Ajay Kumar at 06:23, 18 August 2023

2023-08-18T06:23:39Z

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{{short description|British Army artillery battery}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox Military Unit
|unit_name=M Battery [[Royal Horse Artillery]]
|image=
|caption=
|dates=23 January 1809{{snd}}present
|country={{flag|United Kingdom}}
|allegiance= [[File:Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg|25px]] Hon East India Coy (till 1858)<br />{{flag|United Kingdom}} (post 1858)
|branch={{army|United Kingdom}}
|type=[[Artillery]]
|role=[[Headquarters (military)|Headquarters]]
|size=[[Artillery battery|Battery]]
|command_structure=[[3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]]
|garrison=[[Albemarle Barracks, England|Albemarle Barracks]], [[Northumberland]], England
|garrison_label=
|nickname=
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|colors_label=
|march=
|mascot=
|equipment=
|equipment_label=
|battles=[[Anglo-Egyptian War]]<br />[[Second Boer War]]<br />[[Third Anglo-Afghan War]]<br />[[Second World War]]
:[[Western Desert Campaign]]
:[[Tunisia Campaign]]
:[[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italian Campaign]]
:[[North West Europe Campaign]]
|anniversaries=
|decorations=
|battle_honours=[[Battle honour#Entitlement|Ubique]]

|commander1=
|commander1_label=
|commander2=
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|commander3=
|commander3_label=
|notable_commanders=

|identification_symbol=
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}}
'''M (Headquarters) Battery Royal Horse Artillery''' is the [[Headquarters (military)|Headquarters]] [[Artillery battery|Battery]] of [[3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]], part of the [[Royal Horse Artillery]] of the [[British Army]]. As of 2015, it is based at [[Albemarle Barracks, England|Albemarle Barracks]], [[Northumberland]], England. The Battery Commander is Maj B Johnston RHA.

==History==
===Madras Horse Artillery===
M Battery, Royal Horse Artillery was formed on 23 January 1809 as '''2nd [[Troop]], Madras Horse Artillery''', a [[horse artillery]] [[Artillery battery|battery]] of the [[Honourable East India Company]]'s [[Madras Army]].<ref name=MOD>{{cite web | url=http://www.army.mod.uk/artillery/regiments/24665.aspx | title= 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery | publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)]] | access-date=13 November 2015 }}</ref> On 5 August 1825, it was redesignated as '''B Troop, 1st Brigade, Madras Horse Artillery'''<ref name=Clarke101>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=101}}</ref> as the Madras Horse Artillery expanded to 8 troops and was organized as two brigades. A reduction to 6 troops on 4 January 1831 resulted in the brigades being discontinued and the remaining troops lettered in a single sequence, hence becoming '''B Troop, Madras Horse Artillery'''.<ref name=ClarkeMad>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|pp=100–109}}</ref>

As a result of the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]], the [[British Crown]] took direct control of India from the East India Company on 1 November 1858 under the provisions of the [[Government of India Act 1858]]. The [[Presidency armies]] transferred to the direct authority of the British Crown and its European units were transferred to the [[British Army]]. Henceforth artillery, the mutineers most effective arm, was to be the sole preserve of the British Army (with the exception of certain Mountain Artillery batteries). On 19 February 1862, the Madras Horse Artillery transferred to the [[Royal Artillery]] as its 3rd Horse Artillery Brigade{{efn|The original Horse Brigade Royal Artillery formed 1st Horse Brigade RA, the 1st Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery became 2nd Horse Brigade RA, the Madras Horse Artillery became 3rd Horse Brigade RA, the Bombay Horse Artillery became 4th Horse Brigade RA and the 2nd Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery became 5th Horse Brigade RA. The 3rd Brigade Bengal Horse Artillery was split between 2nd and 5th Horse Brigades RA. These brigades performed an administrative, rather than tactical, role.<ref name=FrederickIHA>{{harvnb|Frederick|1984|pp=428 –429}}</ref>}} and B Troop became '''B Battery, 3rd Horse Brigade, RA'''.<ref name=Clarke101/>

