Tank driver british army regiments

Aug 02, 2014 in 1990, there were four tank regiments in the british army, which had at their disposal nearly 800 tanks. A british army recruitment crisis leaves regiments 40% below optimum strength more than 2,580 fewer soldiers in infantry regiments than five years ago, ministry of defence figures show. A detailed history can be found at policing palestine, the british palestine police association bppa has has replaced ppoca site. The corps has had more regiments over time going up as far as the 8th rtr. Armoured soldiers are members of the combat arms team, which also includes infantry, artillery and combat engineering regiments. This list will be updated through the ongoing implementation of army 2020. Each soldiers record of service was stored by the war office after the first world war was over. As the war progressed and further horsed regiments were. In 1990, there were four tank regiments in the british army, which had at their disposal nearly 800 tanks. You need to assume a platoon level ranks for four tanks. The structure of british army regiments and corps are complicated because of the number of amalgamations and changes that have taken place over the years from the 17th century. The command structure is hierarchical with divisions and brigades responsible for administering groupings of smaller units. British army regiments before 1922, when 18 out of 31 cavalry regiments were amalgamated to create what became known as the vulgar fraction cavalry regiments. Major units are regiment or battalionsized with minor units being smaller, either company sized sub units or platoons.

A learner driver miraculously emerged unscathed after colliding with a british tank in germany. This is a list of equipment of the british army currently in use. Today is is the armoured regiment of the british armys 1st armoured infantry brigade. See what its like to drive a tank and hear from our tank crewmen. Armoured vehicle driver training training army jobs youtube.

You wait 20 years for an 8x8 then 508 turnup at the same time 03. It includes small arms, combat vehicles, aircraft, watercraft, artillery and transport vehicles. The first use of the british tanks on the battlefield was the use of 49 mark i tanks during the battle of the somme on 15 september 1916, with mixed, but still impressive results. Vehicles like the archer were called selfpropelled antitank. It is based on the british army base in fallingbostel, northern germany. The four tcs would be slotted as a 1lt as the platoon leader, a sfc platoon sergeant, and two staff sergeants wingmen of the pl and psg. Archer self propelled 17 pdr, valentine, mk i, archer in italy, winter 194445. The british army were pioneers in tank combat, but by 1939 it could be argued they were behind the times in terms of strategy and tactics, their methods based on the trench warfare of world war one. The driver and 5 man gun crew all rode in the fighting equipment and 112 cartridges and an equivalent number of he, smoke and ap shells could be carried. The new british army incorporated regiments that had already existed in england and scotland and was administered by the war office from london. Now the british army can call on just 156 tanks, with 56 of them belonging to the newly. Many broke down but nearly a third succeeded in breaking through. I cannot find any other details,i would guess he served with the tank corps in 1916 and with r.

Basically, your weak armored tank is going up against germanys tanks that were engineered to become your worst enemy beside japanese suicide attackers rolling under your tank and priming the explosives. Formerly known as the tank corps and the royal tank corps, it is part of the royal armoured corps. Regiments of the british army british army historical database. The royal logistic corps rlc are the army s professional logisticians who keep the field army marching, its helicopters flying, its vehicles moving and its tanks and guns firing, by supplying it with everything it needs, wherever it is deployed throughout the world. Abbreviations for british army, royal navy, royal air force. Dec 27, 2012 a new recruits diary on joining the army as a tank driver. The use of regiments within the british army apparently originates from the early 1600s to mean a formed body of troops. All units within the service are either regular or army reserve, or a combination with subunits of each type.

Major units are regiment or battalionsized with minor units being smaller, either company sized subunits or platoons. Feb 12, 2018 find out who the royal logistic corps are, the role that they perform in keeping the british army in battle winning conditions, on operations, exercise and at home. Life in the royal armoured corps is varied with lots of scope to travel the world whether its during an exercise in canada or adventure training in norway, america and many. The royal armoured corps rac provides the armour capability of the british army, with vehicles such as the challenger 2 tank and the scimitar reconnaissance vehicle. Introduction the acquisition of an 8x8 multirole wheeled armoured vehicle is one of the most. May 20, 2016 watch all the action of a british army armoured vehicle driver training day. Armoured brigade company rasc automotive bridge launching equipment. This tank was specifically designed to exploit breaches in the. The churchill mark i infantry tank in service with the. I then joined the royal armoured corps as a tank driver and since then ive progressed to a full crewman. This is a list of regiments within the british armys royal armoured corps during world war ii on the creation of the corps in 1939, just before the outbreak of world war ii, it comprised those regular cavalry and territorial army yeomanry regiments that had been mechanised, together with the royal tank regiment.

