| Royal Tank Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the Royal Tank Regiment |
|
| Active | 28 July 1917- |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Armoured |
| Role | 1st Regiment - CBRN 2nd Regiment - Armoured |
| Size | Two regiments |
| Part of | Royal Armoured Corps |
| Garrison/HQ | RHQ - Bovington 1st Regiment - Warminster/RAF Honington 2nd Regiment - Tidworth |
| Motto | Fear Naught |
| March | Quick: My Boy Willie Slow: The Royal Tank Regiment Slow March |
| Anniversaries | WOrld War I *Cambrai, 20 November World War II Korean War Iraqi War |
| Battle honours | see Battle Honours |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | HM The Queen |
| Colonel-Commandant | Lieutenant General A D Leakey CMG CBE |
| Notable commanders |
Hugh Elles |
| Insignia | |
| Tactical Recognition Flash |  |
| Tartan | Hunting Rose (1st Regt pipers kilts and plaids) |
| Arm Badge | Tank |
| Abbreviation | RTR |
The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare. The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC is currently a collection of ten regular Regiments mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments Warminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station 6 miles south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing Civilian population The Battle of Cambrai ( 20 November - 3 December 1917) was a British campaign of World War I. Events 284 - Diocletian was chosen as Roman Emperor. 762 - Bögü Khan of the Uyghurs, World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign A battle honour is a military tradition practised in the Commonwealth countries of the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR is an armoured regiment of the British Army. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II Sir Hugh Jamieson Elles KCB KCMG KCVO DSO (1880-1945 was a British General and the first commander of the newly formed Tank There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with four serving as Armoured regiments and five as Formation reconnaissance regiments. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment (1RTR) and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2RTR). The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC is currently a collection of ten regular Regiments mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments The 1st Royal Tank Regiment ( 1 RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. …The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment ( 2 RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. The official regimental motto is Fear Naught while unofficial motto (signified also by the colours of the tactical recognition flash) is "From Mud, Through Blood to the Green Fields Beyond. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group "
Contents |
Nomenclature
In the nineteenth-century (and before) British Army, regiments of infantry raised several battalions, which were often deployed separately. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel This practice remained into the modern era - in the First World War, it was common to see twenty or more battalions with a single regimental title. However, this practice did not hold for the cavalry regiments, which traditionally were only of limited size; in the modern era, this meant that each regiment would only constitute one battalion.
As a result, it became traditional for a battalion-level unit of cavalry to be referred to as a "regiment". This was not as confusing as it may seem, since where other armies would use "regiment" for a unit of two to four battalions, the British Army used "brigade". Hence, an infantry brigade could consist of three battalions of infantry, but a cavalry brigade of equivalent size would have three regiments.
In the inter-war period, the British Army began to mechanise, with cavalry regiments giving up their horses in favour of armoured cars or light tanks. (The first regiment to do so was the 11th Hussars, in 1928; the last the Royal Scots Greys in 1941). The Royal Scots Greys was a cavalry regiment of the British Army from 1678 until 1971 when they amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales's Dragoon As a result, it became common to refer to any armoured unit as a "regiment" rather than a "battalion" - the 11th Hussars were not merely an armoured-car battalion, but the whole of the regiment. In 1945, this usage became formal; all armoured battalions were henceforth referred to as regiments.
The Royal Tank Regiment is itself a regiment of the British Army, part of the Royal Armoured Corps. A regiment is a Military unit, composed of a variable number of Battalions – commanded by a Colonel. The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC is currently a collection of ten regular Regiments mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments However, as a result of the above, both its "battalions" are formally titled regiments. This can cause some confusion, with the regiment currently being composed of two regiments.
World War I
The Royal Tank Regiment's formation followed the invention of the tank. A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical Tanks were first used at Flers in September 1916 during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. The Battle of Flers-Courcelette, which began on 15 September, 1916 and lasted for one week was the third and last of the large-scale offensives mounted by the Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, fought from July to November 1916 was among the largest battles of the First World War World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All At that time the six tank companies were grouped as the Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps (MGC). The Machine Gun Corps (MGC was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of Machine guns on the Western
In November of 1916 the eight companies then in existence were each expanded to form battalions numbered A through H; another seven battalions, I through O, were formed by January 1918, when they all were converted to numbered units. On 28 July 1917 the Heavy Branch was by Royal Warrant separated from the rest of the MGC and given official status as the Tank Corps, meaning that by the beginning of 1918 the fifteen units were 1st Battalion, Tank Corps through to 15th Battalion, Tank Corps. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year History The earliest recorded British Royal Charter was granted to the Weavers’ Company in 1155 by Henry II of England. More battalions continued to be formed, and by December 1918, 26 had been created. (At this time there were only 25 tank battalions, however; the 17th had converted to using armoured cars in April of 1918). The first commander of the Tank Corps was Hugh Elles. Sir Hugh Jamieson Elles KCB KCMG KCVO DSO (1880-1945 was a British General and the first commander of the newly formed Tank
The Corps saw heavy action through 1917 and 1918, with special note being given to the Battle of Cambrai (1917), which the regiment continues to commemorate annually. The Battle of Cambrai ( 20 November - 3 December 1917) was a British campaign of World War I. During the war, four members of the Corps were awarded the Victoria Cross. See below the section "Separate Commonwealth awards" Note that since However, heavy losses and recurrent mechanical difficulties reduced the effectiveness of the Corps, leading the Bovington Tank School to adopt a doctrine that emphasised caution and high standards of maintenance in equal measure.
