1.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
2.
British Army
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The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. As of 2017 the British Army comprises just over 80,000 trained Regular, or full-time, personnel and just over 26,500 trained Reserve, or part-time personnel. Therefore, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the Army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, day to day the Army comes under administration of the Ministry of Defence and is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff. Repeatedly emerging victorious from these decisive wars allowed Britain to influence world events with its policies and establish itself as one of the leading military. In 1660 the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were restored under Charles II, Charles favoured the foundation of a new army under royal control and began work towards its establishment by August 1660. The Royal Scots Army and the Irish Army were financed by the Parliament of Scotland, the order of seniority of the most senior line regiments in the British Army is based on the order of seniority in the English army. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, after William and Marys accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance, primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Marys father, James II. Spain, in the two centuries, had been the dominant global power, and the chief threat to Englands early transatlantic ambitions. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars. From the time of the end of the Seven Years War in 1763, Great Britain was the naval power. As had its predecessor, the English Army, the British Army fought the Kingdoms of Spain, France, and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. With native and provincial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the North American theatre of the Seven Years War, the British Army suffered defeat in the American War of Independence, losing the Thirteen Colonies but holding on to Canada. The British Army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars and served in campaigns across Europe. The war between the British and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte stretched around the world and at its peak, in 1813, the regular army contained over 250,000 men. A Coalition of Anglo-Dutch and Prussian Armies under the Duke of Wellington, the English had been involved, both politically and militarily, in Ireland since being given the Lordship of Ireland by the Pope in 1171. The campaign of the English republican Protector, Oliver Cromwell, involved uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War, the English Army stayed in Ireland primarily to suppress numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for independence. Having learnt from their experience in America, the British government sought a political solution, the British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster in the 1798 rebellion. The Haldane Reforms of 1907 formally created the Territorial Force as the Armys volunteer reserve component by merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia, Great Britains dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, in the 20th century, most notably Germany
3.
1st Artillery Brigade and Headquarters South West
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The current brigade was formed on 1 September 2014 under the Army 2020 plan, merging units and personnel of 43 Brigade with Royal Artillery regiments. The brigades mission will include commanding, preparing and generating assigned deployable forces, the brigade comprises a large number of units including 1 Royal Horse Artillery and 19 Regiment Royal Artillery and 15 garrisons and stations across the south west. Previously, news reported that its personnel had control over the testing the Watchkeeper Remotely Piloted Aerial System. There was also a 1st Artillery Brigade under the I British Corps during the Cold War
4.
Army Reserve (United Kingdom)
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The Army Reserve is the active-duty volunteer reserve force and integrated element of the British Army. Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in the reorganisation, only one infantry unit, the London Regiment, has maintained a separate identity. Reservists in the past also served as constables or bailiffs, even holding positions of civic duty as overseer of their parish, the more modern Yeomen of the 18th century were cavalry-based units, which were often used to suppress riots. Several units that are now part of the Army Reserve bear the title militia, after the Second World War, for example, the Army Reserve - or Territorial Army as it was known then - was not demobilised until 1947. All Army Reserve personnel have their jobs protected to a limited extent by law should they be compulsorily mobilised. There is, however, no protection against discrimination in employment for membership of the Army Reserve in the normal course of events. As part of the process, remaining units of militia were converted to the Special Reserve. The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and contained fourteen infantry divisions and it had an overall strength of approximately 269,000. The individual units that made up each division or brigade were administered by County Associations, the other members of the association consisted of military members, representative members and co-opted members. Associations took over any property vested in the volunteers or yeomanry under their administration, each regiment or battalion had a Regular Army officer attached as full-time adjutant. In August 1914, after the outbreak of the First World War, territorial units were given the option of serving in France and, by 25 August, in excess of seventy battalions had volunteered. This question over the availability of territorial divisions for service was one of Lord Kitcheners motivations for raising the New Army separately. The first fully Territorial division to join the fighting on the Western Front was the 46th Division in March 1915, with divisions later serving in Gallipoli and elsewhere. As the war progressed, and casualties mounted, the character of territorial units was diluted by the inclusion of conscript. Following the Armistice all units of the Territorial Force were gradually disbanded, New recruiting started in early 1920, and the Territorial Force was reconstituted on 7 February 1920. On 1 October 1920, the Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army, the 1st Line divisions were reconstituted in that year. However, the composition of the divisions was altered, with a reduction in the number of infantry battalions required, there was also a reduced need for cavalry, and of the 55 yeomanry regiments, only the 14 most senior retained their horses. The remaining yeomanry were converted to artillery or armoured car units or disbanded, the amalgamation of 40 pairs of infantry battalions was announced in October 1921
5.
