First World War The formation of the Royal Tank Regiment followed the invention of the
tank. Tanks were first used at the
Battle of Flers–Courcelette in September 1916 during the
Battle of the Somme in the
First World War. They were at first considered artillery, and crews received artillery pay. At that time the six tank companies were grouped as the
Heavy Section of the
Machine Gun Corps (MGC). In November 1916 the eight companies then in existence were each expanded to form battalions (still identified by the letters A to H) and designated the
Heavy Branch MGC; another seven battalions, I to O, were formed by January 1918, when all the battalions were changed to numbered units. On 28 July 1917, the Heavy Branch was separated from the rest of the Corps by
Royal Warrant and given official status as the
Tank Corps. The formation of new battalions continued and, by December 1918, 26 had been created though only 25 battalions were equipped with tanks, as the 17th had converted to armoured cars in April 1918. The first commander of the Tank Corps was
Hugh Elles. The Corps saw much action at the
Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. On 18 October 1923, it was officially given the title
Royal making it the
Royal Tank Corps (RTC) by Colonel-in-Chief
King George V. It was at this time that the
motto, "Fear Naught", the
black beret, and the unit badge were adopted. •
1st Heavy Armoured Brigade:
2nd RTR,
3rd RTR and
5th RTR •
1st Army Tank Brigade:
4th RTR,
7th RTR and
8th RTR • Territorial Army •
21st Army Tank Brigade:
42nd RTR,
44th RTR and
48th RTR •
23rd Army Tank Brigade:
40th RTR,
46th RTR and
50th RTR •
24th Army Tank Brigade:
41st RTR,
45th RTR and
47th RTR •
25th Army Tank Brigade:
43rd RTR,
49th RTR and
51st RTR During the course of the war, four "hostilities-only" battalions were formed: the
9th,
10th,
11th and
12th. 11 RTR formed part of
79th Armoured Division (a specialist group operating vehicles known as "
Hobart's Funnies"), initially equipped with "
Canal Defence Light" tanks, it converted to "Buffalo" (the British service name for the US
Landing Vehicle Tracked) not long after
D-Day and participated in the
amphibious landing on Walcheren island and the
assault crossing of the Rhine.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill was ferried across the Rhine in a Buffalo from 'C' Squadron, 11RTR. The Regiment's numerous units took part in countless battles in the Second World War, including the
Battle of Dunkirk,
El Alamein,
Italian Campaign, Burma Campaign and
D-Day landings of 6 June 1944.
Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery would frequently wear the regiment's beret, with his Field Marshal's badge sewn on next to the regimental cap badge, as it was more practical whilst travelling on a tank than either a formal peaked hat or the Australian slouch hat he previously wore.
Post-war period After service in the
Korean War, the RTR was reduced through various amalgamations, firstly, in 1959–60: • 3 RTR and 6 RTR amalgamated as 3 RTR • 4 RTR and 7 RTR amalgamated as 4 RTR • 5 RTR and 8 RTR amalgamated as 5 RTR In 1969, 5RTR was disbanded, while, in 1992 under
Options for Change, 4RTR amalgamated with 1RTR, and 3RTR amalgamated with 2RTR.
Squadron history Ajax Ajax is the youngest squadron within the amalgamated Royal Tank Regiment. The previous squadron to bear the name was disbanded in 1993, but the current
Ajax Squadron upholds the long-standing traditions of both 1 RTR and 2 RTR (formerly
A Squadron and
Ajax). During the First World War, on April 24, 1918, the first recorded tank-on-tank engagement occurred during the
Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux.
A Company, operating a
Mk IV tank under the command of Lieutenant Frank Mitchell, engaged three
German A7Vs and emerged victorious. The company continued to see intense combat for the remainder of the war, including at the
Battle of Amiens, where British forces advanced up to 20 miles through enemy lines. The squadron later reequipped with
Challenger 1 tanks in 1984 while stationed in
Fallingbostel, Germany.
A Squadron continued the legacy of 1 RTR under the reestablished name
Ajax. Returning to tanks in 1965, the squadron became an essential component of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment Battlegroup. Throughout the Cold War, it was frequently deployed on operations, including missions in Radfan, north of Aden in 1966, Cyprus in 1974, and multiple tours in Northern Ireland. Following the merger of the Second and Third Royal Tank Regiments in 1992, CYCLOPS remained part of the regimental
ORBAT, though referred to as
C Squadron, and was stationed in Fallingbostel, Germany. It officially reclaimed the name
Cyclops in 2001. They were also instrumental in the defense of Calais, aiding the
evacuation at Dunkirk. Their antecedents also served in Korea, Malaya, Northern Ireland, and
BAOR, among other locations. The most recent tour associated with the regiment was the deployment of
D Squadron on Operation HERRICK 11, where Viking armoured vehicles were used. During Op TELIC, it provided vital logistical support to the regiment. From 2003 until the 2014 amalgamation,
HQ Squadron continued to play a crucial role in sustaining the regiment both in camp and on operations. Cambrai, and Amiens, utilizing
Whippet Mk A light tanks. Following the
Armistice, the 6th Battalion was disbanded. while also sending a section to Estonia on
Op CABRIT 3. The following year, 13 and 14 Troops were deployed to BATUS to test AS&R capabilities alongside a combined arms Battlegroup, while another troop conducted Ex TOXIC PATH in France. ==Organisation==