Territorial Army
Encyclopedia
The Territorial Army is the part time volunteer force of the British Army
. With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals attached to regular units. Over one thousand TA soldiers are deployed overseas on operations each year. The highest ranking Territorial is Major-General
Greg Smith TD
who is Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff
(Reserves and Cadets).
As a locally raised volunteer part time force, the TA may be considered a militia and several units bear the title "militia".
TA members have a minimum commitment to serve 27 training days per annum. This period normally includes a two-week period of continuous training either as a (TA) unit, on courses or attached to a regular unit. Territorial soldiers are paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their regular equivalents. Soldiers of the Territorial Army are often serving along side their regular counterparts, including operations in Afghanistan where 1,000 out of the total 10,100 deployed are reservists, around 10% of the total.
The annual budget of the Territorial Army is approximately £350 million – around 1.3% of the total defence budget.
While Territorial soldiers may train as a unit, when mobilized to supplement the regulars they do so as individuals. Under the "Forces Reform 2020" plan outlined by Defence Secretary Liam Fox on 18 July 2011, the Ministry of Defence will provide more money to train more TA soldiers with the objective of eventually deploying entire TA units (much like U.S. National Guard units.) Under the reform plan the Total Force will be restructured so that by 2020 the British Army will have 120,000 soldiers, of which 84,000 will be regulars and 36,000 TA (a ratio of 70/30).
, the Territorial Army is incorporated by the Royal Prerogative
into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for the duration of hostilities or until de-activation is decided upon. After the Second World War, for example, the TA was not demobilised until 1947.
Territorials normally have a full-time job or career, which in some cases provides skills and expertise that are directly transferable to a specialist military role, such as NHS
employees serving in TA Army Medical Services
units. All Territorial personnel have their civilian jobs protected to a limited extent by law should they be compulsorily mobilised. There is however no legal protection against discrimination in employment for membership of the TA in the normal course of events (i.e. when not mobilised).
.
The Territorial Army was created in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War
, Richard Haldane
, when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force
, with the Militia and Yeomanry
. Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in the reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Some, notably the London Regiment
, Glasgow Highlanders
and Liverpool Scottish maintained a separate identity.
, Richard Burdon Haldane, following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force
with the remaining units of militia
and yeomanry
. The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and contained 14 infantry
division
s, and 14 mounted yeomanry
brigade
s. It had an overall strength of approximately 269,000.
The individual units that made up each division or brigade were administered by County Associations, with the county's lord lieutenant
as president. The other members of the association consisted of military members (chosen from the commanding officers of the units), representative members (nominated by the county council
s and county borough
s in the lieutenancy county) and co-opted members (often retired military officers). Associations took over any property vested in the volunteers or yeomanry under their administration. Each regiment or battalion had a regular army officer attached as full-time adjutant.
The use of the word territorial signified that the volunteers who served with the force were under no obligation to serve overseas — in 1910, when asked to nominate for Imperial Service overseas in the event of mobilisation, less than 10% of the Force chose to do so. In August 1914, after the outbreak of the First World War, Territorial units were given the option of serving in France
and by 25 August in excess of 70 battalion
s had volunteered. This question over the availability of Territorial divisions for overseas service was one of Lord Kitchener's motivations for raising the New Army
separately.
Territorial formations initially saw service in Egypt
and India
and other Empire garrisons such as Gibraltar
, thereby releasing regular units for service in France and enabling the formation of an additional five regular army divisions (for a total of eleven) by early 1915. Several reserve units were also deployed with regular formations and the first Territorial unit to see action on the Western Front was the Glasgow Territorial Signallers Group, Royal Engineers
at the First Battle of Ypres
on 11 October 1914. The first fully Territorial division to join the fighting on the Western Front
was the 46th Division
in March 1915, with divisions later serving in Gallipoli
and elsewhere. As the war progressed and casualties mounted, the distinctive character of Territorial units was diluted by the inclusion of conscript and New Army drafts. Following the Armistice
all units of the Territorial Force were gradually disbanded.
" financial cuts the TA was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps
units were either reduced in size or abolished. An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London.
On 29 March 1939 it was announced that the size of the TA was to be doubled by the reforming of the 2nd line units. The total strength of the TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organised in 26 divisions while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section. When the 2nd Line was reformed they were a little different from their First World War predecessors. They had slightly different names and the regiments assigned were different. After VJ Day
in August 1945, the Territorial Army was significantly downsized with all 2nd Line and several 1st Line Divisions once again disbanded.
. The manoeuvre divisions established or re-established in 1947 were:
The 16th Airborne Division
, a totally TA formation, was also raised at this time, under the command of Major-General Roy Urquhart
.
The Territorials also provided much of the anti-aircraft
cover for the United Kingdom until 1956. In that year Anti-Aircraft Command
and 15 anti-aircraft regiments of the Royal Artillery were disbanded, with nine others passing into "suspended animation" as new English Electric Thunderbird
Surface to Air Missile units replaced them. On 20 December 1955 the Secretary of State for War informed the House of Commons that the armoured divisions and the Lowland mixed division were to be converted to infantry, and the 16th Airborne Division reduced to a parachute brigade group. The territorial units of the Royal Armoured Corps
were also reduced in number to nine armoured regiments and eleven reconnaissance regiments. This was effected by amalgamation of pairs of regiments, and the conversion of four RAC units to an infantry role. At the same time, the 16th Airborne Division was reduced to in size to become the 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group
.
British forces contracted dramatically as the end of conscription
in 1960 came in sight as announced in the 1957 Defence White Paper
. On 20 July 1960 a reorganisation of the TA was announced in the House of Commons. The Territorials were to be reduced from 266 fighting units to 195. There was to be a reduction of 46 regiments of the Royal Artillery, 18 battalions of infantry, 12 regiments of the Royal Engineers and 2 regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals. The reductions were carried out in 1961, mainly by amalgamation of units.
This was followed by complete reorganisation announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper
from 1 April 1967 when the title Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) was adopted which abolished the former regimental and divisional structure of the TA. Units in the new TAVR were divided into four categories:
TAVR I and II units were known as "Volunteers", and those in TAVR III as "Territorials". These terms were often incorporated into the unit titles.
The TAVR III was disbanded in 1969, with the units being reduced to eight-man "cadres". The cadres became part of a "sponsoring" TAVR II unit, although continuing to wear the badges and perpetuating the traditions of their forebears. An increase in the size of the TAVR in 1971 lead to the formation of a number of battalions based on these cadres.
In 1979 the Territorial Army title was restored, and in the following years its size was somewhat increased, with the regimental system being progressively reinstated. Although due to its decreased established size, Brigades rather than Divisions were used at a manoeuvre formation level.
The TA was thus re-roled into its modern form. Instead of supplying complete combat divisions, its function was to round out regular formations by supplying units of up to battalion size (including infantry, light artillery and formation reconnaissance
), and to supply extra support functions such as engineers, medical units and military police.
After the Strategic Defence Review
of 1998, the TA's size of around 56,200 was further reduced. The Infantry suffered most, with 87 companies in 33 battalions reducing to 67 companies in 15 battalions. As of 2006 the Territorial Army has an authorised strength of 42,000 though recruiting difficulties put the actual strength of the TA below that figure (manning is currently at approx 82% which equates to 34,000). Units also have attached
TA soldiers have seen service in a number of conflicts that the UK has been involved with since 1945. However, they served in particularly large numbers in two conflicts. The Korean War
and Suez Crisis
, which were during the 1950s when the entire TA was called up. Throughout the Cold War however, the Territorial Army was never regarded as a particularly usable force overseas, either by the Government of the day or by the Regular Army. This was due to the fact that the entire Territorial Army had to be mobilised by Royal Prerogative
in a wartime scenario, as occurred in the World Wars, with no flexibility to use smaller formations or specialists if required and as a result relied purely on Territorials willing to volunteer their services. Therefore, its role was, at least unofficially, seen as home defence and as a result the TA was not used in conflicts such as the 1982 Falklands War
and 1991 Gulf War
(205 Scottish General Hospital were mobilised as a unit based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 1991 Gulf War and a number of TA staff officers and others volunteered and served during the conflict either in supporting roles in Germany or within 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the Middle East.) However, the Government passed the Reserve Forces Act 1996, which enables individual TA personnel to be compulsorily called up for deployment, with certain caveat
s exempting those in full-time education and other compassionate reasons, as well as providing protection by employment law for members' civilian jobs should they be mobilised, which has led to the TA increasingly providing routine support for the Regular Army overseas.
