Alexander Meadows Rendel CBE (1910–1991) was a British diplomat and solicitor who also served as a Special Operations Executive agent in Crete during World War II , rising to the rank of major .
56-723: Rendel was commissioned in the Royal Artillery in May 1940. In early 1943, he met Colonel Thomas Dunbabin , a former fellow student at Corpus Christi College, Oxford , in Cairo . Dunbabin recruited Rendel to the SOE. Rendel arrived in Crete in September 1943, after being appointed in charge of Lasithi , the eastern most region. He was known to Cretans as Alexis ( Greek : Αλέξης ). After
112-525: A Captain of Fort , a Master-Gunner or Chief-Gunner, and a number of other ranks, including Gunners, Gunner's Mates, Quarter-Gunners, and Matroses. Their numbers were extremely small; as late as 1720, the total establishment for the whole of Britain was 41 master gunners and 178 gunner assistants. Although the Royal Artillery increasingly involved itself with the coastal artillery in Britain, also,
168-429: A paper tiger , changed from a conscripted force to one in which recruits voluntarily engaged for a term of service. It also ceased to be an all-infantry force. As the most critical shortage was of garrison artillery, a number of Militia Infantry regiments were re-tasked as Militia Artillery , and new militia units were also raised as artillery. The Militia Artillery units, which (like other reserve units) were raised under
224-559: A Permanent Staff made up of seconded Royal Artillery officers and senior other ranks, including a single officer acting as both Commandant and Adjutant (where a suitably qualified Militia officer was unavailable to serve as Commandant), or only as Adjutant where the Commandant was a Militia officer. Following the separation of the garrison companies from the Royal Artillery into the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1899,
280-588: A distinct identity within the regiment. Before World War II, Royal Artillery recruits were required to be at least 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall. Men in mechanised units had to be at least 5 feet 8 inches (1.73 m) tall. They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve or four years and eight years. They trained at the Royal Artillery Depot in Woolwich. From its beginnings,
336-647: A handful of Royal Artillery personnel primarily responsible for maintenance, who were reinforced in wartime by drafts of infantrymen from the British Army or the Militia, or by temporarily-raised Volunteer Artillery corps. This was to remain the case through the Naploeonic Wars. The regiment was involved in all major campaigns of the Napoleonic Wars ; in 1804, naval artillery was transferred to
392-622: A semi-permanent function in the 16th century. Until the early 18th century, the majority of British regiments were raised for specific campaigns and disbanded on completion. An exception were gunners based at the Tower of London , Portsmouth and other forts around Britain, who were controlled by the Ordnance Office and stored and maintained equipment and provided personnel for field artillery 'traynes' that were organised as needed. These personnel, responsible in peacetime for maintaining
448-410: A spray of laurel. Grenade badges, whether worn as a collar badge or elsewhere, lacked the scroll inscribed "Ubique" that was part of the regular Royal Artillery version. Militia Artillery units were made up of Militia officers and other ranks, with a Permanent Staff made up of seconded Royal Artillery officers and senior other ranks, including a single officer acting as both Commandant and Adjutant (where
504-690: A suitably qualified Militia officer was unavailable to serve as Commandant), or only as Adjutant where the Commandant was a Militia officer. Units from the Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery were in Australia, even after Federation. On 1 July 1899, the Royal Artillery was divided into three groups: the Royal Horse Artillery of 21 batteries and the Royal Field Artillery of 95 batteries composed one group, while
560-625: A term of service, and might quit with fourteen days notice, except while embodied) contained a mixture of artillery, engineering and infantry units. Similar militia and Volunteer units were also raised in various British colonies. During the latter half of the Nineteenth Century, the military forces were re-organised through a succession of reforms, with the Board of Ordnance abolished after the Crimean War. Its military corps, including
616-595: A whole also formed a numbered Corps of the British Army in the Twentieth Century. Separately from the Home Militia, Militia units of Bermuda, Malta and the Channel Islands were numbered together also on the British Army order-of-precedence of corps (amongst themselves, they were ordered in accordance with the precedence of their parent corps). Other colonial Militia Artillery units not funded by
