1 Chapter 1: The Birth of the Sphinx The 103rd Battery was raised in Tel El Kebir, Egypt on the 6th March 1916 after a trial of reorganisations. Originally, the 103rd Battery was raised on the 18th February 1916 as the 36th Battery, 12th Field Artillery Brigade and was made up of members who transferred from the 3rd Field Artillery Brigade. This new Brigade was intended for the 4th Australian Divisional Artillery and was inspected at 1st Australian Divisional Artillery HQ that same evening. On the 4th March 1916 another reorganisation occurred and the 12th Field Artillery Brigade was taken back to the 1st Australian Division before being converted to a Howitzer Brigade: specifically the 21st Howitzer Brigade. Then, finally, the battery was renamed on the 6th March to the 103rd Howitzer Battery. It must be stated for posterity that this battery and the 103rd Battery of today are two completely separate units. The 103rd Battery of today was raised in 1960 and perpetuates the memory of the battery that served in the First World War. This is a mistake that has almost been cemented into the history of the Royal Australian Artillery, but we as gunners of the 103rd Battery simply acknowledge the previous iterations of our battery because if we did not then their names, service and triumphs would fade into ambiguity.
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