Wolverhampton
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Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. At the 2011 census, it had a population of 249,470, the demonym for people from the city is Wulfrunian. Historically part of Staffordshire, the city is named after Wulfrun, prior to the Norman Conquest, the areas name appears only as variants of Heantune or Hamtun, the prefix Wulfrun or similar appearing in 1070 and thereafter. Alternatively, the city may have earned its name from Wulfereēantūn after the Mercian King. The variation Wolveren Hampton is seen in records, e. g. in 1381. The city grew initially as a market town specialising in the woollen trade, in the Industrial Revolution, it became a major centre for coal mining, steel production, lock making and the manufacture of cars and motorcycles. The economy of the city is based on engineering, including a large aerospace industry. A local tradition states that King Wulfhere of Mercia founded an abbey of St Mary at Wolverhampton in 659, the Mercians and West Saxons claimed a decisive victory and the field of Woden is recognised by numerous place names in Wednesfield. In 985, King Ethelred the Unready granted lands at a place referred to as Heantun to Lady Wulfrun by royal charter and this became the site for the current St. Peters Church. A statue of Lady Wulfrun, sculpted by Sir Charles Wheeler, Wolverhampton is recorded in the Domesday Book in 1086 as being in the Hundred of Seisdon and the county of Staffordshire. The lords of the manor are listed as the canons of St Mary, with the tenant-in-chief being Samson, Wolverhampton at this date is a large settlement of fifty households. In 1179, there is mention of a market held in the town and this charter for a weekly market held on a Wednesday was eventually granted on 4 February 1258 by Henry III. From the 16th century onwards, Wolverhampton became home to a number of industries including lock and key making and iron. Wolverhampton suffered two Great Fires, the first in April 1590, and the second in September 1696, both fires started in todays Salop Street. The first fire lasted for five days and left nearly 700 people homeless and this second fire led to the purchase of the first fire engine within the city in September 1703. There is also evidence that Wolverhampton may have been the location of the first working Newcomen Steam Engine in 1712. In Victorian times, Wolverhampton grew to be a town mainly due to the huge amount of industry that occurred as a result of the abundance of coal. The remains of this wealth can be seen in houses such as Wightwick Manor and The Mount
6.
Newport, Wales
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Newport is a cathedral and university city and unitary authority area in south east Wales. It is located on the River Usk close to its confluence with the Severn Estuary, at the 2011 census it is the third largest city in Wales, with a city population of 145,700 and an urban population of 306,844. The city forms part of the Cardiff-Newport metropolitan area with a population of 1,097,000, Newport has been a port since medieval times, when the first Newport Castle was built by the Normans. The town outgrew the earlier Roman town of Caerleon, immediately upstream and it grew significantly in the 19th century, when its port became the focus of coal exports from the eastern valleys of South Wales. Until the rise of Cardiff from the 1850s, Newport was Wales largest coal-exporting port and it was the site of the last large-scale armed insurrection in Britain, the Newport Rising of 1839 led by the Chartists. During the 20th century, when the docks declined in importance and it was granted city status in 2002. Newport hosted the Ryder Cup in 2010, the city was the venue for the 2014 NATO summit. It is the largest urban area within the county boundaries of Monmouthshire. The City of Newport, which includes surrounding rural areas as well as the built up area, is governed by Newport City Council. Bronze Age fishermen settled around the estuary of the River Usk. In AD75, on the edge of their empire. According to legend, in the late 5th century Saint Woolos church was founded by Saint Gwynllyw, the church was certainly in existence by the 9th century and today has become Newport Cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of Monmouth. The Normans arrived from around 1088–1093 to build the first Newport Castle and river crossing downstream from Caerleon, the settlement of Newport is first mentioned as novo burgus established by Robert, Earl of Gloucester in 1126. The name was derived from the original Latin name Novus Burgus, the city can sometimes be found labelled as Newport-on-Usk on old maps. The original Welsh language name for the city, Casnewydd-ar-Wysg means New castle-on-Usk, the original Newport Castle was a small motte-and-bailey castle in the park opposite Newport Cathedral. It was buried in rubble excavated from the Hillfield railway tunnels that were dug under Stow Hill in the 1840s and no part of it is currently visible. Around the settlement, the new town grew to become Newport, obtaining its first charter in 1314 and was granted a second one, by Hugh Stafford, in the 14th century friars came to Newport where they built an isolation hospital for infectious diseases. After its closure the hospital lived on in the place name Spitty Fields, austin Friars also remains a street name in the city
7.
Malvern, Worcestershire
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Malvern is a spa town and civil parish in Worcestershire, England. At the 2011 census it had a population of 29,626 and it includes the historic settlement and commercial centre of Great Malvern on the steep eastern flank of the Malvern Hills, as well as the former independent urban district of Malvern Link. Archaeological evidence suggests that Bronze Age people had settled in the area around 1000 BC, the town itself was founded in the 11th century when Benedictine monks established a priory at the foot of the highest peak of Malvern Hills. During the 19th century Malvern developed rapidly from a village to a sprawling conurbation owing to its popularity as a hydrotherapy spa based on its spring waters, a further major expansion was the result of the relocation of the Telecommunications Research Establishment to Malvern in 1942. QinetiQ, TREs successor company, remains the towns largest local employer, Malvern is the largest place in the parliamentary constituency of West Worcestershire and the district of Malvern Hills, being also the districts administrative seat. It lies adjacent to the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the populous civil parish has a town council, Malvern Town Council, based in Great Malvern. The name Malvern is derived from the ancient British or old Welsh moel-bryn, meaning Bare or Bald Hill and it has been known as Malferna, Malverne, and Much Malvern. The Wyche Cutting, a pass through the hills, was in use in times as part of the salt route from Droitwich to South Wales. A 19th-century discovery of two hundred metal money bars suggests that the area had been inhabited by the La Tène people around 250 BC. The story remains disputed, however, as Roman historian Tacitus implies a site closer to the river Severn, there is therefore no evidence that Roman presence ended the prehistoric settlement at British Camp. However, excavations at nearby Midsummer Hill fort, Bredon Hill and this may suggest that the British Camp was abandoned or destroyed around the same time. A pottery industry based on the Malverns left remains dating from the Late Bronze Age to the Norman Conquest, products were traded as far as South Wales, via the River Severn. The Longdon and other marshes at the foot of Malvern Chase were grazed by cattle, woodland management was considerable, providing fuel for the kilns. Although a Malvern priory existed before the Norman Conquest, it is the settlement of nearby Little Malvern, the site of another, smaller priory, that is mentioned in the Domesday Book. A motte-and-bailey castle built on the top tier of the earthworks of the British Camp just before the Norman Conquest was probably founded by the Saxon Earl Harold Godwinson of Hereford and it was destroyed by King Henry II in 1155. The town developed around its 11th-century priory, a Benedictine monastery, several slightly different histories explain the actual founding of the religious community. St Werstans oratory is thought to have located on the site of St Michaels Chapel which is believed to have stood on the site of Bello Sguardo. Bello Sguardo was built on the site of Hermitage Cottage, the cottage was demolished in 1825 and ecclesiastical carvings were found within it
8.
