West Riding Artillery Artillery Volunteers . In 1860 , as the British government feared invasion from the continent , the Secretary at War recommended the formation of Volunteer Artillery Corps to bolster Britain ' s coastal defences . The 1st Yorkshire ( West Riding ) Artillery Volunteer Corps was raised at Leeds on 2 August and the 2nd Yorkshire ( West Riding ) Artillery Volunteer Corps at Bradford on 10 October . They began as Coastal Artillery with 32 pounder guns . In 1886 , they became Position Artillery with 40 pounder RBL guns . By 1871 , the 1st had grown to eight batteries and the 2nd had become the 1st Admin Brigade , Yorkshire ( West Riding ) Artillery Volunteers , containing five " Yorkshire ( West Riding ) Artillery Volunteer Corps " , numbered the 2nd , 5th , 6th , 7th and 8th . By 1880 , a number of these Corps had been disbanded or absorbed and the Bradford Brigade became the 2nd Yorkshire ( West Riding ) Artillery Volunteers . Various reforms from 1889 resulted in the units being renamed as 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Artillery Volunteers , then the 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Volunteer Artillery . In 1898 , they became the 1st and 2nd West Riding of Yorkshire Royal Garrison Artillery ( Volunteers ) and were equipped with 4 . 7 - inch QF Guns guns drawn by steam tractors . Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 . After the end of the Boer War in 1902 , a review of the Army took place and a Royal Commission reported on the Militia and Volunteers . The War Office was concerned over the different standards of efficiency , but had to concede that this was in the hands of individual commanding officer s . Secretary for War , Haldane , in the Liberal Government of 1905 , was given the task of preparing legislation for reform . His Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 brought together volunteer units to form the Territorial Force ( to become the Territorial Army in 1921 ) giving them the same role as before , but , in addition , giving them the capability of acting as backup to the Regular Army if the need arose . The result was that the Leeds and Bradford Artillery lost their heavy guns and became the 1st ( with its headquarters at Fenton street , Leeds ) and 2nd ( with its HQ at Valley Parade in Bradford ) West Riding Brigade Royal Field Artillery ( Territorial Force ) . Each brigade had three batteries and an ammunition column ; they were equipped with 15 pounder guns . With the change to the smaller guns , steam tractors were no longer required and the barracks had to be adapted to accommodate horses . In addition , the Act set up County Associations to help co - ordinate the work of the War Office and the new Territorial Force , and to recruit , house and administer the units . First World War . In the Great War ( 1914 – 18 ) , both West Riding brigades were part of the 49th ( West Riding ) Division , going to France in 1915 . Each formed a second line brigade in 1915 ( 2 / 1st and 2 / 2nd West Riding Brigade RFA ( TF ) respectively ) , which then supported 62nd Division . Inter - war period . By the end of the First World War , the Leeds and Bradford brigades had become the 245th and 246th Brigade RFA respectively , but were renamed back to the 1st and 2nd West Riding Brigade RFA when they reconstituted into the Territorial Army in 1920 . This was short - lived , however , as they were again renamed , this time as the 69th and 70th ( West Riding ) Brigades Royal Field Artillery ( Territorial Army ) in 1921 . In 1924 , the Royal Horse , Royal Field Artillery and the Royal Garrison Artillery were reunited under one name and the brigades became the 69th and 70th ( West Riding ) Field Brigades Royal Artillery ( Territorial Army ) . Similarly , when artillery brigade s were rebranded as regiment s in 1938 , the West Riding brigades became the 69th and 70th ( West Riding ) Field Regiment RA ( TA ) . In 1939 , the 69th formed a Second Line regiment at Bramley , Leeds , 121 Field Regiment RA ( TA ) ; the 70th similarly gave rise to 122 Field Regiment RA ( TA ) in Bradford . Second World War . 69th Field Regiment , as part of 49th ( West Riding ) Division , served in Iceland for two years and later , after their return to the UK , took part in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 . 121st Field Regiment went to Iraq in 1941 , fought with the Eighth Army in North Africa and the American Fifth Army in Italy before returning to the UK to take part in the Normandy invasion as a Medium Regiment with 5 . 5 - inch Gun - Howitzers . 70th Field Regiment went to France in 1940 as part of the 52nd ( Lowland ) Division . When the British Expeditionary Force had to withdraw , the 70th returned to the UK via Cherbourg with all their guns , vehicles and equipment intact . They were later transferred to 46th ( North Midland ) Division and fought with them in the Tunisian campaign and in Italy and Greece . 122nd Field Regiment , after training in the UK , went out to the Far East . The 122nd suffered 13 war casualties during the Malayan Campaign up until the naval base at Singapore surrendered in February 1942 . Thereafter , more than 200 died , mainly as a result of their treatment as prisoners of war . Post - war . An honour , unique at the time for a TA unit , was conferred upon the 70th on 5 September 1945 . They were granted the Freedom of the City of Bradford . 