There have been gunners ever since the invention of guns in the 13th century, and the first official gunners were appointed in 1485, as part of what became the Board of Ordnance. Throughout the next 400 years the forts around Britain had master gunners permanently appointed by the Board of Ordnance. Trains of artillery were formed for campaigning both at home and abroad, with guns and the men to serve them.
1716 to 1800
In 1716, under a Royal Warrant, two companies of artillery, each of 100 men, were formed at the Woolwich Warren (later the Royal Arsenal) to ensure that a regular force of gunners was available when needed. Woolwich has been the spiritual home of the 'Gunners' ever since that time, although the Regiment had moved to its famous barracks on Woolwich Common by 1805.
The Regiment expanded rapidly in the 18th century and saw service in every campaign and every garrison world-wide. In 1793, the Royal Horse Artillery was formed to provide greater mobility in the field, and soon became associated with the role of supporting cavalry. The RHA performed so well that it became a corps d'elite within the Regiment.
The 19th century
The 19th century saw the Regiment heavily engaged in the Crimean War and the South African War. Throughout the century, it was campaigning in India alongside the separate artilleries of the East India Company. This led to their amalgamation with the British Army after the Indian Mutiny, bringing some famous batteries into the Regiment.
The 20th century
The science of artillery grew rapidly under the pressure of the Industrial Revolution and by the end of the 19th century, the need for indirect fire brought major changes. Guns became ever more powerful, firing more efficient munitions to longer ranges with increased accuracy and greater speed. The Great War of 1914-18 was to prove an artillery war, and the number of gunners increased dramatically, serving 6,655 guns by the end of the war, with anti-aircraft (AA) guns joining in against the new threat from the air.
The inter-war years provided active service on the fringes of the Empire, but the 1930s saw the Regiment once again arming for war. Full mechanisation now replaced the horses which had served the Regiment for so long. In the war which ensued, the Regiment again provided firepower in every theatre, on land, at sea in the Maritime Artillery, and in the air with Air Observation Posts. Gunners manned huge numbers of AA guns both in the field and in the home base. Many of the AA Regiments were formed from Territorial Army units. Most of the Light AA gunners began the war as infantrymen.
Despite the reduction of the Army in the post-war years, the Regiment has been armed with some of the most potent, long-ranged weapons it has ever manned. Today it uses the wide span of technology of all the Arms, with virtually no branch of military science unexplored.
But the Regiment's history is the foundation stone on which it rests. For over 280 years of unbroken service since 1716, and reaching back a further 400 years to the first bombard, artillerymen have provided the Army with the firepower it has needed in defence and attack. In 1833, King William IV recognised that to continue granting Battle Honours to the Regiment would result in an excessive list, and granted instead a single Battle Honour, the motto Ubique (Everywhere), with an accompanying motto Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt (Whither Right and Glory Lead).
Gun Salutes
Despite prior lengthy investigations, a definitive explanation of the form of the salutes remains elusive. Even as early as the 18th century the authorities were at a loss for an explanation. In 1630 an enquiry held by DG and DAGRA at the War Office failed to show the reasons for different number of guns fired as Royal Salutes, and stated '.... that there is no known principle on which the salutes vary'.
That the salute is a mark of respect is not in doubt. One explanation put forward by the Admiralty was that when a Man of War was visiting a foreign port, it would discharge all its guns (charges only) to show that its guns were empty and indicate friendly intentions. The ship's company would not have enough time to reload the cannons before coming into the range of the shore batteries.
We are not sure why 21 guns should be fired. Once again an explanation put forward by the War Office is that it is the next odd number after 19, which is the number of salutes fired at Field Marshal's/Admiral's funerals. Although again there is no clear evidence to support this. Forty-one appears to be the number fired exclusively in St James's Park (and now at Hyde Park) and at the Tower of London. (Though the latter is also allowed to discharge a 62-gun salute). Whereas all other gun salutes are subject to King's/Queen's Regulations, the Tower of London has its own regulations on this matter. One suggestion for the firing of 41 guns at St James's Park was 21 for Royalty and 20 for the Duke of Westminster: however, this idea was usually rejected by the appropriate authorities as unrealistic. One of our Civil Service forebears also put forward the reason for the 62-gun salute as 21 for Royalty, 20 for the City of London and 20 for the Tower Hamlets. Obviously he did not get his appointment on the strength of his mathematics.
Royal Gun Salutes are fired in London by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Hyde Park at 1200 hours (41-gun Royal Salute) and by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London at 1300 hours (62-gun Royal Salute), on the following dates and occasions:
6 February - Accession Day
21 April - Birthday of HM The Queen
2 June - Coronation Day
10 June - Birthday of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
4 August - Birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
If any of the above occasions fall on a Sunday the Royal Salutes will be fired on the following day as no Royal Gun Salutes are fired on Sundays.
Royal Artillery firing an AS90 GLA2 OCR.
A 155 mm gun on a tracked vehicle.
A Royal Artillery FH70 155 mm self propelled howitzer.
Regimental march - "Duchess of Kent".