In 2003, 9,500 reservists, the vast majority of them from the TA, were mobilised to take part in Operation Telic
, the invasion of Iraq
, in contrast only some 420 Regular Reservists were called-up. Approximately 1,200 members of the TA have continued to deploy annually on tours of duty
in Iraq, Operation Herrick
in Afghanistan
and elsewhere, normally on 6 month-long roulement
s. They cannot be used in operations for more than 12 months in any three-year period - making most of those who have already served ineligible for call up for two years afterwards. However given the relatively-small size of the Regular British Army, coupled with the current high rate of operational deployments, it is inconceivable that the TA will not see further extensive overseas service.
and events such as Ten Tors
. They provide a means by which the community as a whole can contribute to Britain’s defence.
Most units of the Territorial Army are organised into Regional Brigade
s for administrative and training purposes, dependent upon their geographic location within the United Kingdom. Exceptions include the Army Medical Services and UKSF(R). The Brigades also co-ordinate Civil Contingency Reaction Forces
(CCRF) in their respective regions, which are organised to provide support to the emergency service
s if required:
Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Artillery
Royal Engineers
Royal Corps of Signals
Infantry
Special Air Service
Royal Logistic Corps
Army Medical Services
2 Medical Brigade Units:
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Adjutant General's Corps
Corps of Army Music
Pipes and Drums
units, which allow students to experience military life. University Officer Training Corps (UOTCs) still officially form part of the TA. However, the officer cadets fall into reserve category "B" meaning they cannot be called up for service unless there is a national emergency.
In 2011 an MoD study recommended the downgrading of UOTCs to sub-units (commanded by a Major
rather than a Lt Col) and the formation of 12 Officer Training Regiments comprising one or two OTC 'companies' and a TA Officer Training Wing. The study also concluded that UOTC OCdts should not be attested or paid in their first year.
, home defence units, like the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, were raised in various British colonies with the intention of allowing Regular Army units tied-up on garrison duty to be deployed elsewhere. Although they have generally been organised along Territorial Army lines, they are NOT part of the British army and are funded by the OT government and not by British tax payers. There are three units, today, in the remaining British Overseas Territories
(BOT): the Bermuda Regiment
, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
, and the Falkland Islands Defence Force
. Although the British Government, as national government, is responsible for the defence of the territories, and holds direct control of military units raised within them, the local forces are raised and funded by the local governments of the territories. These units must meet British Army standards in organisation and efficiency. Their officers are commissioned by Sandhurst, and their sergeants attend the Platoon Sergeants course at Brecon (itself having been begun as a course for Parachute Regiment NCOs, created by a Bermudian officer, Major-General Glyn Charles Anglim Gilbert). Although OT units may have no tasking under the Ministry of Defence
, and members may not be compelled to serve outside their territory, many serve voluntarily on attachment to Regular Army units. In the 1980s, a cadre of officers and NCOs from the Bermuda Regiment was briefly attached to a battalion of the affiliated Royal Anglian Regiment
deployed to Belize
, guarding against a threatened invasion by Guatemala
. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is moving towards full integration with the British Army, having been added to the Army List, and with two of its three rifle companies having become full-time, following the withdrawal of the Regular Army garrison in 1991.
Phase 1
In Phase 1, recruits cover the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) in a series of 6 training weekends at Regional Training Centre
s (RTCs). For non-infantry units, CMS(R) concludes with a two week training course normally held at an Army Training Regiment, whilst infantry recruits have an extra 3 weekends and then go directly to their Phase 2 Training at Catterick. Recruits to the 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
and the Honourable Artillery Company
complete their equivalent of CMS(R) within their own units.
Phase 2
Phase 1 is followed by Phase 2, a further period of specialist training specific to the type of unit the recruit is joining. This is normally conducted by the Arm or Service that the recruit is joining, for example for infantry units, Phase 2 consists of the two week Combat Infantryman's Course (TA) (CIC (TA)) held at the Infantry Training Centre
, Catterick
.
Module 1 is the same as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) course. As many Officers initially serve a period of time as Soldiers, this module is only undertaken by the minority that join the TA directly as Potential Officers under the Direct Entry TA Potential Officer (DETAPO) system.
Module 2 covers training in Tactics, Leadership, Doctrine and Navigation, both in theory and in practice, and a further series of selection and aptitude
tests are undertaken, usually spread over 10 weekends. This also includes passing The Army Officer Selection Board Briefing and Main Board, after which Potential Officers are formally designated as Officer Cadet
s.
Module 3 applies the theory taught in Module 2 into a 9 day Battle Camp. Modules 1 to 3 are run by Regional Training Centre
s around the UK.
Module 4. Passing the AOSB and Module 3 then enables Officer Cadets to attend an intensive three week Assessment at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
, which forms Module 4.
On successful completion of Module 4, the Officer Cadets receive their Commission and become Second Lieutenant
s. Further training that is required prior to them being considered for operational deployment and promotion to Lieutenant
includes:
Post Commissioning Training (formerly known as Module 5), again run at an RTC, over 3 weekends.
Special To Arm training is specific to the type of unit the Subaltern is joining, for example, the 2 week Platoon Commander's
Battle Course held at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon
.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. With around 35,500 members, the TA forms about a quarter of the overall manpower strength of the British Army. TA members regularly volunteer to serve overseas on operations, either with TA units, or as individuals attached to regular units. Over one thousand TA soldiers are deployed overseas on operations each year. The highest ranking Territorial is Major-General
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Greg Smith TD
Territorial Decoration
The Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
who is Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
(Reserves and Cadets).
As a locally raised volunteer part time force, the TA may be considered a militia and several units bear the title "militia".
TA members have a minimum commitment to serve 27 training days per annum. This period normally includes a two-week period of continuous training either as a (TA) unit, on courses or attached to a regular unit. Territorial soldiers are paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their regular equivalents. Soldiers of the Territorial Army are often serving along side their regular counterparts, including operations in Afghanistan where 1,000 out of the total 10,100 deployed are reservists, around 10% of the total.
The annual budget of the Territorial Army is approximately £350 million – around 1.3% of the total defence budget.
While Territorial soldiers may train as a unit, when mobilized to supplement the regulars they do so as individuals. Under the "Forces Reform 2020" plan outlined by Defence Secretary Liam Fox on 18 July 2011, the Ministry of Defence will provide more money to train more TA soldiers with the objective of eventually deploying entire TA units (much like U.S. National Guard units.) Under the reform plan the Total Force will be restructured so that by 2020 the British Army will have 120,000 soldiers, of which 84,000 will be regulars and 36,000 TA (a ratio of 70/30).
Legal status
During periods of total warTotal war
Total war is a war in which a belligerent engages in the complete mobilization of fully available resources and population.In the mid-19th century, "total war" was identified by scholars as a separate class of warfare...
, the Territorial Army is incorporated by the Royal Prerogative
Royal Prerogative
The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the sovereign alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government, possessed by and...
into Regular Service under one code of Military Law for the duration of hostilities or until de-activation is decided upon. After the Second World War, for example, the TA was not demobilised until 1947.
Territorials normally have a full-time job or career, which in some cases provides skills and expertise that are directly transferable to a specialist military role, such as NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
employees serving in TA Army Medical Services
Army Medical Services
The Army Medical Services is the organisation responsible for administering the four separate corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army...
units. All Territorial personnel have their civilian jobs protected to a limited extent by law should they be compulsorily mobilised. There is however no legal protection against discrimination in employment for membership of the TA in the normal course of events (i.e. when not mobilised).
Historical overview
Its original purpose was home defence although the establishment of the Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve in 1967 involved a restructuring and revised doctrine leading to provision of routine support for the regular army overseas. Reservists in the past also served as constables or bailiffs, even holding positions of civic duty as overseer of their parish. The more modern Yeomen of the 18th century were cavalry based units, which were often used to suppress riots, such as the infamous Peterloo MassacrePeterloo Massacre
The Peterloo Massacre occurred at St Peter's Field, Manchester, England, on 16 August 1819, when cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000–80,000 that had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation....
