11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment RLC

Last updated

11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal & Search Regiment RLC
Active1972 - Present
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchFlag of the British Army.svg  British Army
RoleMilitary Aid to the Civil Authority
Size Regiment
658 personnel [1]
Garrison/HQ Vauxhall Barracks, Didcot
Corps Rlcbadge.jpg Royal Logistic Corps
Insignia
Tactical recognition flash RLC TRF.svg

11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment RLC is a specialist regiment of the British Army's Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) responsible for counter terrorist Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), the safe recovery or disposal of conventional munitions. The regiment also has an ammunition inspectorate role supporting the Inspector Explosives (Army). With headquarters in Didcot, the regiment has sub units geographically based throughout the UK to provide a nationwide high readiness response capability in support of the police.

Contents

History

The regiment's history commences in the period immediately after World War II. At the time, the regional Commands HQs across the UK established Ammunition Inspectorates to oversee the drawdown of the vast stockpiles of ammunition in numerous sub depots across the country, much of it was still stocked alongside many of the roads in the countryside. These Command Ammunition Inspectorates, Northern Command, Southern Command etc. were eventually grouped into one unit, 1 Ammunition Inspection and Disposal Unit RAOC, which formed on 15 March 1972 at Salisbury. [2]

In April 1982, 1 Ammo IDU became 11 Ordnance Battalion (EOD) and was relocated to Didcot. On 5 April 1993, the battalion was retitled to 11 EOD Regiment RLC, following the formation of the RLC. [3] In June 2018 the Regiment was renamed to 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment RLC, in recognition of the importance of Search within the Explosive Ordnance Disposal community. [4]

Role

The unit is responsible for providing EOD (Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), Conventional Munitions Disposal (CMD), Biological and Chemical Munitions Disposal (BCMD) and Radiological and Nuclear Munitions Disposal) and Ammunition Technical support to Defence and Other Government Departments, in order to support Land Forces Command Capability on UK mainland (Great Britain & Northern Ireland) and overseas. [5]

Structure

The structure is as follows:

Notable personnel

Honours

The Regiment is based at Vauxhall Barracks, Didcot, Oxfordshire having moved there from Old Sarum in 1982. Due to its long and close association with the town, the Regiment was awarded the Freedom of Didcot on 17 September 2007 and were conferred "the honour and distinction of exercising all customary Regimental Privileges when parading in or marching through the Town of Didcot". The Regiment exercised its right to march through the town of Didcot on 22 September 2007, led by the Commanding Officer Lt Col RL Maybery QGM RLC. [11]

On 19 November 2010, in a ceremony at Didcot Parkway railway station, a High Speed Train locomotive, no. 43087 operated by Great Western Railway (FGW), was named 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment Royal Logistic Corps. The ceremony was attended by Lt Col Gareth Bex (Commanding Officer); soldiers of the Regiment; Mark Hopwood, of FGW; Keith Mitchell, leader of the county council; and the MP for Wantage, Ed Vaizey. [12] [13]

On 15 March 2018 the regiment was awarded the Firmin Sword of Peace, one of the highest accolades that can be bestowed upon a military unit. The award reflected in particular the regiment's specialist search operations during the Didcot Power Station tragedy (Operation BRIDLED) and the safe disposal of the hazardous chemical 2,4-Dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) from school laboratories nationwide, which posed an explosive threat to UK school children (Op MATSU). [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bomb disposal</span> Activity to dispose of and render safe explosive munitions and other materials

Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are disabled or otherwise rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the military fields of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and improvised explosive device disposal (IEDD), and the public safety roles of public safety bomb disposal (PSBD) and the bomb squad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Logistic Corps</span> Logistic arm of the British Army

The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army.

