| North West District | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1967–1991 |
| Country |
 United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 British Army |
| Type | District Command |
| Garrison/HQ |
Cuerden Hall (until 1977) Fulwood Barracks (after 1977) |
North West District was a district command of the British Army from 1967 and 1991.
History
Cuerden Hall, command headquarters, 1967–1977
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Fulwood Barracks, command headquarters, 1977–1991
The district was formed from 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division as part of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967.[1] It had its headquarters at Cuerden Hall, and was placed under the command of HQ UK Land Forces in 1972.[2] In 1995, the district was disbanded and its duties subsumed by 5th Division, and 42nd (North West) Brigade.[3]
During its tenure, the district oversaw, with regards to military reasons, the following counties: Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire, and also the Isle of Man.
Structure
Below is the structure of the district at its time of formation, high of the Cold War, and just before its disbandment. The below list will include each unit's 'TAVR Rating', these included: TAVR I (rapid deployment TA), TAVR II (NATO roled unit/full establishment unit), TAVR III (Home Defence, infantry only despite names), and TAVR IV (Bands, UOTC, and training units).
1967
The following structure is compiled by the units which were located in the area, and their assignments.
- North West District, Headquarters, at Cuerden Hall, Chorley
- 55 (Thames and Mersey) Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals, in Liverpool (TAVR I)
- 11th Signal Group (Volunteers)
- Group Headquarters, in Liverpool (TAVR II)
- 33rd (Lancashire and Cheshire) Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, HQ in Huyton, Liverpool (TAVR II)
- Cheshire Yeomanry (Earl of Chester's Territorials), HQ in Birkenhead (TAVR III)
- The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (Royal Tank Regiment) (Territorials), HQ in Clifton (TAVR III)
- Lancastrian Volunteers, HQ in Warrington (TAVR II)
- 4th (Territorial) Battalion, The Border Regiment, HQ in Carlisle (TAVR III)
- 4th/7th (Territorial) Battalion, The Cheshire Regiment, HQ in Macclesfield (TAVR III)
- 4th (Territorial) Battalion, The East Lancashire Regiment, in Blackburn (TAVR III)
- 4th/5th (Territorial) Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), HQ in Lancaster (TAVR III)
- The Manchester Regiment (Ardwick and Ashton) Territorials, HQ in Ardwick Green (TAVR III)
- 103rd (Lancashire Artillery Volunteers) Light Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery (Volunteers), HQ in Liverpool (TAVR II)
- The South Lancashire Territorials (Prince of Wales's Volunteers), Royal Artillery, HQ in St Helens (TAVR III)
- The West Lancashire Regiment, Royal Artillery (Territorials), HQ in Liverpool (TAVR III)
- 75th Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers (Volunteers), HQ in Manchester (TAVR II)
- 415 Combat Artisan Troop, Royal Engineers, in Failsworth (TAVR I)
- 156th (Lancashire and Cheshire) Transport Regiment, Royal Corps of Transport (Volunteers), HQ in Liverpool (TAVR II)
- 52 Transit Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps (Volunteers), in Ormskirk (TAVR II)
- 42nd (North-West) District Workshop, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, in Liverpool
- 207th (Manchester) General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps, in Manchester (TAVR II)
- 208th (Liverpool) General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps, in Liverpool
- 307th (Liverpool) Field Dressing Station, Royal Army Medical Corps, in Liverpool
- Central Ammunition Depot Longtown, Royal Army Ordnance Corps, Longtown
- Chester Garrison, HQ at Chester Castle (also overseeing Dale Barracks)
- 14th/20th King's Hussars Regimental Headquarters, in Manchester
- King's Own Royal Border Regimental Headquarters, at Carlisle Castle
- King's Regimental Headquarters, in Liverpool
- Lancashire Fusiliers Regimental Headquarters, at Wellington Barracks, Bury (disbanded next year, and regiment formed 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers)
- Lancashire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Volunteers) Regimental Headquarters, at Fulwood Barracks, Preston
- Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) Regimental Headquarters, at Fulwood Barracks, Preston
- Lancastrian Volunteers Regimental Headquarters, in Warrington
Commanders
General officers commanding included:[4]
- 1967–1968 Major-General Bala Bredin
- 1968–1970 Major-General Charles Dunbar
- 1970–1972 Major-General James Wilson
- 1972–1974 Major-General Corran Purdon
- 1974–1977 Major-General Keith McQueen
- 1977–1980 Major-General Peter Sibbald
- 1980–1983 Major-General Michael Hicks
- 1983–1986 Major-General Philip Davies
- 1986–1989 Major-General Colin Shortis
- 1989–1991 Major-General Tony Crowfoot
Footnotes
- ↑ Steinberg, S. (1967). The Statesman's Year-Book 1967-68: The Encyclopaedia for the Businessman-of-The-World. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 106. ISBN 978-0230270961. https://books.google.com/books?id=f9jMDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA106.
- ↑ Paxton, J. (1972). The Statesman's Year-Book 1972-73: The Encyclopaedia for the Businessman-of-The-World. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 104. ISBN 978-0-230-27101-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=l43JDQAAQBAJ&q=HQ+UK+Land+Forces+1972+9+district+headquarters&pg=PA104.
- ↑ Drenth, pp. 11 and 13.
- ↑ "Army Commands". http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
References
- Wienand Drenth, The Territorial Army 1967–2000, 2000, Einhoven, Kingdom of the Netherlands.