Honourable Artillery Company
Army Reserve regiment, royal charter corporation and registered charity in the City of London
| Honourable Artillery Company (HAC)
| |
|---|---|
| Type | Royal charter corporation; Army Reserve regiment |
| Founded | 25 August 1537 (royal charter of Henry VIII) |
| Registration ID | Registered charity 208443 |
| Headquarters | Armoury House, City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ |
| Key people | Captain-General: Charles III; President and Colonel Commandant: Roland Walker; Chief Executive: T M L Simson |
| Website | hac.org.uk |
| Remarks | Regiment listed in the Land Special Operations Force in 2026 Army FOI replies |
The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is an Army Reserve regiment of the British Army and a royal charter corporation and registered charity based at Armoury House in the City of London. It was incorporated by a royal charter of Henry VIII on 25 August 1537 and its charitable objects are "for military exercise and training and for the better defence of the realm".[1] The regiment has had a surveillance and reconnaissance role since 1973. It served under the 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade and the 77th Brigade and, according to the Ministry of Defence, now sits in the Land Special Operations Force.[2]
History
The Honourable Artillery Company's civil and financial affairs have been run by a Court of Assistants since 1633.[3] The HAC says that in 1973 the regiment "was re-organised as four patrol squadrons, fielding two operational squadrons for the British Army of the Rhine and two home-defence squadrons". In 1985 it was reduced to three patrol squadrons "all assigned to the delivery of Special OPs", and in 1992 it "became part of NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps".[4] The HAC says that between 1995 and 2019 around 300 of its personnel deployed on overseas operations, in roles "ranging from conducting covert surveillance, providing linguist support, conducting human intelligence operations, directing joint fires and mentoring local forces to delivering medical support, community engagement and media operations".[4]
Role and chain of command
In 2019, according to the Honourable Artillery Company, the regiment was "assigned to the 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade" (see 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade) and its "core role is surveillance".[4] An archived British Army "Unit Details" page (March 2023) gave its role as "Surveillance and Target Acquisition Artillery (Reserve)" and said it would "re-subordinate in 2022".[5] In 2026 its "The Regiment" page said it was "part of the Army's 77 Brigade" (see 77th Brigade).[6]
In June 2026 the Army's FOI office replied to a WhatDoTheyKnow request that described 77 Brigade as having been resubordinated to the Land Special Operations Force (LSOF) on 14 April 2026. The reply said "This change was directed under 'Army Implementation Order B-26-032 – Reorganisation of Land Special Operations'", and that "As of 1 May 2026, LSOF comprises the following subordinate units", a list that includes "The Honourable Artillery Company". It added that "the resubordination did not result in any changes to the location, responsibility or recruitment of the former 77 Brigade subordinate units".[2] A second Army FOI reply, of 16 September 2026, again lists "The Honourable Artillery Company" among the units LSOF "comprises of", together with the four Ranger Regiment battalions, 6 Military Intelligence Battalion, "5 IWB" and "101 IWB" (5 Information Warfare Battalion and 101 Information Warfare Battalion), 4/73 Battery Royal Artillery, 235 Electronic Warfare Signal Squadron and the LSOF Deep Strike Squadron. It withheld the sub-unit detail under section 26(1)(b) (Defence) of the Freedom of Information Act.[7]
