F Brigade, RHA The
Bengal Army of the
Honourable East India Company formed its first battery of
Horse Artillery, the
Experimental Brigade, Bengal Horse Artillery on 4 December 1800 (still in existence as
F Battery, RHA). By the time the
Indian Rebellion of 1857 broke out, the Bengal Horse Artillery had grown to 13 batteries, organized as three brigades. Four of these batteries were manned by
sepoys (native Indian soldiers) and two mutinied: 4th Troop, 1st Brigade at
Neemuch and 4th Troop, 3rd Brigade at
Multan. All four batteries were promptly reformed as European units. As a result of the Rebellion, the
British Crown took direct control of India from the East India Company on 1 November 1858 under the provisions of the
Government of India Act 1858. The
Presidency armies transferred to the direct authority of the British Crown and its European units were transferred to the
British Army. Henceforth artillery, the mutineers most effective arm, was to be the sole preserve of the British Army (with the exception of certain Mountain Artillery batteries). On 19 February 1862, the Bengal Horse Artillery transferred to the
Royal Artillery as its 2nd and 5th Horse Brigades. On transfer,
5th Horse Brigade, Royal Artillery comprised: As battery designations were tied to the brigade the battery was assigned to, the batteries were also redesignated. The new designations were in order of seniority. F Horse Brigade, RA now comprised: • A Battery, F Horse Brigade (A/F) - formerly A/5 Battery at
Ambala • B Battery, F Horse Brigade (B/F) - formerly B/5 Battery at
Peshawar • C Battery, F Horse Brigade (C/F) - formerly C/5 Battery at
Ambala • D Battery, F Horse Brigade (D/F) - formerly E/5 Battery at
Peshawar • E Battery, F Horse Brigade (E/F) - formerly D/5 Battery at
Mian Mir • F Battery, F Horse Brigade (F/F) - formerly F/5 Battery at
Sialkot From 1866, the term "
Royal Horse Artillery" appeared in Army List hence the brigade was designated
F Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery from about this time. Another reorganization on 14 April 1877 saw the number of brigades reduced to three (of 10 batteries each) and F Brigade was broken up. Its batteries were mostly transferred to C Brigade and redesignated again, for example, A/F Battery becoming F Battery, C Brigade. The number of brigades was further reduced to two (of 13 batteries each) in 1882. The brigade system was finally abolished in 1889. Henceforth, batteries were designated in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation.
VI Brigade, RHA First formation The brigade system was revived in 1901. Each brigade now commanded just two batteries and a small staff (a
Lieutenant-Colonel in command, an
adjutant and a brigade
sergeant major). Initially, batteries were not assigned to brigades in any particular order, but in 1906, at the insistence of
Edward VII, brigades were redesignated so that batteries were roughly in order of seniority (hence
I Brigade commanded
A Battery and
B Battery). VI Brigade, RHA was formed on 1 March 1901 as the
VII Brigade-Division, RHA with
H Battery and
K Battery. In 1903 it was redesignated as
VII Brigade, RHA and was stationed at
Meerut. On 1 October 1906, it was redesignated as
VI Brigade, RHA. H Battery was at Trowbridge K Battery was at
Christchurch With the departure of its batteries, the brigade HQ was dissolved.
Second formation By October 1919,
VI Brigade, RHA was reformed at
Shorncliffe in the
United Kingdom with •
V Battery, RHA from
7th Indian Cavalry Brigade in
Mesopotamia in May 1919 •
W Battery, RHA from
11th Indian Cavalry Brigade in
Mesopotamia in May 1919 •
X Battery, RHA from
XVII Brigade, RHA in
Germany in early 1919 This new incarnation was short-lived, however. On 8 January 1920, the
Headquarters was absorbed into the HQ of
8th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. On 4 May 1920, V, W, and X Batteries were converted to 137th, 138th and 139th Batteries,
RFA in 8th Brigade, RFA. Initially, it commanded 1, 2 and 3 batteries until they took on the identities of N, O and P batteries. In March 1941,
P Battery, RHA left
3rd Regiment, RHA and returned to the UK. In February 1942,
O Battery, RHA was unlinked from B/O Battery of
1st Regiment, RHA and returned to the UK. In April 1942,
N Battery, RHA was unlinked from I/N Battery of
2nd Regiment, RHA and returned to the UK. The regiment did not see active service in
World War II, instead it remained in England as a training formation to provide officers and men to the other regiments. On 4 December 1940 it was assigned to the
9th Support Group of
9th Armoured Division and remained with the division when 9th Support Group was disbanded on 12 June 1942. It remained under command of 9th Armoured Division until 10 July 1944. 9th Armoured Division was disbanded shortly thereafter. In December 1945 the regiment was posted to India, the last RHA unit to serve there. In 1948, 6th Regiment RHA reverted to
RA status as
6th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. N Battery transferred to
4th Regiment, RHA just before conversion, with
W Battery, RHA replacing it. ==See also==