Interwar period
After the war, the Tank Corps was trimmed down to a central depot and four battalions; the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Battalions, Tank Corps. …The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment ( 2 RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. The 3rd Royal Tank Regiment ( 3 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1992 The 4th Royal Tank Regiment ( 4 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1993 The 5th Royal Tank Regiment ( 5 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1969
In 1923 it was officially named Royal (making it the Royal Tank Corps) by Colonel-in-Chief King George V. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was at this time that the motto Fear Naught, the black beret and the unit badge were adopted. A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group A beret (ber-HET in French or /ˈBer-EHT/ in English, except in the USA, where it is usually pronounced /ber-EHT is a soft round Cap, usually The word Corps was replaced in 1939 with Regiment to give the unit its current name, the Royal Tank Regiment. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
In 1920, twelve Armoured Car Companies were set up as part of the Tank Corps, absorbing units from the Machine Gun Corps; eight were later converted into independent Light Tank Companies. A military armored (or armoured) car (see spelling differences) is a wheeled armored vehicle lighter than other armored fighting vehicles primarily A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical All disbanded before the outbreak of the Second World War.
In 1933 the 6th Battalion, Royal Tank Corps, was formed in Egypt by combining the personnel of two of these companies; in 1934, the 1st (Light) Battalion, Royal Tank Corps was formed in England with personnel from three of the existing battalions. The 6th Royal Tank Regiment ( 6 RTR) was a regiment of the Royal Tank Regiment, of the British Army, until 1959 The 1st Royal Tank Regiment ( 1 RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army.
With the preparations for war in the late 1930s a further two regular battalions were formed; the 7th in 1937 and the 8th in 1938. The 7th Royal Tank Regiment ( 7 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1959. The 8th Royal Tank Regiment ( 8 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army until 1960 The 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th & 45th battalions were raised in 1938, being converted from Territorial Army infantry battalions; the 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th and 51st were likewise activated and converted in 1939. The Territorial Army ( TA) is the principal and Volunteer reserve force of the British Army, the land armed forces branch of the United Kingdom The twelve Yeomanry Armoured Car Companies of the RTR were all activated and transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps. Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer Cavalry regiments
Before the Second World War, Royal Tank Corps recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches tall. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve. They trained at the Royal Tank Corps Depot at Bovington Camp, Dorset for about eight months. Bovington Camp is an army base in Dorset, England.It is home to The Armour Centre formerly the Royal Armoured Corps Centre Dorset ( (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast [1]
World War II
At the outbreak of war, the Regiment consisted of eight regular battalions.
- 1st & 6th RTR was part of the Heavy Armoured Brigade (Egypt)
- 2nd, 3rd & 5th RTR were part of the 1st Heavy Armoured Brigade
- 4th, 7th & 8th RTR were part of the British 1st Army Tank Brigade
In addition, there were a large number of territorial battalions, as well as hostilities-only battalions such as 9 RTR. The British 1st Army Tank Brigade took part in Operation Crusader, being a part of the XIII Corps.
The regiment was again expanded such that there were numerous units of the RTR that took part in countless battles in World War II, including the Battle of Dunkirk, El Alamein and D-Day. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Battle of Dunkirk was the defense and evacuation of the British and Allied forces that had been separated from the main body of the French defenses by the German advance Field Marshal Montgomery would frequently wear the Regiment's beret, with his Field Marshal's badge sewn on next to the Regimental cap badge, as it was more practical whilst travelling on a tank than either a formal peaked hat or the Australian slouch hat he previously wore. For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn Higher-numbered Regiments of the Regiment included the 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, and 51st Royal Tank Regiment. The 51st (Leeds Rifles Royal Tank Regiment ( 51 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army during the Second World War.
11 RTR formed part of 79th Armoured Division (aka Hobart's Funnies), equipped initially with CDL (tactical searchlight) tanks, but converted not long after D-Day to Buffalo (US LVT aka Amtrac), and participated in the assault crossing of the Rhine. The 79th Armoured Division was a specialist British Army armoured unit formed as part of the preparations for the Normandy invasion of 6 June Hobart's Funnies were a number of unusually modified Tanks operated during World War II by the United Kingdom 's 79th Armoured Division Canal Defence Light (CDL was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War. This is an article about an animal For other uses see Bison (disambiguation. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was ferried across the Rhine in a Buffalo from 'C' squadron 11RTR. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874
Post-war period
After World War II, the RTR was reduced through various amalgamations, first in 1959-60:
- 3RTR and 6RTR amalgamated as 3RTR
- 4RTR and 7RTR amalgamated as 4RTR
- 5RTR and 8RTR amalgamated as 5RTR
In 1969, 5RTR was disbanded, while under Options for Change, 4RTR amalgamated with 1RTR, and 3RTR with 2RTR. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War.