===Late Victorian era===
The battery was stationed at [[Secunderabad]] from June 1862.<ref name=Clarke139>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=139}}</ref><ref name=PPMA>{{cite web | url=http://www.3rhappma.com/batteries/m-headquarters-battery-rha/m-headquarters-battery-history/ | title=M (Headquarters) Battery History | publisher=3 RHA Past & Present Members Association | access-date=13 November 2015 }}</ref> A reorganization of the horse artillery on 13 April 1864 saw 3rd Brigade became [[D Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|D Brigade]].<ref name=Clarke53>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=53}}</ref>{{efn|The 1st Brigade with 10 batteries was much larger than the other four (with four to seven batteries each) so was split as [[A Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|A]] and [[B Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|B Brigades]], 2nd Brigade become [[C Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|C Brigade]], 3rd become [[D Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|D Brigade]], 4th become [[E Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|E Brigade]], and 5th become [[F Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|F Brigade]].<ref name=Clarke53/>}} As battery designations were tied to the brigade the battery was assigned to, the battery was now designated '''B Battery, D Brigade'''.<ref name=Clarke101/>

From 1866, the term "[[Royal Horse Artillery]]" appeared in Army List<ref name=Frederick431>{{harvnb|Frederick|1984|p=431}}</ref> hence the battery was designated B Battery, D Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery from about this time. Another reorganization on 14 April 1877 saw the number of brigades reduced to three (of 10 batteries each) and D Brigade was broken up. Its batteries were transferred to B and C Brigades and redesignated again, hence the battery became '''G Battery, B Brigade'''.<ref name=Frederick433>{{harvnb|Frederick|1984|p=433}}</ref> The number of brigades was further reduced to two (of 13 batteries each) in 1882 without effecting the designation of the battery.<ref name=Frederick435>{{harvnb|Frederick|1984|p=435}}</ref> The battery took part in the [[Anglo-Egyptian War]], notably the [[Battle of Tel el-Kebir]] in September 1882.<ref name=PPMA/>

The brigade system was finally abolished on 1 July 1889. Henceforth, batteries were designated in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation<ref name=Clarke54>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=54}}</ref> and the battery took on its final designation as '''M Battery, Royal Horse Artillery'''.<ref name=Clarke101/>

Equipped with six [[Ordnance BL 12-pounder 6 cwt|12 pounders]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.britishbattles.com/great-boer-war/paardenburg.htm | title=Battle of Paardenburg|publisher=British Battles.com | access-date=18 November 2015 }}</ref><ref name=Clarke45>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=45}}</ref> the battery was sent to South Africa, unbrigaded,<ref name=Clarke55>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=55}}</ref>{{efn|Of the 10 RHA batteries that took part in the [[Second Boer War]]:<ref name=Clarke55/>
* [[A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) Royal Horse Artillery|A]], [[J (Sidi Rezegh) Battery Royal Horse Artillery|J]] and M Batteries were unbrigaded
* [[Q (Sanna's Post) HQ Battery RA|Q]], [[T Battery Royal Horse Artillery|T]] and [[U Battery Royal Horse Artillery|U Batteries]] were assigned to [[1st Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st Cavalry Brigade]]
* [[G Battery Royal Horse Artillery|G]] and [[P Battery Royal Artillery|P Batteries]] were assigned to [[2nd Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom)|2nd Cavalry Brigade]]
* [[O Battery (The Rocket Troop) Royal Horse Artillery|O]] and [[R Battery Royal Horse Artillery|R Batteries]] were assigned to [[3rd Cavalry Brigade (United Kingdom)|3rd Cavalry Brigade]]}} and saw active service in the [[Second Boer War]] including the [[Relief of Mafeking]].<ref name=PPMA/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.angloboerwar.com/unit-information/imperial-units/636-royal-horse-artillery-m-battery | title=Royal Horse Artillery - M Battery | publisher=Anglo Boer War website | access-date=19 November 2015 }}</ref>

===Early 20th century===
The brigade system was reintroduced on 1 March 1901, this time as tactical formations, and the battery was assigned to the XIV Brigade-Division, RHA (redesignated as [[VIII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|VIII Brigade, RHA]] on 1 October 1906) along with [[Q (Sanna's Post) HQ Battery RA|Q Battery]]<ref name=Frederick445>{{harvnb|Frederick|1984|p=445}}</ref> and was stationed at [[Royal Artillery Barracks|Woolwich]].<ref name=Clarke142>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=142}}</ref>

