7 (Johnstones) Company
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20 Battery Royal Artillery is the headquarters battery of the
16th Regiment Royal Artillery 16 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Regiment of Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role and is equipped with the Sky Sabre air defence missile system. One of its Rapier Batteries is always d ...
. It is one of the five batteries that make up
16 Regiment Royal Artillery 16 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Regiment of Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role and is equipped with the Sky Sabre air defence missile system. One of its Rapier Batteries is always d ...
. The Regiment use the Rapier Field Standard C air defence missile system and the
Land Environment Air Picture Provision Land Environment Air Picture Provision (LEAPP) is a British military capability introduced in early 2015. The capability was developed as part of a UK specific requirement to deliver a highly mobile local fused Recognised Air Picture capability ...
(LEAPP) capability, the only Regiment in the
British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
to do so. 20 Battery was formed in 1771 as No. 7 Company, 4th Battalion Royal Artillery under the command of Captain William Johnstone RA. It fought (under various names and commanders) in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
,
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
,
Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...
,
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
,
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. In 1971 it was placed in Suspended Animation (not disbanded) and remained on the Royal Artillery's Active List and Order of Battle with its property and Battery Records being placed in central storage in the Royal Arsenal Woolwich. In 1988 it was reformed by an Officer, and former soldier of the battery (Captain Flannagan), and its property records and heritage were reinstated. The unit has since served in
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
and the
Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouzet ...
. However, in 2012, the Battery was redesignated a Headquarters Battery, and does no longer deploy with guns or missiles.


History


Formation and the American Wars

20 Battery
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
can trace its origins to the formation of 7 (Johnstone's) Company of the 4th Battalion Royal Artillery in 1771, in
Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...
, under Captain William Johnstone. Shortly after formation the 4th Battalion was posted to
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, relieving elements of the other battalions stationed in North America. From there, the Company was sent to
Pensacola Pensacola () is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle, and the county seat and only incorporated city of Escambia County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 54,312. Pensacola is the principal ci ...
in the British colony of
West Florida West Florida ( es, Florida Occidental) was a region on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico that underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history. As its name suggests, it was formed out of the western part of former S ...
. Captain Johnstone was then appointed ''Commander Royal Artillery'' (CRA) for the colony. The colonies of
East East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...
and West Florida had been Spanish possessions until the 1760s when they were ceded to Great Britain at the end of the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
. The defences of these
colonies In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...
and their cities, including Pensacola, had been seriously neglected under Spanish rule. As a result, the British spend a large amount of time and money attempting to bring them up to standard. Captain Johnstone became heavily involved in the planning and construction of the batteries and fortifications around Pensacola during his time there. Detachments from the company were also stationed in Augusta and
Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...
during their time in Florida. Captain Johnstone and some of the Senior Non Commissioned Officers within the company became involved in the training of gunners from the German Regiment of Waldeck, that were part of the Pensacola garrison. They were trained in field gunnery in the hopes that this would make them more versatile. The company remained in West Florida - the only unit of the Royal Artillery in the southernmost colonies - as the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
raged in the north. Whilst the war had not yet spread to West Florida, the men of the company had to endure hardships, including tropical heat and a volatile relationship with the native tribes. With forces newly arrived from New York and reinforced with soldiers from Pensacola's garrison, the army embarked upon the campaign for control of the southern colonies. 7 Company was attached to the force as the only gunners and joined the second column commanded by General
Augustine Prevost Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethni ...
. The early parts of the campaign were a success; with the revolutionaries routed, British dominance was secured for several years. The company fought in a number of battles in this campaign and Captain Johnstone commanded throughout. These battles included Brier Creek, Stono Ferry, the Siege of Fort Morris in Sunbury and a number of skirmishes. The company was instrumental in the victories on each occasion. One of the officers from the company was also appointed CRA later in the campaign, during
siege of Charleston The siege of Charleston was a major engagement and major British victory in the American Revolutionary War, fought in the environs of Charles Town (today Charleston), the capital of South Carolina, between March 29 and May 12, 1780. The Britis ...
, which ended with the largest single surrender of American forces during the war. Captain Johnstone and his company then returned to Florida, where they remained and where concerns of a Spanish attack on the colony increased following the entry of Spain into the war in 1779. To counter this threat, Captain Johnstone received reinforcements in the form of a detachment from another company within the battalion which were placed under his command in Augusta. In May, 1781, a combined Franco–Spanish force of over 10,000 men under Bernardo Gálvez arrived in the harbour and began the
Siege of Pensacola The siege of Pensacola was a siege fought in 1781, the culmination of Spain's conquest of the British province of West Florida during the Gulf Coast campaign. Background When Spain entered the War in 1779, Bernardo de Gálvez, the energetic ...
. The garrison of just over 900 men consisting of
16th Regiment of Foot The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the First and Second World W ...
,
60th Regiment of Foot 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
, The Regiment of Waldeck, 7 (Johnstone’s) Company, various Loyalist regiments in addition to large numbers from the
Creek A creek in North America and elsewhere, such as Australia, is a stream that is usually smaller than a river. In the British Isles it is a small tidal inlet. Creek may also refer to: People * Creek people, also known as Muscogee, Native Americans ...
and
Chickasaw The Chickasaw ( ) are an indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands. Their traditional territory was in the Southeastern United States of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee as well in southwestern Kentucky. Their language is classified as ...
tribes held out against this force for several weeks as they awaited reinforcements from
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
. There were a number of sorties in which the company participated that attempted to disrupt the enemy
siege works A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
. These sorties included Indians, who terrified the Spanish forces. Captain Johnstone and his men were
mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
for their bravery in rushing to a
breach Breach, Breached, or The Breach may refer to: Places * Breach, Kent, United Kingdom * Breach, West Sussex, United Kingdom * ''The Breach'', Great South Bay in the State of New York People * Breach (DJ), an Electronic/House music act * Miroslava ...
in the wall and bringing up a gun, holding off the Franco–Spanish forces and enabling the wounded to be carried off. The fighting continued until the walls were too badly damaged to bring the guns to bear and the garrison ultimately surrendered. The general commanding the garrison singled out Captain Johnstone and his company on several occasions in dispatches for their bravery and energy in engaging the enemy during the siege. It is also important to note that of all the units in the garrison 7 (Johnstone's), Company were the only unit not to suffer
desertions Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ar ...
during the siege. After the articles of surrender were signed the company were transported by Spanish ships to the British garrison at New York where they remained until the end of the war. The company was then sent to
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, where they spent time in a number of garrisons. Captain Johnstone was posted away after being promoted to
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...
and the Company found themselves based in Quebec at the outbreak of the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
. Not much is known as yet about the company's role during this war.


