mons	Le Cateau
Hooge	Cambrai
Arras	La Bassee
Bethune

Second World War 1939-45

Malta	in 12 Field Regiment
Italy	in 17 Medium Regiment

Please visit the 56 (Olpherts) Battery Web site.

As far as I can assertain, this is the origin of 60 Battery. You will notice the frequent

re-numbering of many Batteries. The term "Brigade" was replaced by "Regiment".

1791	60 Battery came into existence with the East India Company
	60 Coast Battery
	19 Heavy Battery
	13 Battery	8th Brigade
1882	4 Battery	1st Brigade
1889	8 Company	Eastern Division, RGA at Aden
1901	Became 40 Company RGA	Sierra Leone
1904	Moves to Dover
1920	L Battery RGA	Dover
1924	24 Heavy Battery	Dover
1927	19 Heavy Battery	Bereheven
April 1933	Battery became part of 2 Heavy Brigade
1938	2 Coast Regiment Regiment remained in the UK and became 16 Coast Regiment in 1947	Colchester
1940	19 Coast Battery	2 Coast Regiment
22.3.1946	19 Coast Battery	Disbanded
1.1.1947	60 Coast Battery	16 Coast Regiment
1.10.1948	60 Heavy Anti- Aircraft Battery	36 HAA Regiment, Malta
1. 4.1959	60 (GW) Anti-Aircraft Battery	Shoeburyness
17.3.1964 - 1.4.1968	60 Heavy Air Defence Battery	Suspended Animation

60 Battery was put into Suspended Animation when 36 and 37 Regiments

amalgamated at Shoeburyness.

As far as I can assertain, this is the Origin of 168 Battery. You will notice the frequent

re-numbering of many Batteries. The term "Brigade" was replaced by "Regiment".

	3 Battery	10th Brigade Suspended Animation
1882	6 Battery	1st Brigade
1894	19 Company, Eastern Division RGA	Gibraltar
1901	76 Company RGA	Aden
June 1924	35 Heavy Battery	Aden
July 1927	29 Heavy Battery	Gibraltar
26.6.1937	19 Anti-Aircraft Battery became part of 3 Coast Brigade	Gibraltar
1.6.1940 - 10.3.1941	19 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery
10.3.1943	29 Heavy Battery
Dec 1943 - Jan 1944	168 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery	56 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment. Italy
1.1.1947	168 Light Anti-Aircraft Battery	36 HAA Regiment, Malta
1.10.1948 1.4.1959 1.1.1962	168 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery	36 Regiment Malta, Shoeburyness Suspended Animation Disbanded

168 Battery was put into Suspended Animation and later disbanded when the Regiment gave

up its Guns, and re-equipped with the Thunderbird 1 Missile.

171 ( The Broken Wheel) Battery became part of 37th Field Regiment in April 1947,

in June 1955 the Regiment amalgamated with 63rd HAA Regiment as 37th HAA Regiment.

The Battery remained with the Regiment whilst the Regiment served in Malta. When the Regiment returned to

the UK in September 1959 it was re-titled as 37th Guided Weapon Regiment (Anti-Aircraft) in November 1959.

The Battery was placed into Suspended Animation in October 1959.

Here is the story of how this Battery received its Honour Title "The Broken Wheel".

This battery was raised as the 2nd Battery Reserve Battalion of the Bombay Artillery in the year of

the Indian Mutiny of 1857, and was shortly afterwards plunged into service which tested it as no

peace-time soldiering could have done.

The rebel held City of Delhi had been recaptured and the siege of Lucknow was about to be

completed when General Sir Hugh Rose was given the task of clearing a vast area in Central India which

was still infested with large forces of mutinous sepoys, disaffected irregular troops, and evilly disposed

persons seeking plunder whereever they could find it. They were inspired, and to a great extent physically

led, by a most re-doubtable Indian princess the Rani of Jhansi, and an equally formidable rebel leader,

one Tantia Topi. The Rani's implacable hatred of British rule was accompanied by fiendish cruelty

towards any Europeans who fell into her hands, but she was at the same time a lady of dauntless

courage and great resource.

These two leaders used the great fortresses which dominated Central India as the pivots on which

they manoeuvred and brought into the field forces which far outnumbered those with which Sir Hugh

could counter them. The short campaign in which he cleared the whole area and signally defeated the rebel

armies is a model of bold offensive action. Armed primarily only with light guns and howitzers Sir Hugh's

2nd Brigade, supported by 2/Res Bn., Bombay Artillery, was first flung against the hill fortress of Rahatgarh

which it took after beating off a relieving force. Joined by Sir Hugh's 1st Brigade, the whole force swept

on to the fortress of Jhansi which was held by 10,000 Native levies and 1,500 rebel sepoys under

command of the Rani.

The City's fortified perimeter was 4 and a half miles in circumference with granite walls 20-30 feet high

and 6-12 feet thick, and with the usual bastions covering the approaches. In one corner was the Citadel,

towering high above the city on a huge rock with inner defences of daunting strength. To stand today on

the plain south of the city, alongside the fine memorial to the Rani, and to look up at this great fortress

dominating the surrounding country makes it seem incredible that it could have been taken by a force

of a total strength of less than 2,000 men.

