Wessex Regiment
Encyclopedia
The Wessex Regiment was a Territorial Army (TA) infantry regiment of the British Army between 1971 and 1995. It had two battalions: The 1st Bn (Rifle Volunteers) with its headquarters at Le Marchant Barracks in Devizes
and the 2nd Bn (Volunteers) which was headquartered at Brock Barracks
in Reading
. In 1994, the battalions were amalgamated to form the 2nd Bn The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, later The Royal Rifle Volunteers
. Most recently its remnants can be traced to the formation of The Rifles
.
)
The Battalion comprised:
C Company (Dorchester), D Company (Poole) and E Company (Exeter) were later removed from 1 Wessex and formed the base for 4th Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. 1 Wessex then formed a new C Company in Newbury
, based on a remote Platoon transferred from 2 Wessex.
In addition to five Rifle Companies, 1 Wessex had the following support Platoons:
There was also from 1983, an HSF (Home Service Force) company.
The Battalion also had the distinction of being able to parade with two Bands, one based in Exeter and one in Devizes, as well as a Corps of Drums founded by HQ Coy (Devizes).
C Company, 2nd battalion Wessex Regiment was headquartered at St. Lukes Road, Maidenhead with platoons at the following locations:
6/9 Platoon - Penrith Rd., Basingstoke, 7 Platoon - St. Lukes Rd., Maidenhead, 8 Platoon - Uxbridge Rd., Slough
Soldiers in C (Royal Berkshires) Coy wore the "Brandywine Flash" a triangle of red cloth sewn behind the cap badge inherited from the Royal Berkshire Regt, and also worn by the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (DERR).
Officers and Warrant Officers wore Black (Royal Hampshire) pullovers in Barrack Dress
Officers, Warrant Officers and SNCOs wore a green lanyard on the left shoulder, (Blue in the 1st Bn)
The regimental Stable Belt of the 2nd Bn was blue over gold over grass green over gold over blue, stripes as opposed to the plain blue of the 1st Bn
Officers wore Royal Hampshire Regiment pattern Sam Browne with whistle.
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
and the 2nd Bn (Volunteers) which was headquartered at Brock Barracks
Brock Barracks
Brock Barracks is a British Army barracks in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. Located on Oxford Road in the district of West Reading. The majority of the buildings and structures within Brock Barracks are Grade II listed.- History :...
in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. In 1994, the battalions were amalgamated to form the 2nd Bn The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment, later The Royal Rifle Volunteers
The Royal Rifle Volunteers
The Royal Rifle Volunteers is a former regiment of the British Territorial Army. It was, for most of its existence, the TA infantry in the counties of Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight.-History:...
. Most recently its remnants can be traced to the formation of The Rifles
The Rifles
The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
.
1st Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers)
1 Wessex was a NATO-roled Battalion, the TA infantry component of 1 Brigade which formed, with logistic elements, the UK Mobile Force with deployment options in the Baltic Approaches (Denmark and Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
)
The Battalion comprised:
- HQ Company (Devizes)
- A Company (GloucesterGloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
) - Company Headquarters and 1 Platoon and Anti-tank Wombat (later the Milan guided missile platoon), 2 and 3 Platoons were in BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. - B Company (WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
) - Coy HQ, 5 and 7 Platoons in SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and 6 Platoon on the Isle of WightIsle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. This Company was transferred to 2 Wessex (in 1985?); 1 Wessex was then formed
- B Company (SwindonSwindonSwindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
) - based on the MG (Machine GunMachine gunA 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....
) Platoon.
- B Company (Swindon
- C Company (DorchesterDorchester-England:*Dorchester, Dorset, the county town of Dorset; central to the organisation of the emigration of Puritans to North America during the 17th century*Dorchester, Oxfordshire, also known as Dorchester-on-Thames-Canada:...
) - with a remote (11) platoon in PoolePoolePoole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
, later swapped with D Company (BournemouthBournemouthBournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
), for the remote platoon in WeymouthWeymouthWeymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, England, situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey on the English Channel coast. The town is south of Dorchester and north of the Isle of Portland. The town's population is 52,950 ....
