20th Century History
During the First World War, the Lancashire Artillery Volunteers served as a mixed-regiment, consisting of both Artillery Brigades and Infantry Battalions, divided into twenty-five separate units. By World War II, the regiment had been down-sized to just seventeen Artillery Brigades. The Lancashire Artillery Volunteers held a distinguished record, with two Victoria Crosses and numerous other medals and honors to its merit.
In both World Wars the Regiment served in many theatres, including the Western Front, the South-East Asian Front African Front of World War I and the Battle of France, Defense of India, Invasion of Sicily, Invasion of Italy, Operation Overlord, French Campaign, Battle of the Bulge, Ruhr Pocket campaign, Operation Plunder, and Invasion of Germany in the Second World War.
By 1955, the regiment had been expanded to 33 Territorial Gunner Regiments based in north-western England. In 1967, only seven Regiments remained and these were amalgamated to form 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Light Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers), The West Lancashire Regiment (T) Royal Artillery and The South Lancashire Territorials (Prince of Wales' Volunteers) Royal Artillery. Since its re-formation in 1967, Officers, Warrant Officers, NCOs and soldiers of 103rd Regiment have volunteered and served in support of the Regular Army in Bosnia, Borneo, Belize, Canada, Kosovo, Kenya, Latvia, Iraq, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan.
In 1977, the Regiment changed its designation to 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Air Defence Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) upon being equipped with the blowpipe missile air-defense weapon. Consequently, upon the enhancement of the Territorial Army, another Battery of the Home Service Force and a fourth Air Defence Battery were raised. In early 1987, the Regiment converted to the javelin surface-to-air missile, a substantial improvement over the BLOWPIPE. In 1992, as a result of the Options for Change, the Regiment lost one Air-Defence Battery (213 Air-Defense Battery, which was amalgamated with HQ Battery at St Helens) and Regimental Headquarters were moved from Deysbrooke Barracks, Liverpool, to St. Helens to be co-located with 213/HQ Battery.
Read more about this topic: 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Regiment Royal Artillery
Famous quotes containing the words century and/or history:
“Just as the hand that strikes the ground cannot fail,
So is the ruin certain of him who cherishes anger.”
—Tiruvalluvar (c. 5th century A.D.)
“What is most interesting and valuable in it, however, is not the materials for the history of Pontiac, or Braddock, or the Northwest, which it furnishes; not the annals of the country, but the natural facts, or perennials, which are ever without date. When out of history the truth shall be extracted, it will have shed its dates like withered leaves.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)