Shipbucket

Nice, but I'm sure this AU would benefit greatly if You would include more stuff "from yourself" (of your own creation).
On a side note, esthetically it would also benefit from standard templates and caption fonts (and format), as well as color palette of drawings themselves (including window colors, but also such things like roundels - those on Spit and on Beau use different shades than Hampdens, for example) - and also the squadron code letters on aircraft MUST be without anti-aliasing.

Thanks for the feedback eswube. I'm not very good at the drawing side of things, but much better at researching & coming up with the back stories for my AU. I'm trying to start doing some mods of my own, like taking an existing design & making some slight changes to fit the design requirements my AU needs. I'm working on standardising the fonts on my templates.

I'm doing the mods in 3D Paint at the moment, so my colour palette is a little limited, but I will standardise the roundel fonts etc. in the next few days. I didn't realise they were different. And I don't know what you mean by anti-aliasing with the squadron code letters. I'm sorry.

Thanks again for the assistance.

Template fonts have now been standardised & roundel colours have been fixed. Have now also fixed the squadron code letters too.

While the fleet was reduced to 36 aircraft, the RWFAF added several new & important capabilities throughout the 1960s.

No.2 Squadron:
The Hawker Sea Furies would be the RWFAF’s last propeller-driven fighter, replaced in 1962 by 10 Canadair Sabre Mk.6 jet fighters. The RWFAF Sabres were ex Canadian aircraft which had been replaced in RCAF service by new CF-104 Starfighters. The sale of the aircraft to West Florida also included conversion & follow-on training for RWFAF pilots & technicians. The Canadair Sabre was built under licence from North American Aviation, a variant of the American built F-86 Sabre. The Mk.6 was patterned on the later versions of the US Sabre, with larger wings for improved manoeuvrability while replacing the original GE J47 engine with the locally designed, more-powerful Avro Canada Orenda. The Mk. 6 is widely considered the best of all Sabre variants.





No.3 Squadron:
Despite the robustness & versatility of the C-47 Dakota, by the late 1950s the RWFAF was looking for a replacement with greater cargo capacity & longer range. Unlike older, World War Two era transport aircraft derived from passenger airliners, the Lockheed Hercules was designed specifically as a combat transport, with a pressurised cabin & rear ramp, allowing bulk loading & dispatch of cargo. Its turboprop powerplant gave the Hercules a range of 2,000km & the ability to operate from short & unprepared strips. So, in 1963, No.3 Squadron’s venerable Dakotas were retired & replaced by three Lockheed C-130E Hercules. The extended-range C-130E model was essentially a B-model with the addition of 1,360 US gal (5,150 L) Sargent Fletcher external fuel tanks under each wing's midsection & more powerful Allison T56-A-7A turboprops. The E model also featured structural improvements, avionics upgrades, a higher gross weight, & the four-bladed propellers that had become standard on the B-model. The Hercules represented a huge improvement over the C-47 in terms of payload, range, speed & manoeuvrability, giving the West Florida military its first strategic airlift capability. Prior to 1965, there were no dedicated aircraft available for the transport of government ministers or vice-regal representatives in West Florida. Use of aircraft from Florida Empire Airways was not always suitable, particularly for priority movements which did not fit into civilian airline timetables. Therefore, in 1965, a Hawker Siddeley HS 748 turboprop airliner was procured & fitted out for VIP transport. The new aircraft would be operated by No. 3 Squadron.





No.471 Flight:
In 1962 No.471 Flight was raised, becoming the RWFAF’s dedicated maritime patrol force. It was named in honour of the Article XV squadron who flew with the RAF’s Coastal Command during World War Two. No.4 Squadron’s Sunderland aircraft were transferred to No.471 Flight, soldiering on until they were finally replaced in 1965 by two Lockheed P-3B Orion ASW & maritime patrol aircraft.

