33rd (Lancashire and Cheshire) Signal Regiment, Royal Signals

The 33rd (Lancashire and Cheshire) Signal Regiment was a British Territorial Army regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals.

History
The regiment was originally a TAVR II (Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve) unit created due to defence cuts, being formed on 1 April 1967 at Huyton, near Liverpool and consisting of four squadrons:


 * HQ Squadron
 * 42 (East Lancashire) Signal Squadron – successor to the 42nd (Lancashire and Cheshire) Signal Regiment
 * 59 (West Lancashire) Signal Squadron – successor to the 59th Signal Regiment
 * 80 (Cheshire) Signal Squadron – successor to the 80th Signal Regiment

In 1973, 80 Squadron became 80 (Cheshire Yeomanry) Squadron, in honour of the Cheshire Yeomanry (Earl of Chester's) from which the squadron descended. In 1969, the TAVR was re-designated as the Territorial Army.

In 1999, during the reforms implemented due to the Strategic Defence Review, the squadron subtitles, with the exception of 80 Squadron, were changed. They became:


 * 55 (Merseyside) HQ Squadron
 * 42 (City of Manchester) Signal Squadron
 * 59 (City of Liverpool) Signal Squadron

Present
The regiment's squadrons were all based in the North-West of England: 42 Signal Squadron was based in Manchester; 55 Signal Squadron was based in Huyton; 59 Signal Squadron was based in Aintree; and 80 Signal Squadron was based in Runcorn. The regiment provided support to the Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps, and was part of 12 Signal Group.

The regiment provided soldiers on operations around the world supporting the regular army.

Such places include:

Afghanistan

Balkans

Cyprus

Iraq

Disbandment
As a result of the strategic review of reserves it was announced on 28 April 2009 that the regiment was to be disbanded

Miscellaneous
The regiment was caught up in a financial scandal in July 2006