4thRegimentRA

4th Regiment

Royal Artillery

1961

Germany: Campbell Bks, Hohne. ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘I’ and ‘HQ’ Btys. Equipped with Cardinal M44, Centurion (OPs). In 1961 it was decided to make the existing 'Gunner' Parachute Regiment, 33rd Para Light Regt RA into an RHA Regiment, to do this would mean using one of the present RHA Regiments. 4th RHA was chosen to provide the Batteries for this new Regiment which was to be known as 7th Regt RHA. 4 RHA handed over its guns and equipment, to 25 Fld Regt RA at Hohne in May and embarked for the UK and Barton Stacey Camp near Andover in Hampshire. On the 27th June 1961 the Property, Silver, History and Traditions of 'F', 'G' and 'I' Batteries were transferred from 4th RHA to the newly formed 7th RHA. The Officers and Men staying at Barton Stacey to form the new 4th Fld Regt RA, comprising: 29 (Corruna) Medium Bty RA (from 33rd), 88 (Arracan) Fd Bty RA (from SA), 97 Bty (Lawsons Company) RA (from 33rd). The Regiment sailed for Hong Kong on the 3rd August 1961 aboard the Troopship SS Oxfordshire, to carry out a 3 year tour of duty in that Colony. The Regiment was deployed in Hong Kong with 2 Batteries equipped with 25 pdr (88 and 97) and 1 Battery with the 5.5 Medium Gun (29). During this period the regiment provided many UN honour guards for Korea, each Bty providing a guard in rotation. There were also other duties within the Colony, not least of all Border duties in the New Territories in an attempt to stem the tide of illegal Imigrants from Communist China.

1962

Hong Kong (Split between Fan Ling (29 & HQ) and Dodswell Ridge (88 & 97) camps) with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. 88 and 97 Btys equipped with 25pdr and 29 Bty with 5.5 Medium Gun.

1963

Hong Kong (Split between Fan Ling (29 & HQ) and Dodswell Ridge (88 & 97) camps) with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. 88 and 97 Btys equipped with 25pdr and 29 Bty with 5.5 Medium Gun.

1964

Hong Kong (Split between Fan Ling (29 & HQ) and Dodswell Ridge (88 & 97) camps) with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. 88 and 97 Btys equipped with 25pdr and 29 Bty with 5.5 Medium Gun. Aug moved to Wing Bks, Bulford. 9 Aug retitled 4th Light Regiment RA. Equipped with 105mm Pack Howitzer + M44?.

1965

England: Wing Bks, Bulford with 29, 88 and 97 Lt Btys. Equipped with 105mm Pack Howitzer + M44? Feb/Mar moved to the Far East where the Regiment saw active service in Borneo. Nov returned to Wing Bks.

1966

England: Wing Bks, Bulford with 29, 88 and 97 Lt Btys. Aug moved to Dennis Bks, Munsterlager. 16 Aug retitled 4th Field Regiment RA. Equipped with Abbot.

1967 - 1970

Germany: Dennis Bks, Munsterlager with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Equipped with Abbot.

1971

Germany: Dennis Bks, Munsterlager with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Equipped with Abbot. 1 Aug to 9 Nov Northern Ireland Tour.

1972

Germany: Dennis Bks, Munsterlager with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Equipped with Abbot. 9 May to 14 Sept Northern Ireland Tour – Long Kesh.

1973

Germany: Dennis Bks, Munsterlager with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Equipped with Abbot.

1974

Germany: Dennis Bks, Munsterlager with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Equipped with Abbot. Feb moved to Bourlon Bks, Catterick equipped with 105mm Pack Howitzer. Redesignated 4 Light Regiment RA. 12 June to 23 Oct Northern Ireland Tour – Belfast (Unity/New Lodge). In March 1974, the Regiment was honoured by the conferment of the Honorary Freedom of the then County Borough of Sunderland. The close bond with Sunderland began in the 1960s, since when the number of men in the Regiment who come from the North East of England has risen to 80%.

1975

England: Bourlon Bks, Catterick with 29, 88 and 97 Lt Btys. Equipped with 105mm Pack Howitzer.

1976

England: Bourlon Bks, Catterick with 29, 88 and 97 Lt Btys. Equipped with 105mm Pack Howitzer. 25 May – 24 Sept Northern Ireland Tour – Belfast (Ardoyne/New Lodge).

1977

England: Bourlon Bks, Catterick with 29, 88 and 97 Lt Btys. Equipped with 105mm Pack Howitzer. Redesignated 4 Field Regiment RA moved from Bourlon Bks, Catterick to Lille Bks, Aldershot. Airportable regiment equipped with 105mm Light Gun.

1978 - 1979

England: Lille Bks, Aldershot with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Airportable regiment equipped with 105mm Light Gun.

1980

England: Lille Bks, Aldershot with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Airportable regiment equipped with 105mm Light Gun. The Regiment provided a Bty to Ulster in 1980 (29Bty) for yet another emergency tour.

1981

England: Lille Bks, Aldershot with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Apr to ? - Northern Ireland (29 Bty).

1982

England: Lille Bks, Aldershot with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. 20 May to 14 June - Falkland Islands Campaign. April 1982 saw 2 Btys of the Regiment, 29 and 97 deployed to the South Atlantic to take part in Operation Corporate, The Falklands war. 88 Bty, who had been in Belize up until April only provided OP Trained Personnel to make up the FOOs. During this time 41Bty was re-activated in the form of FOOs in order to support one of the Infantry Battalions.

1983

England: Lille Bks, Aldershot with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. Airportable regiment equipped with 105mm Light Gun. Mar moved to Roberts Bks, Osnabruck, retitled 4th Field Regiment Royal Artillery, M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde. This was a complicated takeover, the Regiment taking the Guns of 26 Fld Regt who were in Dortmund and the Barracks and remaining Equipment of 7 RHA who were in Osnabruck.

1984

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys, equipped with M109.

1985

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys, M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde.

1986

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys, M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde. April to ? 88Bty, tour in Ulster, at the HMP Maze.

1987 - 1990

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys, M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde.

1991

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde. Jan to ? - Northern Ireland.

1992

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde.

1993

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck with 29, 88 and 97 Fld Btys. M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde. 52 (Niagara) Battery joined the Regiment following the disbandment of 45 Regiment RA. 29 (Corunna) Battery combined with 3 Battery (from 47 Regiment RA) to become 3/29 (Corunna) Battery and Headquarters Battery became 94 (New Zealand) Headquarters Battery. Retitled 4th Regiment Royal Artillery.

1994

Germany: Roberts Bks, Osnabruck. 3/29, 52, 88, 97 and 94/HQ Btys. M109 SP Regt in support of 12 Armoured Bde. Re-equipped with AS90. Jan to ? - Northern Ireland.

1995 - 1996