The following Battery History was kindly donated by

WHOM I ONLY KNEW AS BSM OF 49 BTY BUT NO DOUBT KNOW BY MANY OTHERS
DURING HIS TIME WITH THE REGIMENT

The Battery was formed on 1st October 1749 at Plymouth as Captain J Miller,s Company, 5th Battalion RA.
It moved to Ireland in May 1801, first to Cork and later Dublin. The Company changed its title every time the Company Commander changed.
In 1811 it was Captain F Campbell,s Company 5th Battalion at Fermoy and later Ballincollig but embarked at Cork in November for Barbados and landed there in December.

In 1815 a small detachment went to Martinique in support of French Royalist and another detachment went
to Guadeloupe for the same purpose. The Company embarked at Barbados for woolwich and arrived there
in February 1820.
It returned to Ireland in June 1825. In 1825 the Companies were numbered within the Battalion and the
Company became No 2 Coy 5th Battalion RA.
It then moved to Malta in April 1828, it remained there until 1836 and then returned to Woolwich.
It returned to Dublin in 1840 and remained in Ireland until 1844 when it went to Canada and was part of the
Garrison at quebec. Later it moved to Ontario and in October 1850 returned to Woolwich, moving to Leith
in Scotland in 1851. There it formed part of the coast defences of the Firth of Forth but was also in charge
of the equipment of a Field Battery.

In September 1855 it moved to the Crimea where it served as an ammunition column for one of Infantry
Divisions. It was in camp near Sebastopol most of the time. It returned to woolwich in July 1856 and then
moved to Northampton in 1857 equipped as a Field Battery. It then moved to Aldershot in 1858.

In 1859 the organisation of the Royal Artillery was changed and the unit became 4 Battery 8 Brigade RA.
The Battery was at Davenport in 1861 and because it was a field battery its designation was changed to
D Battery 8th Brigade RA.

It then moved to ireland in1863 and moved every few months to different stations. It returned to Woolwich
in 1866 and then in July embarked for india landing in Calcutta on 28th October and then marched to
Sitapore arriving on 14th December. (quite a long march !! )
It moved to Bareilly in 1867 and remained there until 1871 when it then marched to Jubbulpore.
It went to Benares in 1872 and later to Lahore.
The system in those days was to move the Batteries to different stations quite frequently.

in 1877 whilst at Nowgong that the organisation changed again and it became D Battery 3 Brigade RA
but remained a Field Battery.
In 1877 it took part in an engagement at Jowaki.

The Battery returned to Woolwich in 1881 and on 1st April 1882 became J Battery 4 Brigade RA
The Battery moved to Christchurch Hants in 1883 and then returned to India in 1887 and was stationed at
Kirkee and later to Ahmedabed.
On 1st July 1889 the Field Batteries were numbered from 1 upwards and the Battery became 27 Field Battery,
there now being no Brigade organisations.

In 1899 permanent Field Brigades each of three batteries were formed and 27 Field Bty became part of
XXXV Brigade in India.
In 1902 the Brigade went to Ireland but returned to England in 1907. In October 1909 it went to
Newcastle upon Tyne and the Brigade was redesignated as XXX11 Bde RFA and as such went to
WAR in 1914.

After the WAR there were many reorganisations and in 1922 the Brigade was renumbered XV1 Bde RFA
still including 27 Bty RFA. In 1924 the whole Regiment was amalgamated as the Royal artillery and the
Battery became 27 Field Battery RA of XV1 Fd Bde RA.
In 1938 there was a major reorganisation and the Brigades became Regiments and the Batteries were linked
into pairs, 27 Bty with 72 Bty to form 27/72 field Battery RA.

The WAR service of the Battery is included in 16 Field Regiment.

After the WAR the Batteries were unlinked and renumbered and the Battery became 68 Field Battery of
42 Field Regiment RA.

The Battery served in Germany - Korea - Hong Kong - Wales - Plymouth - Cyprus - Wales and then back to
Germany in May 1964 when it became a Medium Battery.
In a major reorganisation and reduction in 1969 the Battery was placed in suspended animation.

AND REMAINS AS IS TO DATE - 3rd October 2003.


PLEASE GO TO 68 BTY PHOTO PAGE AS PHOTOGRAPHS HAVE BEEN INCLUDED

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