The Tigris and Euphrates expedition and Crimean War

The Company had a variety of postings after the American Revolutionary War and were based in
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
when Captain
Francis Rawdon Chesney Francis Rawdon Chesney (16 March 1789 – 30 January 1872) was a British general and explorer. Life He was a son of Captain Alexander Chesney, an Irishman of Scottish descent who, having emigrated to South Carolina in 1772, served under Fra ...
took command, after his predecessor was posted
Absent without Leave Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which a ...
. This new commander launched an expedition to establish a land route to the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...
via
Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
. Taking with him a detachment from the company as well as scientists and engineers from across Great Britain, he set out with the two small steamers ''Tigris'' and ''Euphrates'', which he dismantled and carried across the desert to the rivers that were their namesake. The expedition faced a variety of challenges and hostility from local tribes and Chesney published a number of books on the tribes, customs and the geography of the region. For this and his earlier endeavours Chesney was one of the first recipients of the
Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
Gold Medal. Chesney was also given acting rank of colonel for the duration of the expedition. Although Great Britain decided against following through on his research the French did in the form of the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
and its builder
Ferdinand de Lesseps Ferdinand Marie, Comte de Lesseps (; 19 November 1805 – 7 December 1894) was a French diplomat and later developer of the Suez Canal, which in 1869 joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas, substantially reducing sailing distances and times ...
hailed Chesney as the father of the Suez at the public celebrations in Paris. Chesney went on to become a general and wrote numerous books. During this period the battery absorbed two other batteries, including 34 Battery RA. After the expedition, the battery had a number of other postings, before being sent to fight in the siege of Sevastopol during which the battery commander Captain Fitzroy was twice mentioned in despatches for his bravery.


20th century

After the Crimea the battery next served in the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
as the ‘Y’ Coastal Defence Battery based on the
Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...
. During the inter war years the Battery was posted to
Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
where they remained during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Known as 15 Heavy Anti Aircraft Battery, they were responsible for shooting down a number of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese aircraft during the air battles over Ceylon. After the Second World War the Battery was re-formed in 1955 as 20 Medium Battery as part of 21 Med Regt based at Redford Barracks, Edinburgh but deployed in the Internal Security role to Cyprus in 1956 where the Regt lost several men to the
EOKA The Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA; ; el, Εθνική Οργάνωσις Κυπρίων Αγωνιστών, lit=National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters) was a Greek Cypriot Greek Cypriots or Cypriot Greeks ( el, Ελληνο ...
terrorists. Re-numbered again and re-rolled (a change of equipment and role) as an
Amphibious Operations Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conducted ...
(AO) Battery. They were posted to
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and renamed 20 Commando (AO) Battery as part of
29 Commando Regiment 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery is the Commando-trained unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery, based in Plymouth. The regiment is under the operational control of 3 Commando Brigade, to which it provides artillery support and gunnery ...
. Due to the fact that only 20 and 148 Commando (AO) Battery fulfilled the AO roll there was a lot of movement between the batteries most men serving in both. The battery had absorbed 3 (AO) Troop on their move to Hong Kong and was involved in a number of operations including the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
and a little known operation in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
during the
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
. The Battery was involved in clearing
Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
,
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
and
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
n personnel off remote Caribbean islands in the region and arrested 60 men who later turned out to be
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
operatives, causing a minor political incident. The Battery was placed into suspended animation in 1969 following the downsizing of the British Army and the reduction to one
Commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
Artillery Regiment, having lost out to 148 Commando (AO) Battery. Many of 20 Commando (AO) Battery's personnel ended up in 148 Battery and so did much of the battery property.


