1st Battalion, The Wessex Regiment

The 1st (Rifle Volunteers) Battalion, The Wessex Regiment was a territorial infantry battalion of the British Army which existed during the Cold War period before being disbanded following the major Options for Chance reformed in 1992.

History
The battalion was first formed in 1967 following the 1966 Defence White Paper many new "large" regiments were formed. Following this white paper, the Territorial and Volunteer Reserve was formed as part of the reduction of the former Territorial Army. Within this new force, the group was divided into the following groups;


 * TAVR I: Special Units, known as the "Ever Readies", special TA units
 * TAVR II: TAVR units with a NATO role, known collegially as the "Volunteers", units given the sub-title of (V) or (TA).
 * TAVR III: TAVR units with a home defence role, most only cadre units, collegially known as the "Territorials", units given the sub-title of (T)
 * TAVR IV: Bands, UOTC, and other "non-regular" units

One of the new large regiments that was formed was The Wessex Regiment formed from the amalgamations of the TA battalions of the Wessex Brigade. The new regiment formed following the amalgamation of the following TA battalions; 5th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment, 4th Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment, 4th/5th Battalion, The Royal Hampshire Regiment, 4th Battalion, The Dorset Regiment, and the 4th/6th Battalion, The Royal Berkshire Regiment. Following their formations, the regiment was composed as follows;


 * Regimental Headquarters and Headquarters (Devon) Company, Exeter (from the 4th Battalion, The Devonshire Regiment)
 * A (Gloucester) Company, Gloucester (from the 5th Battalion, The Gloucestershire Regiment)
 * Bristol Platoon
 * Cheltenham Platoon
 * B (Hampshire) Company, Winchester (From 4th/5th Battalion, The Royal Hampshire Regiment)
 * Basingstoke Platoon
 * Isle of Wight Rifles Platoon, Newport, Isle of Wight
 * C (Dorset) Company, Dorchester (from 4th Battalion, The Dorset Regiment and elements of the 294th (Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery)
 * Poole Platoon (from 294th (Dorset Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery)
 * D (Berkshire) Company, Reading (from 4th/6th Battalion, The Royal Berkshire Regiment)
 * Swindon Platoon

In 1970 the territorial elements of the Territorial and Volunteer Reserve was significantly reduced, so as a result the battalion was re-organised as follows;


 * HQ Company retitled and redesignated as Command Company
 * New HQ Company formed in Trowbridge from A Company, The Wiltshire Territorials and RHQ moved as a result
 * E (Devon) Company formed in Exeter (from former HQ Company after reorganisation)
 * Plymouth Platoon
 * Barnstaple Platoon

In 1971 the new 2nd Battalion, The Wessex Volunteers was formed, thus the former was renamed as the 1st Battalion, The Wessex Volunteers. Just two years later, the battalion was again renamed becoming the 1st (Rifle Volunteers) Battalion, The Wessex Regiment and HQ moved to Devizes in Wiltshire. Following this redesignation and move, the battalion was assigned to the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Brigade as a home defence unit. In 1975, the 1975 Mason Review was announced, and the rest of the cadre regiments were disbanded and absorbed into regiments and battalions which already existed. Following this, the battalion was re-organised as follows;


 * New HQ Company formed in Devizes from cadre of the 4th Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment
 * HQ Company became E Company in Exeter
 * New D Company formed in Poole by expansion of the former Poole Platoon in C Company, also forming new platoon in Bournemouth
 * C and D Companies of the 2nd battalion merged to form new C Company in Dorchester and Weymouth
 * D Company in Reading and Swindon transferred to 2nd battalion as D Company

In 1981, "The Way Forward, 1981 Defence White Paper" was announced which re-formed the TA, and army overall to be more NATO focused and have a more TA support focused move. Following this reform by 1986 the battalion was re-organised as follows;


 * B Company in Winchester redesignated as B Company in the 2nd battalion
 * New B Company formed in Swindon from platoon of D Company of the 2nd battalion
 * (1987); E Company in Exeter transferred as E Company in the new 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment

During this reorganisation the battalion was assigned to the 1st Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom Mobile Force) as the TA reinforcement infantry battalion. In 1990 the battalion was again re-organised as follows; C Company in Dorchester transferred as C Company in the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and New C Company formed in Newbury by transfer of a company from the 2nd battalion.

In 1990 the Soviet Union was falling apart, and by 1992 the Options for Change reform was announced which significantly reduced the size of the army. As a result it was announced the regiment's battalions were to reduce to a three rifle company size. As a result, the battalion was reorganised as follows;


 * D Company in Poole transferred as D Company in the 4th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment
 * B Company in Swindon and C Company in Newbury merged and moved into the 2nd battalion
 * New B Company formed in Bristol from Bristol platoons of 245 Ambulance Squadron, 155th (Wessex) Transport Regiment, RCT (V)
 * New C Company formed in Cheltenham and Tewkesbruy from existing elements

Finally in 1995 the battalion was amalgamated and concurrently disbanded and reformed to form the new 2nd (Volunteer) Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire, and Wiltshire Regiment. Because of this, A and C Companies were amalgamated to form A (Gloucester) Company, B Company was renamed as B (City of Bristol) Company, and HQ Company was renamed as C (Wiltshire) Company. Elements of the battalion continued to serve in the regiment, later becoming The Rifle Volunteers and The Royal Rifle Volunteers and in 2007 joined the 6th Battalion, The Rifles and 7th Battalion, The Rifles.