131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers
Encyclopedia
131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers
, is a reserve unit of the British Territorial Army, affiliated to 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
. It provides general engineering support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and is the largest Territorial Army Commando unit. The squadron has deployed worldwide to provide combat engineer support to 3 Commando Brigade, often deploying in small sub-units.
, with a strength of over 1000 trained parachute engineers. Since 1978 the unit has been an independent squadron of Commandos
providing engineering support to the Royal Marines
.
As a Commando unit the majority of personnel have completed the Territorial Army All Arms Commando Course
, run by the Royal Marines at Lympstone
. This demanding course is the foundation for all further training.
As an engineer unit the Squadron trains for a variety of tasks from demolitions to construction
. The unit has its own chef
s, clerks and mechanic
s to sustain personnel and equipment.
The unit frequently deploys on tasks with, or to support, the Regular Forces in both the UK and abroad. In recent years the Squadron has deployed personnel on exercises and operations with 3 Commando Brigade units to Iraq
, Afghanistan
, Oman
, the USA, Norway
, France
, Malawi
, the Falkland Islands
, Jordan
, Romania
and Egypt
.
131 Squadron has sent teams to the annual Exercise Cambrian Patrol
competition held at the Sennybridge
Training Area and has won the Courage Trophy competition a record five times (1977, 1978, 1992, 1993 and 1994). Over the last 15 years the unit has also built up a strong cross-country skiing pedigree, winning several races in the UK Land Command Ski Championships.
http://www.parachuteregiment-hsf.org/131%20Independent%20Parachute%20Squadron.htm
Hull-based 299 Troop, which was part of 131 until 2007, have now gone on to become part of a new Air Assault Engineer Squadron (299 Parachute Squadron, RE(V)).
, taking its number from the wartime 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions, was commanded by Major-General Roy Urquhart
and consisted of three TA parachute brigades (44, 45 and 46 Parachute Brigades), each containing three parachute battalions. With all volunteers going through 'P Company' to gain their Red Berets and earning their Parachute Wings at RAF Abingdon
, the Regiment provided a squadron of parachute engineers to support each Brigade: 299 Airborne Field Squadron in Hull
; 300 Airborne Field Squadron in Liverpool
, later Glasgow
; and 301 Airborne Field Squadron in Croydon
. The regimental headquarters was in Pont Street in Knightsbridge
, with 302 Airborne Field Park Squadron based in Hendon
. Manning a Regiment
of this size presented no problems, with many recently demobilised World War II
soldiers, including many former paratroopers, willing to join the regiment. Experienced leadership was in no short supply either. For example, 299 Squadron was raised by Major
George Widdowson, previously of the Green Howards, who had fought at Arnhem
as Second-in-Command of the decimated 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment, whilst at Surrey-based 301 Squadron Major
Bev Holloway became OC and later Regimental Second-in-Command. His World War Two pedigree included having parachuted into Normandy on D Day as a troop commander with 3rd Parachute Squadron RE.
, 44 Independent Parachute Brigade Group
. 131 Regiment was sufficiently well established to ensure that it was retained in size but changed to 131 Parachute Engineer Regiment, with all squadron titles replacing the term 'Airborne' with 'Parachute'. RHQ moved half a mile down the road to the Duke of Yorks' Headquarters in the Kings' Road, co-located with Brigade HQ. Troop locations evolved through the 1950s too, with 301 Squadron moving to Guildford
and gaining a Birmingham
based troop as a result of the demise of 18 Para. The Liverpool
-based troop also went on to become part of 299 Squadron, whilst 300 Squadron, gained troops in Edinburgh
and Falkirk
to become wholly Scottish
. One final change saw 302 Squadron move from Hendon
to nearby Kingsbury
, with its Luton
-based Plant Troop also relocating to Kingsbury, in 1959.
