The Battery was formed in
1801 from the disbanded Royal Irish Artillery. Major HB Lane was
Battery Captain of 6 Company, 7th Battalion Royal Artillery (now 46
Talavera Bty) at the battle of Talavera, and thus an eye witness of
the exploits of the Battery during the battle. The Battery Commander
was Capt CD Sillery and after the custom of the time the Battery was
called “Sillery’s Battery”. The following is an extract of Maj
Lane’s private letter where he describes the detail of the Battle of
Talavera:
The Battery was firing on the evening of 27th July 1809 at Talavera
La Renya, covering the withdrawal of the Army position. (This
withdrawal was caused by the disobedience of orders by the Spanish
contingence of the right flank that evening). The following day the
Battery was posted to the North of Talavera and began engaging in
Counter-Battery fire and very quickly silenced the enemy guns on the
right flank that evening..."
The following day, the Battery began engaging fourteen 8 pounder and
six 8 inch Howitzers from 6am till about noon. In his letter to a
friend of Sir John May, Maj Lane speaks of the Battle thus:
“...Sir John will no doubt recollect why I allude to the retreat and
state whether the 7th Battalion (46 Battery) men did their duty or
not as he was with our guns when most hotly engaged. I was wounded
slightly about 1am (28 July). A French shell burst directly under
the gun, killed No 7 and 8, took a leg off Nog, and knocked me
backwards. I sustained a contusion of the head, a graze to the
sinews of the left thigh and another of the left foot. Before this
having being obliged to serve the sponge for some time,
inserviceable between the guns and limbers when, Lt Gen Sir John
Shearbrooke, perceiving my situation dismounted from his horse and
poured the contents of a small phial of brandy down my throat which
brought me to my recollection and I was enabled, by the cessation of
all firing about this time to stand to the guns again in the
afternoon. The loss in men and horses was severe
The next day, the Battery was especially
thanked by the Divisional Commander, Lt Gen Sir John Shearbrooke,
for their "extremely steady and effective fire, which had
contributed considerably to the final victory at Talavera.”
During the First World War (1914 - 1918)
46 Battery under 39 Brigade 1st Division fought in many long
campaigns including the Battle of Mons.
In 1939 10 Regiment RA was formed in
September 1939 with two Batteries 30/46 and 51/54
| Date |
Division |
Posting |
Weapons |
| 03/09/1939 |
2 Inf. Div. |
Deepcut.UK |
3.7 inch Hows
|
| 24/09/1939 |
2 Inf. Div. |
France |
3.7 inch Hows
|
| June 1940 |
2 Inf. Div. |
UK |
3.7 inch Hows
|
| June 1942 46 Bty now independant |
2 Inf. Div. |
India |
3.7 inch Hows
|
| April 1943 |
36 Indian Div. |
India |
3.7 inch Hows
|
| September 1943 |
2 Inf. Div. |
India |
LAA |
| April 1944 |
2 Inf. Div. |
Kohima, Burma |
105 mm SP Priest |
| April 1945 |
2 Inf. Div. |
Chittagong, India |
105 mm SP Priest |
| June 1945 |
2 Inf. Div. |
Secunderabad, India |
105 mm SP Priest |
1994 46 Bty returned to 32 Regiment from the disbanded 2 Regt as
Headquarter Battery.
