West Riding Artillery

Artillery Volunteers
In 1860, as the British government feared invasion from the continent, the Secretary at War recommended the formation of Volunteer Artillery Corps to bolster Britain's coastal defences. The 1st Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps was raised at Leeds on 2 August and the 2nd Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps at Bradford on 10 October. They began as Coastal Artillery with 32 pounder guns. In 1886, they became Position Artillery with 40 pounder RBL guns. By 1871, the 1st had grown to eight batteries and the 2nd had become the 1st Admin Brigade, Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteers, containing five Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps, numbered the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th. By 1880, a number of these Corps had been disbanded or absorbed and the Bradford Brigade became the 2nd Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteers.

Various reforms from 1889 resulted in the units being renamed as 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers, then the 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Volunteer Artillery. In 1898, they became the 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) and were equipped with 4.7-inch QF Guns guns drawn by steam tractors.

Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
After the end of the Boer War in 1902, a review of the Army took place and a Royal Commission reported on the Militia and Volunteers. The War Office was concerned over the different standards of efficiency, but had to concede that this was in the hands of individual commanding officers. Secretary for War, Haldane, in the Liberal Government of 1905, was given the task of preparing legislation for reform. His Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 brought together volunteer units to form the Territorial Force (to become the Territorial Army in 1921) giving them the same role as before, but, in addition, giving them the capability of acting as backup to the Regular Army if the need arose. The result was that the Leeds and Bradford Artillery lost their heavy guns and became the 1st (with its headquarters at Fenton street, Leeds) and 2nd (with its HQ at Valley Parade in Bradford) West Riding Brigade Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force). Each brigade had three batteries and an ammunition column; they were equipped with 15 pounder guns. With the change to the smaller guns, steam tractors were no longer required and the barracks had to be adapted to accommodate horses. In addition, the Act set up County Associations to help co-ordinate the work of the War Office and the new Territorial Force, and to recruit, house and administer the units.

First World War
In the Great War (1914–18), both West Riding brigades were part of the 49th (West Riding) Division, going to France in 1915. Each formed a second line brigade in 1915 (2/1st and 2/2nd West Riding Brigade RFA (TF) respectively), which then supported 62nd Division.

Inter-war period
By the end of the First World War, the Leeds and Bradford brigades had become the 245th and 246th Brigade RFA respectively, but were renamed back to the 1st and 2nd West Riding Brigade RFA when they reconstituted into the Territorial Army in 1920. This was short-lived, however, as they were again renamed, this time as the 69th and 70th (West Riding) Brigades Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Army) in 1921. In 1924, the Royal Horse, Royal Field Artillery and the Royal Garrison Artillery were reunited under one name and the brigades became the 69th and 70th (West Riding) Field Brigades Royal Artillery (Territorial Army). Similarly, when artillery brigades were rebranded as regiments in 1938, the West Riding brigades became the 69th and 70th (West Riding) Field Regiment RA(TA). In 1939, the 69th formed a Second Line regiment at Bramley, Leeds, 121 Field Regiment RA(TA); the 70th similarly gave rise to 122 Field Regiment RA(TA) in Bradford.

Second World War
69th Field Regiment, as part of 49th (West Riding) Division, served in Iceland for two years and later, after their return to the UK, took part in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

121st Field Regiment went to Iraq in 1941, fought with the Eighth Army in North Africa and the American Fifth Army in Italy before returning to the UK to take part in the Normandy invasion as a Medium Regiment with 5.5-inch Gun-Howitzers.

70th Field Regiment went to France in 1940 as part of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. When the British Expeditionary Force had to withdraw, the 70th returned to the UK via Cherbourg with all their guns, vehicles and equipment intact. They were later transferred to 46th (North Midland) Division and fought with them in the Tunisian campaign and in Italy and Greece.

122nd Field Regiment, after training in the UK, went out to the Far East. The 122nd suffered 13 war casualties during the Malayan Campaign up until the naval base at Singapore surrendered in February 1942. Thereafter, more than 200 died, mainly as a result of their treatment as prisoners of war.

Post-war
An honour, unique at the time for a TA unit, was conferred upon the 70th on 5 September 1945. They were granted the Freedom of the City of Bradford.

269th and 270th (West Riding) Field Regiment RA(TA) reconstituted in the TA in Leeds and Bradford respectively on New Year's Day 1947. Both units were equipped with the 25 pounder self propelled gun (the Sexton), and both became part of 49th (West Riding) Armoured Division. In 1956, they were re-equipped with 25 pounder (towed), familiar to so many. When Anti-Aircraft Command was abolished in the mid-fifties, 269th absorbed 321 (West Riding) HAA Regiment and the 270th absorbed 584 LAA Regiment RA (6th West Yorkshire) without changing their titles (although the 270th did move their HQ from Valley Parade to 584's barracks at Belle Vue, Bradford).

