97 Battery (Lawson's Company) Royal Artillery was formed on 13 September 1803 as Captain H. Douglas's Company, 8th Battalion Royal Artillery and is currently a tac battery within 4th Regiment Royal Artillery based in Alanbrooke Barracks, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire. The battery was until recently a gun battery but was reduced to a tac battery in 2013 following its last operational tour of Afghanistan. It is now one of three tac batteries (each made up entirely of Forward Observation parties) who call in artillery fire from 4th Regiment Royal Artillery's two remaining gun batteries. The battery has been known by a variety of names during its existence and moved between different Royal Artillery Regiments or Battalions due to reorganisations of the Royal Regiment of Artillery and changes in role. However, its title "Lawson's" has endured for a considerable period of time. In the First World War it fought as 87th (Howitzer) Battery, Royal Field Artillery.
The battery was formed in 1803 as part of the newly formed 8th Battalion, during a period of expansion for the Royal Regiment of Artillery. As was the custom at the time each of the battalion's new companies (as artillery units of this size were referred to during this period), took the name of their company commander. As a result, the battery was first known as Captain Douglas's Company and stationed at Woolwich. It remained garrisoned at the Royal Arsenal until November 1805, after which it marched to Exeter and then onto Plymouth in May 1807. Captain TS Hughes then took command of the company for the subsequent embarkation to Gibraltar.
Captain Hughes command did not last long and he died in Gibraltar on 18 May 1808, being replaced by Captain Robert Lawson who was dispatched from England. The company was in the process of deploying to war for the first time and before their new commander could arrive from Great Britain the company was split with half, under command of the 2nd Captain (Captain HT Fauquier), being ordered to join a British force being sent to fight in Sicily whilst the remainder, temporarily under the command of Captain W Morrison, were dispatched on the Transport Ship Hornby to Mondego Bay in Portugal as part of the British force being assembled there. This was the British force which was to go on to fight the Peninsula War. After the latter groups arrival in Portugal they were joined by their new commander. The half of the unit sent to Sicily was never to rejoin them and was later absorbed into another Royal Artillery unit.