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4th Regiment Royal Artillery
88 (Arracan) Battery Maj Ross Towes RA
Maj Towes RA
Capt Keays RA
Capt Mackenzie RA Capt O’Loughnane RA Capt Paulson RA
Lt Fox RA
Lt Wilkes RA
2Lt Telford AAC
2Lt Hay RA
WO1 Challoner
WO2 Brannan
WO2 Cooper
SSgt Findlay
SSgt Maguire
SSgt Taukeinikoro
Sgt Birch-Rogerson Sgt Holt
Sgt Johnson
Sgt Lord
Sgt Popejoy
Sgt Ratuvakacegu
Sgt Scoobie
Bdr Allen
Bdr Bowen
Bdr Hooley
Bdr Jones
Bdr Lilley
Bdr Marshall
Bdr Pearson
Bdr Ross
Bdr Thompson Bdr Tomkinson Bdr Wilson
Bdr Tutudua LBdr Carr
LBdr Clarke LBdr Crothers LBdr Frost
LBdr Girdlestone LBdr Griffin LBdr Hoggard LBdr Jones
LBdr Lynam
LBdr Matakibau LBdr Roberts LBdr Waqanaceva LBdr Thomas LBdr Townsend Gnr Atalifo
Gnr Brar
Gnr Brown
Gnr Bryson
Gnr Bureni
Gnr Cabealawa Gnr Clery
Gnr Davison
Gnr Dawkins
Gnr Douglas
Gnr Fergus
Gnr Gatherer
Gnr Keane
Gnr Lunn
Gnr Manners
Gnr Marsh
Gnr Middleton Gnr Ryback
Gnr Saggers Gnr Tacikalou Gnr Tokaduadua Gnr Volinavanua Gnr Vuluma
Gnr Wetton
Gnr Wong
Gnr Yates
Gnr Zekri
88 (Arracan) Battery have epitomised flexibility, determination and a true ‘Fighting Fourth’ spirit over the past
eighteen months of service. The Rednecks completed the usual range of tasks whilst maintaining readiness requirements dur- ing this period, with the culmination being a six-month operational deployment to Estonia at very short notice. The suc- cesses from this deployment have been carried forward and have borne fruit dur- ing a busy six months in 2023.
88 Battery were aligned to the Op ALU- MINIUM order of battle in the early months of 2022. This period saw the Battery exer- cising the highest standards of personal and team skills and drills, whilst diligently maintaining a plethora of vehicle platforms and specialist equipment. This ensured that the Battery was able to meet readi- ness timelines for looming deployments to Eastern Europe following Russia’s inva- sion of Ukraine. The events in Ukraine and uncertainty as to the Army’s role in the United Kingdom’s response made this something of a turbulent and unset- tling time for the Battery; it was unclear whether, when or where the Battery might go, and what it was expected to do when it got there. Nonetheless, all ranks dem- onstrated adaptability and willingness to deploy at very short notice if called upon.
In April 2022, the Battery was mobilised to join the 2 RIFLES Battlegroup in support of Operation CABRIT in Estonia, forming part of 2 Estonian Brigade. Within 5 weeks of receiving a warning order, the entire Bat- tery (brought to full strength with the sup- port of the other Batteries) had deployed to Camp Tapa, Estonia. This iteration of Op
CABRIT, known as Op CABRIT 10.5, pre- sented new challenges and took on much significance, with Estonia’s adversary across the border gaining combat expe- rience in Ukraine. The effect of 2 RIFLES and 88 Battery’s deployment had dou- bling the number of British troops in the Baltic States. The mission was not only to assure 2 Estonian Brigade through inte- gration, but also to deter a very credible threat. With this clear purpose, the Battery got straight to work, honing detachment drills, standard operating procedures and individual training to ensure it was ready to fight if required. Numerous field-training exercises, live firing serials and a relentless physical training programme ensured that within weeks, the Battery was prepared for any eventuality.
During this time, the Battery worked hard to develop a deployment type in which the guns were very highly dispersed yet fought much closer to the forward line of own troops (FLOT) than one might nor- mally expect. This was intended to make the maximum use of the Light Gun’s lim- ited range whilst maximising survivability in situations with a very high counter-bat- tery threat. The resulting ‘Light Gun Strike Group’ concept will be further developed and refined through 2023. In the margins of all this activity, the Battery was able to integrate with the paired combat arm, explore Estonia and the wider Baltic region and bring the team even more tightly together through both exercise and stand- down periods. The six-month deployment flew by with the Battery bolstering NATO’s Eastern border and cementing valuable training and team building with opera- tional experience.
After post-operational leave, 88 (Arracan) Battery embarked upon the next frenetic period. After Op CABRIT 10.5, the Gun Gp was at a high state of excellence and was chosen to lead two weeks of live firing in support of the Regiment’s Tac Gps. An unusually large amount of ammunition
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