Royal Artillery

Northumbrian Gunners

Royal Artillery History

Artillery Before the Formation of the Royal Artillery

The first recorded use of cannon was by Edward III at the Battle of Crecy in 1346.  Henry V was recorded as using siege cannon at Harfleur in 1415. 

Siege Cannon 1415

The use of gunpowder and cannons developed over the next two hundred years. The practice was to either assemble cannon for a particular campaign, or to emplace them in fortresses for defence. A Master Gunner would control the cannon and trained men were employed to operate the ordnance. 

It was Henry VIII (King of England 1509 to 1547) who formed the first permanent Artillery  force in the country. It consisted of a Master Gunner and 12 paid Gunners at the Tower of London.  The practice of raising a Trayne for a particular campaign continued throughout the 16th century. During the campaign senior officers with Army commissions were in charge of artillery and engineers, administered by His Majesty's Board of Ordnance. 

Tower of London 1547

Tudor Artillery and Gunner

During reign of William III (1689-1702) regimental organisation developed in traynes, but it was still on a campaign basis. 

Artillery Trayne

As Britain began colonising overseas territories, to protect key ports vital to the Royal Navy, artillery garrisons were established in Nova Scotia, Gibraltar, and Minorca.  The first use of mobile artillery was in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 when the Duke of Marlborough led a coalition force to defeat French and Bavarian troops.

The formation of traynes when they  required was economical, but inefficient when required at short  notice as happened in 1715 with the Jacobite Rebellion.  James Edward Stuart attempted to seize the thrones of  England, Ireland and Scotland for the exiled Stuarts. The government sent forces north to quell the rebellion, mobilising an artillery trayne. The rebellion lasted four months,  the government forces suppressing the uprising, before the artillery trayne could be formed.

Formation of the Royal Artillery

Following the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, the Duke of Marlborough, Master of the Ordnance,  approached King George I to stress the importance of a critical core of retained artillery.

On May 26th 1716 George I issued a Royal Warrant creating a permanent artillery  consisting of two companies formed in Woolwich.

Royal Warrant of 26th May 1716
authorising the formation of the Royal Artillery

History of the Royal Artillery



1716
May 26th 1716 - George I issued a Royal Warrant creating a permanent artillery  consisting of two companies formed in Woolwich.

1719
First action of the newly formed Regiment, the Siege of Vigo, in Spain, in October 1719

1722
April 1722 - Garrisons in Gibraltar and Minorca grouped with the companies at Woolwich to form the Royal Regiment of Artillery

1741
Royal Military Academy Woolwich opened to produce "good officers of Artillery and perfect Engineers"

1762
Royal Artillery Band formed

1766
Royal Artillery barracks opens















1793
Royal Horse Artillery formed

1803-1815
Napoleonic Wars

Royal Artilley Battle of Waterloo












1832
King William IV gives to the Regiment the motto 'Ubique'.












1853-1856
Crimean War



1855
Control of Royal Artillery transferred from Board of Ordnance to the War Department

1859
School of Gunnery established at Shoeburyness, Essex

1899
1 July - Royal Artillery divided into two Corps - Royal Horse and Field Artillery & Royal Garrison Artillery



















1899-1901
Boer War

Royal Artillery in the Boer War












1908
Formation of the Territorial Force

Territorial Force
 Gunners














1914-1918
World War One
















1924
Amalgamation of Royal Horse and Field Artillery & Royal Garrison Artillery to form Royal Artillery

1939
Formation of Anti-Aircraft Command

1939-1945
Second World War




















1945
British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) formed

1947
Cold War begins
















1950-1953
Korean War

Royal Artillery Korea









1955
Disbandment Anti-Aircraft Command

1956
Disbandment of Coastal Artillery

1967
British Army commitments East of Suez  drawdown

1967
British Troops deploy to Northern Ireland for peacekeeping

Royal Artillery
 Northern Ireland










1982
Falklands War

Royal Artillery Falklands

1991
Cold War ends













1991
Gulf War

Royal Artillery Gulf War









Royal Artillery Gulf War










1994
BAOR disbanded

2001-2014
Afghanistan conflict

Royal Artilley Afghanistan








Royal Artilley Afghanistan










2003-2011
Iraq conflict

Royal Artilley Iraq 









2016
Royal Artillery Tercentenary



Tercentenary of the Royal Artillery - Royal Review




















Tercentenary of the Royal Artillery
Kings Troop RHA and AS90



Tercentenary of the Royal Artillery
Queen - Captain General Review



Tercentenary of the Royal Artillery
Kings Troop RHA fire Royal Salute