.
The Territorial Army was created in 1908 by the Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, Richard Haldane
Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane
Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane KT, OM, PC, KC, FRS, FBA, FSA , was an influential British Liberal Imperialist and later Labour politician, lawyer and philosopher. He was Secretary of State for War between 1905 and 1912 during which time the "Haldane Reforms" were implemented...
, when the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territorial Force ; and disbanding the Militia to form a new Special Reserve of the...
combined the previously civilian-administered Volunteer Force
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
, with the Militia and 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:...
. Most Volunteer infantry units had unique identities, but lost these in the reorganisation, becoming Territorial battalions of Regular Army infantry regiments. Some, notably the London Regiment
London Regiment
The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
, Glasgow Highlanders
Glasgow Highlanders
The Glasgow Highlanders was a former Territorial Army regiment in the British Army, it eventually became part of The Highland Light Infantry regiment in 1881, which later became The Royal Highland Fusiliers in 1959...
and Liverpool Scottish maintained a separate identity.
Formation to First World War
The Territorial Force was originally formed by the Secretary of State for WarSecretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, Richard Burdon Haldane, following the enactment of the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907
The Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the auxiliary forces of the British Army by transferring existing Volunteer and Yeomanry units into a new Territorial Force ; and disbanding the Militia to form a new Special Reserve of the...
which combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Force
Volunteer Force (Great Britain)
The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a popular movement in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increasingly integrated with the British Army after the Childers Reforms in 1881, before forming part of the...
with the remaining units of militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
and 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:...
. The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and contained 14 infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
s, and 14 mounted 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:...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s. It had an overall strength of approximately 269,000.
The individual units that made up each division or brigade were administered by County Associations, with the county's lord lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
as president. The other members of the association consisted of military members (chosen from the commanding officers of the units), representative members (nominated by the county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
s and county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
s in the lieutenancy county) and co-opted members (often retired military officers). Associations took over any property vested in the volunteers or yeomanry under their administration. Each regiment or battalion had a regular army officer attached as full-time adjutant.
The use of the word territorial signified that the volunteers who served with the force were under no obligation to serve overseas — in 1910, when asked to nominate for Imperial Service overseas in the event of mobilisation, less than 10% of the Force chose to do so. In August 1914, after the outbreak of the First World War, Territorial units were given the option of serving in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and by 25 August in excess of 70 battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
s had volunteered. This question over the availability of Territorial divisions for overseas service was one of Lord Kitchener's motivations for raising the New Army
Kitchener's Army
The New Army, often referred to as Kitchener's Army or, disparagingly, Kitchener's Mob, was an all-volunteer army formed in the United Kingdom following the outbreak of hostilities in the First World War...
separately.
Territorial formations initially saw service in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
and other Empire garrisons such as Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, thereby releasing regular units for service in France and enabling the formation of an additional five regular army divisions (for a total of eleven) by early 1915. Several reserve units were also deployed with regular formations and the first Territorial unit to see action on the Western Front was the Glasgow Territorial Signallers Group, Royal Engineers
32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment
The 32nd Signal Regiment is a British Territorial Army regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals.- Regimental heritage :The 1st Lanarkshire Engineer Regiment were raised in Glasgow on 5 December 1859 as part of the Volunteer Force. The regiment was formally registered with the War Office on 27...
at the First Battle of Ypres
First Battle of Ypres
The First Battle of Ypres, also called the First Battle of Flanders , was a First World War battle fought for the strategic town of Ypres in western Belgium...
on 11 October 1914. The first fully Territorial division to join the fighting on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
was the 46th Division
British 46th (North Midland) Division
- World War I :The British 46th Division was a 1st Line Territorial Force division. At the outbreak of the war, the 46th Division was commanded by Major General Hon. E.J. Montagu-Stuart-Wortley. Originally called the 'North Midland Division', it was redesignated as the 46th Division in 1915...
in March 1915, with divisions later serving in Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
and elsewhere. As the war progressed and casualties mounted, the distinctive character of Territorial units was diluted by the inclusion of conscript and New Army drafts. Following the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
all units of the Territorial Force were gradually disbanded.
Interwar re-establishment and the Second World War
New recruiting started in early 1920, and the Territorial Force was reconstituted 7 February 1920. On 1 October 1920 the Territorial Force was renamed the Territorial Army. The 1st Line divisions (that were created in 1907 or 1908) were reconstituted in that year. However, the composition of the divisions was altered with a reduction in the number of infantry battalions required. There was also a reduced need for cavalry, and of the fifty-five yeomanry regiments, only the fourteen senior regiments retained their horses. The remaining yeomanry were converted to artillery or armoured car units or disbanded. The amalgamation of forty pairs of infantry battalions was announced in October, 1921. As part of the post-war "Geddes AxeEric Campbell Geddes
Sir Eric Campbell-Geddes GCB, GBE, PC was a British businessman and Conservative politician. He served as First Lord of the Admiralty between 1917 and 1919 and as the first Minister of Transport between 1919 and 1921....
" financial cuts the TA was further reduced in size in 1922: artillery batteries lost two of their six guns, the established size of infantry battalions was cut and ancillary medical, veterinary, signals and Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
units were either reduced in size or abolished. An innovation in 1922 was the creation of two Air Defence Brigades to provide anti-aircraft defence for London.
On 29 March 1939 it was announced that the size of the TA was to be doubled by the reforming of the 2nd line units. The total strength of the TA was to be 440,000: the field force of the Territorial Army was to rise from 130,000 to 340,000, organised in 26 divisions while an additional 100,000 all ranks would form the anti-aircraft section. When the 2nd Line was reformed they were a little different from their First World War predecessors. They had slightly different names and the regiments assigned were different. After VJ Day
Victory over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day is a name chosen for the day on which the Surrender of Japan occurred, effectively ending World War II, and subsequent anniversaries of that event...
in August 1945, the Territorial Army was significantly downsized with all 2nd Line and several 1st Line Divisions once again disbanded.
List of TA Divisions, Second World War
The Territorial Army armoured and infantry divisions during the Second World War were:- 1st Line:
- 1st Cavalry Division (1st Line Yeomanry)
- 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division
- 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division
- 44th (Home Counties) Infantry DivisionBritish 44th (Home Counties) Infantry DivisionThe 44th Division was a British Territorial Army division in both the First and Second World Wars, and for twenty years afterwards.- First World War:...
- 48th (South Midland) Infantry Division
- 49th (West Riding) Infantry DivisionBritish 49th (West Riding) Infantry DivisionThis military division was formed on 1 April 1908 as the West Riding Division in the Territorial Force of the British Army.- First World War :...
- 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry DivisionBritish 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry DivisionThe 50th Infantry Division was a 1st Line Territorial Army division during the Second World War. The two Ts in its insignia represent the two boundaries to its recruitment area, the rivers Tyne and Tees...
- 51st (Highland) Infantry DivisionBritish 51st (Highland) Infantry Division (World War II)For the First World War unit, see 51st Division .The 51st Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army division that fought during the Second World War...
- 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division
- 53rd (Welsh) DivisionBritish 53rd (Welsh) DivisionThe British 53rd Infantry Division was a Territorial Army division that fought in both World Wars. During the First World War the division fought at Gallipoli and in the Middle East. Remaining active during the interwar years as a peace-time formation, the division again saw action in the Second...
- 54th (East Anglian) Infantry Division
- 55th (West Lancashire) Infantry Division
- 56th (London) Infantry Division
- 2nd Line
- 9th (Highland) Infantry DivisionBritish 9th (Highland) Infantry DivisionThe 9th Infantry Division was a second line Territorial Army formation at the beginning of the Second World War. After the surrender of the 51st Highland Division in 1940, the 9th Division, a replica of the 51st Division, was reorganised as the new 51st Infantry Division...
- 12th (Eastern) Infantry DivisionBritish 12th (Eastern) DivisionThe 12th Infantry Division was a division raised by the British Army during the First World War. It was disbanded during the Second World War due to the number of casualties that it took.- Formation and First World War :...
- 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division
- 18th (East Anglian) Infantry DivisionBritish 18th Infantry DivisionFor the First World War unit, see 18th Division.The 18th Infantry Division was a Division of the British Army in the Second World War, a duplicate of the 54th Division using mostly units with connections to East Anglia ....