269th and 270th ( West Riding ) Field Regiment RA ( TA ) reconstituted in the TA in Leeds and Bradford respectively on New Year ' s Day 1947 . Both units were equipped with the 25 pounder self propelled gun ( the Sexton ) , and both became part of 49th ( West Riding ) Armoured Division . In 1956 , they were re - equipped with 25 pounder ( towed ) , familiar to so many . When Anti - Aircraft Command was abolished in the mid - fifties , 269th absorbed 321 ( West Riding ) HAA Regiment and the 270th absorbed 584 LAA Regiment RA ( 6th West Yorkshire ) without changing their titles ( although the 270th did move their HQ from Valley Parade to 584 ' s barracks at Belle Vue , Bradford ) . To mark the centenary of the formation of the 1st Yorkshire ( West Riding ) Artillery Volunteer Corps , the Freedom of the City of Leeds was granted to the 269th on 3 February 1960 . Shortly afterwards , the 269th and 270th amalgamated with each other to form the 249th ( The West Riding Artillery ) Field Regiment RA ( TA ) , with Headquarters at Carlton Barracks in Leeds and batteries at Leeds , Bramley and Bradford . So came together two regiments who started out alongside each other a hundred years earlier . TAVR III . This reform saw the Regiment reorganised as The West Riding Regiment RA ( Territorials ) on 1 April 1967 : but , by 1969 , the Regiment was reduced to a cadre at Bradford ( some of Q Battery was absorbed into " E Company , The Yorkshire Volunteers ; 272 ( West Riding Artillery ) Field Support Squadron , 73 Engineer Regiment RE ( V ) " also formed at Bradford ) . In 1971 , this cadre was expanded to become " A " ( West Riding Artillery ) Battery , 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Volunteers . 269 ( West Riding ) Battery RA ( V ) . On 1 April 1975 , an independent observation post battery , 269 ( West Riding ) OP Battery RA ( Volunteers ) , was formed at Leeds from the cadre ( and the cadre disbanded ) , reviving the " West Riding Artillery " lineage in the Royal Artillery . Its principal role was to provide 12 independent Observation Teams ( generally consisting of a Captain and 6 ORs ) to each of the regular field regiments in 1st Armd Division and 2nd Armd Division , which at the time were both stationed in Germany to counter the Soviet threat . Since the orbat of both these divisions constantly changed , the affiliation of the OP Teams from 269 Battery was never static . Their wartime equipment for mobilisation was held by the respective supported units , including such items as armoured personnel carriers and surveillance equipment including radar , laser rangefinders and night observation devices . As a consequence , they were far more capable than the OP Teams of the other Field Regiments in the TA . By comparison to their regular counterparts , the OP Teams received far more practical training in the direction of artillery fire over the course of a year , since they had no other duties and , overall , the time spent in OP work lasted longer per individual as there were no other roles to be fulfilled . ( In a typical regular unit the OP Officer held post for 2 – 3 years , whereas in the OP Batteries - of which there were three in the TA - the teams existed for much longer , resulting in higher standards being attainable . For example , it was not unusual for the officers to stay in post for 6 or more years . ) Training in the UK was carried out with a gun troop of 3 x 25 pounders . In addition , the teams occasionally supported other TA Units with their Battalion and Company HQ training by providing OP Teams during exercises . This enabled the other units to gain better appreciation of the artillery support role . In 1989 , 269 ( West Riding ) Battery RA ( V ) re - roled to the 105 mm L118 Light Gun , dropping " OP " from its title . 269 Battery joined 19 Regiment RA ' The Highland Gunners ' , a regular regiment in 24 Airmobile Brigade , in 1993 . Strategic Defence Review . On 1 July 1999 , a new TA " war establish reserve " air defence artillery regiment , 106 ( Yeomanry ) Regiment RA ( V ) , was formed from the transfer and conversion of existing sub - units , including 269 Battery , which converted to the Rapier Field Standard B2 surface - to - air missile system and supported 22 Regiment RA ' The Welsh Gunners ' , then based at Rapier Barracks , Kirton - in - Lindsey . When the decision was made in 2004 to scrap Rapier FSB2 and disband 22 Regiment RA , 269 Battery converted to Rapier FSC and their support role was transferred to 16 Regiment RA , based in Woolwich , London . Future Army Structure . The FAS reforms , announced in 2004 , resulted in a rebalancing of the TA in 2006 . As part of this rebalancing , the West Riding Artillery ceased training on its Rapier FSC equipment on 1 April 2006 in preparation for its new role as a Surveillance and Target Acquisition ( STA ) Battery . 269 Battery was formally handed over to 101 ( Northumbrian ) Regiment Royal Artillery ( Volunteers ) at a ceremony in Carlton Barracks , Leeds on 5 September 2006 . In the period between 2006 and 2013 , Battery personnel have support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan , likewise the Battery has travelled to Iceland , Italy and Germany tracing the history of West Riding Gunners . It was announced on 3 July 2013 , 269 Battery will yet again re - role . The Battery will prepare for delivery of Multi Launch Rocket Systems , and the re - role is expected to be complete by March 2015 . 269 Battery remains a part of 101 Regiment Royal Artillery