No.4 Squadron:
After transferring its Sunderland aircraft to No.471 Flight the previous year, No.4 Squadron became the RWFAF’s first operational helicopter squadron in 1963 when it received four UH-1 Iroquois, followed by six Westland Wessex in 1964. The RWFAF had selected the AB-204 variant of the Iroquois, licence-built by Agusta in Italy. This was because the Italian built machines used a derivative of the de Havilland Gnome engine also powering the Westland Wessex that were on order. Agusta had also supplied these aircraft to Sweden, Austria & the Netherlands. The “Hueys” of A Flight were put to work in a variety of roles including search & rescue, battlefield reconnaissance, artillery observation, medevac, & training. They could also be employed in the gunship role, armed with a pair of M157 rocket launchers & twin M-60 machine gun mounts for two door gunners. B Flight received the first of its six Westland Wessex in 1964. The Wessex was a British-built development of the Sikorsky H-34, produced under licence by Westland Aircraft. One of the main changes from Sikorsky's H-34 was the replacement of the piston-engine powerplant with a turboshaft engine. In addition to its Royal Navy service, the Wessex was also successfully employed as a utility helicopter by the RAF. Their improved HC.2 variant was powered by coupled de Havilland Gnome engines, which provided nearly double the power of the original single-engine model & hugely expanded the aircraft's range & this was the variant purchased by the RWFAF, capable of ferrying up to 16 troops or a 4,000-pound payload of supplies. The HC.2’s ability to operate in a wide range of weather conditions as well as at night, also made it well-suited to search & rescue (SAR) operations.





Diplomatic relations with the United States:
Increased U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, along with West Florida’s refusal to participate in the conflict, threatened to strain diplomatic relations between the two countries. These tensions were eased, however, when West Florida committed to putting additional pressure on the growing Soviet presence in the region following the Cuban Missile Crisis. From 1964, regular patrols were undertaken by the navy’s two Queen Elizabeth class frigates, joined by the air force’s new P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft in 1966.

Although the story seem plausible enough, I think you should adhere to the forum guidelines regarding drawings. These include size of template of the drawing, fonts used there.

_________________
Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Thanks for the feedback Novice.

At the moment, I'm just using previous drawings for the type of aircraft or ship I need as a template & making some minor adjustments or colour scheme changes. If the original drawings are the right size, I don't understand how my changes make them a different size. Acting on some previous feedback, I also went back & made sure the type font & size was the same on all the drawings I posted. My apologies, as I am not an artist in any way, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong here.

A simple solution to your predicament is by using the original drawing and template as is, modifying and re writing the titles to suit your needs. I remember that there was a fonts template in a thread somewhere, but I don't remember where.

_________________
Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Since the establishment of their New World colonies, the British had raised militia forces for local defence, & while militias in England were little used, those in the North American colonies were often the primary British force in the field. They remained an important part of Britain's military power in the Americas & were vital in Britain’s victory over Spain & France during the Seven Years' War.

The American Revolution:
In 1775, plans to invade Canada were drawn up as one of the first major military initiatives of the newly formed Continental Army. Unlike Canada, West Florida remained uninvolved during the first three years of the American Revolution, despite turning down an invitation to the Continental Congress, & its legislature professing loyalty to the Crown. This all changed in 1778 when James Willing lead a raid through the province's back door, the Mississippi River. Willing came from a prominent Philadelphia family, & had previously been a merchant, operating a general store in the colonial West Florida settlement of Natchez. The majority of Natchez remained loyal to the Crown & Willing was not a successful merchant, so he returned to Philadelphia, where he was commissioned as a naval captain in the Continental Navy. Willing’s force of about 100 men raided British forts, plantations, & other loyalist properties in the colony's western districts. Although his success was short-lived, & Willing soon saw the inside of a British jail, his achievement alerted the British to West Florida's vulnerability. Two regiments of Loyalists from Pennsylvania & Maryland arrived in January 1779 to bolster the 16th Infantry Regiment & the West Florida Rangers, until then the only units available for the defence of the colony.

