The first recorded use of Horse Artillery was in 1756 when the Madras Presidency under the Honorable East India Company formed a unit of Galloper Guns – horse drawn guns that were able to support the cavalry. These were often deployed only in pairs but were faster and more mobile than the bullock and draft horse drawn guns used elsewhere in the world. They became nick named “flying-guns”.
This successful experiment was copied world wide and the Galloper Guns became Horse Artillery with the 2nd Troop Madras Horse Artillery formed on 23 January 1809. This Troop is direct descendent of the M Battery Royal Horse Artillery the name adopted by the Battery in July 1889.
The History of the Battery is a long and distinguished one. The Batteries in India were always at a war footing and could expect to see service continually. M Battery spent its early days fighting several campaigns including the Pinardi Campaign or 3rd Maharatta War and service in Java. The Battery was involved in the lifting of the siege of Luknow during the Indian Mutiny and following the reorganization of the Indian Army after the Mutiny transferred with all the remaining Indian Horse Artillery to the Royal Artillery. It was at this time that the Troops of the RHA were renamed Batteries – not necessarily to the RHA’s approval who continued to refer to themselves as Troops for some time.
The Battery then served abroad including campaigns in Egypt and Sudan between 1882 and 1885 where it fought at Kassassin, Tel-el-Kebir and Suakin. The Battery returned then to the UK and served at Woolwich and various posts in England and Ireland.
The battery joined the Boer War in February of 1900 and involved the in relieving of the siege at Mafeking where it played a key role in Mahon’s relief column armed with maxim-guns, 15 pounders and pom-pom guns. In the latter part of the war it adopted a new role as mounted infantry as the Boer’s switched to guerilla tactics.
In 1913 the battery redeployed to India and found itself at the start of the First World War serving on the North West Frontier province of India until 1917 with 4 guns. It played a key role in defending India from external influence particularly German attempts to gain favourable treaties with Afghanistan. Following the end of the War an assassination of the Amir in Kabul by his country men led to the invasion of British India by the Afghanistan Army in 1919. The Battery was one of only two RHA Batteries involved in the 3rd Afghan War which saw several Divisions of British and Indian troops diverted from the trip home after the Great War to be deployed to defeat the Afghans. This was successfully achieved in just over a month and Britain never fought in the country for another 80 years.
The Battery spent the inter-war years deployed in Egypt and the UK. It was involved in many ceremonial events when it was based in London and took the right of the line over all other units when deployed with its guns on Royal parades. In 1934 it became the first RHA Battery in the UK to say farewell to its horses when it mechanized and gave up the 13 Pounder Quick Firing Gun and took on the 3.7 inch Howitzer and the Dragon III Gun Tractor. This it did with considerable regret breaking a bond that had existed between man and horse since the 18th Century. However in true Horse Artillery fashion it mastered its new trade and looked forward. Even The King/Emperor Gerorge VI demanded the Battery parade at Windsor Castle with their new equipment so that he could see the new means of warfare. The Battery moved to Abassia in Egypt and was linked with P Battery for a short time before becoming part of 3 RHA in August 1938 as M Battery.
During the Second World War the Battery served in the famous 7th Armoured Division in the Western Desert and fought in the bloody Sidi Rezegh battles in 1941. It was involved in almost every action in the famous desert campaign and was part of the invading force in Italy in 1943 before being withdrawn to Britain to re-equip and rest. But this was short lived and on the 8th June 1944 just two days after D-Day during Operation Overlord the battery arrived on the beaches of Normandy. It then fought valiantly through the whole of Western Europe finishing the war in Hamburg. It was, with the rest of the Regiment, in the vanguard of the British Forces during the victory parade in Berlin in 1945. It remained in the Division before serving in Suez during the Canal Emergency and was then placed into suspended animation in February 1958.
In 1977 the Battery was reformed deploying on an emergency tour in Belize before retraining as an independent Anti Tank Battery and serving in the British Army of the Rhine during the Cold War where it was equipped with Swingfire; a Guided Anti-Tank System.
With more changes and Defence cuts the Battery was then put back into suspended animation in 1984 as 3 RHA reformed. During the Options For Change Defence Review in 1993 the Headquarter Battery of 3 RHA was renamed and became M (Headquarter) Battery RHA. Since its reformation the Battery has served on operations in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq.
The Battery is currently stationed in Bergen-Hohne, Germany and is once again proud to wear the Red Rat of 7th Armoured Brigade on its sleeve.
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