Wessex Volunteers
Wessex Regiment
Active1967–1995
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch British Army
RoleLine Infantry
SizeTwo battalions

The Wessex Regiment was a Territorial Army infantry regiment of the British Army, in existence from 1967 to 1995. Initially consisting of a singular battalion, the regiment was later expanded to also have a second.

Formation

The regiment was formed as the Wessex Volunteers on 1 April 1967 as successors to the former Territorial Army infantry battalions of the regiments of the Wessex Brigade, that had been reduced to cadre following the 1966 Defence White Paper and the subsequent formation of the TAVR. Its initial structure was as follows:[1][2]

1st Battalion

In 1971, the battalion underwent a re-organisation, and was re-designated as the 1st Battalion, Wessex Volunteers upon formation of the 2nd Battalion, before renaming as the 1st Battalion, Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers) the next year; multiple detached platoons were formed for the rifle companies, and the company subtitles were omitted. Then in 1975, the battalion was re-organised once more, including the two battalions exchanging their respective D Companies. After these changes, the structure was as follows:[1][2]

  • HQ Company, at Le Marchant Barracks, Devizes
  • A Company, at Gloucester Bristol and Forest of Dean
  • B Company, at Winchester
  • C Company, at Dorchester and Weymouth
  • D (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Company, at Poole and Bournemouth
    (from D Company, 2nd Battalion and a platoon of C Company, 1st Battalion)
  • E Company, at Exeter, Plymouth and Barnstaple

In 1986 and 1987, The Wessex Regiment was affiliated with both the Gloucestershire Regiment and Devonshire and Dorset Regiment in the regular army. It was the only reserve regiment in the South West with an active role as part of 1 Brigade NATO.

The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment was in the process of raising their own territorial infantry battalion, and as a result, the regiment lost the previously Devon and Dorset affiliated companies to form the new battalion; namely: E Company to the new battalion as both HQ and A Companies, and C Company retaining its lettering; the latter was replaced by a rifle company from the 2nd Battalion. Then, starting in 1992, in line with the British Army's reductions at the end of the Cold War, the battalion was reduced to a three rifle company establishment, losing D Company to the Devon and Dorsets, and both B and C companies to the 2nd Battalion. After this the structure consisted of:[1][2]

In 1995, the battalion amalgamated with the 2nd Battalion, to form 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.[2]

2nd Battalion

The 2nd Battalion, Wessex Volunteers was formed on 1 April 1971 from cadres of units that had been reduced in the formation of the TAVR, before being re-designated as the 2nd Battalion, Wessex Regiment (Volunteers) a year later in 1972. Its initial structure was as follows:[3][2]

At the height of the Cold War, the British Army decided to raise a home defence force, namely the Home Service Force. This saw the majority of territorial infantry battalions across the United Kingdom raise a HSF company, with platoons distributed across the battalion company locations. In light of this, the battalion raised E (HSF) Company in Reading, Maidenhead, Winchester, and Portsmouth.[4] The battalion then underwent a re-organisation in 1986, and again in 1992, when the Home Service Force Company disbanded along with the rest of the force. In line with the territorial reductions at the end of the Cold War, the battalion was reduced to a three rifle company establishment.

In 1995, the battalion amalgamated with the 1st Battalion, to form 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment; less C Company, which transferred to the Royal Yeomanry as D (Berkshire Yeomanry) Squadron.[2]

Honorary Colonels

The Honorary Colonel throughout the regiment's existence were as follows:

1st Battalion[1]

2nd Battalion[3]

Deputy Honorary Colonels

For a time, the individual companies each maintained Deputy Honorary Colonels in succession to their former units.

2nd Battalion

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "1st Battalion, The Wessex Regiment". Archived from the original on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Wessex Volunteers - British Army units from 1945 on". Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 "2nd Battalion, The Wessex Regiment". Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "HSF Cap Badges". 31 May 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, STH JANUARY 1971 – page 120" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "Major General Mike Walsh". Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  7. ↑ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, STH DECEMBER 1981 – page 15610" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "The Earl of Malmesbury - The Telegraph". 15 November 2000. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  9. 1 2 "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 2ND JULY 1985 – page 9048" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 28TH NOVEMBER 1995 – page 16133" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 27TH JUNE 1972 – page 7683" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  12. ↑ "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - M - Unit Histories". Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "The Berkshire Rifle Volunteer". Archived from the original on 16 April 2007. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  14. ↑ "SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 2wo MAY 1967 – page 4930" (PDF). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
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