The Siege of Pensacola:
By March 1781, Spanish forces had captured all West Florida territory west of the Perdido River & besieged Pensacola. The garrison defending Pensacola included the British regular 16th Infantry Regiment, the West Florida Rangers, The West Florida Royal Foresters, the two battalions of loyalists from Maryland & Pennsylvania, No.7 (Johnstone’s) Company Royal Artillery, & elements of the 60th Royal American Regiment. Initially raised as an independent ranger company, from loyalists who had settled in West Florida, the Rangers were a rapidly deployed light infantry force tasked mainly with reconnaissance, patrolling, & raiding operations. Often scouting for the British 16th Infantry Regiment, the Rangers ability to gather intelligence on the enemy was highly valued. The Royal Foresters were initially placed on the Provincial Establishment when three cavalry troops were raised in 1780. After the Siege of Pensacola, only one troop remained. The 60th Royal American Regiment had been raised in the American colonies in 1756 to defend against attack by the French. It was intended to combine the characteristics of a colonial corps with those of a foreign legion, recruiting Swiss & German forest fighting experts, American colonists & British volunteers from other regiments. To reward & maintain their service & loyalty, British citizenship was offered to those foreign officers, engineers & soldiers who served for two years. The 60th was uniformed & equipped in a similar manner to other British regiments, but on campaign, swords were replaced with hatchets. No.7 Company, 4th Battalion Royal Artillery was raised at Woolwich in 1771 under the command of Captain William Johnstone, who was appointed Commander Royal Artillery for the colony when No.7 Company arrived in Pensacola. Captain Johnstone became heavily involved in the planning & construction of batteries & fortifications around Pensacola during his time there, in addition to training the gunners of the garrison. The company was the only unit of the Royal Artillery in the southernmost colonies, & they, along with their commanding officer, were mentioned several times in dispatches for their bravery during the defence of Pensacola.

West Florida Colonial Militia:
Despite the brave defence of Pensacola, the West Florida colony lost all its territory west of the Perdido River in the Treaty of Paris which ended the American Revolutionary War. Frustrated by this loss of territory, the British began to bolster West Florida’s defence. In addition to the loyalists who resettled in Canada following the Revolution, some also settled in West Florida. Since many of these new arrivals were veterans of loyalist regiments, they brought both British sympathies & military training, which helped to establish competent professional forces to oppose the perceived American threat. These new units were organized within the British army but charged wholly with the defence of their home colonies. By 1812, West Florida’s colonial militia consisted of two infantry battalions, each with its own mounted troop, & an artillery battery. In total, around 1,240 men. The companies of the infantry battalions were formed from survivors of the Maryland & Pennsylvania loyalist battalions, along with the West Florida Rangers & settlers who had served in the 60th Royal American Regiment. Royal American Company, 2nd Battalion Royal West Florida Regiment continue the traditions originated in this militia unit. They use the Swift & Bold motto that the 60th gained fighting at Louisbourg, Quebec & Montreal during the Seven Years’ War, & wear hatchets in place of bayonets on their ceremonial uniforms. 2nd Battalion also maintains an alliance with 2nd Battalion Rifles in the UK, thanks to their shared heritage with 60th Royal American Regiment. The West Florida Rangers name lives on today in the 1st Ranger Regiment, the main special operations force of the West Florida Defence Forces. The survivors of the Royal Foresters helped form the mounted troop in each infantry battalion & their name is perpetuated in Royal Forester Troop, the present-day ceremonial mounted troop of the West Florida Light Dragoons. Men from No.7 Company who had remained after the war & settled in West Florida helped to form the artillery battery of the new militia, with the heritage of their original unit maintained through No.7 Troop, the ceremonial saluting battery of today’s Royal West Florida Artillery.

The War of 1812:
Often viewed as a minor theatre of the Napoleonic Wars, historians in North America view the War of 1812 as a war in its own right. With the United Kingdom engaged in Europe, the United States took the opportunity to declare war & launch another attempt to capture more territory. In 1813, American forces, led by Major General James Wilkinson, occupied Mobile, effectively capturing it from the Spanish & incorporating it into their Mississippi Territory. Ironically, Wilkinson was later exposed as having been a highly paid spy in the service of the Spanish Empire. America viewed the 5-ship Royal Navy squadron stationed in Pensacola as a potential threat to their newly acquired territory, which prompted an expedition led by future American president Andrew Jackson in 1814. In addition to the Royal Navy Squadron, Pensacola’s defences included a mix of British regulars & West Florida militia at Fort George, a Spanish force garrisoning Fort San Carlos & at fortified positions at the western end of Santa Rosa Island. With Jackson’s forces diminished due to illness & desertion, he was forced to wait for reinforcements before advancing on Pensacola, giving the combined British, Spanish, & colonial forces time to prepare. On November 7th, Jackson’s forces finally assaulted Pensacola, their superior numbers allowing them to occupy the town & the area around Fort George. British & Spanish forces were able to consolidate their position at Fort San Carlos, around 14 miles south-west of Pensacola & on Santa Rosa Island. The Royal Navy Squadron of four sloops & the frigate HMS Seahorse, withdrew to avoid capture or destruction. Suspecting the withdrawal of the Royal Navy squadron was in preparation for an attack on Mobile, Jackson abandoned Pensacola & set out towards Mobile, allowing British & colonial troops to retake Pensacola. When the war concluded in 1815, the Treaty of Ghent restored all pre-war boundaries, further solidifying West Florida’s territorial borders.