Worcester
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Worcester is a city in Worcestershire, England,31 miles southwest of Birmingham and 27 miles north of Gloucester. The River Severn flanks the western side of the city centre, the Battle of Worcester was the final battle of the English Civil War, where Oliver Cromwells New Model Army defeated King Charles Is Cavaliers. Worcester is known as the home of Royal Worcester Porcelain, composer Edward Elgar, Lea & Perrins, makers of traditional Worcestershire sauce, the trade route past Worcester which later formed part of the Roman Ryknild Street dates to Neolithic times. The position commanded a ford over the River Severn and was fortified by the Britons around 400 BC and it would have been on the northern border of the Dobunni and probably subject to the larger communities of the Malvern hillforts. It may have been the Vertis mentioned in the 7th-century Ravenna Cosmography, using charcoal from the Forest of Dean, the Romans operated pottery kilns and ironworks at the site and may have built a small fort. In the 3rd century, Roman Worcester occupied an area than the subsequent medieval city. Industrial production ceased and the settlement contracted to a position along the lines of the old British fort at the river terraces southern end. This settlement is identified with the Cair Guiragon listed among the 28 cities of Britain by the History of the Britons attributed to Nennius. This is not a British name but an adaption of its Old English name Weorgoran ceaster, the Weorgoran were precursors of Hwicce and probably West Saxons who entered the area some time after the 577 Battle of Dyrham. The oldest known church was St Helens, which was certainly British, the town was almost destroyed in 1041 after a rebellion against the punitive taxation of Harthacanute. During this time, the relocated to the nearby Bevere Island,2 miles upriver. The following century, the town was attacked several times during The Anarchy, by late medieval times the population had grown to around 10,000 as the manufacture of cloth started to become a large local industry. The town was designated a county corporate, giving it autonomy from local government. Worcester was the site of the Battle of Worcester, when Charles II attempted to regain the crown, in the fields a little to the west and south of the city. Worcester had supported the Parliamentary cause before the outbreak of war in 1642 but spent most of the war under Royalist occupation. After the war it used its location as the site of the final battles of the First Civil War. As part of this and not based upon any historical fact, it invented the epithet Fidelis Civitas, in 1670, the River Severn broke its banks and the subsequent flood was the worst ever seen by Worcester. The closest flood height to what is known as The Flood of 1670 was when the Severn flooded in the rains of July 2007
9.
Cwmbran
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Cwmbran is a new town in Wales. Today forming part of the county borough of Torfaen and county borough of Monmouth, Cwmbran was established in 1949 to provide new employment opportunities in the south eastern portion of the South Wales Coalfield. Cwmbran is twinned with Bruchsal in Germany and Carbonne in France, comprising the villages of Old Cwmbran, Pontnewydd, Upper Cwmbran, Croesyceiliog, Llantarnam and Llanyrafon, its population had grown to 48,535 by 2011. This makes it the sixth largest urban area in Wales, around 1179, Hywel, Lord of Caerleon gave a gift of money and land to found the Cistercian Abbey at Llantarnam. After the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII the Abbey was closed and was bought by a succession of wealthy landowners, by the 18th century the Abbey had passed into the ownership of the Blewitt family, who were to become key figures in the early industrialisation of Cwmbran. Brick making, lime kilns, iron ore mining, quarrying, in 1833 the Ordnance Survey map of Monmouthshire shows Cwmbran as a farm situated in the area now known as Upper Cwmbran, in the valley named Cwm Brân. Cwmbran now covers approximately 3,000 acres and has a population of around 50,000, the Cistercian Way also passes through Llantarnam, Old Cwmbran, Greenmeadow and Thornhill, Cwmbran before reaching the ancient chapel of Llanderfel on Mynydd Maen, and then onwards to Twmbarlwm. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Cwmbran was the site of industrial development. This industry drove the creation of the Monmouthshire Canal, the Newport and Pontypool Railway, very little of this industrial heritage remains today, though many of todays light industrial or retail estates were created on the sites. Following the passing of the 1946 New Towns Act, ministries, for Wales, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government proposed Church Village and Cwmbran. The Church Village proposal was vetoed by the Ministry of Power as new housing there would have interfered with plans for the expansion of coalmining in the area, however, the name of the town derives from the Welsh Cwm Brân, meaning valley of the river Brân. This was the name of a village located in the valley, Brân means crow, which could be allusion to the dark waters of the river, or may have been the personal name of someone associated with the area. Sitting as it does at the corner of the South Wales Coalfield, it has an aspect to its western and northern edges. The Afon Llwyd forms the river valley, although the most significant water course is probably the remains of the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal. To the east of Cwmbran the land is hilly, forming part of the Usk valley. The longest established employer in Cwmbran is biscuit maker Burtons Foods, as of 2005, the Cwmbran plant produces over 400 million Wagon Wheels a year. Contour Aerospace opened a new factory in Cwmbran in 2000, built in the late 1950s the New Town Centre hosts a main bus station, supermarkets, small commercial units and a cinema. Over a period of 30 years the centre was extended and refurbished several times
10.
