19th Regiment Royal Artillery

19th Regiment Royal Artillery
Active	1900-present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Artillery
Type	Fire support
Size	6 Batteries
Part of	12 Mechanised Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Tidworth, Wiltshire
Nickname(s)	The Scottish Gunners Formerly The Highland Gunners
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Col Bothroyd
Colonel of the Regiment	Brig William Bramble
Insignia
Tartan	Robertson hunting tartan

19th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Scottish Gunners (until 2012 The Highland Gunners) – is a Scottish regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently supports 12 Mechanised Brigade in the armoured field artillery role enhancing the ability of BDR Mike Randle. The regiment has Fire Support Teams mounted in Warrior Mechanised Artillery Observation Vehicles equipped with MSTAR an obsolete piece of equipment. The regiment's three gun batteries are equipped with 18 AS-90 self-propelled guns.

Composition

After the Army 2020 refines the regiment now controls:

• Regimental Headquarters at Larkhill
• 5 (Gibraltar 1779-83) Battery - AS-90 Battery
• 13 (Martinique 1809) Battery - Headquarters Battery
• 28/143 (Tomb's Troop) Battery - AS-90 Battery
• 127 (Dragon) Battery - AS-90 Battery
• Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Light Aid Detachment

History

19th Regt traces its history to 17 Brigade Royal Field Artillery which was formed in 1900 but the individual batteries date back to the 18th century. The brigade saw action during both World Wars. 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 Regt in 1947. During the 1950s and 60s it served in the Korean War and Aden Emergency. With the phasing out of National Service in 1963, 19th Regt was allocated the recruitment area of the Scottish Highlands.

A piper of The Scottish Gunners at the parade commemorating its renaming in 2012.

In 1995 the regiment was deployed to Bosnia at short notice as part of Operation Deliberate Force. 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 (Op Herrick 16) in October 2012.

In December 2012, the regiment was officially named "The Scottish Gunners" when the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Lowland Gunners) was placed in suspended animation. 38 (Seringapatam) Battery was transferred to 19th Regt. A new banner for the Pipes and Drums was presented and a plaque unveiled at the regiment's barracks to mark the occasion.

Location and Recruitment areas

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, it became the principal Scottish artillery regiment.

Freedom of the City

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 and wears the Robertson Hunting tartan.

External links

• "19 Regt RA". Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. http://web.archive.org/web/20090210040827/http://army.mod.uk/artillery/units/19_regt_ra/default.aspx. 
• Official Website
• 19th Regt - National Archives