Authors and Contributors this page: Wienand Drenth, T.F. Mills
Page created 15 July 2000. Corrected and updated 12.10.2005
 
 
1st Battalion,
The Wessex Regiment
1967-1995
 
United Kingdom 
  Titles & Lineage
  History & War Service
  Battle Honours
  Colours, Standards and Guidons

  Badges and Uniforms
  Colonels
 Traditions
 Bibliography

Note: This is a battalion history of the part-time reserves, which are normally liable for full-time active service only in an emergency. See the main regimental page(s) as linked below for more information.
How to find information about individuals who served in this corps
 
  Titles and Lineage English County Index
Alphabetic Index of Titles
1967.04.01 Wessex Volunteers
formed in TAVR II with HQ at Exeter, and companies serving as successors to former TA battalions in the Wessex Brigade:
 
1970 E Company (Devon) formed at Exeter with Plns at Plymouth and Barnstaple by reorganisation HQ Coy; new HQ Company formed at Trowbridge from A Coy The Royal Wiltshire Territorials
1971.04.01

1st Battalion, Wessex Volunteers
HQ at Trowbridge; redesignated on formation of 2nd Battalion

1971 company subtitles omitted
1972.03.30 1st Battalion, The Wessex Regiment (Rifle Volunteers)
1973 HQ and HQ Coy moved to Devizes
1975.04.01

companies reorganised: D Coy at Reading and Swindon transferred as D Company 2nd Battalion

 
  • HQ Company at Devizes; by 1989 dets at Gloucester, Andover and Cheltenham; by 1995 Mortar Pln at Andover, Atk Pln at Stroud, Recce Pln at Cheltenham, Pioneer Pln at Cinderford
  • A Company at Gloucester; by 1991 two plns at Bristol
  • B Company at Winchester
  • C Company at Dorchester and Weymouth
  • D (Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry) Company at Poole (det at Bournemouth), redesignation of D Coy, 2nd Battalion (plus a pln from C Company, 1st Bn)
  • E Company at Exeter (plns at Plymouth and Barnstaple)
1986 B Coy at Winchester redesignated B Company 2nd Battalion; new B Company formed at Swindon from elements D Coy 2nd Battalion
1987.10.12 E Coy expanded to form HQ Company and A Company, 4th Bn, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
1990.12 C Coy at Dorchester transferred as C Company, 4th Bn, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment; new C Company formed at Newbury by transfer of '?' Coy 2nd Battalion
1992.06 battalion reduced to three rifle company order of battle: D Coy at Poole transferred as D Company 4th Bn, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment; B Coy at Swindon and C Coy at Newbury transferred to 2nd Battalion; battalion now consisted solely of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire units:
 
  • HQ Company at Devizes
  • A Company at Gloucester
  • B Company at Bristol, formed (effective 1 Apr. 1995) from Bristol plns of A Company and 245 Ambulance Sqn 155 Transport Regt RCT
  • C Company at Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, formed (effective 1 Apr. 1995) from existing elements
1995.10.06 amalgamated with 2nd Battalion to form 2nd (V) Bn, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment
  History (Links) & War Service Introduction to Volunteers
History:
[no external sites have been found]
   
Deployment and War Service of Units:
 
Biography and Gallantry Awards:
[no external sites have been found]
Associations, Forums and Re-Enactors:
[no external sites have been found]
Museums, Monuments, Memorials and Chapels:
[no external sites have been found -- see also parent regiment]
  Battle Honours Index of Battle Honours
Index of Wars

  Colours, Standards and Guidons Introduction to Colours
Record of Colours:
  Uniforms and Badges
   
Badges:
Uniform:
   
   
     
   
   
  Honorary Colonels Index of Royal Colonels
1967.04.01 Lt-Col. (Bt. Col.) Sir Joseph William Weld, OBE, TD, JP [Lord Lt. of Dorset]
1970.11.01 Cod. William Quincey Roberts, CBE, DSO, MVO, TD, DL
1975.11.01 Maj-Gen. G.C.A. Gilbert, CB, MC
1981.11.01 Maj-Gen. Michael John Hatley Walsh, CB, DSO
  Col. M. S. Lee-Browne, CBE, TD, DL [to 1995]
  Traditions
 
Motto: Their land to defend
Nicknames:
Anniversaries:
Freedoms:
Marches:  
Musicians:
Mascot:
Miscellaneous Tradition Links:
  Bibliography How To Find Books