. - D Company (Reading) was co-located with Bn HQ 2 Wessex and was later swapped with 2 Wessex for
- D Company (BournemouthBournemouthBournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
) - Coy HQ, 13 and 14 platoons, and 15 Platoon in Poole. This company later moved out of Bournemouth to Poole and formed a new remote platoon at FordingbridgeFordingbridgeFordingbridge is a town and civil parish with a population of 5,700 on the River Avon in the New Forest District of Hampshire, England, near to the Dorset and Wiltshire borders and on the edge of the New Forest. It is south west of London, and south of the city of Salisbury. Fordingbridge is a...
.
- D Company (Bournemouth
- E Company (ExeterExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
) Coy HQ and 18 Platoon, with 17 Platoon in 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...
and 19 Platoon in BarnstapleBarnstapleBarnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
.
C Company (Dorchester), D Company (Poole) and E Company (Exeter) were later removed from 1 Wessex and formed the base for 4th Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. 1 Wessex then formed a new C Company in Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
, based on a remote Platoon transferred from 2 Wessex.
In addition to five Rifle Companies, 1 Wessex had the following support Platoons:
- Anti tank platoon (Gloucester) equipped with the Milan guided missile system
- Recce Platoon (CheltenhamCheltenhamCheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
) - equipped with Fox armoured reconnaisance vehicleFoxFox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
es
- Mortar Platoon (AndoverAndover, HampshireAndover is a town in the English county of Hampshire. The town is on the River Anton some 18.5 miles west of the town of Basingstoke, 18.5 miles north-west of the city of Winchester and 25 miles north of the city of Southampton...
) - Machine Gun Platoon (Swindon)
- Assault Pioneer Platoon (CinderfordCinderfordCinderford is a small town on the eastern fringe of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. A population of 8,116 people is recorded in the 2001 census....
)
There was also from 1983, an HSF (Home Service Force) company.
The Battalion also had the distinction of being able to parade with two Bands, one based in Exeter and one in Devizes, as well as a Corps of Drums founded by HQ Coy (Devizes).
2nd Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Volunteers)
The Battalion comprised:- HQ Company - Reading
- A (Duke of Connaught's) Company - PortsmouthPortsmouthPortsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
- B Company - Originally at Bletchley (Royal Buckinghamshire YeomanryRoyal Buckinghamshire YeomanryThe Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry was formed in 1794, when King George III was on the throne and William Pitt the Younger was the Prime Minister, of Great Britain. Across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation which had recently guillotined its King and which possessed a...
Coy) but later at Reading with 6 Platoon at BasingstokeBasingstokeBasingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
. From April 1983, B coy was disbanded and 4 platoon transferred to D Coy as 12 platoon, 6 platoon was transferred to C Company as 9 platoon, (see below). Remainder of coy staff became the Regimental Recruit Training Team. B Company, 1 Wessex transferred to 2 Wessex as new B Company. Coy HQ at Winchester with platoons in Southampton and on the Isle of Wight.
- C Coy 2 Wessex (Royal Berkshires Company) - MaidenheadMaidenheadMaidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
- 7 platoon - St Lukes Road, Maidenhead ** 8 platoon - Uxbridge Road, SloughSloughSlough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
** 9 platoon - originally at Newbury, later at Penrith Road, Basingstoke
- 7 platoon - St Lukes Road, Maidenhead ** 8 platoon - Uxbridge Road, Slough
C Company, 2nd battalion Wessex Regiment was headquartered at St. Lukes Road, Maidenhead with platoons at the following locations:
6/9 Platoon - Penrith Rd., Basingstoke, 7 Platoon - St. Lukes Rd., Maidenhead, 8 Platoon - Uxbridge Rd., Slough
- D Company - Originally at Weymouth (Dorset Yeomanry Coy) but later at Reading with a platoon at St Michael's Road, Newbury
- E (HSF) Company
Dress distinctions
Soldiers in A Coy originally wore collar badges of the 6th Bn The Royal Hampshire Regt (Duke of Connaught's Own), later replaced with the 'Wyvern'Soldiers in C (Royal Berkshires) Coy wore the "Brandywine Flash" a triangle of red cloth sewn behind the cap badge inherited from the Royal Berkshire Regt, and also worn by the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (DERR).
Officers and Warrant Officers wore Black (Royal Hampshire) pullovers in Barrack Dress
Officers, Warrant Officers and SNCOs wore a green lanyard on the left shoulder, (Blue in the 1st Bn)
The regimental Stable Belt of the 2nd Bn was blue over gold over grass green over gold over blue, stripes as opposed to the plain blue of the 1st Bn
Officers wore Royal Hampshire Regiment pattern Sam Browne with whistle.