34 (Seringapatam) Battery Royal Artillery
34 (Seringapatam) Battery is our host Battery at Larkhill and part of 14 Regiment RA. The regiment was formed in Woolwich in March 1900, with roots through the history of 28th Field Brigade, which saw action in virtually every major battle on the Western Front during the four years of WWI, and during WWII as part of the East Africa campaign.
The Regiment was heavily involved with 25 pounder guns in the successful battle of Keren, Eritrea.
Following a period of disbandment, 14 Regiment was reformed at Larkhill in December 1984 to provide training support for the Royal Regiment of Artillery.
Structure
The Regiment consists of 3 batteries with separate training roles:
- 1st Battery (The Blazers) supports ‘Find and Protect’ training for the Royal Artillery;
- 24 (Irish) Battery provides Phase 2 training for new Royal Artillery soldiers, and;
- 34 (Seringapatam) Battery has reformed to become a Close Support Battery for The King's Gurkha Artillery.
Battery Update by Lt Joseph Owen KGA
It has been a landmark year in the history of what is now 34(Seringaptam) Battery King's Gurkha Artillery. This year saw the Battery receive the honour of becoming the first Gurkha Artillery Battery in British Army history (not withstanding a short spell in 1947). This sees the Brigade of Gurkhas expand to 7 cap badges as well as the already wide scope of trades and professions available to Gurkhas serving in the British Army.
This process began with the cap badging ceremony that took place in June, with the first tranche of new transferee Gurkha Gunners from across the Brigade alongside the Battery's Direct Entry Officers receiving the new KGA berets in a parade attended by the newly appointed Colonel KGA Brigadier Charlie Harmer. This saw the official stepping up of the Battery as the first of many subsequent KGA Battery's. However work had already been underway to ensure the Battery and KGA HQ were fully prepared to meet the standard that the Brigade of Gurkhas would expect from a sub-unit. All elements of BHQ attended the 2 week Nepali language course hosted in Sandhurst, this is an ongoing effort and members of the Royal Regiment are continually attending the course in order to achieve a very basic grasp of the language spoken by the Gurkhas. I was also lucky enough to attend, alongside Lt Tom Fraser, the Survival Nepali Culture and Language Course that is held for 3 months in Pokhara, Nepal. The aim of which was to allow Young Officers serving in the Brigade a chance to embrace the culture and language of Nepal in order to better understand the soldiers under their command and therefore become more effective leaders. Highlights of the course saw those attending participating in the famous 'Doko race' that forms part of the arduous selection all would be Gurkhas go through, and a Duty Trek that saw the students explore the remote areas of Nepal and work alongside the Gurkha Welfare Trust to ensure recipients of aid in those remote areas were receiving the support and care they required.
Following the cap badging the new Gurkha Gunners quickly set about learning their new trades. Initial courses were held that covered every element of a Close Support Battery, from L118 Light Gun courses to OP level 2 qualifications. This initial training cycle was followed by a deployment on Exercise Combined Warrior in August that allowed the newest members of the Royal Regiment to put their skills to the test in the austere conditions of Brecon both in Live Firing and Dry training serials. As I'm currently writing this article level 3 courses are underway in their respective trade streams and will see some of the Gurkhas qualified as Gun 2ICs and CP acks. The training cycle will culminate in the new year with those soldiers senior enough attending their L118 and CP DC courses. The ultimate goal of this is to have a Close Support Troop with all the G4 and OP elements to support it fully trained and ready to post to E Bty 1RHA after Easter next year. This first Field Army Gurkha Artillery unit will go on to deployments and exercises around the world, sharpening and refining their new skills. Undoubtably these new Gurkha Gunners will also add impressive experience they have amassed over varied careers and as the Royal Regiment teaches them to be Gunners they will undoubtably teach us a thing or two about what it takes to be a Gurkha unit and perhaps some infantry tips and tricks at the same time.
Outside of learning their new trades members of 34 Battery have also been conducting a variety of activity, showing their abilities in a variety of arenas. the KGA entered a team into both Trailwalker a 100km race hosted by the Queen's Gurkha Signals that is a staple of the Brigade of Gurkha's calendar and EX Cambrian Patrol receiving a gold medal for their impressive efforts. Alongside sport and military activity both GURTAP and UKTAP members of the Battery immersed themselves in Nepali culture. A particular highlight was the celebration of Dashain, a Hindu festival over 15 days celebrating the victory of good over evil, this incudes several key events such as the Kalarati party during which we had the honour of hosting the Master Gunner St James's Park. A Mahanawami was also conducted, the ceremonial blessing of a Regiment's weapons, this saw a Light Gun being hand balled into the rear of the temple in order for it to be blessed in the traditional fashion.
Looking to the future the Battery will see the arrival of the newest Gurkhas fresh from Catterick at the end of November alongside the second tranche of transferees from the wider Brigade confirmed before Christmas. Another Exercise Combined Warrior sees the Battery back in Brecon before some well deserved Christmas leave. Both the British and Nepali elements of the Battery have expanded their skills and made history as the first Kings Gurkha Artillery Battery and have set the tone for the expansion of a new cap badge in both the Royal Regiment and Brigade of Gurkhas.