- 23rd (Northumbrian) DivisionBritish 23rd (Northumbrian) DivisionThe 23rd Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army duplicate of the 50th Infantry Division during the Second World War.- History :...
- 38th (Welsh) Infantry DivisionBritish 38th (Welsh) DivisionThe 38th Infantry Division was a British Army division. A 38th Division was in existence in both the First and Second World Wars, but not between the wars and there is no direct link between the two formations....
- 45th (Wessex) Infantry DivisionBritish 45th Infantry DivisionThe 45th Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army division during the First World War and the Second World War. It was a duplicate of the 43rd Infantry Division....
- 46th (West Riding) Infantry Division
- 47th (London) Infantry DivisionBritish 2nd London DivisionThe 2nd London Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army division, duplicate of the 1st London Division, during the Second World War .- History :...
- 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry DivisionBritish 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry DivisionThe 59th Infantry Division was a 2nd Line Territorial Army unit of the British Army during the Second World War. It served as part of the 21st Army Group during the early stages of the North-West Europe campaign...
- 61st (South Midland) Infantry DivisionBritish 61st Infantry DivisionThe 61st Infantry Division was a Territorial Army unit of the British Army during the Second World War.- History :The 61st Division was formed as a 2nd Line duplicate division of the 48th Infantry Division...
- 66th (East Lancashire) Infantry DivisionBritish 66th Infantry DivisionThe 66th Infantry Division was a formation of the British Army during the Second World War. The 66th was originally a 2nd Line division of the Territorial Army based in Manchester, England....
- 9th (Highland) Infantry Division
Postwar reforms and Cold War to present day
In 1947, the TA was restructured and expanded, through the reactivation of some of the 1st Line divisions that were initially disbanded after the war, keeping its former role of supplying complete divisions to the regular Army until 1967. For the first time, TA units were formed in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The manoeuvre divisions established or re-established in 1947 were:
- 42nd Infantry Division
- 43rd Infantry Division
- 44th Infantry Division
- 49th (West Riding & North Midland) Armoured DivisionBritish 49th (West Riding) Infantry DivisionThis military division was formed on 1 April 1908 as the West Riding Division in the Territorial Force of the British Army.- First World War :...
- 50th Infantry Division
- 51st/52nd (Scottish) Division
- 53rd Infantry Division
- 56th (London) Armoured DivisionBritish 1st London DivisionThe 56th Infantry Division was a British Territorial Army division of the First and Second World War. The division's insignia was the sword from the coat of arms of the City of London.- First World War:...
The 16th Airborne Division
16th Airborne Division (United Kingdom)
The 16th Airborne Division was an airborne division of the British Territorial Army.It was raised in 1947, to compensate for the loss of the 1st Airborne Division, which had been disbanded in 1945 and the 6th Airborne Division which was going to be disbanded in 1948...
, a totally TA formation, was also raised at this time, under the command of Major-General Roy Urquhart
Roy Urquhart
Major General Robert "Roy" Elliott Urquhart, CB, DSO was a British military officer. He became prominent for his role commanding the British 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden.-Early career:...
.
The Territorials also provided much of the anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
cover for the United Kingdom until 1956. In that year Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command
Anti-Aircraft Command was a British Army command of the Second World War that controlled the anti-aircraft artillery units of the British Isles.-History:...
and 15 anti-aircraft regiments of the Royal Artillery were disbanded, with nine others passing into "suspended animation" as new English Electric Thunderbird
English Electric Thunderbird
The English Electric Thunderbird was a British surface to air missile produced for the British Army. The Thunderbird was primarily intended to attack higher altitude targets at ranges of up to thirty miles or so. AA guns were still used for lower altitude threats...
Surface to Air Missile units replaced them. On 20 December 1955 the Secretary of State for War informed the House of Commons that the armoured divisions and the Lowland mixed division were to be converted to infantry, and the 16th Airborne Division reduced to a parachute brigade group. The territorial units of the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
were also reduced in number to nine armoured regiments and eleven reconnaissance regiments. This was effected by amalgamation of pairs of regiments, and the conversion of four RAC units to an infantry role. At the same time, the 16th Airborne Division was reduced to in size to become the 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group
44th Parachute Brigade (V)
The 44th Parachute Brigade was formed on 1st April 1967 from 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group . The Brigade was the only Territorial Army Parachute formation in the Army's order of battle...
.
British forces contracted dramatically as the end of conscription
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in 1960 came in sight as announced in the 1957 Defence White Paper
1957 Defence White Paper
The 1957 White Paper on Defence was a British white paper setting forth the perceived future of the British military. It had profound effects on all aspects of the defence industry but probably the most affected was the British aircraft industry...
. On 20 July 1960 a reorganisation of the TA was announced in the House of Commons. The Territorials were to be reduced from 266 fighting units to 195. There was to be a reduction of 46 regiments of the Royal Artillery, 18 battalions of infantry, 12 regiments of the Royal Engineers and 2 regiments of the Royal Corps of Signals. The reductions were carried out in 1961, mainly by amalgamation of units.
This was followed by complete reorganisation announced in the 1966 Defence White Paper
1966 Defence White Paper
The 1966 Defence White Paper was a major review of the United Kingdom's defence policy brought about by the Labour Party government under the Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The main author was the then Secretary of State for Defence, Denis Healey...
from 1 April 1967 when the title Territorial Army and Volunteer Reserve (TAVR) was adopted which abolished the former regimental and divisional structure of the TA. Units in the new TAVR were divided into four categories:
- TAVR I: Units available for all purposes
- TAVR II: Units with a NATO role, specifically support for the British Army of the RhineBritish Army of the RhineThere have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
- TAVR III: Home Defence units
- TAVR IV: Consisting of bands and the University-based Officer Training Corps
TAVR I and II units were known as "Volunteers", and those in TAVR III as "Territorials". These terms were often incorporated into the unit titles.
The TAVR III was disbanded in 1969, with the units being reduced to eight-man "cadres". The cadres became part of a "sponsoring" TAVR II unit, although continuing to wear the badges and perpetuating the traditions of their forebears. An increase in the size of the TAVR in 1971 lead to the formation of a number of battalions based on these cadres.
In 1979 the Territorial Army title was restored, and in the following years its size was somewhat increased, with the regimental system being progressively reinstated. Although due to its decreased established size, Brigades rather than Divisions were used at a manoeuvre formation level.
The TA was thus re-roled into its modern form. Instead of supplying complete combat divisions, its function was to round out regular formations by supplying units of up to battalion size (including infantry, light artillery and formation reconnaissance
Formation reconnaissance regiment
The Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army. Until recently, it was known as the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment....
), and to supply extra support functions such as engineers, medical units and military police.
After the Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
of 1998, the TA's size of around 56,200 was further reduced. The Infantry suffered most, with 87 companies in 33 battalions reducing to 67 companies in 15 battalions. As of 2006 the Territorial Army has an authorised strength of 42,000 though recruiting difficulties put the actual strength of the TA below that figure (manning is currently at approx 82% which equates to 34,000). Units also have attached
TA soldiers have seen service in a number of conflicts that the UK has been involved with since 1945. However, they served in particularly large numbers in two conflicts. The Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
, which were during the 1950s when the entire TA was called up. Throughout the Cold War however, the Territorial Army was never regarded as a particularly usable force overseas, either by the Government of the day or by the Regular Army. This was due to the fact that the entire Territorial Army had to be mobilised by Royal Prerogative
Royal Prerogative
The royal prerogative is a body of customary authority, privilege, and immunity, recognized in common law and, sometimes, in civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy as belonging to the sovereign alone. It is the means by which some of the executive powers of government, possessed by and...
in a wartime scenario, as occurred in the World Wars, with no flexibility to use smaller formations or specialists if required and as a result relied purely on Territorials willing to volunteer their services. Therefore, its role was, at least unofficially, seen as home defence and as a result the TA was not used in conflicts such as the 1982 Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
and 1991 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
(205 Scottish General Hospital were mobilised as a unit based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the 1991 Gulf War and a number of TA staff officers and others volunteered and served during the conflict either in supporting roles in Germany or within 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the Middle East.) However, the Government passed the Reserve Forces Act 1996, which enables individual TA personnel to be compulsorily called up for deployment, with certain caveat
Caveat
Caveat , the third-person singular present subjunctive of the Latin cavere, means "warning" ; it can be shorthand for Latin phrases such as:...
s exempting those in full-time education and other compassionate reasons, as well as providing protection by employment law for members' civilian jobs should they be mobilised, which has led to the TA increasingly providing routine support for the Regular Army overseas.