Responsible Government & Dominion Status:
Following the first sitting of parliament in 1864, West Florida increasingly took responsibility for its own affairs while remaining within the British Empire. The Colonial Office in London, however, retained control over some matters, including foreign policy. The cost of maintaining forces in the colonies became the focus of considerable debate in the House of Commons, & the decision was taken in London that those colonies which had achieved responsible government should bear the cost of their own internal defences. With the last British garrison troops leaving in 1871, West Florida progressively started taking responsibility for their own defence. The previous colonial militia forces were increased to around 1,450 men, comprising 2 battalions of Infantry, a squadron of cavalry to be named the West Florida Light Dragoons, an Artillery Battery, & an Engineer Company. Prior to Dominion status being granted in 1907, a second squadron of light cavalry had been added to the West Florida Light Dragoons & a second artillery battery had been raised, along with the establishment of a school of gunnery on Santa Rosa Island.

Boer War:
Following the outbreak of the Boer War in October 1899 there was significant internal debate in West Florida around whether to send forces to assist in the war. Though not fully independent on foreign affairs, West Florida had local say over how much support to provide & the manner in which it might be provided. While opinions differed as to whether West Florida should remain tied to London, or have full independence, much of the population had originated from Great Britain, so there was a general desire to support Britain during the conflict. The colonial units raised for the defence of West Florida had no obligation for overseas service. However, almost 1,000 volunteers raised two contingents of mounted rifles for service in South Africa.

The Royal West Florida Regiment has its origins in the colonial battalions created following the Siege of Pensacola in 1781. The 1st Battalion was formed from veterans of the Maryland loyalists & West Florida Rangers, while the 2nd Battalion contained veterans of the Pennsylvania loyalists & 60th Royal American Regiment. These battalions were raised for internal defence, & like the Territorial Force in Britain, volunteers had no liability for overseas service, which remained unchanged following the granting of Dominion status to West Florida in 1907. However, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Government of West Florida began recruiting a force for service with the British Army. Significant numbers soon volunteered for foreign service, allowing the 2nd Battalion to be deployed abroad, while 1st Battalion remained focused on home defence. The British 29th Infantry Division was formed in early 1915 by combining various regular units that had been acting as garrisons around the Empire, & after a period of acclimatization in Egypt, the 2nd Battalion West Florida Regiment was assigned to the division, reinforcing 87th Brigade for the upcoming Gallipoli campaign. The tactical recognition flash for 2nd Battalion is shown below.





1915-16:
The 29th Division was at Gallipoli for the duration of the campaign, including the original landings at Cape Helles. The division was in theatre for eight months & took part in some of the most brutal fighting on the peninsula. The division was finally evacuated from Gallipoli in January 1916. The 87th Brigade had landed at Gallipoli with around 4,200 men. By the time they were evacuated, fewer than 700 remained. Temporarily moved to Egypt, the 29th Division was eventually sent to France. Even with replacement troops, the 2nd Battalion West Florida Regiment was still below half strength. Instead of disbanding the battalion, the men from West Florida would provide the 87th Brigade’s machine gun company & trench mortar battery. They arrived near the German held village of Beaumont Hamel in late March 1916 & took part in the battle which virtually wiped out the Newfoundland Regiment on 1st July.