German police said a student driver narrowly escaped being flattened by a british tank, but her toyota wasnt quite as lucky. Under army 2020, only three challenger 2 tank regiments will remain. Update on the british armys mechanised infantry vehicle. Perfect if youre thinking of joining the army, and want to know where you could fit in. The british army is the land warfare branch of british armed forces in the united kingdom. This is a current list of regiments of the british army including the army reserve. But these latter regiments were in fact battalion size units, and had numerical prefixes. Be part of a fourman crew who live, work and fight from the british army s most impressive armoured vehicle. Armoured soldiers begin their career with one of two types of vehicles. It came into being with the unification of the kingdom of england and scotland into the kingdom of great britain in 1707.

Modern equipment of the british army military wiki fandom. When your initial training is finished, and you join your unit as a private, your pay will rise to. The royal irish regiment is an infantry regiment of the british army. Feb 12, 2018 find out more about what life is like in the different regiments of the british army. Armoured soldiers operate and maintain armoured fighting vehicles, its weapon systems and its communication equipment. Abbreviations for british army, royal navy, royal air. Take on the only role in the british army that allows you to become a tank driver.

The british army entered the second world war with an array of poor designs and hobbled by poor doctrine. I was in my last year in school and knew i needed to apply for a job for when i left school. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Eight officer candidates from varying backgrounds, but all apparently in their late teens, are observed as they go through a variety of tests and interviews. List of royal armoured corps regiments in world war ii. The rtr is part the royal armoured corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st royal tank regiment and the 2nd royal tank regiment. Equipment used by the artillery regiments desert rats. First army 1st army second army 2nd army eighth army 8th army fourteenth army 14th army corps. British army ww1 service records, 19141920 soldiers there were about 67 million soldiers other ranks and noncommissioned officers who served with the british army in the first world war. The royal tank regiment specialises in shock action. Deliveries of the challenger 2 to oman were completed in 2001. Be part of a fourman crew who live, work and fight from the british armys most impressive armoured vehicle.

A new recruits diary on joining the army as a tank driver. The new british army incorporated regiments that had already existed in england and scotland and was administered by the war office. I started my army career after studying engineering at college. The answer was to fit a new uparmoured turret with a highvelocity 77 mm 3. The regiment was founded in 1992 through the amalgamation of the royal irish rangers and the ulster defence regiment.

The british army was mainly a small professional army with a large number of volunteers territorials. The oldest regiment of the line is the the royal scots borderers 1st battalion the royal regiment of scotland which was formed in 1633 when king charles i warranted sir john hepburn to raise a scottish regiment for service in france. British army recruitment crisis leaves regiments up to 40%. Today, just 9 cavalry regiment cap badges survive, plus the royal tank regiment. This website is only in its very early stages, aiming to give a full spectrum of data on world war ii fighting units, including details on organization, commanders, and literature. Allocations of officers to ww2 army regiments army. Home, workplace, tomb the reality of the world war ii tank. The total strength in 1939 was 227,000 and these were formed into 64 line infantry regiments, five regiments of infantry of the guard, 22 regiments of cavalry including two regiments of household. The most development was in the area of the anti tank gun in order to gun to counter the heavier and more powerful german tanks. During the war only a few difference artillery pieces were deployed, but they all had many variations to make them more suitable to the theatre of action. The initial predecessor to the royal tank regiment rtr was formed in feb 1916 during ww1 following the invention of the tank. The five tank and five reconnaissance regiments of the royal armoured corps are also facing a similar reduction, with many of the tanks being passed to. The specialist variant will be used to carry dismounted 81 mm mortar teams, reconnaissance teams, mortar artillery fire controllers, anti tank teams, engineer recce sections and reme fitters. Vehicles like the archer were called selfpropelled antitank guns.

Since the end of the cold war, the british army has been deployed to a number of conflict zones, often as part of an. Other regiments in their lineage include the royal inniskilling fusiliers, royal irish rifles and the royal irish fusiliers. The infantry division was the backbone of the british army. Posted in infantry regiments, regiments of the british army and tagged board of ordnance, british army, regiments of foot, royal fusiliers, royal regiment of fusiliers on april 14, 2014 by rod williams. List of british army regiments and corps wikipedia. See more ideas about ww2 tanks, north african campaign and afrika korps. British army ww1 service records, 19141920 soldiers. The regiments of the royal armoured corps form the core of the british armys mounted close combat capability. Apr 16, 2020 british army regiments before 1922, when 18 out of 31 cavalry regiments were amalgamated to create what became known as the vulgar fraction cavalry regiments.