In 2003, 9,500 reservists, the vast majority of them from the TA, were mobilised to take part in Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
, the invasion of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, in contrast only some 420 Regular Reservists were called-up. Approximately 1,200 members of the TA have continued to deploy annually on tours of duty
Tour of duty
In the Navy, a tour of duty is a period of time spent performing operational duties at sea, including combat, performing patrol or fleet duties, or assigned to service in a foreign country....
in Iraq, Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and elsewhere, normally on 6 month-long roulement
Roulement
Roulement is a term used by the British Army to signify major combat units that are deployed on short tours of duty, normally for 6-months duration....
s. They cannot be used in operations for more than 12 months in any three-year period - making most of those who have already served ineligible for call up for two years afterwards. However given the relatively-small size of the Regular British Army, coupled with the current high rate of operational deployments, it is inconceivable that the TA will not see further extensive overseas service.
Regional brigades
Territorial Army units are widely dispersed across the country – much more so than the regular units, and in many areas they are the only visible face of the Armed Forces. They help to keep society informed about the Armed Forces, and of the importance of defence to the nation, and have an active role supporting the Army Cadet ForceArmy Cadet Force
The Army Cadet Force is a British youth organisation that offers progressive training in a multitude of the subjects from military training to adventurous training and first aid, at the same time as promoting achievement, discipline, and good citizenship, to boys and girls aged 12 to 18 and 9...
and events such as Ten Tors
Ten Tors
Ten Tors is an annual weekend hike organised and run in early May for 2,400 young people by the British Army on Dartmoor. The majority of entrants are schools, colleges, Scout groups and Cadet squadrons from South West England, though groups from across the UK regularly take part, as do teams from...
. They provide a means by which the community as a whole can contribute to Britain’s defence.
Most units of the Territorial Army are organised into Regional Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s for administrative and training purposes, dependent upon their geographic location within the United Kingdom. Exceptions include the Army Medical Services and UKSF(R). The Brigades also co-ordinate Civil Contingency Reaction Forces
Military Aid to the Civil Community
Military Aid to the Civil Community is a phrase referring to the armed forces providing a service to the civilian community. It is used in many countries, particularly the United Kingdom.-United Kingdom:...
(CCRF) in their respective regions, which are organised to provide support to the emergency service
Emergency service
Emergency services are organizations which ensure public safety and health by addressing different emergencies. Some agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies whilst others deal with ad hoc emergencies as part of their normal responsibilities...
s if required:
- 15th (North East) BrigadeBritish 15th Infantry BrigadeThe 15th Infantry Brigade is a British Army brigade. It was part of the regular British 5th Infantry Division during the Second World War, and is now part of the British 2nd Infantry Division in the north of the United Kingdom, with specific responsibility for the areas of North East England and...
- 42nd (North West) BrigadeBritish 42nd Infantry BrigadeThe British Army's 42nd Infantry Brigade was originally a brigade of the 14th Division in World War I. It was re-formed during the Second World War as a security force to protect Lines of Communication in North Africa....
- 51st (Scottish) BrigadeBritish 51st Infantry BrigadeThe British 51st Infantry Brigade is currently known as 51 Brigade, part of the 2nd Division. It is currently the regional administrative formation responsible for all the units of the Territorial Army based in Scotland. It is the largest Regional Brigade in the United Kingdom in terms of...
- 2nd (South East) BrigadeBritish 2nd Infantry BrigadeThe 2nd Infantry Brigade is a British Army Regional Brigade, active since the First World War.- History :...
- 49th (East) BrigadeBritish 49th Infantry BrigadeThe British Army's 49th Infantry Brigade started its existence as part of the British 16th Division, part of Kitchener's Army in the First World War...
- 145 (South) Brigade
- 43rd (Wessex) BrigadeBritish 43rd Infantry BrigadeThe British Army's 43rd Infantry Brigade was originally created during World War I as part of the 14th Division. It was reformed as a Lines of Communication security force in North Africa during the Second World War....
- 143rd (West Midlands) BrigadeBritish 143 Brigade- History :The 143rd Infantry Brigade was originally formed in World War I as a part of the Territorial Army's 48th Division, and served with that Division in both world wars...
- 160th (Wales) Brigade
- 38th (Irish) Brigade38th (Irish) Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom)The 38th Infantry Brigade was a British Army unit formed initially after the start of World War I, without the title 'Irish'.-History:...
- London DistrictLondon District (British Army)London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. Established in 1870 as Home District, it was re-formed in 1905 as London District to be an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so...
Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
- Royal YeomanryRoyal YeomanryThe Royal Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band:*A Squadron *B Squadron...
- Royal Wessex YeomanryRoyal Wessex YeomanryThe 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:*B Squadron*A Squadron...
- Royal Mercian and Lancastrian YeomanryRoyal Mercian and Lancastrian YeomanryThe Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the United Kingdom's Territorial Army. It currently serves in the armoured replacement role, providing replacement tank crews for regular armoured regiments....
- Queen's Own YeomanryQueen's Own YeomanryThe Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...
Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 100 (Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)
- 103 (Lancastrian Artillery Volunteers) Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 104 Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 105 Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 106 (Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery
Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 71 Engineer Regiment
- 72 Engineer Regiment
- 73 Engineer Regiment
- 75 Engineer Regiment
- 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment
- 131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers131 Independent Commando Squadron Royal Engineers, is a reserve unit of the British Territorial Army, affiliated to 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers. It provides general engineering support to 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines and is the largest Territorial Army Commando unit...
(Volunteers) - 591 Independent Field Squadron Royal Engineers (Volunteers) http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/ni/rolesandregiments/ta/pages/591IndependentFieldSquadronRoyalEngineers.aspx
- 135 Geographic Squadron Royal Engineers (Volunteers)
- 412 Amphibious Engineer Troop
Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
- 32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment32 (Scottish) Signal RegimentThe 32nd Signal Regiment is a British Territorial Army regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals.- Regimental heritage :The 1st Lanarkshire Engineer Regiment were raised in Glasgow on 5 December 1859 as part of the Volunteer Force. The regiment was formally registered with the War Office on 27...
(Volunteers) [RHQ Glasgow]- 52 (Lowland) Support Squadron (Volunteers) [Glasgow]
- 33 (Lancashire) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Liverpool]
- 50 (Northern) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Darlington/Hartlepool]
- 51 (Scottish) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Edinburgh]
- 69 (North Irish Horse) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Belfast/Londonderry]
- 37 Signal Regiment37 Signal Regiment37 Signal Regiment is Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations....
(Volunteers) [RHQ Redditch]- 54 (Worcestershire) Support Squadron [Redditch]
- 36 (Eastern) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Colchester/Cambridge]
- 48 (City of Birmingham) Squadron [Birmingham/Coventry]
- 53 (Wales and Western) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Cardiff/Stratford on Avon]
- 38 (Strategic Communications) Signal Regiment38 (City of Sheffield) Signal Regiment38 Signal Regiment is Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment's task is to "provide contingency communications throughout the whole of Northern England, from the Scottish Borders to the Northern Home Counties...
(Volunteers) [RHQ Sheffield]- 46 (Hallamshire) Support Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Sheffield]
- 1 Signal Squadron (Special Communications) (Volunteers) [Bletchley/Rugby/Banbury]
- 2 (Dundee and Highland) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Dundee/Aberdeen]
- 41 (Princess Louise's Kensington) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Coulsdon/Kingston-Upon-Thames]
- 64 (City of Sheffield) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Sheffield/Nottingham/Leeds]
- 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment39 Signal Regiment is Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations...
(Volunteers) [RHQ Bristol]- 93 (North Somerset Yeomanry) Support Squadron [Bristol]
- 56 Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Eastbourne/Brighton]
- 57 City and County of Bristol) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Bristol/Gloucester]
- 94 (Berkshire Yeomanry) Signal Squadron (Volunteers)Berkshire Yeomanry94 Signal Squadron forms part of 39 Signal Regiment. They are currently based in three locations in the Home Counties...