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#1732792945604672-592: Is equipped with a variety of equipment and performs a wide range of roles, including: The Captain General of the regiment is King Charles III . The post was previously known as Colonel-in-Chief until King George VI expressed the desire to be known as Captain General. The head of the regiment is the Master Gunner, St. James's Park . The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises both Regular (full-time) and Reserve (part-time) units. The Royal Regiment of Artillery
728-507: Is unusual in that it has sub-units that often move between regiments, or are placed into suspended animation. See List of Royal Artillery Batteries . The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises one ceremonial troop and 13 Regular Army regiments , and are designated by a number and the name Royal Artillery (RA) or Royal Horse Artillery (RHA): Regular regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery Regular regiments of
784-621: The Lancashire Royal Field Artillery , was also created in the United Kingdom as field artillery , equipped with mobile guns. With the increasing importance of artillery defences by the mid-Nineteenth century (and the usual reluctance of the British Government to fund an expansion of the regular military forces), a military reserve artillery force became a pressing concern to aid in maintaining
840-646: The Royal Artillery ( RA ) and colloquially known as " The Gunners ", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army . The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises thirteen Regular Army regiments , the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and five Army Reserve regiments. Artillery was used by the English army as early as the Battle of Crécy in 1346, while Henry VIII established it as
896-649: The Royal Engineers , and the Royal Sappers and Miners ) included the Militia (which was normally an all-infantry force), and the mounted Yeomanry. During wartime, these were supplemented by Volunteer units that were normally disbanded with peace. Royal Artillery coastal batteries were often brought up to strength with drafts from the British Army or the militia, or by temporarily re-tasking militia units or raising volunteer artillery corps. In Bermuda , from
952-731: The Royal Marine Artillery , while the Royal Irish Artillery lost its separate status in 1810 after the 1800 Union . This period also saw development of the Congreve rocket ; based on an existing Indian design, these were the first solid-fuel projectiles used by the British army and two rocket troops were established in 1814. Their use in the War of 1812 is referenced in the line "rocket's red glare" which appears in
1008-673: The Royal Military Academy or RMA Woolwich in 1741; this trained artillery and engineering officers for the regiment, the East India Company and the Royal Irish Artillery . In 1757, it split into two battalions , each of twelve companies; by 1780, it contained 32 companies in four battalions, two "invalid companies" used solely for garrison duties and the Royal Artillery Band , with a total strength of 5,241 men and officers. Originally based in
1064-541: The garrison of the important Imperial Fortress colony of Bermuda). The remainder of the Special Reserve was redesignated as the Militia again after the First World War and permanently suspended. Prior to 1882, each Militia Artillery unit in the United Kingdom wore a unique badge. Between 1882 and 1889, Militia Artillery brigades wore a divisional badge based on that of the Royal Artillery, except that
1120-549: The "Royal Artillery" in 1720. These were increased to four companies and on 1 April 1722 grouped with independent artillery units at Gibraltar and Menorca to form the Royal Regiment of Artillery; the first commander was Colonel Albert Borgard , a Dane who served in the British army since 1698. Aside from the Master Gunner of England, the detachments in each fort formed a District Establishment that included
1176-680: The British Army or the Militia. The post of Captain of Fort was replaced (at least in England, if not in its colonies) with that of Governor following the Restoration . When Marlborough was restored as Master-General of the Ordnance in 1714, he initiated a series of reforms, which included splitting the existing Ordnance Service into artillery and sappers or engineers . The artillery were formed into two marching companies , each of 100 men, in 1716. These marching companies were renamed
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#17327929456041232-560: The British Isles were divided into eleven. In 1889 the number of divisions was reduced to three, and the Militia Artillery brigades were renamed again, mostly regaining some variation of their original territorial names. The Home (i.e., British Isles ) Militia Artillery collectively had constituted a Corps of Militia Artillery , within which units had been numbered in order-of-precedence until 1882. The Home Militia as
1288-481: The District Establishments remained independent until February 1771, when the Royal Artillery formed eight Invalid Companies (made up of personnel no longer fit for expeditionary service) into which they were absorbed (although the District Establishments would still rely on drafts of sailors, British Army soldiers, Militia infantrymen, or Volunteers to bring the batteries up to wartime strength until
