May 9, 2024HTBS

Cannon Lore

The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery (RHA), enters London’s Green Park at the start of one of the ceremonies marking the anniversary of the Coronation. Picture: HQ London District Facebook.

9 May 2024

By Tim Koch

One of Tim Koch’s rowing free but military ceremonial heavy posts.

The 6th May saw the first anniversary of The Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla and the British Army marked the event with ceremonial gun salutes in London in Green Park and at the Tower of London, and also in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland; Cardiff Castle, Wales; Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland; and Museum Gardens, York.

I was present in Green Park and, while I was happy to witness a splendid piece of ceremonial despite the heavy rain and restricted viewing position, I was disappointed that, for some reason, the six First World War era 13-pounder Field Guns that were to fire the salute were not positioned by the horses pulling them across the park at full gallop.

When I witnessed such an event in 2017 (Limbering Up) I wrote:

The 750-metre “charge,” if that is the correct term, was a great thing to experience. From a distance, there is first the faint but increasing thunder of hooves and the rumble of the wheeled guns and limbers. As they get closer, this sound is joined by the distinctive jangle of tack, medals, swords, spurs and gun parts, this composite of sound punctuated by the stirring call of a bugle. Very quickly, the full effect of more than sixty 1000 pound horses breathing heavily and six one-and-half ton guns moving at great speed is upon you. In the background, a military band is playing some jingoistic tune. I was probably not the only observer who, at that point, would have enthusiastically accepted an offer from Lord Raglan to accompany the Light Brigade.

Of course, the RHA are not cavalry.

Each gun is attached to a limber, a two-wheeled vehicle to which the gun is attached for transport. This is pulled by six horses in three pairs. The harness is designed with no girth, so if a horse were killed, it would simply fall out of the tack, allowing the others to continue. The whole unit is 54 feet long and there are seven gunners in each crew. As I discovered in a 2019 visit to Hyde Park Barracks, the army takes fantastic care of its horses.
The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, is an army mounted ceremonial unit that fires Royal Salutes on Royal Anniversaries and State Occasions, such as State Visits and Royal birthdays, and they provide a gun carriage and a team of black horses for State and Military Funerals.
This “Chelsea Pensioner” was one of the official guests. A tourist standing behind me confidently told her children that he was “a Beefeater.” 
King’s Troop soldiers and officers also serve operationally in the Royal Artillery.
RHA Officers’ Cross Belt Pouch. 

Originally made to carry dispatches, cross belt pouches (or boxes) always remind me of the actor, David Niven. When he was an officer cadet at Sandhurst in the late 1920s, he was given the prestigious position of Commandant’s Orderly. Part of the uniform was a dispatch box worn on his back. So many cadets asked Niven what was in the empty box, he decided to fill it with cigarettes, lavatory paper and condoms and say that it contained “Commandant’s personal supplies”. The joke was eventually forgotten but some time later the Commandant suddenly announced that it was time that he inspected his orderly. The unusually thorough inspection included the despatch box. Niven’s autobiography takes up the story:

I sensed him rustling about among its horrible contents – Woodbines, matches, lavatory paper and French letters…After an eternity, Major-General Sir Eric Girdwood stood before me…”Niven,” he said, “I had heard about that…thank you very much…you are very considerate…” It was never referred to again…

The heavy rain soon had a detrimental effect on uniforms and equipment that had taken many hours to prepare, polish and press.
Royal Hair Force. As the RHA Officer on the left demonstrates, the British army has recently allowed beards (full set only, length between 2.5mm and 25.5mm). The Coldstream Guardsman on the right told me that he was a Rastafarian. There are around 100 “Rastas” serving in the Regular Army and they may wear full beards and have dreadlocks which “should be worn in a manner that is tidy and allows for the wearing of all forms of headdress correctly.” 

The British Army’s policies on religious inclusion are here. Interestingly, there are currently around 690 Buddhist soldiers currently serving.

The guns were detached from their limbers which the horses took to the rear, and, on the word of command, each of the six guns fired blank artillery rounds at ten-second intervals until 41 shots had been fired (a 21-gun salute plus an extra 20 for a Royal Park).
The guns are the Regiment’s Colours (equivalent of an infantry regiment’s ceremonial flag with battle honours) and are afforded due respect.
Timing the guns.
The Irish Guards provided music before and after the salute.
The salute is over. Strictly, it was a 40-gun salute as there was one amusing misfire which made a small “pop” sound.
The crews position their guns in readiness for collection by the limbers. 
“Limber-up”
Back to barracks and stables.
The Irish Guards march off.

The next Gun Salute in London is on 15 June, the King’s Official Birthday. Other 2024 dates are here.

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