An ammunition technician (AT) is a British Army soldier, formerly of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps but since 1993 of the Royal Logistic Corps, trained to inspect, repair, test, store, and modify all ammunition, guided missiles, and explosives used by the British Army. These technicians are also trained to use demolition to safely dispose of individual items of ammunition and explosives (EODs) or to conduct logistics disposal of bulk stocks of multi items. After gaining sufficient experience, those who show the appropriate qualities are given extra training to render safe improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by a process called improvised explosive device disposal. Experienced ATs may be called to give evidence as expert witnesses in criminal or coroner's courts in relation to ammunition or explosives or to EOD and IEDD duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammunition technical officer</span>

An ammunition technical officer (ATO) is an officer involved in all aspects of the army, air force, and navy's use of ammunition. This includes: bomb disposal, clearance of ERW, explosives accident investigation, procurement, in service management, storage, and inspection and repair.

The Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment is an element of the Royal School of Military Engineering responsible for the provision of training to British Army Ammunition Technicians, Ammunition Technical Officers and Search Operators. The Regiment provides training from two locations: Marlborough Barracks, MoD Kineton near Kineton, Warwickshire and St George's Barracks, MoD Bicester, near Bicester, Oxfordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">321 EOD & Search Squadron RLC</span> Military unit

321 EOD & Search Squadron, 11 EOD Regiment RLC is a unit of the British Army responsible for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search duties in Northern Ireland.

This is the Operation Herrick ground order of battle, which lists any British ground forces that have taken part in the duration of Operation Herrick between 2002 and 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreghorn Barracks</span>

Dreghorn Barracks are located in Edinburgh, Scotland. The barracks are situated at the southern edge of the city, south of Colinton, and adjacent to the Edinburgh City Bypass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">35 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

35 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) is an Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search unit of the Royal Engineers within the British Army, under the operational command of 8th Engineer Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall Barracks</span>

Vauxhall Barracks is a British Army installation in Didcot, Oxfordshire. It is set to close in 2034.

33 Engineer Regiment (EOD&S) is a regiment of the British Army's Royal Engineers. It is based at Carver Barracks, Essex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Engineer Brigade (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

8th Engineer Brigade is an engineering support formation of the British Army, which forms part of 1st Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MOD Bicester</span>

MoD Bicester is a large military installation consisting of two barracks and a storage and distribution centre, just outside Bicester in Oxfordshire. The St David's Barracks part of the base, home to 1 Regiment RLC, is set to close in 2028.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Structure of the British Army</span> Organisation of the British Army

The page contains the current structure of the British Army. The British Army is currently being reorganised to the Future Soldier structure.

This is a list of units of the British Army's Royal Engineers.

The following is a hierarchical outline for the structure of the British Army in 1989. The most authoritative source for this type of information available is Ministry of Defence, Master Order of Battle, and United Kingdom Land Forces, HQ UKLF, UKLF ORBAT Review Action Plan, HQ UKLF, 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">29 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search) Group</span> Military unit

The 29 Group, formerly 29 Engineer Brigade, is an engineer formation of the British Army responsible for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search. Its headquarters were at Aldershot, now at Didcot.

The 2nd Division Transport Regiment was a military support unit of the British Army, forming part of the Royal Corps of Transport. Initially formed in 1953, the regiment would serve the 2nd Infantry Division until its first disbandment in 1984 following a reorganisation of the British Army of the Rhine. Reformed one year later, it would finally be disbanded in 1993 following the End of the Cold War.

References

  1. ↑ "Army – Question for Ministry of Defence". p. 1. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Observer. 1975.
  3. ↑ "Major Units 11 on". British Army units 1945 on. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  4. ↑ "11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Regiment RLC". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  5. ↑ "11 EOD Regiment, British Army Website". army.mod.uk. Archived from the original on 18 January 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Google Earth". earth.google.com. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  7. ↑ "A Better Defence Estate November 2016" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. p. 22. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "A Better Defence Estate November 2016" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. p. 18. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "Google Earth". earth.google.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  10. ↑ "A Better Defence Estate November 2016" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. p. 20. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "Freedom of Didcot". Didcot Dynamo. 2007. p. 18. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  12. ↑ "Train named after Didcot's 11 EOD Regiment". BBC Oxford. 19 November 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
  13. ↑ "Loco renamed to honour bomb disposal heroes". Didcot Herald. Newsquest Media Group. 20 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  14. ↑ "Sword Of Peace". RLC. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.