Future of the British Army (Army 2020 Refine)
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Army 2020, formerly known as Future Army Structure or FAS, is the name given to an ongoing review of the structure of the British Army, and in particular its fighting brigades. This report indicated that the existing 16 Air Assault Brigade would be retained as a rapid reaction force. In 2010, the Strategic Defence and Security Review was published. As part of the plans, the British Army will be reduced by 23 regular units, the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 upgraded the number of reservists to 35,000, an increase of 5,000 on top of the then planned-for 30,000 reservists. On 7 June 2012, the Secretary of State for Defence set out some key considerations for the future of the British Army, refinements to the plans following the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review became known as Army 2020 Refine. Further changes were announced in a statement in December 2016. The originally envisaged future structure was announced on 19 July 2011 in a paper entitled Defence Basing Review. This structure involved five identical multi-role brigades, each of around 6,500 personnel, however, in June 2012 a significantly different structure known as Army 2020 was announced. The divisional headquarters of 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions were disbanded in 2012, up until June 2012, it was envisaged that FAS would results in five large multi-role Brigades. It was envisaged that 19th Light Brigade, which is part of 3rd Mechanised Division. The new structure was confirmed by the then Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond and this will deliver a very high readiness Lead Air Assault Task Force, with the rest of the brigade ready to move at longer notice. The 3rd Mechanised Division, renamed the 3rd Division, comprising three armoured brigades, 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade, 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade and 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade. These three brigades will rotate, with one being the lead brigade, an involved in training. The lead brigade will deliver a Lead Battlegroup at very high readiness, each armoured infantry brigade will be made up of,1 Type 56 armoured regiment comprising,3 sabre squadrons, each of 18 Challenger 2 main battle tanks,1 command and reconnaissance squadron. 1 armoured cavalry regiment comprising,3 sabre squadrons, each of 16 CVR vehicles,1 command,2 armoured infantry battalions, each comprising,3 rifle companies each with 14 upgraded Warrior infantry fighting vehicles,1 support company. 1 heavy protected mobility infantry battalion comprising,3 rifle companies, each with 14 Mastiff infantry mobility vehicles,1 support company, Royal Wessex Yeomanry providing replacement crews to the three Challenger 2 regiments. The complete air assault brigade and a full mechanised brigade will be available for deployment within three months, all three brigades HQs are to be based in the Salisbury Plain Training area. These infantry brigades will be suited to U. K. operations or overseas commitments or, with sufficient notice, several light role infantry battalions, each comprising,3 rifle companies
11.
International Standard Book Number
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The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, the method of assigning an ISBN is nation-based and varies from country to country, often depending on how large the publishing industry is within a country. The initial ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering created in 1966, the 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108. Occasionally, a book may appear without a printed ISBN if it is printed privately or the author does not follow the usual ISBN procedure, however, this can be rectified later. Another identifier, the International Standard Serial Number, identifies periodical publications such as magazines, the ISBN configuration of recognition was generated in 1967 in the United Kingdom by David Whitaker and in 1968 in the US by Emery Koltay. The 10-digit ISBN format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and was published in 1970 as international standard ISO2108, the United Kingdom continued to use the 9-digit SBN code until 1974. The ISO on-line facility only refers back to 1978, an SBN may be converted to an ISBN by prefixing the digit 0. For example, the edition of Mr. J. G. Reeder Returns, published by Hodder in 1965, has SBN340013818 -340 indicating the publisher,01381 their serial number. This can be converted to ISBN 0-340-01381-8, the check digit does not need to be re-calculated, since 1 January 2007, ISBNs have contained 13 digits, a format that is compatible with Bookland European Article Number EAN-13s. An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation of a book, for example, an ebook, a paperback, and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN. The ISBN is 13 digits long if assigned on or after 1 January 2007, a 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts, and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces, figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN number is complicated, because most of the parts do not use a fixed number of digits. ISBN issuance is country-specific, in that ISBNs are issued by the ISBN registration agency that is responsible for country or territory regardless of the publication language. Some ISBN registration agencies are based in national libraries or within ministries of culture, in other cases, the ISBN registration service is provided by organisations such as bibliographic data providers that are not government funded. In Canada, ISBNs are issued at no cost with the purpose of encouraging Canadian culture. In the United Kingdom, United States, and some countries, where the service is provided by non-government-funded organisations. Australia, ISBNs are issued by the library services agency Thorpe-Bowker
12.