1344-534: The Lords-Lieutenants of counties, who appointed officers), and were all tasked with garrison duties at fixed batteries. The invasion scare also led to the re-establishment of the Volunteer Force as a permanent (though only part-time, except when embodied for emergencies) branch of the British military. This force (which differed from the Militia primarily in that its volunteers did not engage for
1400-402: The Militia Artillery units were re-titled accordingly in 1902 (by example, The Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) , which would usually be rendered Antrim R.G.A (M) ). The badge adopted was the same as that of the regular Royal Regiment of Artillery, including the " ubique " and " Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt " scrolls, with a letter "M" fixed at the bottom of the gun badge, and on the body of
1456-468: The Militia, or old Constitutional Force, normally made up of infantry units; the mounted Yeomanry; and Volunteer units of various types, normally raised only during wartime), particularly in the fields of artillery and engineering; Britain lagged behind others in this area, with Vauban establishing the French Corps royal des ingénieurs militaires as far back as 1690. A cadet company was formed at
1512-418: The Nineteenth Century they were re-organised through a succession of reforms, and increasingly integrated with the British Army. In 1882, the Militia Artillery units lost their individual identities, becoming numbered brigades organised within Royal Artillery territorial divisions (two brigades of horse artillery, four brigades of field artillery and eleven territorial divisions of garrison artillery). In 1889
1568-532: The RGA dressed like foot soldiers. In 1920 the rank of Bombardier was instituted in the Royal Artillery. Following the separation of the regular garrison companies into the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1899, the Militia Artillery units were re-titled accordingly in 1902 (by example, The Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) , which would usually be rendered Antrim R.G.A (M) ). The badge adopted
1624-647: The Riding Troop RHA was renamed the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and, in 1951, the title of the regiment's colonel-in-chief became Captain General. When The Queen first visited the Troop after her accession, it was expected that it would become "The Queen's Troop", but Her Majesty announced that in honour of her father's decision it would remain "The King's Troop". The Royal Horse Artillery , which has separate traditions, uniforms and insignia, still retains
1680-713: The Royal Arsenal, beginning in 1770 the regiment was rehoused in the Royal Artillery Barracks on Woolwich Common. A major innovation in 1793 was the establishment of the Royal Horse Artillery , designed to provide mobile fire support for cavalry units. The same year saw the foundation of the Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers to provide transport for the artillery. Fixed Coastal Artillery batteries were generally manned in peacetime by
1736-640: The Royal Artillery The Royal Artillery utilises two air defence weapons: The Royal Artillery field the following close support/offensive support weapons: The Royal Artillery, due to its large size, has 11 Colonel Commandants and a Master Gunner concurrently. These are: In the British Army Order of Precedence , the Household Cavalry is always listed first and always parades at the extreme right of
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1792-741: The Royal Artillery has been based at Woolwich , in south-east London. In 2003 it was decided to move the headquarters to Larkhill in the Salisbury Plain Training Area in Wiltshire (the RA's training ground, where the Royal School of Artillery has been based since 1915). In 2012, however, the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery was relocated to Woolwich from their former headquarters in St John's Wood . The Royal Artillery
1848-481: The Royal Artillery, as well as its civilian Commissariat, transport and stores organs were absorbed into the British Army. The Militia and the Volunteer Force units were more closely integrated with the British Army, though remaining separate forces. In 1882, the Militia Artillery units lost their individual identities, becoming numbered brigades organised within Royal Artillery territorial divisions, of which
1904-762: The Royal Engineers, Royal Sappers and Miners, the Commissariat Department, and various barracks, ordnance stores, and transport departments) was transferred to the British Army when the Board of Ordnance was abolished in 1855 (the administrative branches of the Board were absorbed by the War Office ) and the War Office School of Gunnery established in Shoeburyness in 1859. When the British East India Company
