Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) is the oldest tank unit in the world, being formed by the British Army in 1916 during the First World War.[1] Today, it is the armoured regiment of the British Army's 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade. Formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps, it is part of the Royal Armoured Corps.
Royal Tank Regiment
28 July 1917 – present
Armoured
CBRN reconnaissance
One battalion
Fear Naught
Quick: My Boy Willie
Slow: The Royal Tank Regiment Slow March
First World War
*Cambrai, 20 November
Second World War
Korean War
Iraq War
see Battle Honours
Lt Col Mark Luson
Lt Gen Sir Hugh Elles
Maj Gen Sir Percy Hobart
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Tank
RTR
The regiment is equipped with Challenger 2 tanks and based at Tidworth coming under 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade following the Army 2020 refine. Unlike the other Type 56 Challenger 2 Regiments, the RTR also has an CBRN reconnaissance squadron operating the Fuchs reconnaissance vehicle which forms part of 28 Engineer Regiment.[19] Thus the regiment comprises six squadrons:[20]
Regimental museum[edit]
The Tank Museum, the museum of the Royal Tank Regiment, is at Bovington Camp in Dorset.[22]
Traditions[edit]
The official regimental motto is Fear Naught. The regimental colours are Brown, Red and Green. When it was first formed, the Tank Corps had no distinctive colours. Nothing was done about it until just before the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 when General Elles, wanting some distinguishing mark for his tank, went into a shop to buy material for a flag. Although stocks were small, the General bought some lengths of silk — brown, red and green. The silk was sewn together and was flown from his tank 'Hilda' in which he led the Tank Corps into battle. The colours typified the struggle of the Corps — 'From mud, through blood to the green fields beyond'. This most apt interpretation of the colours was suggested by Colonel Fuller. The flag is flown with the green uppermost.