[Windsor/Aylesbury]
- 71st (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment (Volunteers) [RHQ Bexleyheath]
- 265 (Kent and County of London Yeomanry (SHARPSHOOTERS)) Support Squadron (Volunteers) [Bexleyheath]
- 47 (Middlesex YeomanryMiddlesex YeomanryThe 47 Signal Squadron is a unit of the Royal Corps of Signals within the British Territorial Army.During the Napoleonic Wars that the Gentlemen of Uxbridge sought permission from the Government to form a Military Association to maintain law and order when the Regular Forces were sent to the coast...
) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Uxbridge/Southfields] - 68 (Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [City of London/Whipps Cross/Chelmsford]
- Specialist Group Royal Signals (Volunteers) [Corsham]
- 81 Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Corsham]
- Land Information and Communications Services GroupLand Information and Communications Services GroupThe Land Information and Communications Services Group is one of the three Territorial Army units which constitute Specialist Group Royal Signals , the others being 81 Signal Squadron and the Land Information Assurance Group...
(LICSG) (Volunteers) [Corsham] - Land Information Assurance Group (LIAG)Land Information Assurance Group (LIAG)The Land Information Assurance Group - LIAG - is a specialist Territorial Army unit, formed as a result of the Strategic Defence Review of 1998:'On Information Warfare.....
(Volunteers) [Corsham] - Central Volunteer Headquarters Royal Signals (CVHQ Royal Signals) [Corsham]
- 43 (Wessex) Signal Squadron (Volunteers) [Bath] - (Part of 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support))
- 63 (Special Air Service) Signal Squadron (Reserve) [Thorney Island] - (Part of 18 (United Kingdom Special Forces) Signal Regiment)
- Royal Signals (Northern) Band (Volunteers) [Darlington]
InfantryBritish Army InfantryThe British Army's Infantry, part of the Structure of the British Army, comprises 51 battalions of Infantry, from 19 Regiments. Of these 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial' force...
- 52nd Lowland52nd Lowland RegimentThe 52nd Lowland Regiment now forms the 6th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 6 SCOTS. Due to its erstwhile association with the 1st Regiment of Foot, it is the senior Territorial line infantry battalion in the British Army...
, 6th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland - 51st Highland, 7th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 3rd Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
- 4th BattalionLancastrian and Cumbrian VolunteersThe Lancastrian and Cumbrian Volunteers is a Territorial Army unit of the British Army.It was formed on 1 July 1999 following the Strategic Defence Review by the amagamation of the 4th Battalion Queen's Lancashire Regiment and the 4th Battalion of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment...
, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment is an infantry regiment of the line within the British Army. It recruits throughout the North West of England... - 5th BattalionTyne-Tees RegimentThe Tyne-Tees Regiment was a regiment of the British Territorial Army.-History:The regiment was formed in 1999 by the amalgamation of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers , 4th/5th Battalion The Green Howards and 7th Battalion, The Light Infantry due to the implementation of the...
, Royal Regiment of FusiliersRoyal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier... - 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment3rd Battalion Royal Anglian RegimentThe 3rd battalion Royal Anglian Regiment "The Steelbacks" is the Territorial Army unit of the Royal Anglian Regiment and is made up of volunteers who train in their spare time as soldiers...
- 4th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment
- 4th BattalionWest Midlands RegimentThe West Midlands Regiment was a British Territorial Army regiment from 1998 to 2007.The regiment was formed on April 5, 1988 by the amalgamation of four territorial infantry battalions:*3rd Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment...
, Mercian RegimentMercian RegimentThe Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion... - 3rd BattalionRoyal Welsh RegimentThe Royal Welsh Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1999 as part of the restructuring of the TA by the amalgamation of the two Welsh TA battalions:*3rd Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers...
, Royal WelshRoyal WelshThe Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The... - 2nd BattalionRoyal Irish RangersThe Royal Irish Rangers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army.-Creation:...
, The Royal Irish Regiment - 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment4th Battalion, The Parachute RegimentThe 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment is a Territorial Army unit of the British Army. It is based across the U.K. Originally the Battalion covered the North of England with its Headquarters located in Pudsey, West Yorkshire...
- The London Regiment
- 6th Battalion, The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
- 7th Battalion, The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
- 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artists) (Volunteers)Artists' RiflesThe Artists Rifles is a volunteer regiment of the British Army. Raised in London in 1859 as a volunteer light infantry unit, the regiment saw active service during the Boer Wars and World War I, earning a number of battle honours; however, it did not serve outside of Britain during World War II, as...
- 23rd Special Air Service Regiment
Army Air Corps
- 6 (Volunteer) Regiment AAC
- 7 (Volunteer) Regiment AAC
Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic CorpsThe Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
- The Scottish Transport RegimentThe Scottish Transport RegimentThe Scottish Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps , is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom. The Scottish Transport Regiment is the only regiment of the RLC based in Scotland. It role is to provide general transport support at 'third line' for the British Army...
- The Welsh Transport RegimentWelsh Transport RegimentThe Welsh Transport Regiment RLC is the only Territorial Army logistic unit based solely in Wales. The Regiment is operationally focussed and comprises one HQ Squadron and three Task Squadrons:* 249 Squadron - Maindy Barracks, Cardiff....
- 150 (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment
- 151 (Greater London) Logistic Support Regiment
- 152 (Ulster) Transport Regiment
- 155 Transport Regiment
- 156 (North-West) Transport Regiment156 (North-West) Transport RegimentThe 156 Transport Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.-Units:*235 Squadron *234 Transport Squadron*236 Squadron*238 Squadron...
- 158 (Royal Anglian) Transport Regiment
- 159 Support Regiment
- 168 Pioneer Regiment
- 383 Commando Petroleum Troop383 Commando Petroleum Troop383 Commando Petroleum Troop of the Royal Logistic Corps is a unit responsible for the handling, supply and storage of bulk fuels from ship-to-shore and under front-line combat conditions....
- 395 Air Dispatch Troop
- 88 Postal and Courier Regiment
- 160 Transport Regiment160 Transport Regiment160 Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.It is a National TA unit, formed in April 1995, which recruits personnel from all over the country and is based at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham, Lincolnshire.It provides 3rd...
- 162 Movement Control Regiment162 Movement Control RegimentThe 162 Movement Control Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.In 2006 it was amalgamated with the 163 Movement Control Regiment and is now the only volunteer Movement Control Regiment in the Territorial Army...
- 163 Movement Control Regiment
- 165 Port Regiment
- 166 Supply Regiment
- Catering Support RegimentCatering Support RegimentThe Catering Support Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.The regiment was formed as part of the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993 and was the successor to the Central Volunteer Headquarters of the Army Catering Corps. In 1998 the Regiment was...
Army Medical ServicesArmy Medical ServicesThe Army Medical Services is the organisation responsible for administering the four separate corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army...
- 254 (City of Cambridge) General Support Medical Regiment254 (City of Cambridge) General Support Medical Regiment254 Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps, is a regiment in the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.- History :The regiment was formed in 1983 and was named 254 Field Ambulance...
- 225 (Scottish) General Support Medical Regiment
- 253 (North Irish) General Support Medical Regiment
- 250 Medical Squadron
- 144 Parachute Medical Squadron
2 Medical Brigade Units:
- 201 (Northern) Field HospitalField hospitalA field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
- 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital
- 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital
- 204 (North Irish) Field Hospital
- 205 (Scottish) Field Hospital
- 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital
- 208 (Liverpool) Field Hospital
- 212 (Yorkshire) Field Hospital
- 222 Field Hospital
- 243 (Wessex) Field Hospital
- 256 (City of London) Field Hospital
- 306 Hospital Support Medical Regiment
- 335 Medical Evacuation Regiment
Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
- 101 Battalion, REME (V) - 102 Logistic Brigade
- 102 Battalion, REME (V) - 101 Logistic Brigade
- 103 Battalion, REME (V)
- 104 Battalion, REME (V)
Adjutant General's CorpsAdjutant General's CorpsThe Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services. As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 people...
