SCRABO TOWER GUN SALUTE FOR ROYAL BATON

A nine-round salute was fired by the “Ulster Gunners” at Scrabo Tower to mark the arrival in Northern Ireland of a unique baton that has circumnavigated the globe.

The baton – known as the Captain General’s Baton – was on its way to a presentation to the Queen, who is Captain-General of the Royal Artillery, to mark its 300th Anniversary. (The regiment was formed in May 1716 by Royal Warrant of King George I in Woolwich.)  

Arriving at Belfast’s George Best international airport early on 10 May 2016, the Captain General’s Baton embarked on a day of celebration and commemoration in Northern Ireland, hosted by members of 206 (Ulster) Battery Royal Artillery, 105th Regiment Royal Artillery (The Scottish and Ulster Gunners).

Initially taken to Battery Headquarters in Newtownards, Co.Down for an obligatory photo opportunity, the Baton was soon presented at a Feu De Joie ceremony atop Scrabo Hill, a dominating feature close to Newtownards. With generous consideration given by the local authorities, permission was granted to fire the guns from the grounds of Scrabo tower, a first in terms of ceremonial events for Northern Ireland and an entirely fitting location to mark the arrival of the Baton. The tower, which is visible from almost all of north Down, was built above Newtownards in 1857 as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquis of Londonderry and member of the Duke of Wellington’s staff during the Napoleonic Wars. The Feu De Joie of 9 rounds, fired from 3 Guns manned by reserves from 206 (Ulster) Battery was watched by members of the local community, past Battery members and delegations from both Coleraine and Belfast Royal Artillery Association’s. It was a superb event in a unique and awe inspiring location, the perfect way to start the day.

Following the Feu De Joie, several members of the Battery were interviewed by local media organisations. The sheer number of journalists and reporters present really highlighted the amount of interest that has been generated by the tercentenary, both within the Gunner community and throughout the general public in Northern Ireland.
    
Following a quick lunch, the Baton was whisked away to Castlereagh in Belfast, the Northern Ireland base of the Thales Group. Thales are the manufacturers of the HVM and are long standing partners to Defence. It was 5 young apprentices from Thales who, in 2014, were given the task of manufacturing the Baton as an engineering project and part of their overall qualification. It was fantastic to see 2 of the apprentices present during our visit; both were hugely proud of the contribution they had made to UBIQUE 300, and who were genuinely interested in the Baton’s journey. The 105th  Regiment team were treated to a fantastic tour of the Thales factory, whilst the Baton was given a quick ‘once over’ and final polish by the apprentices, a huge thank you to all at Thales for their support and cooperation.

Once back in Newtownards, the Baton was guest of honour at a buffet supper attended by past and present members of 206 (Ulster) Battery and their families and friends. There followed a couple of pints of Guinness (clearly) and a few songs (naturally) before the day was drawn to a close. A fantastic way to bring the curtain down on an epic event.