Reformation

In the late 1980s G Troop was formed at
16th Regiment Royal Artillery 16 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Regiment of Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role and is equipped with the Sky Sabre air defence missile system. One of its Rapier Batteries is always d ...
as an
air defence Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
troop to support
3 Commando Brigade 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen f ...
, a result of lessons learned in the
Falklands War The Falklands War ( es, link=no, Guerra de las Malvinas) was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and its territorial de ...
. The Troop was formed under Capt M G Flannigan who had served as a Bombardier in 20 Commando (AO) Battery. He was instrumental in the reformation of the Battery with G Troop as its nucleus. Warrant Officer II Owen Morrison was appointed as the first Battery Sergeant Major. In 1991 the Battery was officially reformed as 20 Air Defence Battery RA shortly later becoming 20 Commando Battery and served as the integral Air Defence Battery for 3 Commando Brigade. The Battery was posted to 22 Regiment Royal Artillery a couple of years after its formation and took part in a number of operations with the Brigade. This included an Operation to capture a number
West Side Boys The West Side Boys, also known as the West Side Niggaz or the West Side Junglers, were an armed group in Sierra Leone, sometimes described as a splinter Political faction, faction of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. They captured and h ...
. The Battery was also involved in the initial
invasion of Afghanistan In late 2001, the United States and its close allies invaded Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban government. The invasion's aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda, which had executed the September 11 attacks, and to deny it a safe base of operations ...
.


2004 onwards

In 2004 the decision was made by Chief of the Naval Staff that 3 Commando Brigade no longer needed an integral air defence capability and after the
Operation Banner Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007, as part of the Troubles. It was the longest continuous deployment in British military history. The British Army was initial ...
deployment that year the Battery lost their
Commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
status. This coincided with the disbandment of 22 Regiment Royal Artillery in
Kirton In Lindsey Kirton in Lindsey, also abbreviated to Kirton Lindsey, is a market town and civil parish in North Lincolnshire, England. It is south-east from Scunthorpe. History Catherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII lived at Kirton-in-Lindsey afte ...
and the Battery was posted to the
16th Regiment Royal Artillery 16 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Regiment of Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role and is equipped with the Sky Sabre air defence missile system. One of its Rapier Batteries is always d ...
in
Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throu ...
. Those who chose not to remain with the Battery went to 21 (Gibraltar 1779-83) Air Assault Battery in
47th Regiment Royal Artillery 47 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It is equipped with the Thales Watchkeeper WK450. It is located at Horne Barracks, Larkhill in Wiltshire. It falls under command of 1st Aviation Brigade. Hi ...
. The now renamed 20 Battery RA has been deployed on
Operation Telic Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on ...
(Iraq) being the first United Kingdom unit to deploy using the Counter RAM system and after the move of the regiment to St George's Barracks,
North Luffenham North Luffenham is a village in Rutland, in the East Midlands of England. The population of the civil parish at the 2001 census was 704, decreasing to 679 at the 2011 census. It lies to the north of the River Chater, east of Uppingham and west ...
, deployed to the Falkland Islands. The Battery has since been deployed to
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
on Op HERRICK 12 in the Sense & Warn role and HERRICK 17 in the AS&W role, Base ISTAR and BM roles. More recently the Battery was reduced to an HQ Battery, losing its Air Defence equipment and much of its manpower. It now provides the HQ element of 16th Regiment RA and the Corps Air Defence Cell.


Designations

01/01/1771 Formed as 7th (Johnstones) Company 4th Battalion
1859 Renamed 6 Battery, 10 Brigade
01/07/1877 Renamed 8 Battery, 9 Brigade.
01/04/1882 Renamed 1 Battery, 1 Brigade Scottish Division
01/07/1889 Renamed 7 Battery, Southern Division
01/08/1891 Renamed 7 Company, Southern Division
01/06/1899 Renamed 7 Company RGA, Southern Division RGA
01/01/1902 Renamed 14 Company RGA
31/08/1918 Became Part of No 6 Fire Command RGA
30/06/1920 Became Part of HQ Golden Hill
04/09/1920 Became Part of F Coast Battery RGA
10/04/1922 Separated from F Coast Battery. Renamed Y Coast Battery RGA
01/05/1924 Renamed 15 Heavy AA Battery
01/03/1928 Absorbed 34 Heavy Battery
14/12/1940 Renamed 15 Coast Battery
Renamed 15 HAA Battery
01/04/1947 Renamed 20 HAA Battery
1955 Renamed 20 Medium Battery
1961 Renamed 20 (Amphibious Operations) Battery, 95 Regiment
1964 Renamed 20 Light Battery
1965 Renamed 20 Commando (Amphibious Operations) Battery
1988 G Troop formed
1990 20 (Commando) Battery reformed
2004 Renamed 20 Battery Royal Artillery, 16 Regiment RA


References

{{Reflist Royal Artillery batteries 1771 establishments in Great Britain Military units and formations of Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War Military units and formations established in 1771