Active 1971-1995 Branch Army Size 2 Battalions | Country United Kingdom Type Line Infantry Motto(s) Their Land to Defend | |
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.
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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-Holstein)
The Battalion comprised:
C Company (Dorchester), D Company (Poole) and E Company (Exeter) were later removed from 1 Wessex and formed the base for the 4th Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment. 1 Wessex then formed a new C Company in Newbury, which was based on a remote Platoon transferred from 2 Wessex.
In addition to the five Rifle Companies, 1 Wessex had the following support Platoons under HQ Company:
There was also from 1983, a 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 the HQ Coy (Devizes).
2nd Battalion The Wessex Regiment (Volunteers)
The Battalion comprised:
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 - this was 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 (as opposed to blue in the 1st Bn).
The regimental Stable Belt of the 2nd Bn was striped blue over gold over grass green over gold over blue, as opposed to the plain blue of the 1st Bn.
Officers wore Royal Hampshire Regiment pattern Sam Browne with whistle.