Commander Land Forces - UK Land Forces Formations, December 1989

UK Land Forces Formations, December 1989

In December 1989, Headquarters UK Land Forces at Wilton directed field forces through a three-star's command, UK Field Army. Many of the units stationed in the United Kingdom were to move immediately to Germany to reinforce British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) in case of war between NATO and the Warsaw Pact. For administrative purposes these units were under command of brigade HQ based in the UK during peacetime. Such reinforcement units are shown in the list below in italics followed by the higher command they were to reinforce in Germany in brackets.

  • North-Eastern District (Imphal Barracks, York)
  • 2nd Infantry Division, York, (to reinforce I British Corps within 72 hours)
    • 15th Infantry Brigade, Topcliffe
      • Queen's Own Yeomanry (TA), Newcastle upon Tyne, (80x Fox, 20x Spartan)
      • 1st Btn, Yorkshire Volunteers (TA), York
      • 2nd Btn, Yorkshire Volunteers (TA), York
      • 6th Btn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (TA), Newcastle upon Tyne
      • 7th Btn, The Light Infantry (TA), Durham
      • 8th Btn, The Light Infantry (TA), Wakefield
      • 101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery, Newcastle upon Tyne, (18x FH-70, one battery with Blowpipe SAM)
    • 24th Airmobile Brigade, Catterick
      • HQ & 210th Signal Squadron, Catterick
      • 1st Btn, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire, Catterick
      • 1st Btn, Green Howards, Catterick
      • 3rd Btn, The Light Infantry, Blackpool
      • 27th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Topcliffe, (24x FH-70)
      • 51st Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, Catterick
      • 9th Regiment, Army Air Corps, Dishforth, (24x Lynx AH.7, 12x Gazelle AH.1)
    • 49th Infantry Brigade, Chilwell
      • Royal Yeomanry (TA), Chelsea, (80x Fox, 20x Spartan)
      • 3rd Btn, Staffordshire Regiment (TA), Wolverhampton
      • 5th Btn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (TA), Coventry
      • 5th Btn, The Light Infantry (TA), Shrewsbury
      • 5th Btn, Royal Anglian Regiment (TA), Peterborough
      • 7th Btn, Royal Anglian Regiment (TA), Leicester
      • 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery, London, (18x FH-70, D battery with Blowpipe SAM)
    • 5th Btn, Royal Green Jackets (TA), Oxford
    • 4th Btn, Queen's Lancashire Regiment (TA), Preston
    • 38th Regiment, Royal Engineers, Ripon
    • 655th Squadron, Army Air Corps, Ballykelly, Northern Ireland
  • South-Western District (Bulford Camp)
  • Allied Command Europe Mobile Force assigned units:
    • 2nd Btn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Bulford Camp, Light Role
  • 1st Infantry Brigade, Tidworth, United Kingdom Mobile Force, dedicated to the defence of Schleswig-Holstein under LANDJUT
    • Royal Hussars, Tidworth, (43x Chieftain)
    • 13th/18th Royal Hussars, Tidworth, (48x FV107 Scimitar)
    • 1st Btn, Queen's Regiment, Tidworth, (45x Saxon)
    • 1st Btn, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment, Bulford, (45x Saxon)
    • 2nd Btn, The Light Infantry, Tidworth, (45x Saxon)
    • 1st Btn, The Wessex Regiment (TA), Devizes
    • 47th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Thorney Island, (24x FH-70
    • 22nd Engineer Regiment, Perham Down
    • 656th Squadron, Army Air Corps (7th Rgt, AAC), (6x Lynx AH.7, 6x Gazelle AH.1)
  • 43rd (Wessex) Brigade, Exeter, guards channel ports
    • 1st Btn, Royal Regiment of Wales, Warminster, Infantry Demonstration Unit
    • 94th Locating Regiment, Royal Artillery, Larkhill (Target Acquisition) (to 1st Artillery Brigade)
    • Royal Wessex Yeomanry (TA), Light Reconnaissance
    • 6th Btn, The Light Infantry (TA), Bath
    • 4th Btn, Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (TA), Exeter
  • South-Eastern District (Aldershot)
  • 2nd (Southeast) Infantry Brigade, Shorncliffe, guards channel ports
    • 2nd Btn, Royal Green Jackets, Dover, Light Role
    • 5th Btn, Queen's Regiment (TA), Canterbury (to 20th Armoured Brigade)
    • 6th/7th Btn, Queen's Regiment (TA), Horsham
    • 2nd Btn, Wessex Regiment (TA), Reading
  • 5th Airborne Brigade, Aldershot, may reinforce any NATO command
    • Life Guards, Windsor, (48x FV107 Scimitar)
    • 1st Btn, Parachute Regiment, Aldershot
    • 2nd Btn, The Parachute Regiment, Aldershot
    • 1st Btn, 2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles, Church Crookham
    • 1st Btn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Dover
    • 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, Aldershot, (24x Light Gun)
    • 658th Squadron, Army Air Corps (7th Rgt, AAC), (6x Lynx AH.7, 6x Gazelle AH.1)
  • Eastern District (Flagstaff House, Colchester)
  • 19th Infantry Brigade, Colchester, (to join 4th Armoured Division within 48 hours after receiving marching orders)
    • HQ & 209th Signal Squadron, Colchester
    • 1st Btn, King's Own Royal Border Regiment, Colchester, (45x Saxon)