In the early 1960s, 131 was the biggest unit in the British Army
. It fielded over 1,000 trained parachute engineers and was believed to have the largest amount of men earning their annual bounty in the whole of the Territorial Army. Many of the unit's members were also members of the Emergency Reserve, giving them a higher call-out obligation. Basic training was only beginning to be introduced because, up until this time, all unit members were either ex-regulars, ex-WW2 volunteers or ex-National Servicemen. Throughout the period of the Regiment's existence, squadron-sized detachments served their annual camps in many overseas theatres, carrying out close support and construction engineer tasks as well as parachuting with United States
, Canadian, French
and Italian
forces. A popular event on the Regimental calendar was Exercise Sea Splash, where its soldiers would parachute into the harbour in St Peter Port
in Guernsey
, awaited by a fleet of small boats and cheering islanders. 131's first Honorary Colonel, Lt General Sir Philip Neame
VC, KBE, CB, DSO, had initiated the Regiment's involvement with the island when he served as its governor
after the War, and the parachute foray was always treated as a celebration of the liberation from German control in 1945.
frontier. Squadron Sergeant Major John Lonergan of 300 Squadron and Sgt Atfield, the Pay Sgt of 24 Field Squadron, were both killed during the action and are buried at the Ma-Allah Cemetery, now within the Republic of Yemen. The Regimental Medical Officer, who risked his life to attend to those who had been wounded and to rescue two badly injured men caught out in the open, was awarded the MBE
for gallantry. He was recommended for the award of the Military Cross but that award could not be made, as the Regiment had not been mobilised for active service.
The second major post-war reorganisation of the TA in 1967 saw the Regiment reduced to a single independent squadron in 1967. 131 Independent Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers (Volunteers) maintained its role in support of the three parachute battalions of 44 Independent Parachute Brigade Group (Volunteers). Squadron Headquarters and the Support Troop was based in Kingsbury in London, with Troops in Birmingham
, Hull
and Grangemouth
. Troops took the names of the Squadrons they had replaced, with 299 Troop in Hull, 300 Troop in Grangemouth
, 301 Troop in Birmingham and 302 Troop (Support Troop to the whole Sqn) in Kingsbury
. The remaining locations, ranging from Guildford
to Glasgow
, were lost along with a significant portion of the unit's manpower.
, whilst on other occasions the Squadron would exercise as a whole. Probably the most ambitious camp of this period was the 1973 Exercise Sacristan in the United Arab Emirates
, which saw 180 members of the Squadron deploy for between 2 and 6 weeks, carrying out a variety of construction tasks and desert training exercises. Close ties with 9 Independent Parachute Squadron RE, then based at Church Crookham, also continued throughout the period.
The Squadron's saddest day occurred on 28 September 1975 during Exercise Trent Chase, its annual watermanship-based section competition on the River Trent in Nottinghamshire
. During a freak storm on the Saturday night, and with low-light levels made worse by downed power lines, an assault boat containing eleven Sappers of 300 Troop was swept over the Cromwell Weir near Newark
. Ten of the eleven men were drowned, including two brothers, Sprs Stuart and Peter Evenden. After the military funerals, which took place in various parishes around Scotland
, a memorial service was held at the site of the accident, and a stone of Scottish granite bearing the names of those killed was laid in a small commemorative garden close to the lock. Another memorial was established near Grangemouth
, at Falkirk Cemetery, and the men are also commemorated at the National Memorial Arboretum
in Staffordshire
.
. Though the three parachute battalions were retained, support arms and services were to be slashed. The volunteer traditions of 131, forged through its arduous selection procedure, were such that the only cap badge its members would wear was that of the Royal Engineers
, and this on a beret which had to be 'earned'. It was a great honour for the Squadron that the Royal Marines
accepted it into the order of battle of 3 Commando Brigade on 1 April 1978. Following the Airborne Engineers Commando Conversion Course in July 1978, the Squadron, now in Green Berets but retaining a significant parachute capability, did not have to move from its four locations.
to capitalise on the significant amount of ex-regular Commandos living in the area and the fact that 131's new sister-Squadron, 59 Independent Commando Squadron RE, was based within the town at Crownhill Fort
. This sub-unit was to become the new 300 Troop, but whilst Grangemouth
and Plymouth
were both on the Squadron's order of battle, Plymouth temporarily used the old Support Troop number, 302. Recruiting at Plymouth was buoyant, and the then-PSI, SSgt Dave Quinn, was awarded the BEM for his efforts in helping to establish the new Troop. Finally, in 1983 at a ceremony in Grangemouth, the Scottish 300 Troop was re-roled as a Royal Marines
Reserve Assault Engineer Troop, and Plymouth took on the 300 Troop title. 36 years of the Scottish sub-unit had seen it as consistently the best recruited and the best attending and, whilst all were happy to see the birth of a new Troop in the South West, the loss of those North of the Border, with their idiosyncrasies such as 'Para-Grog', was a keen blow.