Sources differ on where the regiment now sits. The HAC's own "The Regiment" page still says it "is part of the Army's 77 Brigade" (see 77th Brigade) and calls it "the Army's only Reserve Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Regiment".[6] The Journal of the Royal Artillery (Spring 2026) describes HAC capabilities "aligned with the future force as they move into the LSOF (Land Special Ops Force) space" (see Land Special Operations Force).[8] The Army's FOI replies of June and September 2026 list the HAC as a unit of the Land Special Operations Force.[2][7]
The Journal of the Royal Artillery reports that in 2025 "1 (Special OP) Squadron contributed four soldiers to Op ELGIN 15 in Kosovo, conducting heli recces, mapping tasks and partner-force integration. 2 Sqn supported Op INTERFLEX and further IO deployments, while 3 Sqn continued to supply trained Human Terrain analysts to operations in Kosovo, the UK and the USA. These deployments delivered substantial specialist output in intelligence, PSYOPS, reconnaissance and irregular warfare." The reference to "1 (Special OP) Squadron" is to the HAC's 1 (Special OP) Squadron. It adds that the regiment built "the first in house Advanced Signaller Course, PSYOPS course and OSINT (open source intelligence) course".[8]
The British Army's HAC page says that "Over the past 15 years, more than 300 HAC soldiers have deployed on operations and specialist training deployments with regional partner forces". Its list of deployments includes Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Ukraine and North Africa. The page also describes the patrol soldier's role in 1 (Special OP) Squadron as including "delivering a deep strike capability by directing artillery or air-delivered weapons".[9]
Sub-units
- Headquarter Squadron: logisticians, medics and a Command and Information Systems Troop.[10]
- 1 (Special OP) Squadron: "delivers a Surveillance and Reconnaissance (SR) Patrols capability… to conduct high-risk static covert surveillance in order to deliver joint effects at range" (HAC).[10]
- 2 and 3 Squadrons: "Light Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance Detachments" providing "technical surveillance and target acquisition capability and advice to supported arms at the Battlegroup level" (HAC).[10]
- A (1st City of London) Battery: light gun operators reinforcing regular close-support artillery regiments, with "a close association with 7 Para RHA" (HAC) (see 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery).[10]
- HAC Band.[10]
- Ceremonial units: the Company of Pikemen and Musketeers and the Light Cavalry HAC, both housed at Armoury House.[11]
- Special Constabulary detachment: the HAC told the City of London Corporation's Aldermen in July 2024 that it was "in suspension"; the 2025 accounts say it was "formally closed by the HAC in 2025".[12][11]
The Company and the charity
The Honourable Artillery Company is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales as charity 208443 (registered 22 April 1964). Its governing document is the "Royal Charter granted by King Henry VIII on 25 August 1537" and its registered address is Armoury House, City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ.[1] Linked charities on the register are the HAC Benevolent Fund, the Old Comrades Association and the Charles Oscar Gridley Trust.[1]
The Company owns Armoury House (1735) and Finsbury Barracks. The barracks are held in trust and "leased to the Greater London Reserve Forces & Cadet Association", which maintains them for the HAC "on behalf of the MOD" (see Greater London Reserve Forces and Cadets' Association and Ministry of Defence).[13] It also owns the Pencelli Estate near Brecon through Pencelli Limited.[11]
Court of Assistants (trustees)
The Court of Assistants' members are the charity's trustees.[11] The HAC says the Court "is chaired by the President & Colonel Commandant, General Sir Roland Walker KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen".[3] The Charity Commission register records no trustee as chair, and the 2025 accounts and The London Gazette give Walker's post-nominals as "KCB DSO".[14][11][15]
