EaglesThis is the MkII site for the poor souls who had the fortune, or misfortune, to serve with N Bty (The Eagle Troop) RA. Once 2nd Fd Regt RA was no more the bty joined 3 RHA and later went to 1 RHA but is now back with 3 RHA as the fourth Tactical Group (Tac Gp) - well they were last time I looked.

So, as I served with the battery for over 10 years most of the images are from that period and it was a great period of my life and this, I hope, reflects that. However I would also like to here from those who have served in the bty since and right up to the present time - I'm sure I can manage to fit RHA in the title somewhere!

My introduction to the regiment was in W.Germany - Peninsula Bks (Hemer) to be a little more exact and was quite a quiet affair - we drove through the gate! My introduction to the battery was a little different in that it was a film who's only stars were two Nuns and a donkey - and I think that is as afar as we'll go with that one! You can blame Dave Smart et al.

To say that I enjoyed my time in the Bty was rather an understatement. Now don't get me wrong I moaned about most things, especially when they bunged me on a Regimental Survey Course, but lets face it that is part of a squaddies job.

When I first came to the bty we seemed to be forever on exercise whether it be dry training or live firing. Dry training was the worst because it was more like the real thing but without the noise! With dry training you'd get to a wood or something and then hide. You would then fire a couple of imaginary rounds get spotted by the imaginary enemy and bug out to the alternative position and start the whole thing again. However the dry training seemed to die down after a couple of years - Germans probably complained about us demolishing woods, ploughing already ploughed fields and things!

Live firing was much more sedate (you didn't move much!) and being in the command post meant there wasn't much hard labour. Even when the computer kicked the bucket or when John Horsley switched it off - the git - the hardest work was shapening the pencils! But then some daft sod put me in the Survey Team and I never stood still again!

The only blot on the horizon was Northern Ireland. When I got to the bty they had just come back from Andersonstown in Belfast which had left a rather bitter taste in peoples mouths.

Peninsula Bks was a great place but I don't think we realised that until we got to the tip (Ubique Bks I think) in Dortmund.

My last few months in the bty was not that great as I had somehow developed epilepsy which put paid to me going with the bty back to Germany so I stayed in Larkhill at the School - deep joy. My last year was spent in Woolwich - even greater deep joy.

The images are many and varied and have been either sent to me by a number of individuals or have been gathered from my own collection, as some are slides you might find the quality is sometimes questionable.

EagleThe GALLERY.

This generally covers anything the others don't such as a few cartoons from Frankie Dunn, a cricket match on a sloping pitch that makes Lords look flat and a trip to the Felsenmer just outside the camp.

EagleTHE ROGUES GALLERY.

This brings together some of the more - how shall I put it - colourful characters of the bty who whilst you might take them home once you definately would not twice!! But then you might; but only to clear up!

EagleSANDBAGS

We all know that squaddies like to talk and recount stories - whether true or of a dubious nature. The only trouble is this is usually after they have had a few, if not more. But, hopefully, a few more stories might be forthcoming.

EagleEQUIPMENT

Many of the pictures I've got are from the age of steam gunnery so I've 'borrowed' some of the more modern stuff from somewhere else - I pay as much tax as anyone else!

GuestbookGUESTBOOK

Once I've decided which to use - or made my own. I've decided - follow the link above! Now I know this might be sad but believe it or not but the book is actually the front cover of a set of 105mm range tables.

© Richard Fox