The 1980s and 1990s saw 131 more and more closely involved with 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and with its regular sister-Squadron. Many members of the unit had been ex-regular Commandos, the majority of them with 59, but always with a smattering of former Royal Marines
and Commando Gunners (from 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery), plus the odd Commando 'Loggie' or Craftsman, within its ranks. Arctic Warfare Training in Norway and amphibious training were added to the skills which had to be absorbed by the Commando Engineer volunteers of the Squadron, whilst parachute training, now taught at RAF Brize Norton, was still open to those suitably qualified. In the mid-nineties, diving was added to the Squadron's capabilities and LCpl Arnold from 131 became the first TA soldier to attend and pass the Army's basic diving course for many years in 1995.
as part of Operation TELIC 1. Returning to the UK in May 2003, a significant proportion of the unit was mobilised for a second time in Autumn 2006 for service in Helmand Province in Afghanistan
. This deployment ended in Spring 2007 and since then then the Squadron has supported a further three tours of the province. Smaller-scale deployments have seen sub-units and individuals deploy to Cyprus
(UN) and the Balkans
during the 1990s, to Afghanistan
on Operation JACANA in 2002, to Iraq on Operation TELIC 4 in 2004/5 and to the Bagh region of Pakistan
during earthquake-relief operations in 2005.
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, is a reserve unit of the British Territorial Army, affiliated to 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers
24 Commando Engineer Regiment is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. It was formed in April 2008...
. It provides general engineering support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and is the largest Territorial Army Commando unit. The squadron has deployed worldwide to provide combat engineer support to 3 Commando Brigade, often deploying in small sub-units.
The Squadron
The 131 Independent Commando Squadron was first raised in 1947 as an airborne engineer regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
, with a strength of over 1000 trained parachute engineers. Since 1978 the unit has been an independent squadron of Commandos
Commandos
Commandos is a stealth-oriented real-time tactics game series, available for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. The game is set in the Second World War and follows the escapades of a fictional British Commandos section. It leans heavily on historical events during WWII to carry the plot...
providing engineering support to the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
.
As a Commando unit the majority of personnel have completed the Territorial Army All Arms Commando Course
All Arms Commando Course
The All Arms Commando Course lasts for 9 weeks and is run by the Royal Marines at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines , Lympstone. Members from any of the United Kingdom's Regular Armed Forces and overseas exchange personnel can attend in order to serve with 3 Commando Brigade...
, run by the Royal Marines at Lympstone
Lympstone
Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia...
. This demanding course is the foundation for all further training.
As an engineer unit the Squadron trains for a variety of tasks from demolitions to construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
. The unit has its own chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
s, clerks and mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
s to sustain personnel and equipment.
The unit frequently deploys on tasks with, or to support, the Regular Forces in both the UK and abroad. In recent years the Squadron has deployed personnel on exercises and operations with 3 Commando Brigade units to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, the USA, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
.
131 Squadron has sent teams to the annual Exercise Cambrian Patrol
Exercise Cambrian Patrol
Exercise Cambrian Patrol is an annual patrolling competition that takes place throughout the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales. An internationally recognized military exercise, previous participants have included numerous European states, in addition to Commonwealth countries and the United...
competition held at the Sennybridge
Sennybridge
Sennybridge is a village in Powys, Mid Wales, situated some from Cardiff and from Swansea. It lies west of Brecon on the A40 trunk road to Llandovery, at the point where the River Senni flows into the Usk...
