Berkshire Yeomanry
Encyclopedia
94 Signal Squadron forms part of 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment
. They are currently based in three locations in the Home Counties
. The Headquarters of the Squadron is based in Windsor
, Berkshire
, southern England
, along with 885 Troop and a support troop, the 886 Troop TA centre in Chertsey
, Surrey
, closed at the end of March 2010, a new troop, 860 Troop in Aylesbury
, the remnants of 60 (Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars) Signal Squadron, has now become part of the squadron.
in 1794 to counter the threat of invasion during the Napoleonic Wars
, the squadron, which has seen service as machine gunners
, artillery
, armour, infantry
and now signaller
s, serves within the Royal Corps of Signals
.
The Berkshire Yeomanry has a number of battle honours won from Europe to the Far East, including a Victoria Cross
won by Private Frederick Potts
in the Gallipoli
operation In recognition of its service, the Berkshire Yeomanry was granted the freedom
of the Royal Borough of Windsor
in 1994 on its 200th anniversary, and the freedom of the borough of Runnymede (borough)
in July 2009.
UK Brigades, at home and abroad.
Overseas, the squadron supports NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), providing essential Combat Net Radio communications for the ARRC or international coalition force ensuring that vital orders get passed around the battlefield. This is a unique Territorial Army role for which 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron was especially selected.
Such a role means that Berkshire Yeomanry soldiers train at home in the UK, but can also be found detached for short periods to locations as far away as the Balkans
, Canada
, the United States
, and Iraq
or Afghanistan
.
39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment
39 Signal Regiment is Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations...
. They are currently based in three locations in the Home Counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
. The Headquarters of the Squadron is based in Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, along with 885 Troop and a support troop, the 886 Troop TA centre in Chertsey
Chertsey
Chertsey is a town in Surrey, England, on the River Thames and its tributary rivers such as the River Bourne. It can be accessed by road from junction 11 of the M25 London orbital motorway. It shares borders with Staines, Laleham, Shepperton, Addlestone, Woking, Thorpe and Egham...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, closed at the end of March 2010, a new troop, 860 Troop in Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
, the remnants of 60 (Royal Buckinghamshire Hussars) Signal Squadron, has now become part of the squadron.
History
The Berkshire Yeomanry is the County of Berkshire's senior volunteer unit with over 200 years of voluntary military service. Originally formed as mounted cavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
in 1794 to counter the threat of invasion during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the squadron, which has seen service as machine gunners
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, armour, infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and now signaller
Signaller
In the armed forces, a signaller or signaleer is a specialist soldier or seaman or airman responsible for military communications. Signallers, aka Combat Signallers or signalmen or women, are commonly employed as radio or telephone operators, relaying messages for field commanders at the front line...
s, serves within the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
.
The Berkshire Yeomanry has a number of battle honours won from Europe to the Far East, including a Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
won by Private Frederick Potts
Frederick William Owen Potts
Frederick William Owen Potts VC , more commonly known as Fred Potts, was an English 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.Fred Potts was born on 18 December 1892, and...
in the Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
operation In recognition of its service, the Berkshire Yeomanry was granted the freedom
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
of the Royal Borough of Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
in 1994 on its 200th anniversary, and the freedom of the borough of Runnymede (borough)
Runnymede (borough)
Runnymede is a local government district with borough status in the English county of Surrey. It is a very prosperous part of the London commuter belt, with some of the most expensive housing in the United Kingdom outside of central London, such as the Wentworth Estate.Runnymede is entirely...
in July 2009.
The role of the squadron
Today the squadron is a Territorial Army squadron of the Royal Corps of Signals, serving within both of the Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
UK Brigades, at home and abroad.
Overseas, the squadron supports NATO's Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), providing essential Combat Net Radio communications for the ARRC or international coalition force ensuring that vital orders get passed around the battlefield. This is a unique Territorial Army role for which 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron was especially selected.
Such a role means that Berkshire Yeomanry soldiers train at home in the UK, but can also be found detached for short periods to locations as far away as the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and 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....
or 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...
.
External links
- 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron web page
- 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- The Berkshire Yeomanry, The Long, Long Trail: The British Army of 1914–1918