Page 5 - 103RA 2018-20

As I near the end of my tenure as the Commanding Officer, having reflected on the past two years I have been filled by a sense of achievement on behalf of the Regiment at the myriad tasks and commitments undertaken and the high level of professional excellence with which they have been executed. I feel it is only right and proper therefore that these are shared with a wider audience through a Regimental Journal, something that has not been done in several years. As a document it does not only detail what has been achieved by our superb men and women, but more impor- tantly, it serves as a living piece of history not only for 103rd Regiment Royal Artillery, but for the wider Gunner Family.
Efforts to grow our capability have resulted in
a hugely successful two year trial that has seen
the re-emergence of Gunners in the county of Nottinghamshire following the demise of 100th Regiment Royal Artillery in 2014 and the disappearance of the South Notts Hussars (SNH) whose presence in the city of Nottingham was keenly felt. Operating from Bulwell, the previous home of the SNH, as part of 210 (Staffordshire) Battery we now have a fully established Light Gun Troop, many of whose number joined having previously served in the SNH.
More recently, in support of 209 (Manchester) Battery we have established a Light Gun Troop at Jubilee Barracks in St Helens using the Regimental Headquarters Army Reserve Centre. From here, we are able to fully exploit the dense populations centred around the Northwest towns of St Helens, Warrington, Widnes and Runcorn given the extensive road and motorway networks that serve these towns and the wider area.
Operationally the Regiment has not rested on its laurels and soldiers have been deployed in support of 4th Regiment Royal Artillery and 7 RIFLES in consecutive United Nations deploy- ments to Cyprus as part of Operation TOSCA. At present we are incredibly proud to be involved in the first deployment of Royal Artillery reservists in role as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence to Estonia as part of Operation CABRIT supporting 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. Whilst writing we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which has seen the deployment of our soldiers around the Northwest in various roles helping to combat the disease with this being one of several contributions we have made over the last few years in support of civil authorities.
On the sporting front the Regiment continues to excel with
soldiers competing in a plethora of sports including golf, football, boxing, road cycling, equestrianism, down-hill mountain biking, table tennis, clay pigeon shooting, snowboarding and Nordic skiing many of whom have achieved both Gunner and Army colours. Most notable has been our continued success in winter sports with last year being the 5th time we have competed in the Gunner Snowboarding Championships winning the Reserve trophy for the 5th consecutive year. This effort has been in no small part due to the strong leadership and guidance of Major John Young, recently recognised with the award of the National Artillery Association medal for his long- standing support to the Army and Royal Artillery in the field of snowboarding.
Alongside our core role of Gunnery, I have been incredibly proud to see the Lancashire Artillery Volunteers Band go from strength to strength. They are fully manned and exten- sively engaged up and down the country in support of military and civilian activity. Following the demise of the Royal Artillery Band they have seen a rise in commitments which they have met with characteristic gusto and absolute professionalism. They are a spectacle to behold on the parade square and witnessing their musical contributions to the fabric of the nation have been one of
the highlights of my time as Commanding Officer.
My time in command has however had its sadness with the loss of two soldiers during my tenure. In 2018 Corporal Paul Whittle, a REME Gun Fitter, passed following a short illness and in 2019 Sergeant Clint Pye, a member of our recruiting team, tragically passed suddenly. Both soldiers left behind wives and children and the Regiment has and continues to support them all, in particular through the efforts of 216 (Bolton) Battery in which both soldiers served. They will live long in our memory and shall never be
forgotten.
In summary, the past few years have seen 103rd Regiment Royal
Artillery expand and prosper. As the current National Artillery Association Champions, we have proved our technical prowess amongst our peers and in all other arena’s we are substantially contributing. We are a strong and proud Regiment with a rich and vivid history, and I am sure in the following pages you will get a real sense of the contributions we have been making to the Royal Regiment and the Army Reserve in general. I do hope you enjoy our Regimental Journal.
Regimental Journal 2018-20
Commanding Officer’s Foreword
Lieutenant Colonel T Reade Royal Artillery
3