1917-18:
Despite still being understrength, the men of the West Florida Regiment continued to fight with the 29th Division following Beaumont Hamel, still serving as the 87th Brigade’s machine company & mortar battery. The men from West Florida saw action during the Arras offensive in late April, & again during the Battle of Passchendaele from August through October. Still in Flanders during early 1918, the West Florida Regiment & 29th Division helped defend the vital railway junction at Hazebrouck during the Battle of Lys in April. By mid-July, the German Spring Offensive had failed to achieve a decisive victory & increasing numbers of American troops were arriving on the Western Front. By late September, allied troops in the area were well rested & the final advance into Flanders began. As part of the British 2nd Army, 29th Division finally broke out of the Ypres salient, gaining more ground in a day than in the entire Passchendaele offensive the year before. They saw action during the battle of Courtrai in October, eventually advancing well across the Scheldt. Following the Armistice in November, the Division was among those selected to march into Germany to occupy the Rhine bridgehead. However, as their comrades were crossing the Belgian-German border in early December, the heavily depleted 2nd Battalion of the West Florida Regiment were already preparing to head home. In recognition of the gallant service of 2nd Battalion, the West Florida Regiment was granted its “Royal” prefix, becoming the Royal West Florida Regiment in 1919. The 2nd battalion’s colours carry the battle honours Gallipoli 1915, Somme 1916, Arras 1917, Lys, & Ypres 1917,18.

World War Two:
The regiment served closer to home during World War Two, with men from both battalions stationed in the British Caribbean colonies of Bermuda, Jamaica, the Bahamas, & British Guiana throughout the war. They also assisted British & Canadian troops to defend the strategically important oil refineries on Trinidad, & the Dutch islands of Aruba & Curacao.

Korea:
After some debate, in December 1950, the West Florida government announced it would raise a volunteer force to assist UN troops in Korea. The force consisted of an infantry company from 1st Battalion Royal West Florida Regiment, a light battery from the West Florida Regiment of Artillery, & a small headquarters unit providing supply, transport, signals, & engineer support. The West Florida contingent was incorporated into the British 29th Independent Infantry Brigade. The brigade saw action at the Battle of Imjin River in April 1951. For their actions at Imjin River, A Battery West Florida Regiment of Artillery & 1st Battalion RWFR were both awarded the battle honour Imjin in addition to receiving a US Presidential Unit Citation. In July 1951, the 29th Brigade was absorbed into the 1st Commonwealth Division, & the West Florida contingent served with the division until the end of the conflict in 1953. The tactical recognition flash for 1st Battalion is shown below.

The West Florida Light Dragoons trace their history back to 1780 when three troops of light cavalry were raised as the West Florida Royal Foresters. Following the siege of Pensacola in 1781, only one troop remained. These survivors helped establish the mounted troop in each of the two infantry battalions of the West Florida colonial militia. The Royal Foresters name is perpetuated in Royal Forester Troop, the present-day ceremonial mounted troop of the West Florida Light Dragoons. Following the first sitting of parliament in 1864, West Florida increasingly took responsibility for its own affairs & with the last British garrison troops leaving in 1871, West Florida progressively started taking responsibility for their own defence, expanding the previous colonial militia forces. The mounted troop was removed from each infantry battalion & these troops were joined together to form the first squadron of the West Florida Light Dragoons. Prior to Dominion status being granted in 1907, a second squadron was added, containing many veterans from the two contingents of mounted rifle volunteers who had served in the Boer War.

Dragoons:
Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry with greater mobility than regular infantry. As they were supplied with inferior horses & more basic equipment, dragoons were also cheaper to recruit & maintain than conventional regiments of cavalry. For many years dragoon regiments retained strong links with the infantry in appearance & equipment, with one difference being the adoption of caps instead of broad-brimmed hats to enable muskets to be worn slung. The West Florida Light Dragoons used cavalry unit designations, but had characteristics of both cavalry & mounted infantry, using their horses for transportation & for swift disengagement when retreating or retiring. However, unlike mounted infantry, they also performed certain cavalry roles, such as scouting & screening, while mounted.

World War I Overseas Service:
At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, like their infantry colleagues, officers & troopers of the West Florida Light Dragoons could not be compelled to serve overseas. However, by August 1915 there were enough foreign service volunteers to allow B Squadron to be allocated for overseas service. The squadron embarked for Egypt from Pensacola, along with West Florida Regiment reinforcements, arriving in December 1915. After arriving in Egypt, rather than serve as cavalry, the men from West Florida, along with Australian Light Horse & NZ Mounted Rifles reinforcements were used to strengthen & expand the Imperial Camel Corps.