The register lists 30 trustees. It gives no trustee addresses; the charity's registered address is Armoury House, City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ.[14] Court offices are those given in the accounts as at 31 October 2025.[11]
| Trustee (as named on the register) | Appointed (register) | Court office, 31 October 2025 (accounts) |
|---|---|---|
| Major Simon Christopher Briggs TD | not recorded | elected member |
| Lt Col John Robert Longbottom | not recorded | elected member |
| Timothy Lloyd Davies | 16 March 2016 | elected member |
| William Hulbert Grove | 16 March 2016 | elected member |
| Major James Alexander Robinson | 15 March 2017 | elected member |
| Major Hari Voyantzis | 15 March 2017 | elected member |
| Major Peter Dirom Courtenay Vyvyan-Robinson | 14 March 2018 | elected member |
| Lt Col Simon John Rhodes Halliday TD | 18 March 2020 | Treasurer |
| Maj Iain Cardean Spottiswoode Morpeth TD | 18 March 2020 | Vice-President |
| Ian Frederick Sivyer | 23 March 2022 | elected member |
| Lieutenant Colonel Karl Eze | 22 March 2023 | elected member |
| Michael John Cutteridge | 22 March 2023 | appointed by the Court |
| James Gordon Brooke | 21 March 2024 | elected member |
| Colonel Robert Stuart Thomas Murphy | 21 March 2024 | elected member |
| Lt General Sir Charles Roland Vincent Walker KCB DSO (Roland Walker) | 1 June 2024 | President |
| Edmund Dadzie-Yorke | 19 March 2025 | elected member |
| Lt Col Martin Douglas King | 19 March 2025 | Officer Commanding the Light Cavalry |
| Major Francis Oliver Smiddy | 19 March 2025 | elected member |
| Jay Asher | 11 November 2025 | – |
| Simon Charles Garrett | 11 November 2025 | Captain of the Company of Pikemen & Musketeers |
| Adam George Edward Bate | 11 November 2025 | Regimental Colonel |
| Charlotte India Alder | 18 March 2026 | – |
| Major Anthony Hugh Samuel Gabb | 18 March 2026 | – |
| Lenore Alison Dudman | 18 March 2026 | – |
| Major Robert Patrick Quain | 18 March 2026 | – |
| Lt Col Christian Oliver Lewis Wragg | 18 March 2026 | – |
| Major Gregory Morden Hall | 18 March 2026 | – |
| Dr Nishma Shah | 14 April 2026 | – |
| Edward Robert Haines | 14 April 2026 | – |
| Benjamin Mountstephen Symes | 14 April 2026 | appointed by the Court |
The two sources do not match in full. The accounts list as Court members at 31 October 2025 the Commanding Officer, Lt Col G R Cobb VR, and Major General S F N Lalor CB, among others who are not on the October 2026 register. Garrett, King and Bate held Court offices on 31 October 2025, but the register dates Garrett's and Bate's appointments to 11 November 2025.[11][14]
Executive officers named in the accounts are the Chief Executive, T M L Simson, and the Director of Finance, S Hewett FCCA.[11] Honorary members of the Court, who are not trustees, include Prince Michael of Kent (Royal Honorary Colonel) and "The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen and Recorder of London for the time being".[11]
Colonels Commandant
Recent Colonels Commandant have been senior serving generals. Lieutenant General Sir Roland Walker was appointed Colonel Commandant on 31 May 2024 "in succession to General Sir Patrick Sanders KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen… tenure expired".[15] Walker's appointment before April 2021 was Director Special Forces,[16] and he became Chief of the General Staff on 15 June 2024, succeeding General Sir Patrick Sanders.[17]
Finances
For the year to 31 October 2025 the Honourable Artillery Company reported:[11]
- income of £5.378m, expenditure of £5.236m and net assets of £58.319m;
- "annual grants totalling £447k" to the Regiment, "of which £394k were cash grants and £53k were non-cash grants";
- net trading income of £1.082m from HAC Enterprises Limited;
- key management pay of £570,299 (seven people), with the highest-paid employee in the £170,000–£180,000 band.