1960-602: The Seventeenth Century until after the American War of 1812, men with status and the required funds were appointed as Captains of forts (which spared them from any obligation to serve in the Militia), in command of fortified coastal batteries manned by volunteers through peace and war. In 1852, with fear of an invasion of Britain by France, the reserve forces were re-organised. The Militia, which had become
2016-602: The Star-Spangled Banner . The Militia, which had been a paper tiger since the end of the Napoleonic Wars, was re-organised under the Militia Act 1852 in response to the threat of invasion by France, changing it from a conscripted force to one made up of volunteers who engaged for terms of service. The force continued to be a reserve tasked with home defence, embodied for annual training, and for
2072-697: The United Kingdom and Colonies (including Canada , New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , Newfoundland , Australia , New Zealand , and South Africa prior to their attaining dominion status) were military reserve units made up of volunteers who served part-time during peacetime, training to take over responsibility for manning fixed artillery batteries from the regular Royal Artillery during times of war. Most of these batteries were of coastal artillery positioned to guard ports, naval bases, and coastal locations likely to be used by an enemy to land invading forces, or were designed to protect coastal batteries from overland attacks by infantry. A single militia artillery unit,
2128-413: The United Kingdom wore a unique badge. Between 1882 and 1889, Militia Artillery brigades wore a divisional badge based on that of the Royal Artillery, except that the lower scroll and upper scroll, which on the Royal Artillery badge were inscribed "Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt" and "Ubique" (which indicated the regular Royal Artillery, like the Royal Engineers, served everywhere), were respectively inscribed with
2184-591: The War Office were considered auxiliary forces and did not appear on the British Army order-of-precedence (making them British military units, but not part of the British military force titled the British Army, nor constituting separate armies or parts of separate armies). When the Volunteer Force and the Yeomanry in the United Kingdom were merged to create the Territorial Force in 1908, the Militia
2240-426: The coastal defence, mountain, siege and heavy batteries were split off into another group named the Royal Garrison Artillery of 91 companies. The third group continued to be titled simply Royal Artillery , and was responsible for ammunition storage and supply. Which branch a gunner belonged to was indicated by metal shoulder titles (R.A., R.F.A., R.H.A., or R.G.A.). The RFA and RHA also dressed as mounted men, whereas
2296-639: The colonies, and these were not re-designated as Special Reserve; The most notable of these was the Bermuda Militia Artillery , which, like the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps , formed part of the garrison of the important Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda where the regular Royal Artillery had first posted a company in 1794, following the French Revolution ). The remainder of the Special Reserve
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2352-429: The duration of wars or emergencies. The Militia had been principally an infantry force to this date, but Militia Artillery units were added from this point, and some existing Militia Infantry regiments were converted to coastal artillery. The role of the Militia Artillery was to man coastal defences and fortifications in wartime, relieving the Royal Artillery (RA) for active service. The Royal Artillery (and also of
2408-597: The fixed defensive batteries (the units tasked with these duties were referred to either as garrison artillery or coastal artillery ). Through the Eighteenth Century, and up to the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of 1812 , the military reserve forces that supported (but were not part of either) the British Army and the Board of Ordnance Military Corps (which included the Royal Artillery,
2464-425: The formation of Militia Artillery and Volunteer Artillery in the 1850s). During the 18th century, the British regular military forces, including the Board of Ordnance's military corps (the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and later the Royal Sappers and Miners) and the British Army (composed mostly of infantry and cavalry) became increasingly professional (various reserve, or local , forces also existed, including:
2520-422: The forts with their garrison artillery (or coastal artillery ), were the first regular artillerymen, organised in 1540 under the Master-General and Board of Ordnance, but paid directly by the Exchequer . The regular artillerymen of the District Establishments were responsible for upkeep of the fort and maintenance of equipment, and would be brought up to strength in wartime with untrained personnel drafted in from