- Central Volunteer Headquarters Adjutant General's Corps
- Army Legal Services
- Educational and Training Support
- Military Provost Staff
- Military Provost Guard Service
- Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch
- 4 Regiment, Royal Military PoliceRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
- 5 Regiment, Royal Military Police
Intelligence Corps
- 3 (Volunteer) Military Intelligence Battalion
- 5 (Volunteer) Military Intelligence Battalion
Corps of Army MusicCorps of Army MusicThe Corps of Army Music is a corps of the British Army. It was formed in 1994 as an umbrella organisation, centred on the Royal Military School of Music, to oversee the 29 new permanent Military Bands formed following Options for Change, although each band continues to wear the capbadges and Full...
- Band of the Honourable Artillery CompanyHonourable Artillery CompanyThe Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
- Regimental Band (Inns of Court and City YeomanryInns of Court and City YeomanryKnown by its new title since 2009, the Inns of Court & City and Essex Yeomanry is a Royal Signals squadron in the British Territorial Army with its headquarters in Chancery Lane, London...
) of the Royal YeomanryRoyal YeomanryThe Royal Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band:*A Squadron *B Squadron... - Lancashire Artillery Volunteers Band
- The Nottingham Band of the Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- The (Northern) Band of the Royal Corps of SignalsRoyal Corps of SignalsThe Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
- Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of ScotlandLowland Band of the Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Lowland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland is a Military band in the Territorial Army and one of three Military bands in the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The band is based at East Claremont Street Drill hall in Edinburgh and is administered by 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion, The Royal Regiment...
- Highland Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland
- Band of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment"PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division...
- Band of the Royal Regiment of FusiliersRoyal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier...
- Band of the Royal Anglian RegimentRoyal Anglian RegimentThe Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
- Volunteer Band of the Royal Gibraltar RegimentRoyal Gibraltar RegimentThe Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:...
- Band of The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
- Band of the Royal WelshRoyal WelshThe Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...
- Band of the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border)The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment is an infantry regiment of the line within the British Army. It recruits throughout the North West of England...
- Band of the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th & 33rd/76th Foot)Yorkshire RegimentThe Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
- The Band of The Mercian Regiment
- The Salamanca Band of The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
- The Waterloo Band of The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
- Band of the 150th (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment, Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic CorpsThe Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
- Band of the Army Medical ServicesArmy Medical ServicesThe Army Medical Services is the organisation responsible for administering the four separate corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army...
- Band of the Bermuda RegimentBermuda RegimentThe Bermuda Regiment is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is a single territorial infantry battalion that was formed by the amalgamation in 1965 of two originally voluntary units, the all white Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps and the mostly black Bermuda Militia...
Pipes and Drums
- Pipes and Drums of the Lancashire Artillery Volunteers
- Pipes and Drums of the 52nd Lowland52nd Lowland RegimentThe 52nd Lowland Regiment now forms the 6th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 6 SCOTS. Due to its erstwhile association with the 1st Regiment of Foot, it is the senior Territorial line infantry battalion in the British Army...
, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland - Pipes and Drums of the 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- Pipes and Drums of the London Scottish
- Pipes and Drums of the London Irish RiflesLondon Irish RiflesThe London Irish Rifles is now known more formally known as "D Company, London Regiment" and is a volunteer Rifle Regiment with a distinguished history...
- Pipes and Drums of 102bn REME
- Drums and Pipes of Aberdeen UOTC
- Pipes and Drums of City of Edinburgh UOTCOfficers Training CorpsThe Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
- Pipes and Drums of Glasgow UOTC
- Pipes and Drums of Tayforth UOTC
Officer Training Corps
Many British Universities also have Officer Training CorpsOfficers Training Corps
The Officer Training Corps is a part of the British Army which provides military leadership training to students at UK universities...
units, which allow students to experience military life. University Officer Training Corps (UOTCs) still officially form part of the TA. However, the officer cadets fall into reserve category "B" meaning they cannot be called up for service unless there is a national emergency.
In 2011 an MoD study recommended the downgrading of UOTCs to sub-units (commanded by a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
rather than a Lt Col) and the formation of 12 Officer Training Regiments comprising one or two OTC 'companies' and a TA Officer Training Wing. The study also concluded that UOTC OCdts should not be attested or paid in their first year.
- Aberdeen UOTCAberdeen Universities Officer Training CorpsAberdeen Universities Officer Training Corps is one of 18 University Officer Training Corps in the United Kingdom. AUOTC recruits from the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and Aberdeen College, all primarily located within the city of Aberdeen in the north-east of Scotland.AUOTC is...
- Birmingham UOTC
- Bristol UOTC
- Cambridge UOTC
- East Midlands UOTC
- City of Edinburgh UOTC
- Exeter UOTC
- Glasgow and Strathclyde UOTCGlasgow and Strathclyde Universities Officer Training CorpsGlasgow and Strathclyde Universities Officer Training Corps is one of nineteen University Officer Training Corps in the United Kingdom and one of four in Scotland, drawing recruits from higher education institutions in and around the city of Glasgow and the wider Strathclyde region in west-central...
- Leeds UOTC
- Liverpool UOTC
- Manchester & Salford UOTC
- Northumbrian UOTC
- Oxford UOTC
- Queen's UOTC
- Sheffield UOTC
- Southampton UOTC
- Tayforth UOTC
- Wales UOTC
- University of London OTC
Overseas territories
Throughout the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, home defence units, like the Royal Hong Kong Regiment, were raised in various British colonies with the intention of allowing Regular Army units tied-up on garrison duty to be deployed elsewhere. Although they have generally been organised along Territorial Army lines, they are NOT part of the British army and are funded by the OT government and not by British tax payers. There are three units, today, in the remaining British Overseas Territories
British overseas territories
The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories of the United Kingdom which, although they do not form part of the United Kingdom itself, fall under its jurisdiction. They are remnants of the British Empire that have not acquired independence or have voted to remain British territories...
(BOT): the Bermuda Regiment
Bermuda Regiment
The Bermuda Regiment is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is a single territorial infantry battalion that was formed by the amalgamation in 1965 of two originally voluntary units, the all white Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps and the mostly black Bermuda Militia...
, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:...
, and the Falkland Islands Defence Force
Falkland Islands Defence Force
The Falkland Islands Defence Force is the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands. The FIDF works alongside the military units supplied by the United Kingdom to ensure the security of the islands.-History:...
. Although the British Government, as national government, is responsible for the defence of the territories, and holds direct control of military units raised within them, the local forces are raised and funded by the local governments of the territories. These units must meet British Army standards in organisation and efficiency. Their officers are commissioned by Sandhurst, and their sergeants attend the Platoon Sergeants course at Brecon (itself having been begun as a course for Parachute Regiment NCOs, created by a Bermudian officer, Major-General Glyn Charles Anglim Gilbert). Although OT units may have no tasking under the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, and members may not be compelled to serve outside their territory, many serve voluntarily on attachment to Regular Army units. In the 1980s, a cadre of officers and NCOs from the Bermuda Regiment was briefly attached to a battalion of the affiliated Royal Anglian Regiment
Royal Anglian Regiment
The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the...
deployed to Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, guarding against a threatened invasion by Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is moving towards full integration with the British Army, having been added to the Army List, and with two of its three rifle companies having become full-time, following the withdrawal of the Regular Army garrison in 1991.
Soldiers
For TA soldiers, recruit training is structured into two phases: Phase 1, also known as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) Course, and Phase 2, specialist training.Phase 1
In Phase 1, recruits cover the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) (CMS(R)) in a series of 6 training weekends at Regional Training Centre
Regional Training Centre
Regional Training Centres were created from the previously existing Specialist Training Teams to provide training for the United Kingdom Territorial Army...
s (RTCs). For non-infantry units, CMS(R) concludes with a two week training course normally held at an Army Training Regiment, whilst infantry recruits have an extra 3 weekends and then go directly to their Phase 2 Training at Catterick. Recruits to the 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
The 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment is a Territorial Army unit of the British Army. It is based across the U.K. Originally the Battalion covered the North of England with its Headquarters located in Pudsey, West Yorkshire...
and the Honourable Artillery Company
Honourable Artillery Company
The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
complete their equivalent of CMS(R) within their own units.