Charity Commission income figures: 2021 £3.38m; 2022 £4.635m; 2023 £5.096m; 2024 £5.322m; 2025 £5.378m.[1]
The accounts say "Military grants to the Honourable Artillery Company Regiment are agreed by the Court of Trustees each year", and that "Other ad hoc grants and donations are agreed by the Court of Trustees".[11]
Grant to FANY
The accounts of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps), charity 249360, for the year to 31 December 2024 list "Honourable Artillery Company (restricted) 7,500" under "Grants, donations and legacies over £1,000".[18] The 2025 accounts repeat the £7,500 in their 2024 comparative column and record nothing from the HAC in 2025.[19] Neither the FANY accounts nor the HAC's 2025 accounts say what the grant was for. FANY's accounts define restricted funds as funds "donated for a specific purpose", and its 2025 report describes its restricted funds generally as "grants or donations strictly tied to emergency deployment, rapid-response vehicles, or specific crisis training".[18][19] The same 2024 list records "Palantir Technologies 10,000" as an unrestricted grant to FANY. That entry is a payment from Palantir Technologies to FANY and has no stated connection to the HAC.[18]
FANY was founded in 1907. Its strength in the Second World War was 6,000, "of which 2000 were in SOE" (Special Operations Executive), and "Thirty-nine of the 50 women sent into France were FANYs". It took its current name in 1999 with the permission of the Princess Royal.[20] Its stated role is "To provide rapid response teams in support of civil and military authorities during a major event, incident, or in planning and exercise roles". In 2025 its work included Exercise Cyber Marvel 4 in Seoul, support to Royalty & Specialist Protection's Hostile Environment Training and "Op REFRAME with the City of London Police" (City of London Police). Its principal address is Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London SW1E 6HQ.[19] Major General Simon Lalor CB TD VR is listed as a FANY Vice-President in its 2024 and 2025 reports and as a member of the HAC Court at 31 October 2025.[18][19][11]
Subsidiaries
All four companies are registered at Armoury House, City Road, London EC1Y 2BQ.[21]
- HAC Enterprises Limited (01677400), incorporated 11 November 1982. Directors: T M L Simson (from 24 October 2024) and Lenore Alison Dudman (from 12 May 2026). Secretary: Stephen Hewett.
- HAC Flank Companies' Ball Limited (02266408), incorporated 10 June 1988. Director: Adam George Edward Bate (from 14 October 2025). George Robert Cobb was a director from 1 November 2023 to 15 October 2026.
- 14 City Road Residential Limited (16361960), incorporated 2 April 2025. Directors: William Hulbert Grove, Simon John Rhodes Halliday and T M L Simson.
- Pencelli Limited (03724227), incorporated 2 March 1999. Director: George Robert Cobb.
Advisers
Advisers named in the 2025 accounts:[11]
- Auditor: Buzzacott Audit LLP, 130 Wood Street, London EC2V 6DL
- Solicitors: Charles Russell Speechlys LLP, 5 Fleet Place, London EC4M 7RD; Boodle Hatfield LLP, 240 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8NW
- Bankers: NatWest, 250 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 4AA
- Surveyors: Daniel Watney LLP, 165 Fleet Street, London EC4A 2DW
- Investment managers: Evelyn Partners, 45 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7BG
City of London
The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, Aldermen and Recorder of London are honorary members of the Honourable Artillery Company's Court.[11] On 16 July 2024 the HAC gave a presentation to the City of London Corporation's General Purposes Committee of Aldermen. The minutes record that "some 120 Lord Mayors have become members of the HAC". They also record that an Alderman "commented that some on the Court had close links to defence and security and encouraged the HAC to make particular connections here", and that the HAC replied that its members "were effectively ambassadors for defence outside of the military". A small Aldermanic working group was proposed.[12] The HAC's accounts state: "One of the roles of Members is to act as an advocacy network for Defence and Security throughout the country."[11] The accounts also record support for the Combined Cadet Force at City of London Academy, Islington, and facilities for the City of London Police Cadets.[11]
Institute for Statecraft programme, 2016
A programme for a "Visit of Ukrainian Reserve Officers" (marked "Private – in confidence", "16th draft; 11 07 2016") by the Institute for Statecraft lists "Col Eitutis Accommodation at the Honourable Artillery Company". The programme lists Col. (Res) Vidmantas Eitutis of the Lithuanian Army, with Audrius Butkevicius, a Senior Fellow of the Institute, as "Escorting personnel" for a party of Ukrainian officers who arrived at Gatwick on 6 July 2016. Among its points of contact it gives "Lt Col Mark Wood MBE | Commanding Officer | Honourable Artillery Company | Finsbury Barracks". The document's stated aims include "To counter Russian disinformation about the conflict with Ukraine" and "To inform the HCDC and other relevant Whitehall Departments". The visit's other contacts include Chris Donnelly and a Chief of Staff of the 77th Brigade. The same programme names Lt Col J P Searle (Jon Searle) as a host and Maj Alex Finnen (Alexander Finnen) as a point of contact. Searle, Finnen and Donnelly are each named in a list of members of the Specialist Group Military Intelligence published by Anonymous in January 2019; the list is an allegation, and the programme itself does not describe them as SGMI members (see Specialist Group Military Intelligence). The document was among the Integrity Initiative files published by Anonymous.[22]