By the time the [[First World War]] broke out, the battery had been re-equipped with six [[British ordnance terms#QF|quick-firing]] [[13 pounder]]s<ref name=Clarke45/> and was stationed at [[Risalpur]], [[British India|India]] with the [[1st (Peshawar) Division]].<ref name=Conrad>{{cite web | url = http://marksrussianmilitaryhistory.info/BRIT14.html|title = The British Army, 1914 | last1 = Conrad | first1 = Mark | year = 1996 | access-date = 18 November 2015}}</ref> On mobilization it was assigned to the [[1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade]]. It remained in India throughout the war, the only RHA battery to do so,<ref name=Perry36>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=36}}</ref>{{efn|Of the other eight RHA batteries in India in August 1914:
* [[A Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|A]], [[Q Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|Q]] and [[U Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|U Batteries]] formed [[I Indian Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|I Indian Brigade RHA]] assigned to [[1st Indian Cavalry Division]] and sent to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] in 1914<ref name=Perry14>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=14}}</ref>
* [[N Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|N]], [[V Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|V]] and [[X Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|X Batteries]] formed [[II Indian Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|II Indian Brigade RHA]] assigned to [[2nd Indian Cavalry Division]] and sent to the Western Front in 1914<ref name=Perry18>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=18}}</ref>
* [[S Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|S Battery]] served with [[6th Indian Cavalry Brigade]] in [[Mesopotamian campaign|Mesopotamia]] from February 1915<ref name=Perry31>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=31}}</ref>
* [[W Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|W Battery]] served with [[11th Indian Cavalry Brigade]] in Mesopotamia from November 1917<ref name=Perry30>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=30}}</ref>}} seeing extensive service on the [[Military history of the North-West Frontier|North-West Frontier]]. Between 1914 and 1917 it was reduced to four guns as it provided a section{{efn|A Subsection consisted of a single gun and limber drawn by six horses (with three drivers), eight gunners (riding on the limber or mounted on their own horses), and an ammunition wagon also drawn by six horses (with three drivers).<ref name=Clarke43>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=43}}</ref> Two Subsections formed a Section and in a six gun battery these would be designated as Left, Centre and Right Sections.<ref name=Clarke45/>}} as reinforcements for the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].<ref name=Clarke60>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=60}}</ref> In May 1919, it mobilized with the 1st (Risalpur) Cavalry Brigade and took part in the [[Third Anglo-Afghan War]].<ref name=MOD/><ref name=Perry38>{{harvnb|Perry|1993|p=38}}</ref>

===Inter-war period===
[[File:3.7inchHowitzerTowedByLightDragonTractor.jpg|thumb|right|{{center|[[Vickers Light Dragon|Light Dragon Mark II]] tractor towing a [[QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer|3.7 inch howitzer]] on Carriage Mk IV and limber.}}]]
In the aftermath of the First World War, the Royal Horse Artillery was reorganized as it returned to pre-war levels and the battery was assigned to [[I Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|I Brigade, RHA]]. Further reductions saw the RHA shrink to five brigades (of three batteries each) by March 1920;<ref name=Clarke62>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=62}}</ref> [[VIII Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|VIII Brigade, RHA]] was absorbed in I Brigade<ref name=Frederick445/> and, in particular, M Battery absorbed [[AA Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|AA Battery]]{{efn|name=DoubleA|From 1 July 1889, RHA batteries were lettered in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation.<ref name=Clarke54/> When more than 26 batteries were needed, double letters were used, [[AA Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|AA]],<ref name=Clarke99>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=99}}</ref> [[BB Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|BB]],<ref name=Clarke100>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=100}}</ref> etc.}} on 4 January 1920 (the batteries were separated again on 11 May 1938).<ref name=Clarke101/><ref name=Clarke99/>

By March 1920, the battery was overseas again, in Egypt.<ref name=Clarke119>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=119}}</ref> In October 1923 it returned to the United Kingdom and was stationed at [[Exeter]].<ref name=Clarke120>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=120}}</ref> In November 1926 it moved to [[Aldershot Garrison|Aldershot]] where it was transferred to [[III Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery|III Brigade, RHA]].<ref name=Clarke131>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=131}}</ref> 1934 saw the start of mechanization; M and [[A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) Royal Horse Artillery|A Batteries]] were the first RHA batteries to be converted, replacing their horses and [[13 pounder]]s with [[QF 3.7-inch mountain howitzer|3.7" Howitzers]] towed by [[Vickers Light Dragon|Light Dragon]] gun tractors.<ref name=Clarke50>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=50}}</ref> In September 1937 it moved back to Egypt with the brigade and was at [[Abbassia]].<ref name=Clarke131/>

Two significant changes occurred in 1938. Firstly, artillery brigades were reorganized from three six-gun batteries to two 12-gun batteries. Rather than disband existing batteries, they were instead linked in pairs. As a result, M Battery was linked with [[P Battery, Royal Horse Artillery|P Battery]] to form '''M/P Battery''' on 11 May.<ref name=Clarke101/> The second change was that hereafter brigades were redesignated as regiments and III Brigade became [[3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]] on 27 August with D/J and M/P Batteries.<ref name=Clarke131/> In the event, the batteries were unlinked within months (in September 1939) and the regiment operated with four batteries ([[D Battery Royal Horse Artillery|D]], [[J (Sidi Rezegh) Battery Royal Horse Artillery|J]], M and P).<ref name=Clarke151>{{harvnb|Clarke|1993|p=151}}</ref>

