4th Royal Tank Regiment

The 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4 RTR) was an armoured regiment of the British Army from its creation in 1917, during World War I, until 1993. It was part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps.

4th Royal Tank Regiment
Cap badge of the Royal Tank Regiment
Active	28 July 1917- 1993
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Armoured
Size	Battalion
Part of	Royal Armoured Corps Royal Tank Regiment
Garrison/HQ	Tidworth
Motto(s)	Fear Naught
March	Quick: My Boy Willie Slow: The Royal Tank Regiment Slow March
Anniversaries	Cambrai, 20 November
Battle honours	see Battle Honours
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	HM The Queen
Colonel-Commandant	Lt-General Andrew Peter Ridgway, CB, CBE
Notable commanders	Hugh Elles
Insignia
Tartan	Hunting Rose (pipes and drums) [1]

History

Matilda I tank in France, January 1940

The regiment originally saw action as D Battalion, Tank Corps in 1917. In 1940, it was briefly amalgamated with the 7th Royal Tank Regiment, as the 4th/7th Royal Tank Regiment, returning to its previous title four months later.^[2][3]

4 RTR was captured at Tobruk on 21 June 1942. On 1 March 1945, 144th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps was re-designated 4th Royal Tank Regiment to replace the original.^[2][3] The newly retitled regiment equipped with Buffalo LVTs took part in Operation Plunder, ferrying troops of 51st Highland Division across the Rhine on the night of 23/24 March 1945. The Commanding Officer (Lt-Col Alan Jolly) carried the same standard that was originally carried across by 17th Armoured Car Battalion of the Royal Tank Corps in the First World War. Once again the RTR was first across the Rhine.^[4]

In 1948 it assisted in the ending of the British Mandate over Palestine.^[2] In 1959, it was again amalgamated with 7th Royal Tank Regiment, this time without a change of title, and in 1993 due to Options for Change, amalgamated with the 1st Royal Tank Regiment.^[2]

Commanding officers

The Commanding Officers have been:^[5]

• 1941: Lt.-Col. W.C.L. O’Carroll
• 1960–1962: Lt.-Col. Thomas S. Craig
• 1962–1964: Lt.-Col. H. Brian C. Watkins
• 1964–1967: Lt.-Col. John A. Cowgill
• 1967–1969: Lt.-Col. Roger B.C. Plowden
• 1969–1971: Lt.-Col. Martin H. Sinnatt
• 1971–1973: Lt.-Col. Laurence A.W. New
• 1973–1976: Lt.-Col. David Sands
• 1976–1978: Lt.-Col. Nicholas H. Cocking
• 1978–1981: Lt.-Col. Michael J. Rose
• 1981–1983: Lt.-Col. Philip J. Sanders
• 1983–1985: Lt.-Col. Hedley D.C. Duncan
• 1985–1988: Lt.-Col. W. Douglas Cantley
• 1988–1990: Lt.-Col. Charles J. McBean
• 1990–1993: Lt.-Col. Martin N.E. Speller

Awards

• Philip John Gardner – Victoria Cross Tobruk 1941