Royal Artillery
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The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery, is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name Royal Regiment of Artillery it actually consists of 13 Regular Regiments and 5 Reserve Regiments, the introduction of artillery into the English army came as early as the Battle of Crécy in 1346. Henry VIII made the armys artillery semi-permanent in the sixteenth century, before the 18th century, artillery traynes were raised by royal warrant for specific campaigns and disbanded again when they were over. On 26 May 1716, however, by warrant of George I two regular companies of field artillery, each 100 men strong, were raised at Woolwich. The title Royal Artillery was first used in 1720, in 1741 the Royal Military Academy was formed in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich to provide training for RA and Royal Engineers officers. The regiment expanded rapidly and, by 1757, had 24 companies divided into two battalions, as well as a company formed in 1741. During 1748, the presidential artilleries of Bengal, Madras and Bombay were formed,1756 saw the creation of the Royal Irish Regiment of Artillery. In 1762 the Royal Artillery Band was formed at Minden, by 1771 there were 32 companies in four battalions, as well as two invalid companies comprising older and unfit men employed in garrison duties. During 1782, the regiment moved to the Royal Artillery Barracks on Woolwich Common, in January 1793, two troops of Royal Horse Artillery were raised to provide fire support for the cavalry, augmented by two more in November 1793. The Royal Irish Artillery was absorbed into the RA in 1801, during 1805, the Royal Military Academy moved to Woolwich Common. In 1819, the Rotunda was given to the regiment by the Prince Regent to celebrate end of the Napoleonic Wars, in 1832, the regimental motto, Ubique Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt, was granted. The motto signified that the regiment had seen action in all the conflicts of the British Army. The regiment was under the control of the Board of Ordnance until the board was abolished in 1855, thereafter the regiment came under the War Office along with the rest of the army. The School of Gunnery established at Shoeburyness, Essex in 1859, the third group continued to be titled simply Royal Artillery, and was responsible for ammunition storage and supply. Which branch a gunner belonged to was indicated by metal shoulder titles, the RFA and RHA also dressed as mounted men, whereas the RGA dressed like foot soldiers. In 1920 the rank of Bombardier was instituted in the Royal Artillery, the three sections effectively functioned as separate corps. This arrangement lasted until 1924, when the three amalgamated once more to one regiment. In 1938, RA Brigades were renamed Regiments, during the World War II there were over 1 million men serving in 960 gunner regiments
13.
19th Regiment Royal Artillery
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19th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Scottish Gunners – is a Scottish regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently supports 12 Mechanised Brigade in the field artillery role. The regiment has Fire Support Teams mounted in Warrior Mechanised Artillery Observation Vehicles equipped with MSTAR, the brigade saw action during World War I. During World War II, the four pre-war batteries combined into two, in May 1940 it had the honour of being the first artillery regiment to fire in the war while stationed at the Maginot Line. It served during the North African and Italian campaigns, the regiment was renumbered to 19 Regiment in 1947. During the 1950s and 1960s it served in the Korean War, with the phasing out of National Service in 1963, 19th Regiment was allocated the recruitment area of the Scottish Highlands. In 1995 the regiment was deployed to Bosnia at short notice as part of Operation Deliberate Force and it was deployed to Cyprus in 1998 as part of UNFICYP. Since the 2000s, it has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, more recently, the regiment returned from Afghanistan in October 2012. In December 2012, the regiment was officially named The Scottish Gunners when the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery was placed in suspended animation,38 Battery was transferred to 19th Regt. A new banner for the Pipes and Drums was presented and a plaque unveiled at the barracks to mark the occasion. The regiment traditionally recruited from the Highlands as its former nickname suggested but now also recruits from Fiji, Africa, The Caribbean, Grampian, Tayside, Fife, central Scotland and Argyll. With 40 Regt Lowland Gunners being placed into suspended animation as part of the Army 2020 plans,19 Regiment RA is the local artillery regiment of the Highlands of Scotland, the Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney. The Regiment has been granted the Freedom of the Cities of Inverness and Colchester, the regiments batteries are as follows,5 Battery 13 Headquarters Battery 28/143 Battery 38 Battery 127 Battery 176 Battery Royal Artillery, to move to 26 RA
14.
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
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3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. They are currently based at Albemarle Barracks, Northumberland, England, the regiment was constituted in 1939 out of existing batteries. Two of the batteries have served continuously since the 1790s, two others have served continuously since their formation in the period 1805-1811 during the Napoleonic wars. M Battery, by contrast, has served continuously since 1993, the basic organic unit of the Royal Artillery was, and is, the Battery. Prior to May 1938, when grouped together they formed brigades, like an infantry battalion, an artillery brigade was usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel. After May 1938, brigades were redesignated as regiments and on 27 August 1938, III Brigade Royal Horse Artillery at Abbassia, also in 1938, artillery brigades were reorganized from three six-gun batteries to two 12-gun batteries. Rather than disband existing batteries, they were linked in pairs. As a result, D and J Batteries formed D/J Battery on 11 May 1938 and this was the regiments structure on formation but in the event the batteries were unlinked within months and the regiment operated with four batteries. By the outbreak of the Second World War, the regiment was still in Egypt, M Battery, however, was permanently attached to the Armoured Division. In March 1941, P Battery left the regiment to join 6th Regiment, in practice just the title was transferred, the personnel and equipment were distributed amongst D, J and M batteries making them up to eight-gun units. On 1 March 1941, the regiment joined M Battery in 7th Support Group, 3rd RHA commemorate this by wearing a red backing to the cypher. On 26 April 