In a reorganisation of the British Army of the Rhine following the 1957 Defence White Paper, the former 1st Army Group Royal Artillery was reduced to a 1-star command, and redesignated as the 1st Artillery Brigade (Field). The new brigade was headquartered at Tofrek Barracks in Hildesheim.[2][3] On 4 October 1961, 1 AGRA was officially redesignated, but later dropped the '(Field)' title in 1967 following the 1966 Defence White Paper, becoming the 1st Artillery Brigade.[2] The brigade was originally responsible for commanding the two MGM-5 Corporal tactical ballistic missile regiments and a new support regiment. (From 1959, there were two regiments with the missile). It gradually evolved from a command unit solely for the Corporal missile regiments to one for all GHQ field artillery within I (British) Corps. The brigade is shown as having controlled the two Corporal-equipped regiments.[2]
In 1958 218 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals was part of the brigade.(Lord & Watson, p. 66)[4] It appears to have disbanded in 1960[5] On 1 January 1967 257 Signal Squadron became 1st Artillery Brigade HQ and Signals Squadron, as reported by the National Archives from 1967-70.[6][7] Lord & Watson, p. 80 refers to 218 Squadron still being active, but this seems likely to have been a confusion with 1 Artillery Brigade HQ and Signals Squadron.
Following the 1975 Defence White Paper, the "Mason Review," brigades were done away with and replaced by task forces. The 1st Artillery Brigade was also disbanded on 1 September 1977, subsequently merged with the 7th Anti-Aircraft Brigade and became the 1st Artillery Division. In the process, 1 Artillery Brigade HQ and Signals Squadron was disbanded. The new division was organised as follows:
Following the 1981 Defence White Paper, the brigades were reformed, and the division was subsequently redesignated as [the] Artillery Division. In 1984, it was further redesignated as Artillery, I (British) Corps, and on 1 November 1985 became the 1st Artillery Brigade once again.
In January 1985, 12th Air Defence Regiment RA was moving from Rapier Barracks, Kirton-in-Lindsey, in North East District to Napier Barracks in Dortmund.[20] In a semi-swap, at the same time, 16 Air Defence Regiment returned home from Moore Barracks in Dortmund to Rapier Barracks in Kirton-in-Lindsey.[23]
Isby and Kamps 1985 lists the brigade "up to the beginning of 1985" with headquarters at Ripon Barracks, Bielefeld; three heavy regiments (5, 32, and 39); 50 Missile Regiment; and 16 and 22 Air Defence Regiments, though 16 Regiment of course was in the process of moving back to the UK.[24] Also present of course was 8 Artillery Support Regiment, but Isby and Kamps did not list RCT units.
Under the Army 2020 programme announced in 2013, the brigade merged with 43rd (Wessex) Brigade to become 1st Artillery Brigade and Headquarters South West. The old artillery brigade became the operational portion of the formation, while 43 Brigade became the regional headquarters element. The brigade's operational role was expanded and by this point oversaw all artillery units administratively within the army. Operationally, it controlled all but the special regiments (7 Parachute Regt RHA, 29 Commando Regt, RA, the Surveillance/Drone regiments, and the Air Defence regiments). The brigade's role was described "...will deliver both close support artillery and precision fires, as well as leading Air-Land Integration".[43] The brigade's new designation as 'Headquarters South West' indicating its shift to an administrative formation, now overseeing all of South West England and the Channel Islands.[44][45][46][47]
1st Artillery Brigade and Headquarters South West[46][48][49]
Headquarters, 1st Artillery Brigade, at Jellalabad Barracks, Tidworth Camp[45] – HQ includes 2 x deputies, one for the operational (artillery) sector, and one for the regional sector[45]
Headquarters South West, at Jellalabad Barracks, Tidworth Camp[45]
In 2019, a reorganisation of the Field Army saw the 1st Artillery Brigade lose its regional affiliation, once again becoming simply 1st Artillery Brigade. In addition to the removal of the regional basis, the brigade was reorganised, and placed under command of the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division.[55] The brigade's structure at February 2022 was as follows:
Ministry of Defence, Staff Officer's Handbook Number 71038, D/DGD&D/18/35/54, 1999.
Lord, Cliff; Watson, Graham (2004). The Royal Corps of Signals: unit histories of the Corps (1920-2001) and its antecedents. Solihull, West Midlands, England: Helion & Company. ISBN978-1-874622-92-5. OCLC184820114.
Mackinlay, Gordon Angus (2008), "A Moment in Time", The British Army at a Moment in Time - 1 July 2007: A look at and from it of the makeup of the Regular and Territorial Army, New South Wales, Australia: University of East Anglia
James Tanner, The British Army since 2000, 2014 Osprey Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom. ISBN978 178200 593 3.
Watson, Graham E.; Rinaldi, Richard A. (2005). The British Army in Germany (British Army of the Rhine and After): an Organisation History 1947–2004. Tiger Lilly Publications. ISBN978-0972029698. OCLC241300352.
Watling, Jack; Bronk, Justin (2021). Occasional Paper: Maximising the Utility of the British Army's Combat Aviation. Whitehall, London, United Kingdom: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.
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