D Battery Royal Horse Artillery

D Battery Royal Horse Artillery are a Precision Strike/Deep Fires Battery of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery They are currently based in Albemarle Barracks in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

History
D Battery RHA was formed as F Troop RHA in 1794. In 1812, during the Peninsular War, the battery was part of Wellington's Army, where the battery participated in the Battle of Salamanca. The battery was “hotly engaged in repulsing the attack on Hougoumont Farm,” a crucial role in the battle of Waterloo. F Troop fought its most famous battle, Secundra Gunge, on 5th Jan 1858, during the Indian Mutiny.

In 1859 Troops of the Royal Horse Artillery were designated as Batteries. The unit was retitled as "B" Battery, B Brigade. B Battery left their barracks at Exeter, embarked the troopship Jumna at Plymouth on 19 October 1876 and arrived in India on 21 November 1876. A further reorganisation of the artillery took place in 1877 so it was as "F" Battery, A Brigade RHA that they were part of the campaign against hostile tribesmen in the Second Afghan War of 1878-80. F Battery were stationed at Attock in 1879 and 1881. In 1882 F Battery were stationed at Ambala.

The brigade system was finally abolished on 1 July 1889. Henceforth, batteries were designated in a single alphabetical sequence in order of seniority from date of formation and the battery took on its final designation as D Battery, Royal Horse Artillery. Major Eustace and the rest of the battery were at Aldershot as at the time of the 1891 census. From 1898 to 1901 D Battery were stationed at Ambala, once more, redeploying to Meerut by November 1904.

Lieutenant Colonel Sherwood Dighton Browne, the Commanding Officer of 3rd Brigade, comprising D and E batteries, and his subordinates were at the Artillery Barracks, Chapeltown Road, Leeds as at the time of the 1911 census. D Battery was stationed in Ireland at the outbreak of war, and disembarked in France on 17 September 1914. Was transferred to 2nd Cavalry Division on 15 September 1914, the battery then remained with this formation for rest of the war.

In May 1938, 3 Brigade Royal Horse Artillery was re-designated as 3 Regiment Royal Horse Artillery with two batteries (D, J). It took on an anti-tank role.