The current Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Tank Regiment is Queen Elizabeth II. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II
Current status
Today, there are two regiments, the 1st and 2nd Royal Tank Regiments (1RTR and 2RTR). Today, half of 1RTR forms part of the Joint CBRN Regiment (together with No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment) with the other half as a training unit, while 2RTR retains its role as an armoured regiment as part of 1 Mech Brigade. The 1st Royal Tank Regiment ( 1 RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. The Joint Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Regiment is a specialist expeditionary unit of the British armed forces. No 27 Squadron RAF Regiment is a Field squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. …The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment ( 2 RTR) is an armoured regiment of the British Army. An armoured fighting vehicle ( AFV) is a military Vehicle, protected by armour and armed with Weapons Most AFVs are equipped for driving in rugged
The Royal Tank Regiment has continued to see action, including playing a role in missions in Bosnia and Kosovo. Elements of 1RTR were deployed to Afgahanistan in 2002 and both regiments were involved in the invasion of Iraq, with the 2RTR battlegroup playing an important role in the capture of the city of Basra. Squadrons of both Regiments are still deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq carrying out both Armoured and Infantry taskings.
Vehicles
The Royal Tank Regiment uses a variety of vehicles, including:
- Challenger 2 (introduced in 1998; the regiment's primary vehicle)
- FV107 Scimitar
- FV105 Sultan
- FV103 Spartan
- FV104 Samaritan
- HGV
- Land Rover
- Fuchs
Battle honours
The Great War
Somme 1916 '18, Arras 1917 '18, Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Cambrai 1917, St. FV4034 Challenger 2 is a Main battle tank (MBT currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) FV107 Scimitar is an Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle (sometimes classed as a light tank) FV105 Sultan is a British Army command and control vehicle based on the CVR(T platform FV103 Spartan is a British Army Armoured personnel carrier. Spartan is the APC member of the CVR(T family The FV104 Samaritan is the British Army armoured Ambulance variant of the CVR(T family This article is about the semi-truck For the North American use of the word see Pickup truck. Land Rover is an all-terrain vehicle and Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV manufacturer based in Solihull, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar TPz (Transportpanzer Fuchs (fox is an Armoured personnel carrier developed by Daimler-Benz and built by Thyssen-Henschel (now Rheinmetall The Battle of Cambrai ( 20 November - 3 December 1917) was a British campaign of World War I. Quentin 1918, Villers Bretonneux, Amiens, Bapaume 1918, Hindenburg Line, Épéhy, Selle, France and Flanders 1916-18, Gaza
The Second World War
North-West Europe 1940
Arras Counter Attack, Calais 1940, St. The Battle of Arras (1940 took place during the Battle of France, in the early stages of World War II. Omer-La Bassée, Somme
North Africa 1940-43
Sidi Barrani, Beda Fomm, Sidi Suleiman, Tobruk 1941, Sidi Rezegh 1941, Belhamed, Gazala, Cauldron, Knightsbridge, Defence of Alamein Line, Alam el Halfa, El Alamein, Mareth, Akarit, Fondouk, El Kourzia, Medjez Plain, Tunis
Sicily 1943
Primosole Bridge, Gerbini, Adrano
Italy 1943-45
Sangro, Salerno, Volturno Crossing, Garigliano Crossing, Anzio, Advance to Florence, Gothic Line, Coriano, Lamone Crossing, Rimini Line, Argenta Gap
North-West Europe 1944-45
Odon, Caen, Bourguébus Ridge, Mont Pincon, Falaise, Nederrijn, Scheldt, Venlo Pocket, Rhineland, Rhine, Bremen
Abyssinia 1940, Greece 1941, Burma 1942
Post War Years
Middle East 2003-date
Al Basrah, Iraq 2003
Notable former members
Order of Precedence
| Preceded by: The Queen's Royal Lancers |
Cavalry Order of Precedence | Succeeded by: Last in the Cavalry Order of Precedence |
Alliances
Canada - 12e Régiment blindé du Canada
Australia - 1st Armoured Regiment
New Zealand - Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps- New Zealand - Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
India - 2nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse)
Pakistan - 13th Lancers
Royal Navy - HMS Kent
France - 501/503 Régiment de Chars de Combat (Bond of Friendship)
Affiliated Yeomanry
- The Dorset Yeomanry
- The Westminster Dragoons (2RTR)
- The Royal Devon Yeomanry (2RTR)
Footnotes
- ^ War Office, His Majesty's Army, 1938
See also
External links
- RTR homepage (Official Army site)
- Royal Tank Regiment
- 2RTR homepage (Official Army site)
- [http://www.4rtr.com (history of 4th and 7th RTR)
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