Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire - History

History

The first overseas posting for the regiment was from September 1958 to June 1959 in Aden, Yemen, followed by a posting to Gibraltar from June 1959 to June 1961. The battalion served in Wuppertal, West Germany from 1961 to 1964, Berlin 1964-1965, then again in Aden from September 1965 until September 1966. The regiment returned to England in 1966 and remained there until 1969, based in Colchester.

The year 1967 saw deployment of operational elements to Cornwall to assist with the environmental clean-up following the Torrey Canyon oil-spill disaster. An emergency deployment back to Aden in June following the mutinies by the South Arabian Federation Army and Yeman Federal Police. Aden saw the deaths in action of two soldiers from the regiment Pte F langrick and Sgt WS Saville, as well as the awards of one Military Cross, one Military Medal, and a Mention In Despatches. The battalion returned to Colchester in late 1967. This period also saw the formation of South Yemen.

In April 1969, the battalion was deployed to Northern Ireland, as part of the UK Government's response to terrorist attacks on the Government infrastructure in the troubled province. The regiment was the first British military unit to become involved in the resulting years of sectarian violence.

The regiment's presence and constant patrolling of vital points initially stabilised the situation in their operational area of County Down. On 12 July, sectarian violence led to a rapid redeployment to Derry. Decisive action by the Royal Ulster Constabulary again calmed the situation down and the battalion moved into a fixed tactical base at Magilligan's Point, north of Limavady on the shores of Lough Foyle. On 12 August, the violence erupted in a concerted campaign which, after nearly three days of street battles, saw the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) totally exhausted. On 14 August 1969 the regiment took over responsibility for the security of Derry.

From February 1970 to October 1972, the battalion was based in Cyprus, then returned to the UK, for another tour in Northern Ireland, until November 1973. From 1973 to 1978 the regiment were stationed in Celle (formerly in West Germany), as part of the 7th Armoured Brigade, equipped with FV432 armoured vehicles. The Battalion completed another four month emergency tour during 1975 in Derry. During this tour 18 year old Pte David Wray was shot and killed by a sniper whilst on a foot patrol in the Creggan housing estate. From 1978 to 1983 the regiment served as part of the Allied Mobile Force' in Norway (AMF(L)N) and exercised extensively in Norway where companies were fully ski-borne.

In May 1983 the battalion started a two year tour as part of the Berlin Brigade, where in 1984 it was presented with new regimental Colours. In April 1985 the Battalion redeployed to Abercorn Barracks, Ballykinler, Northern Ireland and was heavily committed in domestic duties, maintaining law and order, particularly in the terrorist plagued countryside of South Armagh.

In May 1987 the regiment moved to Catterick, North Yorkshire, to join 24 Infantry Brigade. Equipped with Saxon armoured personnel carriers, this was the battalions first tour in Yorkshire since their antecedent regiments amalgamation. The battalion was re-roled in 1988 to become 24 Airmobile Brigade (formerly 24 Infantry Brigade) and were able to deploy 42 MILAN Anti-tank guided missiles.

In August 1990 the Battalion moved to Osnabrück in West Germany to take up a Mechanised Infantry role as part of 12 Armoured Brigade. During the First Gulf War, or Operation Granby (later known as Desert storm) the battalion deployed formed units that included a Milan Section and a Mortar section to the 1st battalion of the Staffordshire Regiment, many men deployed on an individual basis reinforcing units. Up to one third of the battalion was deployed to the gulf. During Winter 1991 the battalion was once again in Northern Ireland, as the west Belfast roulement battalion and had as successful tour. On return the battalion was re-equipped with the Warrior tracked armoured vehicle, with training in the German Soltau training area.

As a result of the 1992 Strategic Defence Review the then government of John Major decided to bring Territorial Army (TA) and Regular Army units closer together, as a result The 2nd Battalion The The Yorkshire Volunteers became 3rd Battalion The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire (Yorkshire Volunteers). The 3rd Battalion was based at York. 3PWO lasted for 6 years until defence cuts reduce the size of the TA to two thirds of its original size.

In 1993 the regiment deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of UNPFOR, with companies in Gornji Vakuf and Vitez. They picked up the unofficial nickname of "ShootBat" due to the 'robustness' of the battalion's actions. In 1994 they moved to the British Army Training Unit Suffield, Canada followed by a move to Warminster as the Infantry Demonstration Battalion at the Land Warfare Centre. 1997 saw the Battalion stationed in Chester with deployments to Ulster, Sierra Leone (Operation Basilica) support to Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food during the foot and mouth outbreak. Training exercises took troops to Kenya, Jamaica, Italy and Oman. By 2001-2003 1PWO was in Omagh followed by a move to Catterick Garrison as an Air Assault Battalion, with deployments to Bosnia, as part of SFOR and a training exercise to Belize in 2005. The regiment amalgamated with its sister battalions of The Green Howards and The Duke of Wellington's Regiment to form The Yorkshire Regiment on (6 June 2006).

The regiment conducted three tours in Aden, two in Bosnia, six in Northern Ireland, one in Sierra Leone.