To mark the centenary of the formation of the 1st Yorkshire (West Riding) Artillery Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of the City of Leeds was granted to the 269th on 3 February 1960. Shortly afterwards, the 269th and 270th amalgamated with each other to form the 249th (The West Riding Artillery) Field Regiment RA(TA), with Headquarters at Carlton Barracks in Leeds and batteries at Leeds, Bramley and Bradford. So came together two regiments who started out alongside each other a hundred years earlier.

TAVR III
This reform saw the Regiment reorganised as The West Riding Regiment RA (Territorials) on 1 April 1967: but, by 1969, the Regiment was reduced to a cadre at Bradford (some of Q Battery was absorbed into E Company, The Yorkshire Volunteers; 272 (West Riding Artillery) Field Support Squadron, 73 Engineer Regiment RE(V) also formed at Bradford). In 1971, this cadre was expanded to become "A" (West Riding Artillery) Battery, 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Volunteers.

269 (West Riding) Battery RA(V)
On 1 April 1975, an independent observation post battery, 269 (West Riding) OP Battery RA (Volunteers), was formed at Leeds from the cadre (and the cadre disbanded), reviving the West Riding Artillery lineage in the Royal Artillery. Its principal role was to provide 12 independent Observation Teams (generally consisting of a Captain and 6 ORs) to each of the regular field regiments in 1st Armd Division and 2nd Armd Division, which at the time were both stationed in Germany to counter the Soviet threat. Since the orbat of both these divisions constantly changed, the affiliation of the OP Teams from 269 Battery was never static. Their wartime equipment for mobilisation was held by the respective supported units, including such items as armoured personnel carriers and surveillance equipment including radar, laser rangefinders and night observation devices. As a consequence, they were far more capable than the OP Teams of the other Field Regiments in the TA.

By comparison to their regular counterparts, the OP Teams received far more practical training in the direction of artillery fire over the course of a year, since they had no other duties and, overall, the time spent in OP work lasted longer per individual as there were no other roles to be fulfilled. (In a typical regular unit the OP Officer held post for 2–3 years, whereas in the OP Batteries - of which there were three in the TA - the teams existed for much longer, resulting in higher standards being attainable. For example, it was not unusual for the officers to stay in post for 6 or more years.) Training in the UK was carried out with a gun troop of 3 x 25 pounders. In addition, the teams occasionally supported other TA Units with their Battalion and Company HQ training by providing OP Teams during exercises. This enabled the other units to gain better appreciation of the artillery support role.

In 1989, 269 (West Riding) Battery RA(V) re-roled to the 105 mm L118 Light Gun, dropping "OP" from its title. 269 Battery joined 19 Regiment RA 'The Highland Gunners', a regular regiment in 24 Airmobile Brigade, in 1993.

Strategic Defence Review
On 1 July 1999, a new TA "war establish reserve" air defence artillery regiment, 106 (Yeomanry) Regiment RA(V), was formed from the transfer and conversion of existing sub-units, including 269 Battery, which converted to the Rapier Field Standard B2 surface-to-air missile system and supported 22 Regiment RA 'The Welsh Gunners', then based at Rapier Barracks, Kirton-in-Lindsey.

When the decision was made in 2004 to scrap Rapier FSB2 and disband 22 Regiment RA, 269 Battery converted to Rapier FSC and their support role was transferred to 16 Regiment RA, based in Woolwich, London.

Future Army Structure
The FAS reforms, announced in 2004, resulted in a rebalancing of the TA in 2006. As part of this rebalancing, the West Riding Artillery ceased training on its Rapier FSC equipment on 1 April 2006 in preparation for its new role as a Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) Battery. 269 Battery was formally handed over to 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) at a ceremony in Carlton Barracks, Leeds on 5 September 2006.

In the period between 2006 and 2013, Battery personnel have support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, likewise the Battery has travelled to Iceland, Italy and Germany tracing the history of West Riding Gunners.

It was announced on 3rd July 2013, 269 Battery will yet again re-role. The Battery will prepare for delivery of Multi Launch Rocket Systems, and the re-role is expected to be complete by March 2015. 269 Battery remains a part of 101 Regiment Royal Artillery

Publications

 * Litchfield, Norman E H, and Westlake, R, 1982. The Volunteer Artillery 1859-1908, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0950820503
 * Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908-1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0950820520
 * Litchfield, Norman E H, and Westlake, R, 1982. The Volunteer Artillery 1859-1908, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0950820503
 * Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908-1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0950820520
 * Litchfield, Norman E H, and Westlake, R, 1982. The Volunteer Artillery 1859-1908, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0950820503
 * Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908-1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0950820520
 * Litchfield, Norman E H, 1992. The Territorial Artillery 1908-1988, The Sherwood Press, Nottingham. ISBN 0950820520