Royal Wessex Yeomanry
Encyclopedia
The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is an armoured
regiment
of the British Territorial Army consisting of four squadrons, each of which bears the cap badge
of an old yeomanry
regiment:
The Royal Wessex Yeomanry, which was formed in 1971, currently serves the role of advisers and instructors in the use of ISTAR
(Information, Surveillance, Targeting, Acquisition and Reconnaissance) equipment.
Unusually, B Sqn is the senior of the four squadrons of the regiment. This is because the RWY is the senior Yeomanry regiment in the Yeomanry Order of Precedence
, having been raised in 1794. It is not designated as A Sqn (which would be the usual practice) because there is an A (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Sqn of the Royal Yeomanry
with which it could be confused.
HRH The Earl of Wessex
is the Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of the British Territorial Army consisting of four squadrons, each of which bears the cap badge
Cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
of an old yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
regiment:
- B (Royal Wiltshire YeomanryRoyal Wiltshire YeomanryThe Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom established in 1794. It was disbanded as an independent Territorial Army unit in 1967, a time when the strength of the TA was greatly reduced...
) Squadron - A (Dorset YeomanryQueen's Own Dorset YeomanryThe Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry was founded as the Dorsetshire Regiment of Volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry in 1794. In response to the growing threat of invasion during the Napoleonic wars....
) Squadron - C (Royal Gloucestershire HussarsRoyal Gloucestershire HussarsThe Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a unit of the British Army.Raised in 1795 following William Pitt's 1794 order to raise volunteer bodies of men to defend Great Britain, through various re-organisations, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars remain today on the establishment of the Territorial...
) Squadron - D (Royal Devon YeomanryRoyal Devon YeomanryThe Royal Devon Yeomanry was a Yeomanry regiment of the British Army, first raised in 1794, it participated in the Boer War, World War I and World War II and now forms a squadron of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.-History:...
) Squadron
The Royal Wessex Yeomanry, which was formed in 1971, currently serves the role of advisers and instructors in the use of ISTAR
ISTAR
ISTAR stands for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance. In its macroscopic sense, ISTAR is a practice that links several battlefield functions together to assist a combat force in employing its sensors and managing the information they gather.Information is collected on...
(Information, Surveillance, Targeting, Acquisition and Reconnaissance) equipment.
Unusually, B Sqn is the senior of the four squadrons of the regiment. This is because the RWY is the senior Yeomanry regiment in the Yeomanry Order of Precedence
Yeomanry Order of Precedence
Unlike the British Army, the Territorial Army and with respect to this page, the Yeomanry, has frequently been the subject of amalgamations and absorptions in its history...
, having been raised in 1794. It is not designated as A Sqn (which would be the usual practice) because there is an A (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Sqn of the Royal Yeomanry
Royal Yeomanry
The Royal Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band:*A Squadron *B Squadron...
with which it could be confused.
HRH The Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
is the Royal Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.