Editing Royal Artillery (section)

===1900 to present day===
[[File:Royal Artillery Repository Exercises, 1844.jpg|thumb|left|Royal Artillery repository exercises, 1844]]
[[File:Soldiers of the Bermuda Contingent of the Royal Garrison Artillery in a CCS in July 1916.jpg|thumb|left|Soldiers of the [[Bermuda Militia Artillery|Bermuda Contingent]] of the Royal Garrison Artillery in a Casualty Clearing Station in July, 1916]]
{{see also|List of regiments of the Royal Artillery 1938–47}}
On 1 July 1899, the Royal Artillery was divided into three groups: the Royal Horse Artillery of 21 batteries and the [[Royal Field Artillery]] of 95 batteries composed one group, while the coastal defence, mountain, siege and heavy batteries were split off into another group named the [[Royal Garrison Artillery]] of 91 companies.<ref name=garrison/> The third group continued to be titled simply ''Royal Artillery'', and was responsible for ammunition storage and supply. Which branch a gunner belonged to was indicated by metal shoulder titles (R.A., R.F.A., R.H.A., or R.G.A.). The RFA and RHA also dressed as mounted men, whereas the RGA dressed like foot soldiers. In 1920 the rank of Bombardier was instituted in the Royal Artillery.<ref name=garrison/>

Following the separation of the regular garrison companies into the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1899, the Militia Artillery units were re-titled accordingly in 1902 (by example, ''The Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia)'', which would usually be rendered ''Antrim R.G.A (M)''). The badge adopted was the same as that of the regular Royal Regiment of Artillery, from that point including the "ubique" and "Quo Fas Et Gloria Ducunt" scrolls, with a letter "M" fixed at the bottom of the gun badge, and on the body of the grenade on the grenade badge (also with the "ubique" scroll), whether worn on the collar or on a cap. Alternately, Ubique was replaced on scrolls with the name of the city, county or colony for which the unit was named.<ref name=litchfield/>

When the Volunteer Force and the Yeomanry in the United Kingdom (including the Volunteer Artillery) were merged to create the [[Territorial Force]] in 1908, the Militia was re-designated the [[Special Reserve]].<ref name="litchfield"/> At the same time, plans were made to convert all of the Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) units to Special Reserve Royal Field Artillery, but all Home units other than [[Antrim Artillery|The Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia)]] (converted in 1956 to ''74 (Antrim Artillery) Engineer Regiment (V)'') were instead disbanded in 1909<ref name="litchfield"/> (although Militia Artillery units remained in some of the colonies, and these were not re-designated as Special Reserve; The most notable of these was the [[Bermuda Militia Artillery]], which, like the [[Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps]], formed part of the [[Bermuda Garrison|garrison]] of the important [[Imperial fortress]] colony of [[Bermuda]] where the regular Royal Artillery had first posted a company in 1794, following the [[French Revolution]]).<ref>''Royal Bermuda Regiment: 50 Years Strong'', an official history of the [[Royal Bermuda Regiment]] by Tony McWilliam. National Museum of Bermuda Press, {{ISBN|9781927750971}}</ref><ref>''History of The Coast Artillery in the British Army'', by Colonel KW Maurice-Jones, DSO, RA. Royal Artillery Institution, 1959.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://bermudaregiment.bm/about/history|title=History|website=Royal Bermuda Regiment|access-date=9 January 2021|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111020303/https://bermudaregiment.bm/about/history|url-status=live}}</ref> The remainder of the Special Reserve was re-designated as the Militia again after the First World War and permanently suspended. The Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1921/aug/10/territorial-army-and-militia-bill|title=Debate on the bill in the House of Lords|work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|date=10 August 1921|access-date=6 January 2020|archive-date=21 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220121075435/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1921/aug/10/territorial-army-and-militia-bill|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Christ Church Mhow Plaque 27th Field Brigade Royal Artillery.jpg|left|thumb|upright|The 27th Field Brigade of the Royal Artillery was stationed at Mhow and created a memorial to their men, installed inside [[Christ Church, Mhow]]]]
The division of the Royal Regiment of Artillery lasted until 1924, when the RFA, RHA, and RGA amalgamated once more to become one regiment.<ref name=garrison/> In 1938, RA Brigades were renamed regiments. During the [[World War II]] there were over 1 million men serving in 960 gunner regiments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/royal-artillery/|title=Royal Artillery|website=www.army.mod.uk|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-date=23 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223032048/http://www.army.mod.uk/artillery/23532.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1947 the Riding Troop RHA was renamed the [[King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery]]<ref>Obituary of Brigadier J. A. Norman, ''[[The Times]]'', March 1994; [http://www.paramountmagazine.co.uk/north-west-london-property-news/local-news-and-events/Trooping-The-Colour-For-The-King%E2%80%99s-Troop-Royal-Horse-Artillery.html?nwNewsArticleId=55 Trooping The Colour For The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030923/http://www.paramountmagazine.co.uk/north-west-london-property-news/local-news-and-events/Trooping-The-Colour-For-The-King%E2%80%99s-Troop-Royal-Horse-Artillery.html?nwNewsArticleId=55 |date=4 March 2016 }} Paramount Magazine, 20 September 2011</ref> and, in 1951, the title of the regiment's colonel-in-chief became Captain General.<ref name=garrison/> When The Queen first visited the Troop after her accession, it was expected that it would become "The Queen's Troop", but Her Majesty announced that in honour of her father's decision it would remain "The King's Troop".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/heritage/king_s_troop_a_modern_history_of_1945_to_2012_1_1205418|title=King's Troop: A modern history of 1945 to 2012|publisher=Ham & High|access-date=13 October 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042244/http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/heritage/king_s_troop_a_modern_history_of_1945_to_2012_1_1205418|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:British 39th Siege Battery RGA Somme 1916.jpg|thumb|right|BL 8-inch Howitzer Mk 1 – 5 {{convert|8|in|mm|abbr=on}} howitzers of the 39th Siege Battery, [[Royal Garrison Artillery]], in action near [[Sausage Valley|Fricourt]] in [[World War I]].]]
The [[Royal Horse Artillery]], which has separate traditions, uniforms and insignia, still retains a distinct identity within the regiment.<ref name=garrison/>

Before World War II, Royal Artillery recruits were required to be at least {{convert|5|ft|4|in|m}} tall. Men in mechanised units had to be at least {{convert|5|ft|8|in|m}} tall. They initially enlisted for six years with the colours and a further six years with the reserve or four years and eight years. They trained at the Royal Artillery Depot in Woolwich.<ref>[[War Office]], ''His Majesty's Army'', 1938</ref>

From its beginnings, the Royal Artillery has been based at [[Woolwich]], in south-east London. In 2003 it was decided to move the headquarters to [[Larkhill]] in the [[Salisbury Plain Training Area]] in Wiltshire (the RA's training ground, where the [[Royal School of Artillery]] has been based since 1915). In 2012, however, the [[King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery]] was relocated to Woolwich from their former headquarters in [[St John's Wood Barracks|St John's Wood]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16929473 King's Troop moves to its 'spiritual home' in Woolwich] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626031833/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16929473 |date=26 June 2018 }} at [[BBC]] News, 7 February 2012. Accessed 8 February 2012</ref>