Its name is pronounced "three nine", The Regiment was one of the Depth fire units of 1st Artillery Brigade, part of the British Army.

They will be the first unit to deploy the new Fire Shadow loitering munition; training has already begun and they were planned to take it to Afghanistan in 2012.

[4] It was originally equipped with BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun and was first stationed in the Middle East and Africa.

The Regiment left the Middle East in 1948 after an Emergency Tour to Palestine, where it deployed to Ayrshire and was re-equipped with the M59 155 mm Long Tom Gun.

It converted to a 155mm Self Propelled Regiment in 1955 and deployed to Cyprus to support operations against EOKA with batteries based in Episkopi, Dhekhlia, and Jophinou in 1958.

Here it became a Missile Regiment (one of three in the nuclear role), and was equipped with Honest John Rockets and towed M115 203 mm howitzer.

Then in 1989 39 Heavy Regiment took delivery of the Multiple Launch Rocket System MLRS, and was given a year to convert, complete training and become operational.

[4] In 1993, the regiment was joined by 57 (Bhurtpore) Battery Royal Artillery, who were to be equipped with the Phoenix UAV, and deployed to Cyprus, as the British detachment in UNFICYP.

The island experienced some of its highest tension along the buffer zone in 30 years, and two of the Regiments soldiers were shot and wounded by Turkish Troops.