Imperial Camel Corps:
The Camel Corps was established in January 1916 & operated as mounted infantry, using their camels for transport but dismounting to fight on foot. After two months of training, the first camel companies left their depot on the outskirts of Cairo to conduct long-range patrols into the Sinai desert. As the railway & water pipeline that sustained the main body of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force was extended across the northern Sinai, the patrols undertaken by the Camel Corps companies protected these vital strategic assets against the possibility of Ottoman raid or attack. Intended to operate independently, & reflecting their ad-hoc origins, the camel companies used a unique mixture of infantry & mounted rifles organisation & nomenclature. Each company consisted of four sections, each made up of seven groups of four cameleers. Together with a small company headquarters group, this gave each camel company a strength of 130 men, all armed with the standard Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifle. Initially, one trooper in each four-man group was expected to look after the four camels while the other three men went into action. However, it was found that the camels were much less prone to panicking than horses when exposed to enemy artillery & small-arms fire, allowing one man to look after up to 12 camels. Sinai patrols were mostly carried out at section level (about 30 men), but when isolated Ottoman outposts were located, they were occasionally the target of company-strength raids. In addition to their regular long-range desert patrols, fighting in the Sinai increasingly required the Camel Corps to undertake more conventional combat roles. This led to a reorganisation & expansion in August 1916. The new camel company boasted a strength of 184 men by adding an eighth group to each section, introducing a machine-gun section of 15 men equipped with three Lewis Guns, & increasing the size of the company headquarters group with specialist personnel, including eight signallers, a medical orderly & a veterinary sergeant. This company organisation would remain unchanged for the rest of the Imperial Camel Corp's existence.

After victory in the Battle of Romani during August, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) went onto the offensive in the Sinai Desert, resulting in the expansion of the Imperial Camel Corps. This led to the formal re-organisation of the Camel Corps into a brigade formation with three standing battalions in December 1916. Each battalion consisted of four camel companies & a headquarters company. Their baptism of fire came a mere four days later when it took part in the Battle of Magdhaba. The withdrawal of all Ottoman outposts from the Sinai Peninsula after the annihilation of their garrison at Rafa in January 1917 removed the main threat to the British lines of communication across the Sinai. With the intensification of fighting around Gaza in southern Palestine, the remaining camel companies patrolling the Sinai, were taken off those duties & formed into the brigade's fourth battalion in May 1917. The addition of the 4th Battalion allowed one battalion to rotate through the Camel Brigade's Training Depot for rest & refitting while maintaining a strength of three battalions in the field. While the camel battalions constituted the bulk of the Brigade's fighting capability, the creation of a brigade-level structure also allowed support units to augment & further enhance that capability. For the first time the cameleers had their own dedicated artillery battery & machine gun squadron, dramatically increasing the firepower available to them. The addition of a field ambulance & logistic units gave the cameleers the ability to better sustain themselves & remain on operations for periods of greater duration & intensity. For the rest of 1917 the cameleers fought against the Ottoman Turks, first in Palestine, & then from early 1918 in the Jordan Valley. When the EEF advanced out of the Sinai & into Palestine, the change in terrain led to the disbandment of the Imperial Camel Corps Brigade, with the West Florida camel company serving with the Brigade until it was disbanded in June 1918. The West Florida cameleers then reverted to a horse-mounted role as part of the 5th Light Horse Brigade alongside Australian, New Zealand, & French troops. The brigade’s involvement in combat was limited to the final offensive of the war, which began with the Battle of Megiddo in late September 1918. Elements of the brigade entered Damascus on 1st October, & by the end of the month the Ottomans had surrendered, bringing an end to the fighting in the theatre. The men of the West Florida Light Dragoons returned home in 1919 having earned nine battle honours for their World War One service. B Squadron still carries a camel silhouette on their tactical recognition flash in memory of their service with the Imperial Camel Corps in Sinai & Palestine (shown below).





World War Two:
At the outbreak of World War 2, both A & B Squadron were still horsed, although they had been partially motorised since 1936 with Morris Commercial PU & CS8 trucks. Following the outbreak of World War Two, members of the regiment deployed dismounted alongside infantry from the Royal West Florida Regiment, assisting British & Canadian troops to defend the British Caribbean colonies of Bermuda, Jamaica, the Bahamas, & British Guiana, in addition to the strategically important oil refineries on Trinidad & the Dutch islands of Aruba & Curacao. During 1943, both squadrons of the regiment converted to the reconnaissance role, equipped with a mix of Humber armoured cars, Humber scout cars, & universal carriers. The existing Morris PU & CS8 trucks were supplemented by Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) 15-cwt & 3-ton 4x4 vehicles. Following the war, in 1946, the remaining Morris trucks that had been in service since 1936 were replaced by surplus CMP 4x4 vehicles from Canada.