1954, J Battery was awarded the Honour Title Sidi Rezegh in recognition of this action, the regiment was rearmed with 25 pounders after Sidi Rezegh, and the batteries were redesignated as field artillery on 8 September 1942. The regiment left the 7th Support Group on 8 February 1942 and was assigned directly to the 7th Armoured Division and it then took part in the Tunisia Campaign including the Battles of Medenine, Mareth, Akarit, Enfidaville, and Tunis. The regiment was withdrawn to Libya to rest and refit thereby missing the Sicilian Campaign and it next took part in the Italian Campaign, the Salerno Landings, the Capture of Naples, and the Volturno Crossing. It then returned to the United Kingdom, arriving on 4 January 1944 and it continued to support 7th Armoured Division, as a follow up formation, following the Normandy Landings In 1945, the regiment led the Allied Victory parade in Berlin, and fired the Victory Salute. After World War II the regiment served in the UK, West Germany, Aden, Egypt, Kenya, Hong Kong,1958 – C Battery joined the regiment, and M Battery was placed in suspended animation. 1975 – M Battery was revived,1976 – The regiment completed another tour of Northern Ireland, as part of Operation Banner 1978 – The regiment was placed in suspended animation. The batteries became independent anti-tank batteries,1984 – The regiment was reformed in Paderborn, Germany
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5th Regiment Royal Artillery
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5th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It was formed in 1939 as 5th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery before being redesignated in 1958 and it currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role and is equipped with radars and acoustic sound ranging equipment, it also provides Special Observation Post teams. The regiment was formed as 5th Regiment Royal horse Artillery on 25 November 1939 at Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire and consisted of K Battery, CC Battery was formed for the regiment in December 1940. In 1940, the regiment formed part of the British Expeditionary Force in France, after being evacuated at Dunkirk it joined Home Forces in the United Kingdom before being assigned to the 8th Support Group, 8th Armoured Division. On 8 May 1942, it departed the United Kingdom to take part in the North African Campaign and it arrived in Egypt on 18 July – the long sea journey being due to transiting via the Cape of Good Hope. 8th Armoured Division never operated as a formation and the regiment served with 23rd Armoured Brigade Group. On 1 December 1942, it joined 7th Armoured Division and remained with it for the rest of the war and it took part in the rest of the Western Desert Campaign, the Tunisian Campaign and, briefly, the Italian Campaign. It returned to the United Kingdom in January 1944 to prepare for the invasion of Europe and it fought in the North-West Europe Campaign from 8 July 1944 through to the end of the war. Because of the reorganisation of the Royal Horse Artillery in 1958, on 1 February 1958, C Battery moved to 3rd RHA and G Battery moved to 4th RHA. P Battery left 4th RHA and Q Battery moved from 10th Field Regiment on 5 February 1958 to join K Battery, after a short period near Crickhowell, the regiment left the UK in September 1958 for a 3-year tour of Hong Kong. After an tour equipped with 25 lb guns, the regiment returned to Salisbury Plain in Southern England in October 1961 as 5 Light Regiment RA, during its stay at Perham Down, the regiment had many equipment changes. In 1961, K Battery had 5.5 guns, while P and Q Batteries were equipped with 25 pdrs, then, in 1962, all batteries were allotted 4.2 mortars as well as other guns. In 1963, the regiment converted to 105mm Pack Howitzers and took part in exercises in Libya, Canada and Norway with this versatile new gun. In August/September 1964, the regiment moved to the British Army of the Rhine in Germany, once again K Battery had 5.5 guns and P and Q Batteries 25 pounders, but these later gave way to the Abbot Self Propelled gun in 1966. The regiment returned to Southern England in 1969, this time to Bulford, the next three years at Bulford were dominated by four emergency tours of Northern Ireland. The regiment was operating in the Londonderry area and had 3 fatalities from terrorist actions. At this time, the regiment was equipped with the 105mm pack howitzer, after 12 years at Tofrek Barracks in Hildesheim, the regiment moved to West Riding Barracks in Dortmund in 1984. 18 Battery and Q Battery left the regiment to join 32 Heavy Regiment RA.73 Locating Battery moved from 94 Locating Regiment to 5th Regiment in January 1985 and was renamed Q Battery, during this period, the Gun Batteries both carried out operational tours of Northern Ireland
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Honourable Artillery Company
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The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII and is considered one of the oldest military organisations in the world. The equivalent form of words in modern English would be either Honourable Infantry Company or Honourable Military Company, Members of the Regiment and Specials are drawn, for the most part, from young men and women working in and around the City and Greater London. Those leaving the units may become Veteran Members and remain within the fraternity of the Company. This body was known by a variety of names until 1656 and it was first referred to as the Honourable Artillery Company in 1685 and officially received the name from Queen Victoria in 1860. However, the Archers’ Company of the Honourable Artillery Company was retained into the late 19th century, founded in 1781 by Sir Ashton Lever, it met at Archers’ Hall, Inner Circle, Regents Park, London. The regiment has the distinction of having fought on the side of both Parliament and the Royalists during the English Civil War 1642 to 1649. From its formation, the company trained at a site it had occupied at the Old Artillery Ground in Spitalfields, in 1622, the company built its first Armoury House at the site of the Old Artillery Gardens. In 1657, it sold its old Armoury House in Spitalfield to Master Gunner Richard Woolaston for £300. James, the Duke of York and Albany, Lord High Admiral and brother of King Charles II, was Captain-General of the Honourable Artillery Company, until 1780, captains of the HAC trained the officers of the London Trained Bands. In 1860, control of the Company moved from the Home Office to the War Office and in 1889, in 1883, Queen Victoria decreed that the HAC took precedence next after the Regular Forces and therefore before the Militia and Yeomanry in consideration of its antiquity. Members of the Company first served as a unit overseas in the South African War. In 1907, the Company became part of the newly formed Territorial Force with the passing of the Territorial, the HAC also had its property and privileges protected by the Honourable Artillery Company Act 1908. The HAC expanded to three battalions and seven artillery batteries during the First World War. Second Lieutenants Reginald Leonard Haine and Alfred Oliver Pollard, of the 1st Battalion HAC, were awarded Victoria Crosses for their actions at Gavrelle in 1917, in total 1,600 men from the HAC were killed during the war. In September 1914 the 1st Battalion followed the British Expeditionary Force to France, after the fighting at the Battle of the Ancre in 1916 and the Battle of Arras in 1917, it became an officer training battalion and provided demonstration platoons. Elements of the battalion were used to quell the Étaples Mutiny. The 2nd Battalion HAC was raised in August 1914, it was in France by October 1916 and they fought at the Battle of Arras in May and the 3rd Battle of Ypres in October. In November 1917, the moved to the Italian Front under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard O’Connor