Phase 2
Phase 1 is followed by Phase 2, a further period of specialist training specific to the type of unit the recruit is joining. This is normally conducted by the Arm or Service that the recruit is joining, for example for infantry units, Phase 2 consists of the two week Combat Infantryman's Course (TA) (CIC (TA)) held at the Infantry Training Centre
Infantry Training Centre
The Infantry Training Centre is a unit of the British Army administered by HQ School of Infantry responsible for both basic and advanced training of Soldiers and Officers joining the infantry...
, Catterick
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
.
Officers
To gain a commission, Potential Officers have to pass through four modules of training, which together form the Territorial Army Commissioning Course (TACC).Module 1 is the same as the Common Military Syllabus (Recruit) course. As many Officers initially serve a period of time as Soldiers, this module is only undertaken by the minority that join the TA directly as Potential Officers under the Direct Entry TA Potential Officer (DETAPO) system.
Module 2 covers training in Tactics, Leadership, Doctrine and Navigation, both in theory and in practice, and a further series of selection and aptitude
Aptitude
An aptitude is an innate component of a competency to do a certain kind of work at a certain level. Aptitudes may be physical or mental...
tests are undertaken, usually spread over 10 weekends. This also includes passing The Army Officer Selection Board Briefing and Main Board, after which Potential Officers are formally designated as Officer Cadet
Officer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
s.
Module 3 applies the theory taught in Module 2 into a 9 day Battle Camp. Modules 1 to 3 are run by Regional Training Centre
Regional Training Centre
Regional Training Centres were created from the previously existing Specialist Training Teams to provide training for the United Kingdom Territorial Army...
s around the UK.
Module 4. Passing the AOSB and Module 3 then enables Officer Cadets to attend an intensive three week Assessment at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, which forms Module 4.
On successful completion of Module 4, the Officer Cadets receive their Commission and become Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
s. Further training that is required prior to them being considered for operational deployment and promotion to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
includes:
Post Commissioning Training (formerly known as Module 5), again run at an RTC, over 3 weekends.
Special To Arm training is specific to the type of unit the Subaltern is joining, for example, the 2 week Platoon Commander's
Platoon leader
A platoon leader or platoon commander is the officer in command of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer — a second or first lieutenant, or an equivalent rank. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant...
Battle Course held at the Infantry Battle School in Brecon
Brecon
Brecon is a long-established market town and community in southern Powys, Mid Wales, with a population of 7,901. It was the county town of the historic county of Brecknockshire; although its role as such was eclipsed with the formation of Powys, it remains an important local centre...
.
See also
- Auxiliary Territorial ServiceAuxiliary Territorial ServiceThe Auxiliary Territorial Service was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War...
- Auxiliary UnitsAuxiliary UnitsThe Auxiliary Units or GHQ Auxiliary Units were specially trained, highly secret units created by the United Kingdom government during the Second World War, with the aim of resisting the expected occupation of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany, after a planned invasion codenamed Operation Sea Lion...
(1940–1944) - Home GuardBritish Home GuardThe Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
(1940–1944) - Exercise Cambrian PatrolExercise Cambrian PatrolExercise Cambrian Patrol is an annual patrolling competition that takes place throughout the Cambrian Mountains of mid-Wales. An internationally recognized military exercise, previous participants have included numerous European states, in addition to Commonwealth countries and the United...
- Home Service ForceHome Service ForceThe Home Service Force was a Home Guard type force established in the United Kingdom in 1982. It was linked to the Territorial Army and recruited from volunteers aged 18–60 with previous British forces experience...
(1982–1993) - Indian Territorial ArmyIndian Territorial ArmyThe Territorial Army in India is an organization of volunteers who receive military training for a few days in a year so that in case of an emergency they can be mobilized for the defence of the country....
- Reserve Forces and Cadets AssociationReserve Forces and Cadets AssociationReserve Forces and Cadets Associations are regional civilian bodies comprising voluntary members and a small full time secretariat. They are established by statute to offer advice and support to the Defence Council on behalf of the Reserve Forces and Cadet Movement. In particular they are...
- Royal Auxiliary Air ForceRoyal Auxiliary Air ForceThe Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
- Royal Marines ReserveRoyal Marines ReserveThe role of the Royal Marines Reserve of the United Kingdom is to support the regular Royal Marines in times of war or national crisis. The RMR consists of some 600-1000 trained ranks distributed among the five RMR Centres within the UK...
- Royal Naval ReserveRoyal Naval ReserveThe Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
- Territorial DecorationTerritorial DecorationThe Territorial Decoration was a medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army...
- The Territorial Army (British Rail)
- Volunteer Reserves Service MedalVolunteer Reserves Service MedalThe Volunteer Reserves Service Medal is a medal awarded to all members of the reserves of all of the branches of the British Armed Forces - the Royal Naval Reserve, the Royal Marines Reserve, the Territorial Army and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force...
People
- Alfred AndersonAlfred AndersonAlfred Anderson was a Scottish joiner and veteran of the First World War. He was the last known holder of the 1914 Star , the last known combatant to participate in the 1914 World War I Christmas truce, Scotland's last known World War I veteran, and Scotland's oldest man for more than a year.In...
- Micky BurnMicky BurnMichael Clive "Micky" Burn, MC was an English journalist, commando, writer and poet.-Early life:By his own admission, in earlier life he "had been drawn to three autocracies: German National Socialism, Communism, and the Roman Catholic Church." Burn's father was secretary and solicitor to the...
- Billy ConnollyBilly ConnollyWilliam "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
- Bill DeedesBill DeedesWilliam Francis Deedes, Baron Deedes, KBE, MC, PC, DL was a British Conservative Party politician, army officer and journalist; he is to date the only person in Britain to have been both a member of the Cabinet and the editor of a major daily newspaper, The Daily Telegraph.-Early life and...
- Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of WestminsterGerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of WestminsterMajor-General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, , is the son of Robert George Grosvenor, 5th Duke of Westminster, and his wife Hon. Viola Maud Lyttelton. He is the owner of property company Grosvenor Group...
- Bear GryllsBear GryllsEdward Michael "Bear" Grylls is an English adventurer, writer and television presenter. He is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild, known as Born Survivor in the United Kingdom...
- Richard HolmesRichard Holmes (military historian)Brigadier Edward Richard Holmes, CBE, TD, JP , known as Richard Holmes, was a British soldier and noted military historian, particularly well-known through his many television appearances...
- Paddy MaynePaddy MayneLieutenant Colonel Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne DSO & Three Bars was a Northern Irish soldier, solicitor, Ireland rugby union international, amateur boxer, polar explorer and a founding member of the Special Air Service .-Early life and sporting achievements:Robert Blair "Paddy" Mayne was born in...
- Basil RathboneBasil RathboneSir Basil Rathbone, KBE, MC, Kt was an English actor. He rose to prominence in England as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in over 70 films, primarily costume dramas, swashbucklers, and, occasionally, horror films...
- William Slim, 1st Viscount SlimWilliam Slim, 1st Viscount SlimField Marshal William Joseph "Bill"'Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ was a British military commander and the 13th Governor-General of Australia....
External links
- Territorial Army
- Army Reservist Support Service
- Territorial Army Near You Unofficial website showing the locations of currently-serving TA units and subunits
- The All Party Parliamentary Reserve Forces Group - see their most recent report on the TA
- Royal Engineers Museum - RE Militia, Volunteers and Territorials (1757–1979)
- The Army Rumour Service - THE unofficial site for members of the British Army
- The Army Rumour ServiceThe Army Rumour ServiceThe Army Rumour Service is an unofficial British Army website and forum. Known colloquially as ARRSE - from "ARmy Rumour SErvice" - the site styles itself as the unofficial voice of the British Army...
Wiki Page - The Royal Gazette: Regiment to join forces with army from ‘The Rock'
- Regiment gets fired up during training
- World War II Order of Battle Data Base
- http://www.orbat.com/site/history/index.html - Look on this page for an article on the TA's Order of Battle 1947
- Regiments of the British Territorial Force 1908 (Regiments.org)
- Regiments of the British Territorial Army 1939 (Regiments.org)
- Regiments of the British Territorial and Army Volunteer Reserve 1967 (Regiments.org)
- Regiments of the British Territorial Army 1995 (Regiments.org)
- Regiments of the British Territorial Army 1999 (Regiments.org)
- Regiments of the British Territorial Army 2008 (Regiments.org)
- Territorial Army Deaths on active duty