Royal Wessex Yeomanry - History

History

The Wessex Yeomanry was formed on 1st April 1971 by re-raising cadres from the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars and the Royal Devon Yeomanry to form four squadrons. The regiment was granted its royal title on 8th June 1979.

Initially roled as infantry, in the 1980s it was re-roled as a reconnaissance regiment and became one of the Military Home Defence Reconnaissance Regiments. Following the Strategic Defence Review, the regiment merged with the Dorset Yeomanry in July 1999 and was reorganised and re-roled into its current ORBAT.

The regiment currently has three roles:

  • The training of Challenger 2 main battle tank crewmen as Turret Crew Replacements. This commitment is provided by B (RWY), C (RGH) and D (RDY) Squadrons.
  • Armour Replacement. This role is provided by A (DY) Squadron.
  • The provision of skilled officers and senior non-commissioned officers to support the Regular Army on operations as watchkeepers and liaison officers. This is provided by all four squadrons.

Each squadron maintains its' own traditions of their forebear regiments, maintaining a sense of pride and rivalry. In 2011 there was a Regimental Celebration of 40 years since the founding of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, although at this time, the Dorset Yeomanry was not part of the regiment. HRH Earl of Wessex the Regimental Colonel visited, met members of the regiment and their families and also participated in a private guided tour of the neighbouring Tank Museum

Read more about this topic:  Royal Wessex Yeomanry

Famous quotes containing the word history:

    If usually the “present age” is no very long time, still, at our pleasure, or in the service of some such unity of meaning as the history of civilization, or the study of geology, may suggest, we may conceive the present as extending over many centuries, or over a hundred thousand years.
    Josiah Royce (1855–1916)

    Racism is an ism to which everyone in the world today is exposed; for or against, we must take sides. And the history of the future will differ according to the decision which we make.
    Ruth Benedict (1887–1948)

    Gossip is charming! History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.
    Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)