217 (City of Newport) Battery

217 (City of Newport) Battery is a reserve artillery unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery. The battery was first formed following the 1957 Defence White Paper, and continues to exist as part of the modern 104th Regiment Royal Artillery.

History
On 1 May 1961, the 281st (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Field Regiment, 288th (Swansea) Heavy Antiaircraft Regiment, and 283rd (Monmouthshire) Field Regiments were amalgamated into the a new smaller field regiment. This new regiment became the 282nd (Glamorgan and Monmouthshire) Field Regiment. After formation, the regiment consisted of three batteries;


 * P (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Battery [Successor to 281 Field Regiment]
 * Q (Welsh) Battery [Successor to 282 Heavy AA Regiment]
 * R (1st Monmouthshire) Battery [Successor to 283 Field Regiment]

Eventually, in 1967, the regiment was re-organised following the 1966 Defence White Paper. Following this paper, the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve was formed, and along with it, many new regiments and batteries. One of these new regiments was the 104th Light Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery. As a result of this change, the regiment was reduced to a troop and named becoming, 211 (South Wales) Battery. After formation, the battery had a unique structure;


 * Battery Headquarters in Newport
 * D (Monmouthshire) Troop in Newport
 * E (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Troop in Cardiff
 * F (Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire) Troop in Ebbw Vale (Later forming a detachment in Abertilly)

By 1986, the Territorial Army was re-organised, and 217 (County of Gwent) Battery was formed in Cwmbran under the same regiment. Following their formation, the battery was equipped with the blowpipe air defence launcher, but later replaced by the more modern Javelin. In 1992, the Options for Change reforms were announced, and 217 battery was absorbed by 211 battery, forming a new troop, C (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Troop in Cardiff. In 1999, Headquarters Battery of 104 Regiment was renamed as 217 (City of Newport) Headquarters Battery. By 2006 the battery removed the headquarters title, becoming 217 (City of Newport) Battery. Following their re-designation, the battery was equipped with the phoenix and later desert hawk UAS system.

Today, the battery resides at Raglan Barracks in Newport alongside the Regimental Headquarters of the 104th Regiment Royal Artillery. The battery also keeps the traditions of the Glamorganshire Yeomanry through C (Glamorgan Yeomanry) Troop in Swansea. Following the Army 2020 Refine, the battery is currently organised as a field artillery battery utilising the L118 Light Gun.