Training Area and has won the Courage Trophy competition a record five times (1977, 1978, 1992, 1993 and 1994). Over the last 15 years the unit has also built up a strong cross-country skiing pedigree, winning several races in the UK Land Command Ski Championships.
http://www.parachuteregiment-hsf.org/131%20Independent%20Parachute%20Squadron.htm
Organisation
The Squadron consists of four troops based in the following locations around the UK:- Headquarters and Support Troop (KingsburyKingsburyKingsbury is an area in the London Borough of Brent, northwest London. The name Kingsbury means "The King's Manor".-History:Kingsbury was historically a small parish in the Hundred of Gore and county of Middlesex. Until the nineteenth century it was largely rural with only scattered settlements....
in North West LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) - 300 Troop (PlymouthPlymouthPlymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
) - 301 Troop (Sheldon in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
) - 302 Troop (Bath)
Hull-based 299 Troop, which was part of 131 until 2007, have now gone on to become part of a new Air Assault Engineer Squadron (299 Parachute Squadron, RE(V)).
1940s: Airborne Forces Role
With the reformation of the Territorial Army in 1947, the unit was raised as 131 Airborne Engineer Regiment in support of 16 Airborne Division. The divisionDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, taking its number from the wartime 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions, was commanded by Major-General Roy Urquhart
Roy Urquhart
Major General Robert "Roy" Elliott Urquhart, CB, DSO was a British military officer. He became prominent for his role commanding the British 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden.-Early career:...
and consisted of three TA parachute brigades (44, 45 and 46 Parachute Brigades), each containing three parachute battalions. With all volunteers going through 'P Company' to gain their Red Berets and earning their Parachute Wings at RAF Abingdon
RAF Abingdon
RAF Abingdon was a Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps....
, the Regiment provided a squadron of parachute engineers to support each Brigade: 299 Airborne Field Squadron in Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
; 300 Airborne Field Squadron in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, later Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
; and 301 Airborne Field Squadron in Croydon
Croydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
. The regimental headquarters was in Pont Street in Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge
Knightsbridge is a road which gives its name to an exclusive district lying to the west of central London. The road runs along the south side of Hyde Park, west from Hyde Park Corner, spanning the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, with 302 Airborne Field Park Squadron based in Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
. Manning a Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of this size presented no problems, with many recently demobilised World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
soldiers, including many former paratroopers, willing to join the regiment. Experienced leadership was in no short supply either. For example, 299 Squadron was raised by Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
George Widdowson, previously of the Green Howards, who had fought at Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
as Second-in-Command of the decimated 10th Battalion The Parachute Regiment, whilst at Surrey-based 301 Squadron Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Bev Holloway became OC and later Regimental Second-in-Command. His World War Two pedigree included having parachuted into Normandy on D Day as a troop commander with 3rd Parachute Squadron RE.
1950s
Territorial Army reorganistions took place in 1956, with 16 Airborne Division disbanded and replaced by a single TA Parachute BrigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
, 44 Independent Parachute Brigade Group
44th Parachute Brigade (V)
The 44th Parachute Brigade was formed on 1st April 1967 from 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group . The Brigade was the only Territorial Army Parachute formation in the Army's order of battle...
. 131 Regiment was sufficiently well established to ensure that it was retained in size but changed to 131 Parachute Engineer Regiment, with all squadron titles replacing the term 'Airborne' with 'Parachute'. RHQ moved half a mile down the road to the Duke of Yorks' Headquarters in the Kings' Road, co-located with Brigade HQ. Troop locations evolved through the 1950s too, with 301 Squadron moving to Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
and gaining a Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
based troop as a result of the demise of 18 Para. The Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
-based troop also went on to become part of 299 Squadron, whilst 300 Squadron, gained troops in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
to become wholly Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. One final change saw 302 Squadron move from Hendon
Hendon
Hendon is a London suburb situated northwest of Charing Cross.-History:Hendon was historically a civil parish in the county of Middlesex. The manor is described in Domesday , but the name, 'Hendun' meaning 'at the highest hill', is earlier...
to nearby Kingsbury
Kingsbury
Kingsbury is an area in the London Borough of Brent, northwest London. The name Kingsbury means "The King's Manor".-History:Kingsbury was historically a small parish in the Hundred of Gore and county of Middlesex. Until the nineteenth century it was largely rural with only scattered settlements....
, with its Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
-based Plant Troop also relocating to Kingsbury, in 1959.
