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Mercer's Troop
G Parachute Battery (Mercer's Troop) Royal Horse Artillery is a close support battery of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, part of the Royal Horse Artillery of the British Army, currently based in Merville Barracks in Colchester. Formed in 1801, the battery has taken part in the Napoleonic Wars (notably the Battle of Waterloo where it earned its Honour Title as ''Mercer's Troop''), the Indian Mutiny, the Second Boer War and the First and Second World Wars. In 1961, it was given a parachute role as part of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery and has seen considerable active service particularly in Northern Ireland (Operation Banner), the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. History Napoleonic Wars The battery was formed on 1 September 1801 as G Troop, Horse Artillery at Mallow, County Cork, Ireland as a horse artillery battery of the British Army. It was involved in the capture of Buenos Aires in 1806. The troop's best known action during the Napoleonic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who can exit from an aircraft at height and descend safely to earth. A parachute is usually made of a light, strong fabric. Early parachutes were made of silk. The most common fabric today is nylon. A parachute's canopy is typically dome-shaped, but some are rectangles, inverted domes, and other shapes. A variety of loads are attached to parachutes, including people, food, equipment, space capsules, and bombs. History Middle Ages In 852, in Córdoba, Spain, the Moorish man Armen Firman attempted unsuccessfully to fly by jumping from a tower while wearing a large cloak. It was recorded that "there was enough air in the folds of his cloak to prevent great injury when he reached the ground." Early Renaissance The earliest eviden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