    • 1st Btn, Royal Anglian Regiment, Colchester, (45x Saxon)
    • 3rd Btn, Royal Anglian Regiment, Colchester, (45x Saxon)
    • 45th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery', Colchester, (24x FH-70)
    • 9th/12th Royal Lancers, Wimbish, (48x FV107 Scimitar) (to 4th Armoured Division)
  • 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Brigade, Grantham, guards RAF/USAF bases
    • 1st Btn, Royal Highland Fusiliers, Cambridge (71x FV432)
    • Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry (TA), Light Reconnaissance
    • 3rd Btn, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (TA), Newark-on-Trent
    • 3rd Btn, Yorkshire Volunteers (TA), Huddersfield
    • 4th Btn, Yorkshire Volunteers (TA), Sheffield
    • 4th Btn, Parachute Regiment (TA), Leeds (to Parachute Regiment Group, 1st Armoured Division)
    • 6th Btn, Royal Anglian Regiment (TA), Bury St Edmunds
    • 16th Air Defense Regiment, Royal Artillery, Kirton in Lindsey (48x towed Rapier missile systems) (to 1st Artillery Brigade)
  • North-Western District (Fulwood Barracks, Preston)
  • 42nd (Northwest) Infantry Brigade, Chester, guards Merseyside Ports
    • 3rd Btn, The Light Infantry, Blackpool, Light Role
    • Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry (TA), Chorley, (80x Fox, 20x Spartan)
    • 4th Btn, King's Own Royal Border Regiment (TA), Lancaster
    • 5th/8th Btn, King's Regiment (TA), Warrington (to 4th Armoured Division)
    • 3rd Btn, Cheshire Regiment (TA), Runcorn
    • 103rd (V) Lancashire Artillery, Royal Artillery, Liverpool (64x Javelin) (to 1st Artillery Brigade)
  • Scotland District (The Castle, Edinburgh)
  • 51st (Highland) Infantry Brigade, Perth, guards the Northern Scottish RAF bases
    • 1st Btn, Gordon Highlanders, Fort George, Light Role
    • 1st Btn, 51st Highland Volunteers (TA), Perth (to 11th Armoured Brigade)
    • 2nd Btn, 51st Highland Volunteers (TA), Elgin (to 4th Armoured Division)
    • 3rd Btn, 51st Highland Volunteers (TA), Peterhead
  • 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Brigade, Edinburgh, guards the Southern Scottish RAF bases
    • 1st Btn, King's Own Scottish Borderers, Edinburgh, Light Role
    • 1st Btn, 52nd Lowland Volunteers (TA), Glasgow (to 4th Armoured Division)
    • 2nd Btn, 52nd Lowland Volunteers (TA), Edinburgh
    • 15th Btn, Parachute Regiment (TA), Glasgow (to Parachute Regiment Group, 1st Armoured Division)
    • 105th (V) Scottish) Air Defense Regiment, Royal Artillery, Edinburgh (80x Javelin) (to I British Corps)
  • London District (Horse Guards, Whitehall)
  • 56th (London) Infantry Brigade, London, home defence
    • Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Hyde Park Barracks
    • 1st Btn, Coldstream Guards, Wellington Barracks
    • 1st Btn, Irish Guards, Chelsea Barracks
    • 1st Btn, Welsh Guards, Victoria Barracks
    • 2nd Btn, Grenadier Guards, Caterham Barracks
    • 2nd Btn, Scots Guards, Cavalry Barracks
    • Honourable Artillery Company, Finsbury (to 1st Artillery Brigade)
    • 4th Btn, Royal Green Jackets (TA), London (to 1st Armoured Division)
    • 8th (V) Btn, Queen's Fusiliers, Clapham (to 1st Artillery Brigade)
    • 10th Btn, Parachute Regiment (TA), London (to Parachute Regiment Group, 1st Armoured Division)
    • 101st (London) Engineer Regiment (V), London
  • Western District (Shrewsbury)
  • 143rd (West Midlands) Infantry Brigade, Shrewsbury, home defence
    • 1st Btn, Duke of Wellington's Regiment, Ternhill, (45x Saxon)
    • 4th Btn, Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters (TA), Redditch (to I British Corps)
    • 104th (V) Air Defense Regiment, Royal Artillery, Newport (80x Javelin) (to 1st Artillery Brigade)
  • 30th Engineer Brigade, Stafford (to BAOR)
    • 71st (Scottish) Engineer Regiment (V), Glasgow
    • 72nd Engineer Regiment (V), Gateshead
    • 73rd Engineer Regiment (V), Nottingham
    • 74th Engineer Regiment (V), Northern Ireland
    • 75th Engineer Regiment (V), Manchester
    • Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (V), Monmouth
  • Wales (The Barracks, Brecon)
  • 160th (Welsh) Infantry Brigade, Brecon, guards Welsh ports
    • 1st Btn, Cheshire Regiment, Chester, Light Role
    • 3rd Btn, Royal Welch Fusiliers (TA), Wrexham
    • 3rd Btn, Royal Regiment of Wales (TA), Cardiff (to 4th Armoured Division)
    • 4th Btn, Royal Regiment of Wales (TA), Swansea
  • Special Air Service
    • 21st SAS Regiment (TA), Chelsea
    • 22nd SAS Regiment, Credenhill
    • 23rd SAS Regiment (TA), Birmingham
  • 11th Signal Brigade, Stafford (to BAOR)
    • 31st (City of London) Signal Regiment (V), London
    • 33rd (Lancashire & Cheshire) Signal Regiment (V), Huyton
    • 34 (Northern) Signal Regiment (V), Leeds (to I British Corps)
    • 35th (South Midland) Signal Regiment (V), Coventry
    • 36 (Eastern) Signal Regiment (V), Cambridge (to I British Corps)
    • 40 (Ulster) Signal Regiment (V), Belfast (to I British Corps)
  • No. 666 Squadron AAC (7th Regt, Army Air Corps)
  • Jersey Field Squadron (Royal Militia of the Island of Jersey)

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