===Second World War===
By the outbreak of the [[Second World War]], 3rd Regiment, RHA was still in Egypt and on 16 October 1939 was assigned to Headquarters [[Royal Artillery|RA]] Group (Middle East Reserve).<ref name=Joslen469>{{harvnb|Joslen|1990|p=469}}</ref> M Battery, however, was permanently attached to the [[Armoured Division (Egypt)]] (later the 7th Armoured Division, the "Desert Rats") in the anti-tank role<ref name=Joslen19>{{harvnb|Joslen|1990|p=19}}</ref> armed with [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder|2 pounder guns]].<ref name=Joslen130>{{harvnb|Joslen|1990|p=130}}</ref> The battery was to remain with the 7th Armoured Division for the rest of the war.<ref name=Joslen19/>

In January 1940, the [[7th Support Group]] was formed for the division and the battery joined it on 22 January. The rest of 3rd RHA did not join the Support Group until 1 March 1941. In the meantime, the battery took part in the [[Western Desert Campaign]]: the [[Battle of Sidi Barrani]] (8{{snd}}11 December 1940), the [[Battle of Bardia]] (3{{snd}}5 January 1941), the [[Siege of Tobruk#Capture|Capture of Tobruk]] (21 and 22 January) and the [[Beda Fomm|Battle of Beda Fomm]] (5{{snd}}8 February), and the whole regiment in [[Operation Crusader]] (18 November{{snd}}10 December)<ref name=Joslen218>{{harvnb|Joslen|1990|p=218}}</ref>{{snd}}notably the [[Battle of Sidi Rezegh]].<ref name=PPMA/>

The regiment left the 7th Support Group on 8 February 1942 (the day before it was reformed as the [[7th Motor Brigade (United Kingdom)|7th Motor Brigade]])<ref name=Joslen218/> and was assigned directly to the 7th Armoured Division.<ref name=Joslen19/>

It later took part in [[Operation Overlord]].<ref name=MOD/>


===Post war===
In 1993, the battery was amalgamated with the [[Headquarters (military)|HQ]] Battery of [[3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery]] to become '''M (Headquarters) Battery'''.<ref name=MOD/>

==See also==
{{Portal|United Kingdom|War|World War II}}
*[[British Army]]
*[[Royal Artillery]]
*[[Royal Horse Artillery]]
*[[List of Royal Artillery Batteries]]
*[[Madras Horse Artillery Batteries]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book

| last = Clarke | first = W.G.
| year = 1993
| title = Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism
| publisher = The Royal Artillery Institution
| location = Woolwich
| isbn = 09520762-0-9
}}
* {{cite book

| last = Frederick | first = J.B.M.
| year = 1984
| title = Lineage Book of British Land Forces 1660–1978
| publisher = Microform Academic Publishers
| location = Wakefield, Yorkshire
| isbn = 1-85117-009-X
}}
* {{cite book

| last = Joslen | first = Lt-Col H.F.
| year = 1990
| orig-year = 1st. Pub. [[HMSO]]:1960
| title = Orders of Battle, Second World War, 1939–1945
| publisher = London Stamp Exchange
| location = London
| isbn = 0-948130-03-2
}}
* {{cite book

| last = Perry | first = F.W.
| year = 1993
| title = Order of Battle of Divisions Part 5B. Indian Army Divisions
| publisher = Ray Westlake Military Books
| location = Newport, Gwent
| isbn = 1-871167-23-X
}}

==External links==
* {{cite web | url=http://www.army.mod.uk/artillery/regiments/24665.aspx | title= 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery | publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)]] | access-date=13 November 2015 }}
* {{cite web | url=http://www.3rhappma.com/batteries/m-headquarters-battery-rha/m-headquarters-battery-history/ | title=M (Headquarters) Battery History | publisher=3 RHA Past & Present Members Association | access-date=13 November 2015 }}
* {{cite web | url=http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/royal-artillery/3rd-regiment-rha.html | title=3rd Regiment RHA | publisher=British Army units from 1945 on | access-date=20 November 2015 | author=A. Young}}

{{Royal Horse Artillery}}

[[Category:Royal Horse Artillery batteries]]
[[Category:Royal Artillery batteries]]
[[Category:1809 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1809]]

M Battery Royal Horse Artillery - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 06:23, 18 August 2023