104th Field Battery , Royal Australian Artillery The 104 Field Battery , Royal Australian Artillery was formed in the town of Moascar in Egypt during March 1916 as the 104th Field Artillery ( Howitzer ) Battery , part of 4th Field Artillery Brigade . The battery was disbanded , reformed and rerolled many times during its history . However , it is now inactive . History . World War I . The 104th Field Battery , Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery , had its beginnings in Egypt , in March 1916 . At this time the Battery was raised as a part of the general expansion of divisional artillery prior to the AIF being dispatched to France . In mid - March 1916 the battery sailed for France , and upon their arrival were issued with new 4 . 5 inch howitzers , reunited with their horses and commenced training . On 21 April 1916 , 104th Howitzer Battery relieved C Battery of 176 Brigade Royal Field Artillery ( RFA ) on the line south east of Armentieres , exchanging guns in the process . Shortly after this , they were deployed to the Somme and saw their first real action on the Western front . After the Third Battle of Ypres , the battery fired in support of the British 30th Division and the British 7th Brigade in the Battle of the Hindenburg Line . Over the next two years , the 104th Field Battery , as part of the 2nd Division Artillery , saw intense and unrelenting action on the Western Front , with almost 58 % of the total gunners deployed from Australia being killed . After victory was declared the battery returned to Australia and was disbanded . Vietnam War . The battery served two tours of South Vietnam ; the first was from May 1968 to May 1969 as part of 12 Field Regiment , supporting 4 RAR . On returning to Australia , the battery regrouped in Holsworthy , and moved up to Townsville in preparation for its second tour of Vietnam . The battery ’ s second tour was from May 1971 to December 1971 , again supporting 4 RAR . 104th Field Battery was the last Australian Field Artillery unit to leave Vietnam . On returning to Australia the Battery was located at Coral Lines Ingleburn with 12th Field Regiment . Post - Vietnam . For a short period time the battery participated in peacetime training and support activities , but with the formation of 8th / 12th Medium Regiment , the Battery was disbanded in December 1973 . In November 1977 the Battery was re - raised as part of the 8th / 12th Medium regiment with guns . Soon after the re - raising , the battery took part in its most important peacetime action . In February 1978 , following a bomb blast at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney , the decision was made to call in the Army to secure Bowral , the venue for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meeting . However , on 15 June 1979 the battery was once again formally disbanded . Recent history . In October 1985 the battery was re - raised as an Army Reserve Unit , as part of 1st Field Regiment in Brisbane , and again issued with the 105mm M2A2 Howitzer . The M2A2 was replaced in October 1990 , with the 105mm L118 / L119 Hamel Gun . In January 1992 the Regiment converted to the Ready Reserve Scheme , attracting a large increase in numbers to the battery and Regiment . The scheme involved members undertaking a contract to work full - time for 12 months , then work 50 days a year for the next four years . In December 1996 , the Ready Reserve Scheme was completed , however the Battery continued to foster ' Ready Reserve Soldiers ' until 2000 , when the Battery assumed the composition that it has today , as a general reserve unit . 104 Field Battery was disbanded on 1 July 2005 during a parade held by 1st Field Regiment to retask 105 Field Battery to a Medium Battery role . Personnel were transferred to the reserve element of 105 Medium Battery and to other batteries within the regiment .