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47th Regiment Royal Artillery
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47th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It is equipped with the Thales Watchkeeper WK450 and it is currently located at Horne Barracks, Larkhill in Wiltshire. The regiment was formed in 1947 when 4th Coast Training Regiment Royal Artillery was renamed 47th Coast Training Regiment Royal Artillery and it was reformed as 47th Guided Weapons Regiment Royal Artillery and equipped with the Corporal missile in 1957. In 1965 it was renamed 47th Light Regiment Royal Artillery and equipped with the 105mm Pack Howitzer and it saw service in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in 1973 and 1975. It was re-equipped with the 105mm light gun in 1976 and renamed 47th Field Regiment Royal Artillery when it re-equipped with the Abbott gun in 1981,21 Battery deployed to the South Atlantic during the Falklands War in 1982. 3 Battery and 31 Battery both took part in the Gulf War in 1991,21 Battery saw action in Bosnia in 1995 and element of 31 Battery were deployed to the Macedonia and to Kosovo in 1999. Between 2001 and 2014 elements of the Regiment were deployed on Operation Herrick in Helmand Province, the Regiment is the sole operator of the Thales Watchkeeper WK450 UAS. The batteries are as follows,10 Battery,3 Battery 21 Battery Under the Army 2020 plans the Regiment relocated from Thorney Island to Larkhill. In January 2017 the Regiment moved from 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade to the command of Joint Helicopter Command
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12th Regiment Royal Artillery
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12th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role, and is equipped with the Starstreak missile, the regiment was established in 1947 when 7th Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery was retitled 12th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery. It was deployed to Palestine that year, to Libya in 1948 and it also saw action in Malaya in 1963 and Borneo in 1964. Units saw tours in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in 1971,1974,1977 and 1979, T Battery and 9 Battery were sent to the South Atlantic during the Falklands War in 1982. T Battery and 58 Battery saw action during the Gulf War in 1991,12 Battery was deployed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In January 2008, the regiment moved to the Baker Barracks and it is currently under the Joint Ground Based Air Defence Unit and will continue to do so under Army 2020. Under Army 2020, T Battery will re-role to a further Stormer HVM battery while 25/170 Battery moves out of suspended animation to be the new HQ battery
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16th Regiment Royal Artillery
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16th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role, and is equipped with the Rapier missile, one of its Rapier Batteries is always deployed to the Falkland Islands. The regiment was established in 1947 when 2nd Coast Regiment Royal Artillery was retitled 16th Coast Regiment Royal Artillery, as 16th Light Air Defence Regiment it was deployed to Borneo in 1965. It undertook tours in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in 1973,1974,1976 and 1979 and 14 Battery took part in the Falklands War in 1982, in August 2007, the Regiment relocated to St Georges Barracks in Rutland from Woolwich. Its departure from the Royal Artillery Barracks where the RA had been based since 1716 was marked with a ceremony on 25 July 2007. The Regiment was part of the 2012 London Olympics Air Security Force, the regiment also operates the Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system which destroys enemy projectiles in flight. The batteries are as follows,11 Battery 14 Battery 20 Battery 30 Battery 32 Battery 49 Battery REME Workshop Official site
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7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
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7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the artillery role with 16 Air Assault Brigade. The regiment was constituted in 1961 out of existing batteries that have served continuously since the Napoleonic Wars, the regiment was formed on 27 June 1961 with the re-designation of 33rd Parachute Light Regiment Royal Artillery as 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. The regiment first saw action in the middle-east in Kuwait in 1961, in 1994 the regiment deployed to Cyprus as part of the UN mission to patrol the buffer-zone between Cypriot and Turkish forces. This was followed in 1996–97 with two battery deployments to Bosnia as part of the NATO mission and the Kosovo campaign of 1999, since the formation of 16 Air Assault Brigade in 1999,7 Para RHA has been involved in numerous overseas operations. The Sierra Leone campaign in summer 2000 was followed by Op Essential Harvest in Macedonia a year later, on the afternoon of 19 March 20037 Para RHA fired the first shots of the Iraq war by any coalition ground forces. The next day crossed the border in support of the US I Marine Expeditionary Force. The regiment was instrumental in securing the strategic Rumalya oilfields and supporting the MEF in their north to Nasiriyah. In late 2003 the regiment moved from Aldershot to Colchester to join the rest of 16 Air Assault Brigade,2006 saw the first of the regiments three tours of Afghanistan. The first of these saw the regiment play a key role in the break into Helmand province and this tour attracted much public attention and has often been described as the most intense combat fighting since the Korean War of the 1950s. 7 Para RHA’s final deployment to Afghanistan saw the Regiment’s gun groups, in May 2013, V Battery was disbanded. In September 2013, it was part of Exercise Sphinx Resolve, the Regiment also had an Airborne Air Defence element when part of 5 Airborne Brigade. Better known as P Troop this band of warriors consisted of soldiers who were the most highly trained. P Troop moved to Thorney Island for a period before being disbanded. British Army units from 1945 on