In the early 1960s, 131 was the biggest unit in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. It fielded over 1,000 trained parachute engineers and was believed to have the largest amount of men earning their annual bounty in the whole of the Territorial Army. Many of the unit's members were also members of the Emergency Reserve, giving them a higher call-out obligation. Basic training was only beginning to be introduced because, up until this time, all unit members were either ex-regulars, ex-WW2 volunteers or ex-National Servicemen. Throughout the period of the Regiment's existence, squadron-sized detachments served their annual camps in many overseas theatres, carrying out close support and construction engineer tasks as well as parachuting with United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canadian, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
forces. A popular event on the Regimental calendar was Exercise Sea Splash, where its soldiers would parachute into the harbour in St Peter Port
St Peter Port
Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2001 was 16,488. In Guernésiais and in French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port. The "port" distinguishes this parish from...
in Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, awaited by a fleet of small boats and cheering islanders. 131's first Honorary Colonel, Lt General Sir Philip Neame
Philip Neame
Lieutenant General Sir Philip Neame VC, KBE, CB, DSO, KStJ was a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
VC, KBE, CB, DSO, had initiated the Regiment's involvement with the island when he served as its governor
Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey
The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey is the representative of the British monarch in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the British Crown. The role of the Lieutenant Governor is to act as the de facto head of state in Guernsey and as liaison between the governments of Guernsey and the...
after the War, and the parachute foray was always treated as a celebration of the liberation from German control in 1945.
1960s
In 1964, the bulk of the Regiment carried out its Annual Camp in Aden Protectorate and in 1965 and 1966 elements of the Regiment deployed to the country again. During the 1965 camp, on the night of 12 April, 300 Parachute Squadron was attacked by guerrillas whilst working with 24 Field Squadron on the construction of the Dhala Road at Al-Milah near the YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
frontier. Squadron Sergeant Major John Lonergan of 300 Squadron and Sgt Atfield, the Pay Sgt of 24 Field Squadron, were both killed during the action and are buried at the Ma-Allah Cemetery, now within the Republic of Yemen. The Regimental Medical Officer, who risked his life to attend to those who had been wounded and to rescue two badly injured men caught out in the open, was awarded the MBE
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
for gallantry. He was recommended for the award of the Military Cross but that award could not be made, as the Regiment had not been mobilised for active service.
The second major post-war reorganisation of the TA in 1967 saw the Regiment reduced to a single independent squadron in 1967. 131 Independent Parachute Squadron Royal Engineers (Volunteers) maintained its role in support of the three parachute battalions of 44 Independent Parachute Brigade Group (Volunteers). Squadron Headquarters and the Support Troop was based in Kingsbury in London, with Troops in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
and Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
. Troops took the names of the Squadrons they had replaced, with 299 Troop in Hull, 300 Troop in Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
, 301 Troop in Birmingham and 302 Troop (Support Troop to the whole Sqn) in Kingsbury
Kingsbury
Kingsbury is an area in the London Borough of Brent, northwest London. The name Kingsbury means "The King's Manor".-History:Kingsbury was historically a small parish in the Hundred of Gore and county of Middlesex. Until the nineteenth century it was largely rural with only scattered settlements....
. The remaining locations, ranging from Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
to Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, were lost along with a significant portion of the unit's manpower.
1970s
The three field troops continued to support a TA parachute battalion each, with 299 Troop linked to the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Parachute Regiment, 300 Troop to the 15th (Scottish Volunteer) Battalion and 301 Troop to the 10th (Volunteer) Battalion. Travel far and wide, with associated opportunities for engineer support, construction and parachuting continued as ever. At times Troops would carry out annual camps in direct support of their battalions, such as 299's 1972 camp with 4 Para in JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, whilst on other occasions the Squadron would exercise as a whole. Probably the most ambitious camp of this period was the 1973 Exercise Sacristan in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, which saw 180 members of the Squadron deploy for between 2 and 6 weeks, carrying out a variety of construction tasks and desert training exercises. Close ties with 9 Independent Parachute Squadron RE, then based at Church Crookham, also continued throughout the period.