The regiment can trace its origins to the formation of No.7 Company of the 4th Battalion Royal Artillery, under Captain William Johnstone. Shortly after formation in 1771, the 4th Battalion was posted to New York City, from where No.7 Company was sent to Pensacola & Captain Johnstone was appointed Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) for the colony of West Florida. Having been ceded to Great Britain at the end of the Seven Years' War, the defences of the colony had been seriously neglected under Spanish rule. Captain Johnstone was heavily involved in the planning & construction of the batteries & fortifications around Pensacola during his time there. As the Revolutionary War was being fought in the north, No.7 Company remained in West Florida, being the only Royal Artillery unit in the southernmost colonies. Concerns of a Spanish attack on the colony increased following Spain’s entry into the war in 1779, & from March to May 1781, a force led by Bernardo de Gálvez laid siege to Pensacola. The garrison, including No.7 Company, mounted a heroic defence, with Captain Johnstone & his men being mentioned in dispatches on several occasions for their bravery in engaging the enemy during the siege.

Despite the brave defence of Pensacola, West Florida lost all its territory west of the Perdido River in the Treaty of Paris which ended the American Revolutionary War. This prompted the British to strengthen West Florida’s defences, including two coastal gun positions to protect the entrance to Pensacola Bay. One was on the eastern tip of Perdido Key, with the other on the western end of Santa Rosa Island. Later, a third position was constructed at Fort San Carlos on a bluff overlooking Pensacola Pass. These gun emplacements were manned by the artillery battery of West Florida’s colonial militia, known as Johnstone’s Company, in recognition of No.7 Company’s original commander. In 1813, after occupying Mobile, the perceived threat posed by the 5-ship Royal Navy squadron stationed in Pensacola prompted an expedition led by future American president Andrew Jackson in 1814. After occupying the town & the area around Fort George, Jackson suspected the departure of the Royal Navy Squadron was in preparation for an attack on Mobile. He withdrew his forces from Pensacola & set out towards Mobile, allowing British & colonial troops to retake the town.

With the last British garrison troops leaving in 1871, A Battery (Johnstone’s Company) was formed as the first permanent unit of the West Florida Regiment of Artillery, manning the three forts around Pensacola Harbour. Prior to the granting of Dominion status in 1907, B Battery had been raised as a dedicated field battery. Like their infantry & cavalry counterparts, there was no obligation for overseas service. However, following the outbreak of World War One, volunteers came forward in significant numbers. In 1915 B Battery was designated for foreign service & joined 2nd Battalion West Florida Regiment as part of the British 29th Division fighting in France & Flanders. In 1916, the battery was in action during the Somme Offensive, & then supported allied offensives at Arras & Passchendaele during 1917.

At the outbreak of World War Two, Fort San Carlos had already been converted into a signal station, with only Fort Perdido & Fort Santa Rosa retaining their guns. During the war, members from both batteries of the West Florida Regiment of Artillery deployed alongside their infantry & cavalry colleagues assisting with the defence of the British Caribbean colonies & the vital oil refineries on Trinidad, Aruba & Curacao. Men from both A & B batteries served as anti-aircraft detachments aboard convoy vessels in the Caribbean, as well as between Bermuda & Halifax. The growing importance of anti-aircraft defence throughout the war resulted in the raising of C Battery in 1943 as a dedicated light anti-aircraft battery. Equipped with the ubiquitous 40mm Bofors, the initial cadre of C battery was drawn from the gunners of A & B batteries who had served aboard the convoys. By the end of World War Two, the advent of new technologies had all but eliminated the need for fixed coastal defences. So, in 1947, A Battery was converted to a field battery & Fort Perdido was deactivated, leaving Fort Santa Rosa as the regimental headquarters for the West Florida Artillery. The tactical recognition flash of the Royal West Florida Artillery is shown below.