L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery

L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery
L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery
Active	4 October 1809 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Hon East India Coy (till 1858); United Kingdom (post 1858)
Branch	British Army
Type	Artillery
Part of	1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Anniversaries	Néry Day 1 September
Battle honours	Ubique

L (Néry) Battery Royal Horse Artillery is the Tactical Group Battery of 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery.^[1]

Previous role

The Battery became a Tactical Group Battery in 2005, with its guns firing their last rounds in Otterburn in February 2005.

2006 – L/N (Nery) Battery (The Eagle Troop) RHA split to reform separately as L and N Batteries. N Battery returned to 3 RHA to become their Tactical Group Battery and L Battery became 1 RHA's Tactical Group Battery – supporting the HCR, 1st Mech Bde Formation Reconnaissance Regiment.

L (Nery) Battery are known as a Tactical Group Battery and they consist of approximately 30 personnel:

L (Nery) Battery are currently equipped with CVRT, rather the Warrior OPV. They have Forward Air Controllers in each team. ^{[citation needed]}

L (Nery) Battery were formed in India in 1809 as 3rd Troop The Bengal Horse Artillery.^{[citation needed]}

1857 - The Battery was distinguished with service in the Indian Mutiny, when in action on 7 July 1857, Gunner William Connolly who was repeatedly injured, refused to leave his post on the gun. He was awarded L Battery's first Victoria Cross.
1889 - the Battery was renamed L Battery Royal Horse Artillery.

1914 – L Battery accompanied the BEF to France.
1914 - The Action at Néry. On the morning of 1 September 1914 the German 4th Cavalry Division attacked 1st Cavalry Brigade and L Battery, who had been camped in the village of Néry. In the action that followed, L Battery, less for one gun, was all but destroyed. The 13-pounder gun manned by Captain Bradbury, WO2 Dorrell, Sergeant Nelson, and Gunners Osbourne and Darbyshire, managed to keep the single gun in action against the three German Batteries located a thousand yards away. The Artillery fire put down by this gun allowed the 1st Cavalry Brigade to deliver a successful Counter attack. For this action Captain Bradbury, WO2 Dorrell, Sergeant Nelson, were all awarded the Victoria Cross.

L (Nery) Battery served with distinction during WW2 in North Africa and Italy.

L (Nery) Battery also deployed to Palestine, Malaya, and Cyprus and Northern Ireland.

L (Nery) Battery deployed to Northern Ireland.

Elements of the Battery also served in Operation Granby in the Persian Gulf.

1993 – L Battery joined 1 RHA in Assaye Barracks Tidworth Camp when 2 Regt RA (formerly 2 RHA) disbanded.
1999- The Battery amalgamated with N Battery (The Eagle Troop) RHA to become L/N (Néry) Battery (The Eagle Troop) RHA.

The Battery served in the Balkans.

Clarke, W.G. (1993). Horse Gunners: The Royal Horse Artillery, 200 Years of Panache and Professionalism. Woolwich: The Royal Artillery Institution. ISBN 09520762-0-9.