2nd Royal Tank Regiment

2nd Royal Tank Regiment

Cap badge of the Royal Tank Regiment.
Active 28 July 1917– August 2014
Country  United Kingdom
Branch  British Army
Type Armoured
Role Armoured regiment
Size Regiment
Part of Royal Armoured Corps
Garrison/HQ Aliwal Barracks, Tidworth, Wiltshire
Motto(s) Fear Naught
Colors Brown, red and green (Through mud and blood to the green fields beyond)
March Quick: My Boy Willie
Slow: The Royal Tank Regiment Slow March
Anniversaries Battle of Cambrai (20 November)
Engagements World War I
World War II
Battle honours Battle Honours
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief HM The Queen
Notable
commanders
Hugh Elles
Insignia
Tactical Recognition Flash

The 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps and the 1st Mechanized Brigade.

History

2 RTR Badger during live fire training exercises in 2004 on Bergen-Hohne Training Area (Germany) near the Fallingbostel station

Founded as B Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917, the 2 RTR first saw action in World War I with the advent of tank technology. In 1992, it merged with the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, keeping their own original title. It became the second regiment to be equipped with the Challenger 2 in 1998.[1]

Sabre squadrons were deployed by the regiment to Iraq on Operation Telic in 2003 and 2007.[2][3] After a long period in Fallingbostel, Germany, the regiment moved back to Aliwal Barracks in Tidworth in July 2007.[4] On 25 June 2008 at Buckingham Palace, both 1RTR and 2RTR were presented with their new Standard by The Queen, which included the new Battle Honour of Al Basrah 2003.[5]

Units were deployed to Afghanistan on Operation Herrick in 2010.[6]

In August 2014 the regiment merged with 1RTR to form "The Royal Tank Regiment" (RTR). The new regiment will be based at Aliwal Barracks, Tidworth and be one of 3 armoured regiments equipped with the Challenger II tank.[7]

Organisation

2 RTR is made up of four squadrons: Badger, Cyclops, Egypt and Falcon.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "2nd Royal Tank Regiment". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  2. "Badger". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  3. "Cyclops". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  4. "Agreement reached with Aspire Defence Limited". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  5. "House of Commons – Hansard Written Ministerial Statements for 10 Nov 2005 (pt 1)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 10 November 2005. col. 21WS–22WS.
  6. "Eygpt". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  7. Regular Army basing announcement

External links

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