File:Visit-of-ukrainian-reserve-officers-programme-11-07-2016.pdf
Other people linked to the HAC
- Henry Collis, later of the National Security Communications Team and the Centre for Information Resilience, joined the HAC as a trooper in 2014.[23]
- Joseph Walker-Cousins, who is named in a list of members of the Specialist Group Military Intelligence published by Anonymous in January 2019, appears in The London Gazette under "Honourable Artillery Company, Territorial Army, Group A" as a second lieutenant (on probation) "from Territorial Army Group B General List (Volunteers) 1 April 2002". A later notice records that he "resigns commission 2 April 2002 (Belated Entry)".[24][25]
Affiliations
- Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
- Charity partner: Veterans Aid, from 1 January 2026[26]
See also
- Land Special Operations Force
- 1 (Special OP) Squadron
- 77th Brigade
- 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade
- Specialist Group Military Intelligence
- Intelligence Corps
- Understand Group
- British Military Intelligence
- Institute for Statecraft
Resources
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Honourable Artillery Company (208443) Register of Charities, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Army Policy and Secretariat, LSOF and former 77 Brigade Freedom of Information response ArmySec/FOI2026/10971, 23 June 2026, via WhatDoTheyKnow, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Honourable Artillery Company, The Company hac.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Honourable Artillery Company, 1947 – Present hac.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ British Army, Unit Details army.mod.uk, archived 26 March 2023, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Honourable Artillery Company, The Regiment hac.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Army Policy and Secretariat, Land Special Operations Force organisation, nomenclature and formation insignia Freedom of Information response Army/PolSec/FOI2026/17115, 16 September 2026, via WhatDoTheyKnow, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Journal of the Royal Artillery, "The Honourable Artillery Company", Spring 2026, pp. 21–22, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ British Army, Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) army.mod.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Honourable Artillery Company, Soldiering hac.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 Honourable Artillery Company, Report of the Court of Assistants and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 October 2025, filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 City of London Corporation, Presentation – The Honourable Artillery Company General Purposes Committee of Aldermen, minutes of 16 July 2024, item 7, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Honourable Artillery Company, Who we are hac.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Charity Commission for England and Wales, The Honourable Artillery Company: trustees Register of Charities (public data extract dated 14 October 2026), accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The London Gazette, Issue 64418, supplement p. 11222, 11 June 2024, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Ministry of Defence, Lieutenant General Roly Walker DSO GOV.UK, archived 28 September 2023, accessed 2 November 2026.
- ↑ Ministry of Defence, General Sir Roly Walker KCB DSO GOV.UK, accessed 2 November 2026.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps), Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2024, filed with the Charity Commission (charity 249360), accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps), Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025, filed with the Charity Commission (charity 249360), accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, The history of the Corps fany.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Companies House, officer and filing records for companies 01677400, 02266408, 16361960 and 03724227, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Institute for Statecraft, Visit of Ukrainian Reserve Officers 16th draft, 11 July 2016, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ "Cabinet Office Reservist in Royal pass off parade", 24 March 2014, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ The London Gazette, Issue 56770, supplement p. 14655, 3 December 2002, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ The London Gazette, Issue 56850, supplement p. 2055, 18 February 2003, accessed 1 November 2026.
- ↑ Honourable Artillery Company, Charitable activities hac.org.uk, accessed 1 November 2026.