The Squadron's saddest day occurred on 28 September 1975 during Exercise Trent Chase, its annual watermanship-based section competition on the River Trent in Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. During a freak storm on the Saturday night, and with low-light levels made worse by downed power lines, an assault boat containing eleven Sappers of 300 Troop was swept over the Cromwell Weir near Newark
Newark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
. Ten of the eleven men were drowned, including two brothers, Sprs Stuart and Peter Evenden. After the military funerals, which took place in various parishes around Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, a memorial service was held at the site of the accident, and a stone of Scottish granite bearing the names of those killed was laid in a small commemorative garden close to the lock. Another memorial was established near Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
, at Falkirk Cemetery, and the men are also commemorated at the National Memorial Arboretum
National Memorial Arboretum
The National Memorial Arboretum is a national site of remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It gives its purpose as:-Origins:...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
1978: Commando Role
In 1977 drastic reductions in regular and TA Airborne Forces were announced and on 31 March 1978 44 Independent Parachute Brigade Group (Volunteers) was disbanded in a parade at Altcar Ranges, near LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Though the three parachute battalions were retained, support arms and services were to be slashed. The volunteer traditions of 131, forged through its arduous selection procedure, were such that the only cap badge its members would wear was that of the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
, and this on a beret which had to be 'earned'. It was a great honour for the Squadron that the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
accepted it into the order of battle of 3 Commando Brigade on 1 April 1978. Following the Airborne Engineers Commando Conversion Course in July 1978, the Squadron, now in Green Berets but retaining a significant parachute capability, did not have to move from its four locations.
1980s and 1990s
In 1982 it was decided to raise a Troop in PlymouthPlymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
to capitalise on the significant amount of ex-regular Commandos living in the area and the fact that 131's new sister-Squadron, 59 Independent Commando Squadron RE, was based within the town at Crownhill Fort
Crownhill Fort
Crownhill Fort is a Royal Commission fort built in the 1860s in Crownhill as part of Lord Palmerston's ring of land defences for Plymouth. Restored by the Landmark Trust, it is now open to the public.-History of the fort:...
. This sub-unit was to become the new 300 Troop, but whilst Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
were both on the Squadron's order of battle, Plymouth temporarily used the old Support Troop number, 302. Recruiting at Plymouth was buoyant, and the then-PSI, SSgt Dave Quinn, was awarded the BEM for his efforts in helping to establish the new Troop. Finally, in 1983 at a ceremony in Grangemouth, the Scottish 300 Troop was re-roled as a Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
Reserve Assault Engineer Troop, and Plymouth took on the 300 Troop title. 36 years of the Scottish sub-unit had seen it as consistently the best recruited and the best attending and, whilst all were happy to see the birth of a new Troop in the South West, the loss of those North of the Border, with their idiosyncrasies such as 'Para-Grog', was a keen blow.
The 1980s and 1990s saw 131 more and more closely involved with 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and with its regular sister-Squadron. Many members of the unit had been ex-regular Commandos, the majority of them with 59, but always with a smattering of former Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
and Commando Gunners (from 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery), plus the odd Commando 'Loggie' or Craftsman, within its ranks. Arctic Warfare Training in Norway and amphibious training were added to the skills which had to be absorbed by the Commando Engineer volunteers of the Squadron, whilst parachute training, now taught at RAF Brize Norton, was still open to those suitably qualified. In the mid-nineties, diving was added to the Squadron's capabilities and LCpl Arnold from 131 became the first TA soldier to attend and pass the Army's basic diving course for many years in 1995.
21st Century: Close Support to Operations
In January 2003 the Squadron was compulsorily mobilised and deployed in IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
as part of Operation TELIC 1. Returning to the UK in May 2003, a significant proportion of the unit was mobilised for a second time in Autumn 2006 for service in Helmand Province in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. This deployment ended in Spring 2007 and since then then the Squadron has supported a further three tours of the province. Smaller-scale deployments have seen sub-units and individuals deploy to Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
(UN) and the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
during the 1990s, to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
on Operation JACANA in 2002, to Iraq on Operation TELIC 4 in 2004/5 and to the Bagh region of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
during earthquake-relief operations in 2005.
External links
- Royal Engineers Museum - Military Engineering Histories (Commando)