There were two small hills a few hundred yards from the city walls and on them the breaching batteries

were established, one of them manned by 2/Res Bn. By nightfall of the first day of action practicable

breaches had been made, but, before the assault could be made, news came of the approach of a relieving

force, 22,000 strong with 25 guns, under Tantia Topi. Without the slightest hesitation Sir Hugh recalled

the columns that were poised for the storm, brought his guns out of action, and, with no more than

1,500 men, launched that tiny force in a head on action attack on the rebel army. The audacity of this

move, and the excellent support provided by his guns, utterly routed Tantia Topi's army which was

dispersed to the winds. Sir Hugh then returned to his siege, the storming columns flung themselves through

the breaches and the fortress was captured. The Rani however, who had often been seen with her ladies

in royal apparel on the ramparts during the siege, was let down a precipice below the walls and

escaped with her adopted son.

And so the campaign continued. The fortresses of Kunch and Kalpi were taken, and finally Gwalior -

another gigantic hill fort which had been the Capital of the Mahratta prince Sindhia - fell to this

invincible army and peace was restored to Central India. Having started its life in this stirring way,

under a commander to whom nothing was impossible, 2/3 Bombay Artillery (as the unit became in 1859)

was absorbed, with the other European units of the Indian Artilleries, into the Royal Artillery after

the Mutiny. It then led a quiet life until it went to war again to win its Honour Title in the

Egyptian campaign of 1882.

This war followed an armed rising in which Europeans in Alexandria were massacred and to counter which

an expedition was launced underSir Garnet Wolseley's command. With it went N/2 RA armed with 16

pounder RML guns, and, throughout the operations the loose sand of the desert was to prove a serious

obstruction to the movement of all wheeled vehicles and often prevented the ammunition wagons from

keeping up with the guns.

Landing at Ismailia the British force advanced towards the Nile delta, met and defeated the Egyptian army

at Kassassin, and finally confronted it in a well prepared and entrenched position at Tel-el-Kebir. It was

essential if the war was to be won quickly not merly to manoeuvre the enemy out of that position but

actually to crush him there for good.

It was decided to attack at dawn after an approach march by night. The latter difficult operation was to

be carried out by the two infantry and one cavalry divisions moving in line, in an echelon from the left with

all the seven field batteries, also in line, in an interval between the two infantry divisions.

The left hand infantry division arrived first at the enemy's entrenchments in the half light and was met by

a blaze of fire. Their attack was not at first completely successful but with the aid of their supports they

and the other division forced their way into the entrenchments where hand to hand fighting continued.

Meanwhile the guns had been halted until there was enough light to see what was going on; but, as dawn

broke, they were ordered forward to come into action inside the entrenchments in positions from which

they could engage the defences in enfilade. N/2 galloped forward with the rest and, in the words of an

officer of the battery writing just after the battle, "All of a sudden the smoke lifted like a curtain and

we found ourselves close to a long line of entrenchments....We at once went on and Major Branker found

an angle in the line just in front where the ditch was not so deep, so the right gun galloped straight at it.

It went with a bump into the ditch, and stuck fast on the face of the parapet, with most of the horses over;

but a lot of 42nd rushed to our help, and we lifted and shoved the gun over; but found one of the

wheels smashed to pieces".

Though one of its guns had thus come to grief, since a gun with a broken wheel is a gun out of action for the

time being, N/2 brought its remaining guns into action inside the entrenchments and engaged the rearward

parts of the defences with effective shrapnel fire in enfilade at 1,000 yeard range. The enemy, flaided both

from the front and in flank, were broken up, the victory was complete, and N/2 obtained its

Honour Title of The Broken Wheel.

111 (Dragon) Battery

Royal Artillery

Dragon Battery was founded as G Company, the Madras Foot Artillery in 1806.

In 1840-41, it was then D Company, 3rd Battalion, Madras Artillery.

The Dragon Honour Titles are held by certain units which were previously part of the Madras Artillery

of the Honourable East India Company. They commemorate service in the expedition to China in 1840-41,

for which those units which took part were authorised to wear a golden dragon wearing the Imperial Crown

and the word China on their appointments.

The Battery was put into Suspended Animation on the 17th March 1984.

111 and 10 Batteries have had very similar histories in that they belonged to the same

parent Brigade / Regiment from 1900 until 1977.

As far as I can assertain, this is the Origin of 111 (Dragon) Battery.

You will notice the frequent re-numbering of many Batteries.

