The History of

127 (Dragon) Battery Royal Artillery

127 (Dragon) Battery was originally raised as 6 Company Madras Artillery in 1778 and sadly its earliest activities are obscure. It is known that the Battery became B Company of 2nd Battalion, Madras Artillery in 1812 and remained as such until 1862 and gained its honour title during this period - in 1842.

CHINA WAR
The war dragged on with periodic clashes until the last engagement on 21st July 1842 when the fortified city of Chin - Kiang - Foo was stormed. The guns were dragged into action only 400 yards from the enemy. After bringing down effective artillery fire, the gunners joined the infantry storming the walls and driving the enemy back until all resistance ceased. The Chinese agreed to peace terms the following month and the Governor General of India published a special order of the day entitling the batteries of the Madras Artillery to wear the insignia of a Dragon with an imperial crown and the word China on all their appointments.

SUBSEQUENT YEARS
In the same year, the Battery returned to India, and in 1862 the Battery transferred to the Royal Artillery as 2 Battery, 20th Brigade Royal Artillery. Under various titles the Battery stayed in India until after the Boer war, when it returned to UK in 1902, having earlier paid a short visit to England from 1878 to 1887. By this time the title was 50 Battery Royal Field Artillery and the Battery went with the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1914 as part of 34th Brigade Royal Artillery with the 2nd Division.

FIRST WORLD WAR
The Great War exemplified the gunner motto UBIQUE for the 50 Battery Royal Field Artillery. The Battery gained 43 distinct battle honours amongst which are all the most famous and the bloodiest of the war - Mons, Aisne, Marne, Somme, Loos, Arras, Paschendale, Ypres and Cambrai. The Battery was with the 2nd Division for the final advance to the Rhine in 1918 and stayed after the war with the Army of Occupation until 1919.

SECOND WORLD WAR
The Battery went to the 2nd World War with 24th Regiment Royal Artillery and saw action in France from 1939 - 1940. The Battery was heavily involved in the Salerno and Anzio landings, at which time it was equipped with 105mm SP Priests.

MODERN TIMES
In 1947, when many batteries were renumbered, 50 (Dragon) Battery became 127 (Dragon) Battery within 49 Field Regiment Royal Artillery. Since the Second World War the Battery has served in West Germany, Borneo, Hong Kong, Cyprus, UK, and Belize; operational tours while in 49 Field Regiment include Borneo, Northern Ireland, the Falklands War (OP Parties only) and the 1991 Gulf war. In 1992, 49 Field Regiment was placed into suspended animation and in July that year the Battery joined 26 Field Regiment Royal Artillery.

The official Battery day is Chin - Kiang - Foo, celebrated on the 21st July each year.