2 Forward (Airborne) Observation Unit, RA

2 (Airborne) Forward Observation Unit, Royal Artillery (2 FOU) was created as part of 6th Airborne Division.

As the role of airborne forces expanded, and commanders gained experience of their deployment in battle, it was realised that divisional and supporting artillery units required a forward observation capability in order to direct and target artillery attacks. With 1st Airborne Division receiving 1 (Airborne) Forward Observation Unit RA shortly before D-Day, time was short to create a 6th Airborne equivalent.

Volunteers from 3rd (BR) Divisional Artillery were recruited to 6th Airborne and hastily parachute trained, dropping into Normandy under command of 53 (Worcester Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment RA.

2 (Airborne) Forward Observation Unit was formally created on 1 August 1944 and absorbed the forward observer volunteers who returned from Normandy. The unit fought through to the end of the war with 6th Airborne, before being to deployed to the Far East, and later to Palestine.

The unit was finally redesignated as part of the Royal Artillery reorganisations in Summer 1947, becoming 334 (Airborne) Forward Observer Battery RA, which itself disbanded a year later in July 1948.

Record under construction

Unit Commanders

1944                     Maj H Rice

(Currently under research)