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29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
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29 Commando Regiment is the Commando-trained unit of the British Armys Royal Artillery. The regiment is under the control of 3 Commando Brigade, to which it provides artillery support. The regiment was established in 1947 by the redesignation of the 25th Field Regiment, in 1951, it was renamed as the 29th Medium Regiment Royal Artillery and was based at Brancepeth Camp in Durham. In 1957, it was deployed to Cyprus, in 1962, it re-roled and became 29 Commando Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. At that time, each consisted of four 105mm pack howitzers. In the 1970s, batteries from the regiment completed tours in Northern Ireland. During the 1982 Falklands War,29 Commando Regiment accompanied the Royal Marines, in 1996, the honorary Freedom of the City of Plymouth was conferred on the regiment. The regiment conducted numerous tours in Afghanistan to provide artillery support during operations against Al Qaeda. The gun batteries are equipped with six L118 105MM light guns, the batteries are as follows,7 Battery Royal Artillery – Commando trained L118 gun battery based at RM Condor, Arbroath. Slated to lose its guns under Army 2020, British Army Royal Navy Royal Marines Royal Artillery 3 Commando Brigade Official site British Army Official site
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King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
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The Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit of the British Army, quartered at Woolwich. Its duties include the firing of royal salutes on royal anniversaries and state occasions, the unit is most often seen providing gun salutes on state occasions in Hyde Park, and Green Park. Accordingly the Riding Troop was reformed on 17 April 1946 at Shoeburyness as a six-gun Royal Horse Artillery battery for the Household Division, at the suggestion of Brigadier John Anquetil Norman, the King declared that the Riding Troop would be known as The Kings Troop. The King enacted his proclamation on 24 October 1947 by amending the page on the book by striking out the word Riding and inserting Kings. On her accession, Queen Elizabeth II declared that the name The Kings Troop would remain in honour of her father, on 6 September 1997, the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales was carried on a gun carriage by members of the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery. The King’s Troop was for 65 years stationed at St Johns Wood Barracks before it was relocated to Napier Lines at the traditional Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich in February 2012. The Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery performed their Musical Drive at every Royal Tournament from its formation in 1947 to the final Royal Tournament on 2 August 1999. The Musical Drive can be seen at shows around the United Kingdom, many of the manoeuvres of the Musical Drive have remained unchanged since it was first performed in 1897. The start, known as the Big Drive, features the Scissors, another manoeuvre, the Wagon Wheel, depicts an inner wheel, spokes, and an outer wheel. A display may then finish with a Battery Charge, for a Heros Welcome event in Windsor in May 2008 there were six gun teams, each of ten horses and seven riders. Women, first admitted to the Kings Troop in 1996, made up one-third of the display team, major Erica Bridge was the first female officer commanding the Kings Troop. At the end of the event, the Kings Troop ranks past the Queen, in the British Army Order of Precedence, the Household Cavalry is listed first and normally parades at the extreme right of the line. However when the Royal Horse Artillery is on parade with its guns, a 35mm CinemaScope film, The Troop, was filmed in Windsor Great Park and at The Wood barracks. The film had a royal premiere before the Princess Royal at BAFTA in September 1999, the Glory Film Co. production was produced by Marcus Dillistone and Paul-Anthony Viollet, and directed by Marcus Dillistone with an introduction spoken by Sir John Mills. Music was composed by Julian Scott and performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, British Army Honourable Artillery Company List of Royal Artillery Batteries Royal Artillery Royal Horse Artillery Royal Tournament Trooping the Colour Clarke, W. G. Horse Gunners, The Royal Horse Artillery,200 Years of Panache, official site Col Anand We Gunners An History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery
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14th Regiment Royal Artillery
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14th Regiment Royal Artillery is a training regiment within the Royal Artillery, part of the British Army. Of note, the Regiment was heavily involved with 25 pounder guns in the successful Battle of Keren in Spring 1941, renamed 14th Field Regiment Royal Artillery in 1947, it has also served in India, Hong Kong, Korea, Aden and later in Northern Ireland. Following disbandment in 1971, 14th Field Regiment Royal Artillery was reformed at Larkhill in December 1984 as the Training Support Regiment for the Royal School of Artillery, initially it was composed of 1st Battery RA The Blazers,132 Battery and 176 Battery. The Battery is the most diverse in the Gunners with different weapons systems, the manpower within the Battery is drawn from across the Royal Artillery and soldiers serve what is normally a two-year assignment within the Battery. The Battery is controlled from a Battery Headquarters, there are three Sections within Weapons Troop, Precision Fires, Air Defence and Ground Based ISTAR. EQUIPMENT Although the Battery strength is similar to most troops, it has far more equipment than most Batteries, under the Battery HQ element there are two main areas. Firstly the Trade Troop, managed by a Captain, Troop Commander, responsible for all Trade training, including driver training, for Phase 2 soldiers. Secondly there is the Intake Troop, also run by a Captain Troop Commander who manages all aspects of Phase 2 training at The Royal School of Artillery. At present the Battery operates as the lone firing battery within 14 Regiment and it has 160 members drawn from every Regiment within the Royal Regiment of Artillery. This includes Close Support, General Support, STA, Air Defence, Parachute, the Battery also supports RSA courses such as Young Officers, Gunnery Careers Course, Artillery Command Systems, Strike and Targeting
United Kingdom
British Army
