A Field Battery , Royal Australian Artillery ' A ' Field Battery is an airborne artillery battery of the Australian Army . The unit has been in existence since 1871 , having originally been raised as part of the New South Wales colonial defence force . Today it is part of the 1st Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery , attached to the 7th Brigade based at Enoggera , Queensland . History . Formation and early history . ' A ' Field Battery was originally formed as ' A ' Field Battery , New South Wales Artillery . The battery served in the Sudan Campaign but saw only limited action as the war was near its end when it arrived . In 1899 the battery was renamed A Battery , Royal Australian Artillery and departed for the Second Boer War on 30 December 1899 . During the war , the battery was involved in several important actions , such as playing an important role in the capture of the Boer commander de Wet ' s artillery pieces . ' A ' Battery lost one man killed in action , two died of disease , and 45 men returned to Australia due to illness . For its service in South Africa , A Battery was presented a Kings Banner , and is believed to be the only Commonwealth artillery unit to have been honoured in this way . First World War . Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 , the battery was among the first units of the Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) to leave Australia . Following a period of training and preparation in Egypt with the rest of the AIF , the unit served with distinction at Gallipoli ( where only one gun was able to be brought to shore ) and in France and Belgium on the Western Front . Following the war , the battery provided the personal escort and saluting battery during the Prince of Wales visit to Australia 1919 . During the Prince ' s visit , in acknowledgement of the battery ' s service in South Africa and during the First World War , the battery was granted the right to wear the white lanyard on the left shoulder . As a result , the battery is the only unit of the Royal Australian Artillery to do this . Second World War . During the period between the wars , the battery undertook several changes in name , eventually being designated A Field Battery Royal Australian Artillery Regiment . At the outbreak of the Second World War A Field Battery were deployed at the School of Artillery and at Holsworthy Barracks , preventing their deployment to the Middle - East and North Africa . However , in July 1943 A Field Battery was re - designated yet again , as the 2nd Mountain Battery , and arrived in New Guinea in September that year . The battery served in New Guinea from 1943 – 1944 . Service since 1945 . Following the end of the war , and returning to its original name , the Battery was part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan . It saw service during the Malayan Emergency , the Indonesian Confrontation and in Vietnam . In late 1987 the Battery assumed the role of parachute deployable artillery for the Airborne Battle Group , and has had personnel serve in non - artillery roles in East Timor / ( Timor Leste ) , as well as deploying in artillery roles to Afghanistan and Iraq . ' A ' Field Battery is currently equipped with M777A2 155mm Howitzers . These guns have currently not seen operational service with the Australian Army . Lineage . 1871 – 1899 — ' A ' Battery , New South Wales Artillery < br > 1899 – 1910 — ' A ' Battery , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 1910 – 1927 — No . 1 Battery , Australian Field Artillery ( Permanent ) < br > 1927 – 1930 — 1st Field Battery , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 1930 – 1936 — 1st Field Cadre , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 1936 – 1939 — 1st Field Cadre , Australian Artillery Regiment < br > 1939 – 1943 — ' A ' Field Battery , Royal Australian Artillery Regiment < br > 1943 – 1946 — 2nd Mountain Battery < br > 1946 – 1949 — ' A ' Field Battery , Royal Australian Artillery Regiment < br > 1949 – 1957 — ' A ' Field Battery , 1st Field Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 1957 – 1959 — ' A ' Field Battery , Royal Australian Artillery Regiment ( independent ) < br > 1959 – 1965 — ' A ' Field Battery , 1st Field Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 1965 – 1966 — ' A ' Field Battery , 45th Light Regiment , Royal Artillery < br > 1966 – 1967 — ' A ' Field Battery , 6th Light Regiment , Royal Artillery < br > 1967 – 1969 — ' A ' Field Battery , 19 Composite Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 1969 – 1974 — ' A ' Field Battery , 12th Field Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 1974 – 2000 — ' A ' Field Battery , 8th / 12th Medium Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery < br > 2000 – 2010 — ' A ' Field Battery , 4th Field Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery . < br > 2011 – Present — ' A ' Battery , 1st Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery