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The Royal Tank Regiment's formation followed the invention of the tank. Tanks were first used in the Battle of the Somme in World War I and at that time the early army unit was divided into six tank companies, collectively called the Heavy Branch, and manned by members of the Machine Gun Corps.
In 1917 the unit was given its first official status as the Tank Corps. The six companies were expanded to form the Tank Corps battalions which, by December 1918, numbered 26. The Corps saw heavy action through the remainder of the war, with special note being given to the Battle of Cambrai, which the regiment continues to commemorate annually.
After the war, the Tank Corps was trimmed down to a central depot and four battalions. In 1923 it was officially named Royal (making it the Royal Tank Corps) by Colonel-in-Chief King George V. It was at this time that the motto Fear Naught, the black beret and the unit badge were adopted. The word Corps was replaced in 1939 with Regiment to give the unit its current name.
The regiment was again expanded such that there were numerous units of the RTR that took part in countless battles in World War II, including the Battle of Dunkirk, El Alamein and D-DayThe Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. Sixty years later, the Normandy invasion, codenamed Operation Overlord remains the largest seaborne invasion in history, involving almost.
After World War II, the RTR was again reduced such that there are now just two regiments, the First and Second Royal Tank Regiments (1RTR and 2RTR). The unit has continued to see action, including playing a role in missions in KosovoKosovo and Metohija ( Serbian: Albanian: Kosova , usually called just Kosovo is an autonomous province of Serbia (which together with Montenegro constitutes Serbia and Montenegro). It is currently administered by the United Nations following the recent Ko. Today, 1RTR forms part of the Joint NBC RegimentThe Joint NBC Regiment is a specialist unit of the British armed forces. It is a dual service unit consisting of two regular units: 1st Royal Tank Regiment 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment The JNBC Regiment is trained in the detection and decontamina (together with No 27 Squadron, RAF RegimentThe RAF Regiment is a specialist corps within the Royal Air Force responsible for defending airfields and associated installations. Organistion and Current Role The RAF Regiment's 2800 members are organised into ten squadrons of 100-150 personnel each, ro), while 2RTR retains its role as an armoured regiment.
The current Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Tank Regiment is Queen Elizabeth IIGolden Jubilee in 2002, wearing her Canadian orders) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary), styled HM The Queen (born April 21, 1926) is the Queen regnant and Head of State of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland an.