1806	G Company	Madras Foot Artillery
1824-25	Fought in the Burma War
1840	D Company, 3rd Battalion	Madras Artillery
1889	Formed from O Battery / 2nd Brigade as 48 (Dragon) Field Battery
March 1900	Battery joins the newly formed 36 Brigade RFA. The Brigade served on the Western Front between 1914 and 1919 as part of the 2nd Division.
1914-18	Western Front
June 1924	The 36 Brigade was renumbered as 26th Brigade and retained 48 Battery.
May 1938	26th Brigade was re-roled as 26th Anti-tank Regiment, still with 48 Battery. Initially allocated to the 3rd Division at Bulford, the Regiment was in Malta at the outbreak of the war. The Regiment stayed in Malta until Sept 1943 as a Coast Defence Regiment.
14.12.1940	48 (Dragon) Mobile Coast Battery
March 1941	9/71 Defence Battery
July 1941	48 Defence Battery
September 1943	Re-roled as a Medium Regiment, and 48 Battery became 48/71 Medium Battery.	26th Medium Regiment
18.10.1943	C (Dragon) Troop, 48/71 Medium Battery
23.3.1946	48 Field Battery	26th Field Regiment
January 1947	26th Field Regiment became 37th Field Regiment, and 48 Battery became 111(Dragon) Battery.
20.10.1948	111( Dragon) Heavy Anti - Aircraft Battery	37 HAA Regiment
1.10.1959	111(Dragon) GW Anti - Aircraft Battery	37 GW (AA) Regiment
1963	111 (Dragon) Battery in Aden	8 Months
18.3.1964 1.4.1968	111(Dragon) Heavy Air Defence Battery	37 HAD Regiment 36 HAD Regiment
1978	111(Dragon) Air Defence Battery	2nd Field Regiment
17.3.1984	111(Dragon) Air Defence Battery	19 Field Regiment Suspended Animation

10 (Assaye) Battery

Royal Artillery

As far as I can assertain, this is the Origin of 10 (Assaye) Battery.

You will notice the frequent re-numbering of many Batteries.

1755	3rd Company, Bombay Artillery
1799	Battle of Seringapataam
23rd Sept 1803	Battle of Assaye
1843	Battle of Hyderabad
1843 - 1914	Battery in service in India, England & Ireland
1889	Formed from H Battery / 2nd Brigade as 15 Field Battery
March 1900	Joined the newly formed 36 Brigade RFA.
August 1914	Battery deployed with the BEF to France. The Brigade served on the Western Front between 1914 and 1919 as part of the 2nd Division.
1918 - 1939	The Battery re-roled on a number of occasions, ultimately forming a Coastal Battery.
June 1924	The 36 Brigade was renumbered as 26th Brigade and retained 15 Battery.
May 1938	26th Brigade was re-roled as 26th Anti-Tank Regiment, still with 15 Battery. Initially allocated to the 3rd Division at Bulford, the Regiment was in Malta from 1940-43. The Regiment stayed in Malta until Sept 1943 as a Coast Defence Regiment.	26th Anti-Tank Regiment
3.9.1940	15 Mobile Coastal Defence Battery
14.12.1940	15 Mobile Coast Battery
September 1943	Re-roled as a Medium Regiment, and 15 Battery became A Troop, 40 Medium Battery.	26th Medium Regiment Serving in Syria, Palestine and Italy.
25.3.1946	15 (Assaye) Battery	26th Field Regiment
January 1947	26th Field Regiment became 37th Field Regiment, and 15 Battery became 10 (Assaye) Field Battery.
20.10.1948	10(Assaye) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery	37 HAA Regiment 3.7 inch Guns
1.10.1959	10(Assaye) Guided Weapon (AA) Battery	37 GW (AA) Regiment Thunderbird 1
18.3.1964 1.4.1968	10 (Assaye) Heavy Air Defence Battery	37 HAD Regiment 36 HAD Regiment Thunderbird 2
1978	10(Assaye) Air Defence Battery Became an Independent Battery within 45 Field Regiment at Hohne	45 Field Regiment
1993	10(Assaye) Air Defence Battery	47th Regiment

10 (Assaye) Battery is still in operation with 47 Regiment Royal Artillery.

Before 1947, the numbers 10 and 111 were used by other Batteries which adopted different numbers in 1947.

10 Battery formed in 1889 and joined 17 Brigade RFA in 1900. It served with the 29th Division at Gallipoli in 1915,

and on the Western Front 1916-18. In World War 2, 10 Battery continued to serve with 17 Field Regiment.

It served in France in 1940 with 4th then 51st Divisions, and in Tunisia and Italy 1942-45 with the 78th Division.

In 1947 the 17th Field Regiment became 19th Field Regiment, and 10 Battery became 25 Battery.

25 Battery served with 19th Field Regiment until 1999, and is now with 47 Regiment.

111 Battery was formed in 1900 and served with the 6th Division on the Western Front 1914-1918.

After some changes of designation, 111 Battery served as part of 30th Field Regiment 1939-45.

As part of the 4th Infantry Division, it served in France 1940, Tunisia 1943, Italy 1944 and Greece 1945-46.

In 1947 30th Field Regiment became 38th Training Regiment, and 111 Battery became 193 Battery

which was disbanded in 1954.

Why the Royal Regiment keeps changing numbers of Batteries is a complicated story,

which I cannot begin to understand.

N.B. I would like to thank Colin Doran and Graham Watson for thier help in obtaining information concerning the Batteries.

Keith Holderness 2001- 2006