THE historic Heugh Gun Battery museum played host to a ceremony marking the 300th anniversary of the Royal Artillery.

A baton shaped like a shell that has travelled all over the world over the last year as part of the tercentenary came to Hartlepool for the event.

Mayor of Hartlepool Mary Fleet was handed the Captain General’s baton before it continued on its journey, which will end with a Royal Review later this month when Her Majesty The Queen will be presented with it.

Serving Royal Artillery soldiers from the Yorkshire Gunners, a regiment based at Catterick Garrison, joined forces with regiment veterans from associations from across the North East at the parade.

The Heugh Gun Battery was chosen as one of only a handful of places in the country to receive the baton because of the role it played in defending the town during the First World War bombardment on December 16, 1914.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hart, commanding officer of 5 Regiment Royal Artillery, said: "It is with great pleasure to bring the baton to this place which is riddled with history.

"It is the site of the only World War One battle to take place on British soil and of the first British soldier killed in the Great War."

The Hartlepool branch of the Royal Artillery Association applied to host an event to mark the important anniversary.

Branch secretary Tug Wilson said: "I think we were very lucky to get it. There were lots of applications but we were one of the only branches of the Royal Artillery Association that is hosting the baton."

Once the parade in Hartlepool was completed, the baton was passed on to 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, based at Albermarle Barracks, Newcastle and 101 Regt RA The Geordie and West Riding Gunners who are based at Napier Armoury in Gateshead.

It will then be handed to 4th Regt RA The North East Gunners based at Alanbrooke Barracks in Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, who will take it to Salisbury Cathedral.