Royal Tank Corps
The Royal Tank Regiment is a unit of the British Army (formerly the Tank Corps and Royal Tank Corps). It is a regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two units, the First Royal Tank Regiment (1RTR) and the Second Royal Tank Regiment (2RTR). The regiment motto is Fear Naught.
History
The Royal Tank Regiment's formation followed the invention of the tank. Tanks were first used in the Battle of the Somme in World War I and at that time the early army unit was divided into six tank companies, collectively called the Heavy Branch, and manned by members of the Machine Gun Corps.
In 1917 the unit was given its first official status as the Tank Corps. The six companies were expanded to form the Tank Corps battalions which, by December 1918, numbered 26. The Corps saw heavy action through the remainder of the war, with special note being given to the Battle of Cambrai, which the regiment continues to commemorate annually.
After the war the Tank Corps was trimmed down to a central depot and four battalions.
In 1923 it was officially named Royal (making it the Royal Tank Corps) by Colonel-in-Chief King George V.
It was at this time that the motto Fear Naught, the black beret and the unit badge were adopted. The word Corps was replaced in 1939 with Regiment to give the unit its current name.
The regiment was again expanded such that there were numerous units of the RTR that took part in countless battles in World War II, including the Battle of Dunkirk, El Alamein and D-Day.
After World War II the RTR was again reduced such that there are now just two regiments, the First and Second Royal Tank Regiments (1RTR and 2RTR). The unit has continued to see action, including playing a role in missions in Kosovo.
The current Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Tank Regiment is Queen Elizabeth II.
Vehicles
The Royal Tank Regiment uses a variety of vehicles, including:
- Challenger 2 (introduced in 1998; the regiment's primary vehicle)
- Scimitar
- Sultan (vehicle)
- Spartan (vehicle)
- Samaritan (vehicle)
- HGV
- Land Rover
See also