Allocations of officers to ww2 army regiments army rumour. All units within the service are either regular or army reserve, or a combination with sub units of each type. This article needs additional citations for verification. The north somerset yeomanry44th royal tank regiment ta 1956. The royal tank regiment rtr is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the british army in 1916 during the first world war. Sep 14, 2019 additional variants needed by the british army once boxer is established in uk service, orders for additional variants can be be expected to follow. The british army is the principal land warfare force of the united kingdom, a part of british armed forces. This is a quick introduction on how i joined the army and chose the regiment of my choice. British army units from 1945 on royal tank regiment. The british army in ww2 did not use the term tank destroyer. Armoured car company rac air control and command systems. The british army needed a stopgap tank that could quickly be introduced into production.

British army the royal tank regiment geni family tree. Its regiments were referred to as mountain regiments. Today is is the armoured regiment of the british army s 1st armoured infantry brigade. St antonys college, oxford, have an oral history project and there is a video on dotsub of an interview with gerald green who served in the palestine police from 1946 till 1948. Get specialist training in tank warfare and armoured combat. British army tank driver with reserve units training with the full time regular regiments, in this case the royal kings hussars who are a tank regiment and operate challenger mk ll 60 tonne battle tanks.

Advanced base ordnance depot india army board secretariat. British tank crushes learner driver car in germany. Find out who the royal logistic corps are, the role that they perform in keeping the british army in battle winning conditions, on operations, exercise and at home. It was created as a loose association of armoured regiments, both the royal tank regiment and those converted from old horse cavalry regiments. As the war progressed and further horsed regiments were mechanised, they joined. Artillery regiments, including anti tank and antiaircraft for the following units, please read the information provided against each parent regiment. Today, it is the armoured regiment of the british army s 1st armoured infantry brigade. This is a list of regiments within the british army s royal armoured corps during world war ii on the creation of the corps in 1939, just before the outbreak of world war ii, it comprised those regular cavalry and territorial army yeomanry regiments that had been mechanised, together with the royal tank regiment. The royal tank regiment is an armoured regiment, previously known as the tank corps and the royal tank corps. I was once told a story by a world war ii veteran who served as a radio operator in one of the british army tank regiments.

List of british divisions in world war ii wikipedia. The british army is reportedly planning to reduce its number of frontline tanks by to up 33%. There were several royal tank regiments, but only one royal tank regiment. The formation of a professional army in the united kingdom predates the act of union in 1707, originating from the days of the english civil war. It includes small arms, combat vehicles, aircraft, boats, artillery and transport vehicles. The british infantry traditionally has been divided into two parts the foot guards and the infantry of the line. The regiments of the royal armoured corps form the core of the british army s mounted close combat capability. Britains most famous regiments spared in defence cuts. Artillery regiments, including antitank and antiaircraft for the following units, please read the information provided against each parent regiment. The doctrine of the british army in 1938 was for army tank brigades, attached as corps troops, to work alongside the infantry divisions and break into the enemy defensive positions. British army reduced to one single tank regiment the.

Its intended role was to breach the front line of the opposing force, to allow motorized infantry and armoured divisions to then breakthrough securing victory via superior mobility and firepower. Each section will provide as much information as possible including regimental badges, associations, war diaries, museums, web sites and information available from the army today. Modern equipment of the british army is a list of the equipment currently in use with the british army. British armoured tank units ww2 where are the battalions. The royal tank regiment is based in tidworth, wiltshire on salisbury plain. My grandads tank corps number is 95328 and he was in the royal army medical corps, badge no 11202. The mobile division, supported territorial army motor divisions each of two motorised infantry brigades supported by two artillery regiments but no tanks, was to. British armoured formations of world war ii wikipedia. What was it like to be a tank driver in the british army. Armoured vehicle driver training training army jobs. Documents regiments of the british army british military. The 10th was the only mountain division in the us army. A single army reserve regiment, the royal wessex yeomanry, will provide reservist challenger crews to the regular regiments.

The 10 regular and 4 reserve regiments are descendants of the famous cavalry regiments who rode into battle on horseback and of the royal tank regiment, who manned the very first tanks during the great war world war 1. Leave a comment price of commissions in the british army 1854 1871. But the royal tank regiment was the ceremonial organisation, but it did not fight as that. The a43 centurion tank was under development but it would not be ready until 1945. Watch all the action of a british army armoured vehicle driver training day. Regiments and corps of the british army geni family tree. The american army of ww2 used the term tank destroyer and often just abbreviated it to td in official reports.