2576-448: The line. However, when the Royal Horse Artillery is on parade with its guns it will replace the Household Cavalry at the extreme right of the line. The Regimental museum, " Firepower " located in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich closed in 2017. The Royal Artillery have a traditional rivalry with the Royal Engineers (the Sappers). Militia Artillery units of the United Kingdom and Colonies The Militia Artillery units of
2632-449: The lower scroll and upper scroll, which on the Royal Artillery badge were inscribed " Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt " and " Ubique " (which indicated the regular Royal Artillery, like the Royal Engineers, served everywhere ), were respectively inscribed with the name of the territorial division name ( by example, North Irish Division ) and left blank or covered in a spray of laurel (as the Militia and Volunteer Force were both home defence forces,
2688-494: The members of which could not be sent abroad on expedition without their consents). From 1889 to 1902, the lower scroll was inscribed with the name of the unit ( by example, Antrim Artillery ) and the upper scroll left blank or covered in a spray of laurel. Grenade badges, whether worn as a collar badge or elsewhere, lacked the scroll inscribed " Ubique " that was part of the regular Royal Artillery version. Militia Artillery units were made up of Militia officers and other ranks, with
2744-429: The name of the territorial division name (by example, North Irish Division) and left blank or covered in a spray of laurel (as the Militia and Volunteer Force were both home defence forces, the members of which could not be sent abroad on expedition without their consents). From 1889 to 1902, the lower scroll was inscribed with the name of the unit (by example, Antrim Artillery) and the upper scroll left blank or covered in
2800-522: The number of divisions was reduced to three, and the Militia Artillery brigades were renamed again, mostly regaining some variation of their original territorial names. Post 1881, militia artillery officers wore for a brief time five button serge foreign service frocks with ball buttons and silver lace. Post 1890, officers transitioned to pocketed examples, again with ball buttons but the frocks varying from pure blue serge to other examples with scarlet facings. Prior to 1882, each Militia Artillery unit in
2856-603: The unit was named. When the Volunteer Force and the Yeomanry in the United Kingdom (including the Volunteer Artillery) were merged to create the Territorial Force in 1908, the Militia was re-designated the Special Reserve . At the same time, plans were made to convert all of the Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) units to Special Reserve Royal Field Artillery, but all Home units other than The Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) (converted in 1956 to 74 (Antrim Artillery) Engineer Regiment (V) ) were instead disbanded in 1909 (although Militia Artillery units remained in some of
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#17327929456042912-432: The war, Rendel worked as a diplomatic correspondent for The Times . He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1975 Birthday Honours . His son was the Liberal Democrat MP David Rendel . This biographical article related to the British Army is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery , commonly referred to as
2968-411: Was dissolved in 1862, its artillery function was absorbed by the Royal Artillery, giving it a total strength of 29 horse batteries, 73 field batteries and 88 heavy batteries. Military expenditure estimates for 1872 list the regimental strength as a total of 34,943 men and officers, including those in India. Although the Militia and the Volunteer Force remained separate forces, during the latter half of
3024-434: Was re-designated as the Militia again after the First World War and permanently suspended. The Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army. The division of the Royal Regiment of Artillery lasted until 1924, when the RFA, RHA, and RGA amalgamated once more to become one regiment. In 1938, RA Brigades were renamed regiments. During the World War II there were over 1 million men serving in 960 gunner regiments. In 1947
3080-440: Was redesignated the Special Reserve . At the same time, plans were made to convert all of the Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) units to Royal Field Artillery, but all were instead disbanded (although Militia Artillery units remained in some of the colonies, and these were not redesignated as Special Reserve. The most notable of these was the Bermuda Militia Artillery , which, like the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps , formed part of
3136-422: Was the same as that of the regular Royal Regiment of Artillery, from that point including the "ubique" and "Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt" scrolls, with a letter "M" fixed at the bottom of the gun badge, and on the body of the grenade on the grenade badge (also with the "ubique" scroll), whether worn on the collar or on a cap. Alternately, Ubique was replaced on scrolls with the name of the city, county or colony for which
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